Oberle Botanical

Matt, my husband, grouches that I spend entirely too much time thinking about produce. It’s just my nature. And besides, how much time would be appropriate?

Onions have been on my mind for the past few weeks. Possibly because it’s about time to start them in the greenhouse. I need good, sturdy seedlings to put out in the field in March. This way they’ll have plenty of time to bulb-up to baseball/softball size come summer. Golf ball sized are usable, but disappointing. No bragging rights there.  And forget the miniature onion ’sets’ that you can buy in  mesh bags at the box stores and nurseries in lieu of seedlings. Too many are moldy, they tend to go to seed before bulbing and the squirrels in my neighborhood love to dig them up. They don’t eat them. I think it goes something like this in the miserable little squirrel mind: “Hmm, what’s this?, might be something good, let’s take a closer look”, pulls it out, takes a sniff, “nope, don’t think I’d care for that”….”hmm what’s this?, better take a look; oh that’s right, I don’t like these” . Repeat until every single onion is unearthed. This is a rodent with a very short memory.

Country cousin to the Easter Lily, onions are in the genus Allium, also home to garlic, shallots and leeks. It is impossible in my mind to cook well without them. I grow several types, but what interests me at the moment are the differences between “sweet” onions and the “storage” onions. Sweet onions are a summer treasure, ephemeral, lasting only a few weeks at most after harvest. Among the varieties a person can grow, ‘Candy’ is one of the best. It’s big, it’s sweet and unlike most onions, it just doesn’t care if the days are getting longer or shorter.   Day-neutral, it will size up nicely as long as it’s growing conditions are met. These onions are mild because they have fewer of the sulfur compounds responsible for an onion’s pungency. And, their higher water content dilutes the sulfuric chemicals making them less noticeable. That high water content is also the reason they’re short-lived compared to storage types.

What blows my mind is that the storage onion we favor, ‘Copra’ is actually higher in sugar than many of the summer sweet types. The sweetness is masked by the oniony flavor that is more pronounced due to it’s lower water content; and less water means a longer shelf life. Heat is the key. When ‘Copra’ onions are sautéed, roasted, caramelized, or in any way cooked, the sulfur compounds are released… but not the sugars. These things are great roasted or grilled.

I guess it’s the vegetable analogy for not judging a book by it’s cover - or in this case an onion by your tears.

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Have you ever noticed that most jack o’ lanterns look best about a week after Halloween? Once the face has experienced a good frost and a few warm days, it’s features take on a whole new persona as the eyes sink and nose melts into the mouth. Soon to be removed to the compost pile, it provides one more reminder of winter’s fast approach. The progression of holidays has begun. Floppy pumpkin faces are replaced by colored corn and before long we swap the corn for wreaths and holly. Then the seed catalogs begin to come in earnest, along with the day dreams.

I once read that many of us garden in hopes of recreating our first magical experience with plants and nature. We remember colors, smells and textures in an exaggerated, dreamy way. Nostalgia paints a seductive picture, and we try year after year to live up to the masterpiece.
Years later, I still ponder this idea and it’s implications. Holiday memories seem much the same - filled with fragrance, taste and color yet impossible to define in exact form. Each year I try to give shape to my memories once through my medium of plant materials.
We live in a great area for windowsill gardening. Most mornings provide enough bright eastern light to satisfy many different plants. Living plants provide a special holiday ambiance, particularly herbs and flowering houseplants.
Because the holidays have a tendency to be a bit harried (and I am absent mindedness when harried), I prefer plants that can take some neglect. If I forget to water or miss a pest inspection (within reason) there is not too much of a problem.

The herbs I like to use most around the Christmas season include sage, rosemary and thyme. I combine these with bright red and white geraniums and/or miniature roses for a new twist on an old theme. The sage lends a beautiful gray-green softness to the grouping, with a few of its leaves imparting traditional character to poultry seasoning, dressings and even potpourris.

With its evergreen needles and spicy fragrance, rosemary adds pizazz to the eyes and nose during the holiday season. If your plant is large enough, small wreaths can be made from its branches. Given as gifts, these dry beautifully and are welcomed by cooks.
Rosemary or sage provide a wonderful bed for roasting potatoes (see accompanying recipe). Drizzle with a little olive oil and you’ll find the basic spud elevated to a whole new level. A word of caution: rosemary and miniature roses both greatly resent completely drying out. Keep them away from heating vents. Gusts of warm, dry air take their toll on indoor plants.
If you intend to eat your herbs or rose blooms, don’t apply pesticides.

