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Tag: Fir trees

  • Winter Comfort: Roasted Pears with Fir Sugar – Gardenista

    If the fir needles are dry, about 30 seconds in a spice grinder will turn them into an instant powder. If they are fresh it will create a green paste. Both are good. The smell as you work is an uplifting tonic. It is important to clean the spice grinder at once with either a slosh of rubbing alcohol or a degreaser like Citra Solv—the resin in the needles leaves a sticky film on the blades that will gum them up if they are not wiped well.

    Above: Fir sugar.

    For the yuzu marmalade for this roast near recipe,  I use either my fermented yuja-cheong (yuzu syrup or uncooked marmalade), or a conventional, cooked marmalade. You could also substitute strips of lemon or orange or clementine zest, chopped finely, and add extra sugar to the pears’ cavities.

    Roasted Pears with Fir Sugar and Yuzu Marmalade

    Makes 8 servings

    I like the firm texture of Bosc but use any pear you like. Baking-apples and quinces are very fine variations, but add an additional hour if you have chosen quinces.

    • 4 Bosc pears
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon fir powder or paste (from about 2 Tablespoons needles)
    • 8 Tablespoons yuzu (or other citrus ) marmalade
    Above: Voilà. Serve with homemade whipped cream.

    Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    Wash the pears and cut them in half, lengthways. Use a spoon to carve out their seedy hearts (a tablespoon-measuring spoon make very neat cavities). If you like, also cut out the fibres that run up to the stem.

    Place the pears in a baking dish or skillet that accommodates them snugly. If they tilt over a lot, cut a thin slice from their curved side so they sit flat (this keeps their filling from escaping).

    Fir sugar: In a small bowl mix the sugar with the fir powder or paste (the stickier paste will require you to break it up with your fingers as you mix it into the sugar.

    Sprinkle the fir sugar generously across the pears. Place a tablespoon of marmalade in each cavity. Pour 1½ cups of water into the pan (white wine is also delicious). Transfer to the oven.

    Bake for 45 minutes and then baste the pears with the cooking liquid. Roast another 45 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure that the pan has not dried out completely. A syrupy liquid is what you’re looking for. Add a splash more water if it gets very brown and dry.

    When the pears are soft and have begun to caramelize, they are ready.

    Serve hot with a scoop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of whipping cream, with a pinch of extra fir sugar dusted across the top. They are also very good at room temperature.

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  • Fabulous Fir Trees to Plant

    Fabulous Fir Trees to Plant

    Even if you’re not a gardener, you may know the fir tree from the popular balsam firs sold as cut trees over the holidays.  This tree and other related fir trees make beautiful landscape plants, providing a habitat for birds as well.

    The firs (Abies) are in the Pine family and are called conifers since they produce cones similar to pine trees.  Since firs often come from mountaintops, they prefer cooler climates as in the north.  They tend to be somewhat slow growing, but over time make stately trees.  They are not for urban settings as they can be injured by air pollution.

    You can tell firs from spruces usually by squeezing the needles.  Those of firs are soft to the touch, while spruce needles are sharp-pointed and will prick.

    Firs have easy culture.  Give them full sun for best growth, and a moist but well-drained soil, preferably an acidic one.  Try to avoid clay soils. Diseases to watch for include rusts and root rots, the latter if soils stay too wet.  Pests to watch for include the woolly adelgid and bark beetles that may disfigure the tree but not seriously harm it.

    The balsam fir (balsamea) with its rich green leaves prefers cold climates, being hardy to USDA zone 3 (-30 to –40 degrees F). It will tolerate some shade and wet soils.  It is native in much of eastern North America, especially the higher elevations.  Although this tree might eventually reach 75 feet high and 25 feet wide, over 10 years you might expect 10 feet high and six feet wide from planting a foot high seedling.  This fir has very fragrant needles you can buy in sachets, or collect when fallen from holiday trees to make your own winter potpourri.

    You often can find seedlings for sale in spring from conservation districts in bundles, useful for wildlife habitats.  I have some for this purpose, as well as for providing a backdrop in the landscape for flowers, and for some shade.  As they grow, I thin them out each holiday for cut trees.    You also may find the ‘Nana’ or dwarf cultivar in nurseries.  This only reaches about two feet high and three feet wide, so is good in rock gardens and along building foundations.

    The white fir (concolor) also makes a great cut tree for holidays, having a pyramidal shape that it retains even as a mature tree.  It will eventually reach 30 to 50 feet high, and 20 to 30 feet wide.   Similarly hardy to the balsam fir it, however, is native to mountainsides of western North America and has waxy, bluish-green leaves.  It is one of the most adaptable firs thriving in northern zones from east to west, and under various conditions including some drought, salt, and pollution.

    The Fraser fir (fraseri) is similar to the Balsam fir, but without fragrant needles.  Its shiny green needles have silvery undersides.  Native to the Appalachian Mountains, it withstands heat better than the Balsam and some other firs.  It, too, is a popular holiday tree and tends to hold its needles well when cut.

    The Korean fir (koreana) is a much smaller tree, only reaching about 15 to 20 feet high, and half as wide.  It is one of the least hardy firs, listed as hardy to only USDA zone 4 or more often 5 (-10 to –20 degrees F).  It has broad, dark-green needles with white bands underneath.  Because of its compact growth, it gives a dense appearance.

