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February 2009

January 2009

Coconut Macaroons

Plate

My daughter Anna discovered this recipe for coconut macaroons in Chez Panisse Desserts, by Lindsey Remolif Shere –– they recently did the honors when a friend asked me to bring a wheatless dessert to a birthday party.

Ingredients

Macadamia nuts give these bite size morsels  distinction, richness, and crunch.

Toasting

Bamboo skewers, chopstick style, were a great help in keeping the coconut from burning during oven-toasting. I gave them a swishing every 2 minutes.

Macadamias

The macadamias are also toasted. The recipe calls for chopping them finely, but to me the cookies have a more interesting texture with bigger chunks.

Baking

Before baking and fresh from the oven. I didn't shape the dough into balls like the recipe instructs, maybe next time.

Mary Jo’s Coconut Macaroons

2 cups flaked unsweetened coconut
¾ cup macadamia nuts
2 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
A pinch of salt
¾ cup sugar

Toast the coconut in a 325° oven until it is pale golden brown. Stir it often to keep it toasting evenly. This should take 5 to 10 minutes. Toast the macadamias also until they just begin to color, then cool and chop them fine by hand. Warm the egg whites slightly over hot water or swirl above a gas flame until barely warm. Beat them with the cream of tartar and salt until they hold stiff peaks. Beat in the sugar until they hold stiff peaks again. Fold in the nuts and coconut.

Butter and flour a baking sheet or cover it with parchment. Take teaspoonfuls of dough, press into 1-inch balls, and set them an inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 325°F oven for about 10 minutes or until they are lightly browned.

Silver

I was never a silver tray kinda gal, until I had a chic business partner who was raised on the East coast. Robineve bought me this pretty piece, and I love to use it.

Chez-panisse-desserts

Each time Anna made a treat from this cookbook, we couldn't believe our good fortune – Lemon Ice Cream, Raspberry Mousse, Walnut Drops – delicious!


Sweet Peas

Red-bouquet

I’ve wanted to share tips and photos from my sweet pea files for a long time. When I recently noticed that these red and white sweet peas (shown here with ‘Duet’ roses) are named ‘America’, I thought good timing – I’ll post this picture on President Barack Obama’s inauguration day – my little gardener’s salute to a new America.

Netting

Sweet peas are great companions to roses, both in the garden and in bouquets, and they’re easy to grow. Once they’ve reached climbing stage, I buy sweet pea netting and attach it to poles. The poles here are the green plastic variety found in garden stores. But I’m getting ahead of myself—the seeds come first!

Sweet-p

Since I haven’t grown sweet peas for a few years, I had fun buying different varieties this past fall. How about ‘Orange Streamer’? I always soak the seeds over-night before planting to loosen the hard coating. It doesn’t look like many seeds in each packet, but they go a long way. (The ‘Royal White’ seed counter must have slipped in a few extras.)

Basket

If you want hundreds of seeds, save your own.

Soaking

My soaking process was more earthy when it came to my private seed collection. I usually plant the seeds in the ground in October. This year I planted in November and they came up as quick as ever. Recent frosty mornings don’t faze the new plants.

Tray

One year, I planted the seeds in six-packs first. They tend to get leggy, if not planted soon enough.

Growing

Once they’ve really started growing, I pinch them back to encourage bushiness.

Pitcher

‘Lilac Ripple’ is one of my favorites. I once took a bouquet like this on the plane to Washington DC.

Lav-vase

LR looks yummy here with ‘Iceberg’ roses.

Sweetpea-bouquet

LR in my husband  Leroy Parker’s wisteria vase.

Compost

The sweet pea cycle ends in our compost heap.