California Native Plants Botanical Garden

I have lived in Berkeley area for almost 30 years, and it took Master Ken's herb class field trip for me to visit Regional Park's Botanical Garden for the first time. If I was going there on my own, I would probably spend 2-3 hours; however, with Master Ken's detailed introduction to just about every plant, we spent over 6 hours there including a potluck picnic. It was a feast!

Matilija Poppy flowers

These beautiful white Matilija Poppy flowers were outside of the garden entrance and all over the garden. I can see why people assumed all Berkeleyans were stoners. If you know your plants and wild mushrooms, it's quite easy to get high all the time without spending any money. Personally, I feel quite content and exuberant just being out in nature and not confined to a cubicle.

Master Ken spent quite a bit of time telling the class about the big white flower in the picture below. It has medicinal properties for treating asthma, and I wanted to read more about it. I can't remember the name of it though. If you know what it is, leave me a note!  UPDATE: I finally asked Master Ken for the name of the flower below and how it helps relief asthma. It's called Datura wrighti. "It has been smoked for asthma as it has muscle relaxant qualities against the coughing muscles. It contains the same drugs that are also used in anesthesia. Most things that are medicinal are also classified as "toxic" when used in inappropriate quantities. It has also been used as an inebriate or intoxicant which is also why it is considered toxic."

Datura wrightii

The Garden holds weekly plant sales from May to December in addition to an annual plant sale in April. The seeds are available in the Garden's Visitor Center on Sundays and Mondays from 8:30 a.m to 5 p.m. They also offer classes and volunteer opportunities.

There is a creek that runs through the garden, and you can see crayfish from the bridges above the creek. While Master Ken was telling us the story of him getting sick as an university student in Texas, a boy ran up to Master Ken to show him what he found in the creek. After we all had a chance to admire the little crayfish, the boy put it back in the creek. The boy's parents have taught him well.

As the sun was setting, we headed back to the entrance. I left the botanical garden with even more appreciation for nature that day.

Pack Your Lunch and Share With a Friend

I pack my own lunch for the cubicle job almost everyday. When I first started working at this company, they provided free lunch. The facility doesn't have a cafeteria. They would make 2 purchases each week for a combination of bread, packaged salad, deli meats, canned soup, frozen entrees, fresh fruits, and other packaged lunchables. I grew up eating very little pre-packaged food, so it was somewhat exciting for me. I wanted to try everything. In less than three months I had gained enough weight that I couldn't fit into the same jeans I had been wearing from college days.

Sauteed green beans, cherry and grape tomatoes, onion, and lemon basil with a splash of balsamic vinegar

Then there came budget cuts and the free lunch stopped. My waistline was saved. I resumed packing my own lunch. The discontinuation of free lunch was a difficult adjustment for long time employees who never had to pay or pack lunch. I befriended Rosa, who had a hard time with the new lunch situation. Now it has been over a year, and we often do lunch share. She usually brings a meat or fish dish. I bring vegetables and fruit from the farm. We have very different cooking styles, so it is always interesting to try each other's dishes.

We could easily walk down the street and buy something for lunch, but eating out isn't as much fun when you don't want to spend an hour, unpaid, for lunch. We share our food in the lunch room for 30 minutes and get to leave the cubicles earlier to enjoy life.

By the way, shortly after the free lunch stopped, I was able to fit into my old jeans again.

Seven Sundays in a Row

These vegetable seedlings will be for sale at Merritt College Fall Plant Sale on Oct 2nd and 3rd

For the last 8 months I have devoted almost every Sunday to Master Ken's classes.  In Spring, it was Beneficial Beasts in the Garden and Landscape. In Summer, it was Growing and Using Healthful Herbs. Now in Fall, it is Mushroom Cultivation. In many ways, the 3 classes overlap each other because they are all a part of nature. I look forward to my Sunday class every week.

Oyster mushrooms growing out of a burlap bag

During the second class meeting of Mushroom Cultivation, various methods of cultivation mushrooms are introduced. Even though I haven't been able to successfully cultivate mushrooms on my farm with these methods, I know they work. The mushrooms will grow under the perfect environment. I just haven't been able to create that perfect environment for them.

another burlap bag inside of a plastic bag growing oyster mushrooms

We have a large class this fall. As one of the few intermediate students, I try to provide food items, take photographs, and help beginning students. After the new students had a chance to look at the burlap bags of oyster mushrooms, Chef Pauly and I harvested them. They were sautéed with chives and lemon basils and served to the class.

