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Whole grape leaves, stems snipped off

  1 cup bottled lemon juice for each jar of leaves

  Wash and sterilize wide-mouth quart canning jars, new lids, bands, and utensils by scalding.

  Add salt to quart of water and bring to a boil. Add batches of grape leaves and blanch for 30 seconds, poking them to make sure salted water reaches all surfaces. Drain. Stack grape leaves and form into loose rolls; pack the rolled leaves vertically into jars.

  For each jar used, bring a quart of water to boil and add lemon juice. Pour over the packed leaves, leaving 1/2-inch headroom. Gently cover with lids and bands, and seal in a boiling water bath.

  Grape Dumplings

  1 cup flour

  1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  2 teaspoons sugar

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1 tablespoon shortening

  1/2 cup grape juice for dough, plus sufficient grape juice for boiling

  Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add shortening. Add juice and mix into stiff dough. Roll dough very thin on floured board and cut into strips 1/2 inch wide (or roll dough in hands and break off pea-sized bits).

  Drop into boiling grape juice and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.

  Recipe courtesy of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

  Landscape highlights

  Over patio or arbor for summer shade

  Winter interest

  Trimmed vines and tendrils useful for crafts

  Edible highlights

  Fruit fresh from the vine

  Canned as juice or jelly

  Dehydrated as raisins

  Leaves pickled for Middle Eastern cuisine

  Where it grows best

  In any climate with summer heat; vines survive from frost-free zones to -40 degrees F, Zone 3, depending on variety

  On a strong arbor or fence, or with a post-and-wire system

  In full sun or slight shade

  In a loose or gritty soil that drains well

  On a slight slope to shed frost

  How to grow it

  With specific local characteristics (see Resources section for Agricultural Extension information)

  Without too much fertilizer

  Pruned each year for maximum fruit production

  Without overwatering once vines are established

  As a roomy shade house, with brick, stone, or gravel floor

  Along porch railing for support and easy harvest, old-world style

  How to prune grape vines

  Without strong pruning during the dormant period, grape vines will put too much of the next year’s growth into leaves and vines, and not enough into fruit. Over time the vines become overgrown and unproductive.

  Once vines are established they should be pruned every year to keep the proportion of woody vine low in relation to the new growth that can occur; the idea is to remove all but a few buds per branch from the previous season’s growth. The stronger an individual plant, the more buds can be left on when pruning. A two-bud cut is standard.

  Pruning must be done during winter or vines will “bleed” sap alarmingly. Use clean, sharp tools.

  Grapevines left unpruned for many years can be cut back severely to start productive growth again.

  Kiwi

  The kiwi is sweetness and light, a marvelous addition to any edible landscape and particularly useful in urban settings, where the fast-growing vine can provide attractive screening and, with time, large quantities of fresh fruit.

  The kiwi, or kiwifruit, has been called “nutritionally dense” and a “nutritional powerhouse” for its vitamin and mineral content. A single kiwi provides a day’s requirement of vitamin C; some sources report that one kiwi has twice as much vitamin C as an orange and as much potassium as a banana. Kiwifruit contains magnesium, phosphorous, calcium, iron, zinc, and more.

  Not only are kiwis good for you, the inside of the fruit is beautiful and the taste is outstanding. At once smooth and crunchy, the kiwifruit has a creamy, translucent green pulp highlighted with haloes of tiny black seeds and whitish rays. There are gold-colored hybrids on the way.

  The flavor has been called a mix of banana, melon, and strawberry. Its slight astringency keeps the kiwifruit from being too sweet, though. Unique, it is a refreshing complement to all sorts of foods and beverages and is equally good as a snack on its own. Mashed, the kiwifruit can be used as a meat tenderizer.

  A single mature kiwi vine can produce one hundred pounds of fruit, and the kiwifruit can keep well for months in a cool, dark place.

  There are some forty varieties of kiwi in two main types: fuzzy kiwis, which grow in tropical and subtropical climates, and hardy kiwis, some of which can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees F.

  Perhaps first known as Yang Tao or Yang-tao, the fuzzy kiwi, Actinidia deliciosa, originally grew in China’s Yangtze River region thousands of years ago, climbing high into the surrounding trees. That’s one legend. Another version has the kiwi growing in Japan and India too. At any rate, fuzzy kiwi seeds with the Anglicized name “Chinese gooseberries” were sent to New Zealand in the early twentieth century, where they grew in commercial quantities. The Maori word “kiwi” was one of a number of early name changes to gain marketing traction.

  In the middle of the twentieth century the plant went to California, where it has also proven a reliable crop. Other places where fuzzy kiwifruit is grown commercially will tell you what kind of climate it likes: Italy, Chile, France, Greece, Iran.

  For the rest of us, in cooler regions, there’s the hardy kiwifruit. Hardy kiwis can take lower temperatures and they have less sensitivity to early and late frosts.

  Where the fuzzy kiwi grows to about thirty feet in height—if permitted—the hardy kiwi tops out lower, about twenty feet. The leaves of the hardy kiwi are smaller and less leathery than those of the fuzzy kiwi, only some two to five inches long instead of eight or ten; the male of the super-hardy Arctic Beauty kiwi, A. kolomikta, has beautiful leaves, with tips and edges that turn pink as the vine matures.

