Join us Thursday, June 25th from 6-8 pm for complimentary wine tasting with Saddleback Cellars. Click here to see a list of the wines they’ll be tasting.

Congratulate your Graduate!

The selection is still great!

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO PLANT!

This year we have a wide selection of various hot and sweet peppers at Orchard Nursery, so come in and pick some up today!

Sweet Peppers:

In the United States, the term "sweet pepper" encompasses a wide variety of mild peppers that, like the chile, belong to the Capsicum family. Both sweet and hot peppers are native to tropical areas of the Western Hemisphere. Sweet peppers can range in color from pale to dark green, from yellow to orange to red, and from purple to brown to black. Their color can be solid or variegated. Their usually juicy flesh can be thick or thin and flavors can range from bland to sweet to bittersweet. The best known sweet peppers are the bell peppers, so-named for their rather bell-like shape. They have a mild, sweet flavor and crisp, exceedingly juicy flesh. When young, the majority of bell peppers are a rich green, but there are also yellow, orange, purple, red, and brown bell peppers. The red bells are simply vine-ripened green bell peppers that, because they've ripened longer, are very sweet.

Hot Chile Peppers:

One of the wonders that Christopher Columbus brought back from the New World was a member of the Capsicum genus, the chile. Now this pungent pod plays an important role in the cuisines of many countries including Africa, China (Szechuan region), India, Mexico, South America, Spain, and Thailand. There are more than 200 varieties of chiles, over 100 of which are indigenous to Mexico. They vary in length from a huge 12 inches to a 1/4" peewee. Some are long, narrow and no thicker than a pencil while others are plump and globular. Their heat quotient varies from mildly warm to mouth-blistering hot. As a general rule, the larger the chile the milder it is. Small chiles are much hotter because, proportionally, they contain more seeds and veins than larger specimens. Those seeds and membranes can contain up to 80 percent of a chile's capsaicin, the potent compound that gives chiles their fiery nature. Since neither cooking nor freezing diminishes capsaicin's intensity, removing a chile's seeds and veins is the only way to reduce its heat. After working with chiles, it's extremely important to wash your hands thoroughly; failure to do so can result in painful burning of the eyes or skin (wearing rubber gloves will remedy this problem).

The above information is from: The New Food Lover's Companion, Second Edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst, Barron's Cooking Guide.

With these recipes it is easy to substitute peppers, depending on the heat level you want.

Tomatillo Salsa
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Number of Servings: 4
Cups of Fruits and Vegetables per Person: 1.0

Ingredients:

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients. Season with salt and sugar, if desired. Serve or store salsa in refrigerator for up to three days in a covered plastic or glass container.

Tortilla Pizzas
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Number of Servings: 6
Cups of Fruits and Vegetables per Person: 1.0

Ingredients:

Directions:

Brush one side of each of two tortillas with water. Press the wet sides of the tortillas together to from a thick crust for the pizza. Brush the outside of the tortillas with a small amount of oil or margarine. Evenly brown both sides in a heated frying pan. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Set aside. Heat refried beans, chopped onion, and half of the diced chili peppers together in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Spread about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture on each tortilla pizza. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of taco sauce, then top with 1/2 cup of the chopped vegetables, 1 teaspoon of diced chili peppers, and 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese for each pizza. Return to frying pan and heat until cheese melts. Top with cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately.

Mexibean Mock Lasagna
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Number of Servings: 6
Cups of Fruits and Vegetables per Person: 3.0

Ingredients:

Directions:

In large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Sauté onion, garlic, and peppers for 5 minutes. Stir in spices and sauté 1 additional minute. Remove from heat. Mix in corn, beans, tomato sauce, and diced green chilies. Spray 13” x 9” dish with cooking spray. Place 3 tortillas in the dish arranging to cover the bottom. Spoon in half of the corn mixture, and spread ½ cup ricotta cheese on top. Sprinkle with half of the cheddar cheese. Repeat layers, using up all the ingredients. Cook, uncovered at 350°F for 45 minutes, until casserole is thoroughly heated and cheddar cheese has melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Very Veggie Salad
This is a great and easy recipe to use up a lot of veggies!!!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Number of Servings: 4
Cups of Fruits and Vegetables per Person: 4.0

Ingredients:

Directions:

Wash all of the vegetables and mix them together in a large mixing bowl. Top this colorful meal with the nonfat or low-fat dressing of your choice Note: the dressing is not included in the nutritional analysis.

These recipes are from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website. You can get the nutritional facts and diabetic exchange information from the website for each recipe. The website is http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnparecipe/recipesearch.aspx

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) are leading this initiative and are in partnership with other health organizations. The goal is to achieve increased daily consumption of fruits and vegetables.

For more information on the Fruits and Veggies — More Matters health initiative, brand and logo, please visit PBH at www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. You will also find activities and tips for getting children involved as well as more recipes.

It’s time to repot your cymbidium orchids. Our orchid experts can repot for you or click here for a how-to do it yourself fact sheet.

More information on cymbidium care.

Thanks to our friends at Natorp’s for the following article:

"I have lots of these little bugs (I call them roly-polies or little armadillos). What are they called, are they doing damage, and how do I get rid of them?" -Where do we start? Roly polies, armadillo bugs, slaters, wood lice, monkey peas, bibblebugs, pillbugs, sowbugs--they have a bunch of names! They're actually crustaceans, and they're just about everywhere. They cannot control water evaporation from their bodies, so cannot stand the sun or dry conditions. That's why they feed at night, or you find them in debris, mulch, moist areas, soft spots in trees, rotting roots, etc. They are debris eaters, but have been known to feed on roots, small seedlings, lettuce, and over-ripe fruit. Eliminate their hiding and feeding areas--Cooke's Pest Granules has them listed, but rarely baited for. They're eating the debris!