    The Caucasian fir (nordmanniana) is a stately tree when mature, growing 40 to 60 feet high and with dark green needles.  Native to the Caucasus as its name indicates, it has intermediate hardiness to the other firs of USDA zone 4 (-20 to –30 degrees F).  There is golden-leaved yellow cultivar called ‘Golden Spreader’ that only grows to about three feet high and five feet wide.

    The Veitch fir (veitchii) is perhaps the least commonly seen of the firs, but makes an excellent ornamental tree for cold zone 3 climates.  Native to central and southern Japan, it has dark green needles that are white underneath. With time it can reach 50 to 75 feet high, and half as wide.

    Consider adding firs to your landscape, if room, to provide an evergreen backdrop for flowers, a windbreak, a visual screen, a habitat and winter protection for birds, or singly as beautiful specimen trees.

    Dr. Leonard Perry, Horticulture Professor Emeritus
    University of Vermont
    12/1/16

    Distribution of this release is made possible by University of Vermont and Green Works—the Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association.    

    Dr. Leonard Perry

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  • Virgin Hot Toddy: A Non-Alcoholic Holiday Cocktail

    Virgin Hot Toddy: A Non-Alcoholic Holiday Cocktail

    A surprise hit on the botanical walks I lead, where a picnic rewards the exercise, is the hot toddy that I pour in late fall and winter. When “toddy” is mentioned, eyebrows are raised—some in hope and anticipation, some in trepidation. Because it means alcohol, doesn’t it? It can, but not necessarily. Some eyebrows sink in disappointment when they learn that this is a virgin version. But the surprise, for the eyebrows’ owners, is that their first, steaming sip is a happy one, because this warming toddy tastes satisfyingly grown up. It is portable for picnics, scaleable for big holiday parties, and comforting sipped during a gift-opening pause on Christmas Day.

    Photography by Marie Viljoen.

    Above: A hot toddy (and soup) are portable winter picnic fare.

    Above: Cold creek, hot toddy (in a heat-proof Picardie glass).

    I call my forager’s version of a hot toddy a Forest Toddy. It is spiced with local, seasonal aromatics, featuring the edible herbs and spices of maritime forests and land-locked woodlands.

    Above: A frigid New Year’s Day picnic, with hot Forest Toddies.

    The flavors of a hot toddy that tastes of place can shift. They may include the gin-y bittersweetness of juniper (otherwise known as eastern red cedar, Juniperus virginiana), bayberry (Morella pensylvanica), citrus-like spicebush (Lindera benzoin), sumac species, and the perfumed resin of needled evergreens like fir, hemlock, pine, or spruce (Abies, Tsuga, Pinus and Picea, respectively). Variations I have made include pine cone jam, which you can make or buy; dried magnolia petals, for their gingery, cardamom-like bitterness; and fragrant sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina).

    Caveat: Does it go without saying that you should never use yew (Taxus), also a needled evergreen? Not only is yew not aromatic, but it is decidedly toxic.

    Above: Virgin Forest toddies with hardy orange and fir garnishes.

    The fun of this hot toddy recipe is that it is endlessly various and open to creativity. You can glean ingredients from your pantry, garden, farmer’s market, or grocery store. Its success depends on balance: between sweet and tart, tannic and aromatic. Layers of botanical flavor give it a sense of toddy gravitas and the complexity that is often associated with booze. I’m not saying you can’t add a dash of your favorite spirit (bourbon and rye spring to mind), but I can assure you that no one will miss it.

    Above: Blood orange and yuzu peel, crushed spicebush, fresh juniper, and bay leaf.

    In winter, the juniper in my recipe is fresh, since its season is from late fall through spring; the spicebush is the dried fruit from late summer (or purchased online), or the tree’s aromatic winter twigs, scraped. The fir, well, that is trimmed from my (unsprayed) holiday tree. While fir is the most aromatic of the needled trees, hemlock and spruce have plenty to offer, as do pine needles.

    Above: Farmer’s market apple cider.

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  • National Christmas Tree blazes to life with Biden lighting

    National Christmas Tree blazes to life with Biden lighting

    WASHINGTON — “Five, four, three, two, one!” and the towering National Christmas Tree blazed with bright color Wednesday evening as President Joe Biden marked a century-old American tradition leading the lighting near the White House.

    The president, joined by first lady Jill Biden and host LL Cool J, led the festive crowd braving damp, chilly weather in a countdown before the tree was illuminated.

    Biden delivered brief remarks on American unity and promise, concluding exuberantly as Jill Biden blew a kiss, “From the Biden family to you, Merry Christmas, America!”

    The tradition dates back to 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge walked from the White House to the Ellipse to light a 48-foot fir tree decorated with 2,500 electric bulbs in red, white and green, as a local choir and a quartet from the U.S. Marine Band performed. The lighting ceremony has been carried out year after year—drawing thousands to Washington—with a few exceptions during times of war and national tragedy.

    The current 27-foot white fir was planted just last year.

    Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff joined the Bidens to watch some of the evening’s musical performances.

    In 2020, due to COVID-19 health concerns, the lighting did not have a live audience. After President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on Nov. 22, 1963, President Lyndon Johnson postponed the ceremony until days before Christmas as the nation observed a thirty-day period of national mourning. And the tradition was paused from 1941 to 1945 during World War II.

    CBS will broadcast the tree lighting ceremony on the evening of Dec. 18, one week before Christmas. This year’s ceremony included performances by the U.S. Marine Band, Ariana DeBose, Shania Twain, the Estefans and others.

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