In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen
It’s the first week of May and the spring fruit season begins as the winter navel oranges wane. The oft paired rhubarb and strawberries are perfectly in sync. The ‘Victoria’ rhubarb flaunts some pink-red color this year—perhaps because of the cool winter and spring.
Ok, rhubarb is actually a vegetable though most of us don’t treat it as such. I’m seeing more savory recipes calling for rhubarb.
Leafing through my rhubarb recipe folder I was enchanted by a clipping for Rhubarb-Strawberry Brownie Skillet.
Here’s the Better Homes & Gardens description of Rhubarb-Strawberry Brownie Skillet: “What grows together goes together, and both strawberry and rhubarb plants flourish come springtime. We top a skilletful of brownie batter with both before baking to get a rich, gooey treat that’s like brownie and pie in one. Someone grab the ice cream.”
Last week I gathered 18 oranges and jam jars and headed to my sister’s home in Newport Beach. We hadn’t seen each other since Christmas 2019 because of the pandemic. She and her husband were the first hugs in over a year. It was wonderful to spend the day with them.
We made orange marmalade and chattered on as we worked. The booty: 39 jars.
Though citrus in flavor but not botanically, the kumquats continue to delight. I still have marmalade from last year so I’m finding other ways to use them.
So imagine this stirred into plain Greek yogurt or topping Sunday waffles with some fresh blueberries. It’s a snap to make and keeps a few weeks in the fridge. I start with a lighter simple syrup then cut the kumquats in lengthwise slivers, removing the seeds. They simmer on the stove-top until translucent—about thirty minutes.
The strawberry guava tree has decided that year-round production is a thing and it’s now in a time of stepped up yields. We’re giving away guavas measured in pounds.
Several quarts of puree went to the freezer in pints and 4 ounce jars. It’s a great yogurt stir-in and base for smoothies.
I’ll save the csrrot and beet harvests for next week’s post and let fruit be the focus now.
Here are a few of my May Day bouquets for neighbors. You might enjoy my May Day! post from the weekend with recollections of past May Days and a link to a writer friend’s thoughts on the day,
You may enjoy seeing what other garden bloggers harvested last week at Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres.
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