  The biggest difference between the fuzzy and hardy kiwis is the fruit. Fuzzy kiwi has fuzzy fruit, while the hardy kiwi is hairless, smaller, and sweeter. In either case the skin is edible.

  Kiwi fruits dangle from the vine as they ripen. They are loaded with vitamin C and potassium and rank among the most nutritious fruits. Photo courtesy of USDA/ARS National Clonal Germ Plasm Repository.

  Photo by Nan K. Chase.

  Potassium Power Smoothie

  1 cup vanilla soy milk, fortified

  1 cup orange juice (calcium fortified optional)

  2 kiwifruit, washed, unpeeled and chopped

  1 banana, sliced

  1/2 cup ice cubes

  2 tablespoons soy protein powder

  1 teaspoon honey

  Blend all ingredients in blender on high for 20 to 30 seconds, or until smooth. Serve immediately.

  Makes 2 servings.

  Recipe courtesy of ZESPRI Kiwifruit.

  Kiwi reveals its inner beauty. The pulp is versatile, offering a combination of sweetness and astringency, smoothness and crunch. Photo ©iStockPhoto/Vladimir Vladimirov.

  Landscape highlights

  Screening during frost-free months

  Interesting leaf colors

  Edible highlights

  Fresh fruit from the vine, keeps well

  Sliced in fruit salads and smoothies

  Where it grows best

  On a trellis, fence, or arbor for support

  In warm or moderate climates for fuzzy kiwi (survives to about 0 degrees F) or cold climates for hardy kiwi (to -40 degrees F, Zone 3, depending on variety)

  In sun or partial shade, depending on variety

  In fertile, well-drained soil

  How to grow it

  As a vigorous fruiting vine that grows at least fifteen feet tall and equally wide

  With a male plant and at least one female plant; consult a nursery for proper ordering

  For a bearing age of thre
e to four years after planting

  Trellises and arbors

  The kiwi’s prolific leaf growth and heavy fruit production—all in vine form—make it a dense, heavy plant. A vertical structure will help keep vegetation off the ground, where it is susceptible to rot. A trellis (built upright against a fence or building) or an arbor (big enough to sit or walk beneath) should not call attention to itself but be well anchored and have strong joints and plenty of open spaces for healthy stem and leaf growth. Wooden structures should be left unpainted to reduce chemical contamination.

  Lavender

  Crush lavender blossoms in your hand, inhale deeply, and you’ll understand the age-old allure of this beautiful aromatic herb.

  Lavender, dried or fresh, has a long history of calming nerves, banishing insects, freshening linens, cleansing wounds, stopping toothaches, and performing a host of other valuable functions. The root of its Roman name, Lavandula, means “to wash,” and in addition to a body wash, lavender has proved an essential ingredient in many perfumes and colognes.

  Even more than a culinary herb—although in moderation it adds piquancy to all sorts of food and drink—lavender has a place in the home medicine chest. When grown organically and then carefully cleaned and dried, lavender blossoms keep well and can retain their incomparable fragrance and their potency for years.

  Bushy silver-grey foliage lightens the edible landscape in tone, and the profuse spikes of lavender flowers, which can range from white to deepest purple, cause a sensation when they bloom. Its moderate height, from about one to four feet tall, makes lavender a good companion in formal plantings.

  Bees and butterflies love lavender, which enhances pollination in the edible landscape. One observer wrote that lavender makes the air “vibrate with wings.” Although the blossoms are commonly cut and used in summer months, seed heads left through the winter provide a favorite food for birds.

  In warm regions lavender grows almost as an evergreen, and parts of the West Coast offer the perfect combination of intense sunshine and light, in addition to warm soil. There lavender flourishes in colorful swaths around countryside and city alike, and the Pacific states are home to many fine lavender farms. No wonder, for lavender has its roots in the Mediterranean region, where the soil and climate are much the same.

  Surprisingly, then, lavender can also grow well and bloom in much cooler climates. The secret is to replicate a microclimate of similar characteristics.

  Marilyn Cade has made a miracle happen in the cold, damp (but darkly beautiful) Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina, where she raises lavender and dairy goats on twenty-four very steep acres.

  Here are her rules for getting lavender to grow and produce anywhere: the plants require at least six hours of direct sun daily and dry heat, and also need good air circulation and soil drainage; in fact, the soil should have no added organic mulches or even much nutrition.

  She adds that lavender should be planted near rocks, gravel, or dry stone pathways and should be watered sparingly to avoid mildew. If the soil is on the acid side, sweeten it with lime. The flowers should be harvested early, as the first few buds have opened, and the stems cut as long as possible (this is the time to “strip” flowers for use in potpourri and sachets or to prepare for culinary use). Prune lavender lightly in late winter.

  Other gardeners over the centuries have put it more succinctly: lavender thrives on neglect.

  It may take several years for lavender plants to mature, especially in a cooler climate, but the bushes get large individually rather than running.