Washing plants periodically does wonders for pest control. It brightens them by removing dust and provides a shot of much needed humidity. This is so effective and restorative that I’ve invested in a small, shower-type gadget that fits over the faucet on my kitchen sink. I purchased it at a local hardware store for under $10.00. It’s flexibility and gentle shower allows me to easily clean the underside of leaves; a favorite hiding area for spider mites. Moreover, I’m sure that I’ve heard contented sighs coming from freshly showered plants drying on the kitchen counter. Honest! Now the recipe:

Herb Baked Potatoes Peheat oven to 350 degrees Idaho baking potatoes Rosemary or sage Salt Olive oil

Scrub potatoes and pierce with a fork. Wet roll in salt until covered. The salt can be removed after baking. It aids in drawing out the moisture and results in a “fluffier” finished potato with a slightly sweet flavor.

Cover the bottom of your roasting pan with a bit more salt and herbs. The amount of rosemary or sage will depend on personal preference. I’ve completely covered the bottom of a pan with rosemary branches and didn’t find it overwhelming and the kitchen smelled deliciously of rosemary . Place potatoes on top of the herbs. Top the spuds with a few more herb sprigs if you’re so inclined. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top and bake for about an hour.
You should be able to pierce the potato easily with a fork when done.  Great, fluffy baked potatoes are never wrapped it in foil! Foiling produces steamed rather than baked potatoes.

Sue Oberle’s article in the Winter 1997 issue of Real Life Magazine

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Preparing turkey can be intimidating. Expectations run high, and let’s face it, as far as birds go, it’s big. There will be leftovers. If it wasn’t great on Thanksgiving, it’s not going to get better with age. We’ve all had the dry, mediocre turkey. Never again. What follows is simply the best method for producing a flawless roasted holiday fowl. Period. This is a turkey that friends and family will rave about and guarantees everyone will ask you to prepare for years to come. Of course, you can share the recipe, but if you choose to, lots of folks will look at you in surprise. Could this be true?

This is not so much a recipe as it is a cooking method that I first came across in Cook’s Illustrated magazine. The secret: brine the bird. That’s right, salt…and not just a little bit (don’t stop reading, it is completely rinsed before roasting).

Illustration by Joyce Leach

The idea seemed odd, but as a Cook’s Illustrated addict I decided to give it a try. It’s wonderful. I can’t help but think that in some very distant day, it will turn up pressed between the pages of a journal or cookbook found in an antique shop. It will be splattered with cooking debris (as really good recipes are). Across the top will be a handwritten note: “excellent.”

Please read the entire recipe through before beginning:

• One 12-15 pound fresh or defrosted turkey. Remove anything found within the body cavity. Rinse the bird inside and out completely. If your turkey is larger, double the amounts or use the alternative salting method in the directions below.
• 2 cups Kosher or 1 cup table salt.
• Olive oil for brushing the breast.
• A roasting pan (preferably a V-rack).
• The basting sauce of your choice (I use half butter & olive oil infused with garlic, sage and thyme).

1. Prepare the brine. Mix the salt in 2 gallons of cold water in a large, clean container. If you’re fond of herbs, adding a bouquet of thyme and bay leaf along with a few cloves of crushed garlic can be done at this time. Add the turkey and refrigerate or place in a very cool spot (40º F or less) for eight to 12 hours. My experience says the longer, the better. Alternately, rub the turkey inside and out with salt. Be exceptionally generous with the amount. Lift the skin where you can and rub salt underneath. Place a container large enough to hold the bird and cover with water. Cool as directed above.
2. When the allotted time has passed, remove the turkey from the brining solution. Wash it out as though your life depended on it. In my experience a clean bath tub is the easiest place to do this.
3. Cook stuffing in a separate pan.
4. Preheat oven to 325º F and place the oven rack as low as possible.
5. Tie the turkey legs together and brush with oil; Place breast side down on V-rack inside a roasting pan. No V-rack? Use oven-proof bowls or wadded aluminum foil to keep the turkey from toppling over. Add 2/3 cup of water to the roasting pan, or place a water filled pie pan on the bottom of the oven during cooking. Refill as needed.
6. Roast 2 hours for 18 pounds or less; 2½ hours for weights between 18-21 pounds and 3 hours if the weight is greater. Baste as desired through the “upside down” stage.
7. Remove turkey from oven. Find someone to help you flip the bird so that it is now breast up (easiest done with well protected hands).
8. Continue roasting until breast temperature registers 160º F and the thickest portion of the thigh registers 175-180º F on an instant read thermometer. This will be about 45 minutes to 1¼ hours longer depending on the size. If the breast isn’t browned enough to suit you as the thigh temperature nears the recommended temperature, turn the oven to 400º F during the last few moments of cooking. Watch carefully until the desired level of browning is reached.
9. Remove from oven a let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.
10. Enjoy the juiciest, moistest turkey you’ve ever had!

Download this MasterCook electronic recipe

Visit LocalHarvest.org for information on locally raised turkeys.

Sue Oberle’s article in the Fall 1999 issue of Real Life Magazine

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