We have a potluck every Sunday during the class. It is a day to socialize, taste different foods and be outdoors with nature. One of my wishes is to have seven Sundays in a row.

Classic Apple Pie

Finish product

I am having an unusually good year for apples. The squirrels are constantly taking them, but I still have plenty to give away to neighbors and friends. I have sliced up at least 30 apples to make dried apple rings. Last night I decided to take an apple pie to Master Ken's Mushroom Cultivation class today, so I rolled up 2 balls of pie dough and sliced up 15 apples (they are smallish compare to commercially grown apples).

Master Ken teaches on Sundays starting at 11 A.M. I got up around 8 A.M. to roll out the pie dough balls that I made last night.  One ball was rolled out into a 12-inch circle and placed in my "π" plate. I piled up all the apple slices mixed with spices in there.

The other dough ball was roll out flat and cut into strips for the lattice top and brushed with egg wash.

It was then placed in the preheated oven of 400 degrees(F) for about 50 minutes.

Below is the complete recipe:

Pie Crust:
2 Cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening (if you use salted butter or margarine, then omit salt)
6 tablespoons icy water, plus 2-5 tablespoons icy water as needed

Filling:
6 large apples or as many home grown apples as needed to pile up the pie dish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
To prepare the pie crust, combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, cut in the shortening with a butter knife or pastry cutter until the pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons water over the flour and gently toss with a fork. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add just enough cold water to roll the flour into a ball. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice. Combine the sugar, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the apples and toss until completely coated. Set the mixture aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one ball into a 12-inch circle and place into a 9-inch pie plate.

Transfer the apple mixture into the pastry lined pie plate. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the apple mixture. For the top crust, roll out remaining dough, place on top, seal and flute the edge. Cut slits on top crust to allow steam to escape. Alternatively, you can make a lattice top if you have more time.

To make the egg wash, crack egg in a small bowl, add a pinch of salt, whisk, and brush on top of the pie. Bake for 25 minutes and see how brown the top is. You may need to put a piece of foil on top if it is getting to brown.

Tip: You might also want to put a piece of foil or foil covered baking sheet on the bottom of the oven in case your apples produce too much liquid and over flow from the pie. It's a drag to clean burnt sugary apple juice off your oven!

Cloning Soapworts

Soapworts (Saponaria) cuttings

On August 22, 2010, my last day of the summer herb class, I took a couple stalks of soapworts home. Master Ken had shown us how to make all natural herbal shampoo with soapworts. All you have to do is get a bunch of soapworts, put them in a pot, add just enough water to cover them and cook until the water turns into a soapy liquid. Squeez the cooked soapworts as much as possible to get all the liquid out and save the liquid in a bottle. That is, my friend, the most natural shampoo you can get. According to Wikipedia, "The crushed leaves or roots of S. officinalis have been used as a soap since the Renaissance. Museum conservators still use the soap made from its leaves and roots for cleaning delicate fabrics and it also makes a fine shampoo."

Normally I would spend a few dollars on drug store shampoo like most people, but my best friend recently asked me about an all natural shampoo & bodywash by California Baby. This stuff is expensive! It's for sale in a 17.5 oz. bottle at $20. That's not including shipping. I am not sure just how natural it is. On its website, it states the cleansing agent is 100% Decyl polyglucose. Decyl polyglucose is a surface-active agent, and is used in soaps, cleansers and cleaning products. It's made of sugar (glucose) extracted from corn starch, and fatty alcohols called decanol, which comes from coconuts. That's pretty good; however, I can make my own at the cost of pennies.

I made some cuttings from the 2 stalks.  I cut each stalk into 4 pieces, dipped the ends in rooting hormone and then stuck them in this tray:

For the last 3 weeks, I misted the cuttings with the water bottle everyday since I don't have a sprinkler system. I am still quite new at cloning, but I was told that soapworts are easy to root and grow, so I remained hopeful. Three weeks later, I can see new leaves growing on two of them (see top picture).  I decided it's time to move them to bigger pots so they can continue to grow more roots.

All the cuttings have developed roots

I carefully removed all the cuttings out of the tray and discovered they all have developed roots! I divided them into two pots so they can further develop before I plant them in the ground.

Soapworts in pots