  As a culinary herb, lavender blossoms are used to flavor salt, sugar, vinegar, and syrups for family-friendly or adult beverages, to name just a few. The traditional “herbes de Provence” consist of lavender mixed with marjoram, thyme, rosemary, basil, bay leaf, and sometimes fennel seed, with thyme predominating.

  Lavender, like other herbs in the edible landscape, draws bees into the garden and enhances pollination for many other plants. Photos courtesy of Mountain Farm, Burnsville, North Carolina.

  Mountain Farm Citrus Lavender Marinade

  3/4 cup white wine (or lavender) vinegar

  1/4 cup lemon zest (1 to 1-1/2 large lemons)

  1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

  1-3/4 teaspoons fresh lime juice

  1/4 cup orange juice

  1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  1/3 cup lavender honey

  1 tablespoon culinary lavender (dried organic lavender blossoms)

  2 teaspoons salt

  1/8 tablespoon black pepper

  Combine all ingredients and mix well before adding meat or tofu.

  Refrigerate meat or tofu in marinade for at least four hours for best flavor.

  Recipe courtesy of Mountain Farm, Burnsville, North Carolina.

  Lavender thrives with full sun and good drainage, even in colder parts of North America. The plant dislikes rich soil, preferring gravel or stones. Photo by Robin Siktberg of the Herb Society of America.

  Landscape highlights

  Spring and summer blooms

  Attracts bees and butterflies

  Light-colored foliage for garden contrast

  Winter food for birds

  Edible highlights

  Infused for flavored vinegar, salt, sugar, syrup

  Woody stalks used as kebab skewers

  Flavoring for stews

  Flowers decorate salads

  Where it grows best

  In a warm or moderate climate

  In thin, gritty soil that drains well

  In full sun

  Along pathways, in rock gardens, on terraces

  How to grow it

  As a low-growing decorative herb, mounding rather than running by roots

  With little watering or feeding, but occasional removal of dead woody stems

  As a soft grey-blue evergreen in warmer locations

  With lime added to the soil to sweeten it

  Mint

  Don’t plant mint! It takes over the garden.

  That’s an all-too-common reaction, and it’s true that some mint varieties can run wild if given the right soil, moisture, and sunlight, but no discipline.

  I say hurray for mint.

  A pretty, low-growing plant, mint fills in the wet, shady places where nothing else will grow. And while the flowers are generally not flashy, they do add lacy pastel highlights to the summer garden and attract beneficial insects.

  Mint’s medicinal properties have been chronicled for centuries, and its usefulness in the kitchen is reflected in the fact that cookbooks of ancient Rome contained mint recipes. In houses and temples of those times, mint leaves were strewn over the floors to freshen the air as people walked.

  The Spanish name for mint, yerba buena, means the “good herb.” Mint effectively calms the stomach and aids digestion (after-dinner mint, anyone?). It calms nerves, too, and is used in compresses for the relief of skin and joint problems, as well as for headaches and sore eyes.

  In my own edible landscape it has taken ten years for a nice little mint patch to get started, and now that it shows signs of robustness (discipline time), I have started using it for cooking and tea, and most spectacularly, for making mint wine.

  Peppermint and spearmint. Apple mint and chocolate mint. Curly mint and creeping mint and long-stemmed mint. There are a dozen main mint species and hundreds of hybrids. Sizes range from only a few inches high to some two feet or more.

  All these members of the genus Mentha have square stems as a distinguishing characteristic.

  They also have a tendency to “run,” so unless you have room for the mint to naturalize, plan early to contain the plants in sunken boxes or pots, or by using lengths of metal or plastic edging to a depth of six or eight inches.

  Mint grows in a mind-boggling array of shapes, colors, even flavors. This Hillary’s Sweet Lemon Mint prefers a cool, shady location. Photo by Robin Siktberg of the Herb Society of America.

  Mint Wine

&nb
sp; 1 packet regular yeast

  7 pounds sugar, depending on sweetness desired

  3 gallons water

  3 quarts tightly packed mint leaves, cleaned of stems and dirt (start with twice that amount)

  Begin with a clean 5-gallon glass carboy for fermentation and scald any utensils you need. Fill the carboy with a solution of 1 tablespoon household bleach per gallon of cold water. Let this stand 20 minutes, empty, and then rinse the carboy three times with cold water.

  In a quart jar, combine 1-1/2 cups lukewarm water (114 degrees F) with the yeast, and set in a warm place as you prepare the other ingredients. It should be frothy.

  Make a syrup of the sugar with 3 gallons of water, and boil five minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Meanwhile, bruise the mint leaves and stuff them into the carboy; then pour the syrup over the leaves and let the mixture stand until it cools to lukewarm.

  Add the yeast mixture to the carboy and swirl it to distribute. Seal the top loosely with a piece of plastic wrap and a rubber band, or with a brewer’s S-shaped “water trap.” Store the carboy in a dark place about 65 degrees F and let it ferment undisturbed until all bubbling stops, about 2 to 3 months. When the mint leaves fall away and the wine is clear, gently siphon the fermented wine into clean bottles that have been sterilized 20 minutes in a 1 tablespoon to 1 gallon bleach and water solution. Consult a home brew supplier about capping options.