B
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
The Observer & Baker City Herald
BETWEEN
THE ROWS
WENDY SCHMIDT
Water pipe
replacement
entertains
neighbors
The replacement of the 18-inch wa-
ter main buried under the street in my
front yard looks more like destruction
than construction. At this point there’s
no real difference.
The process includes a lot of noise
and dust and is entertaining for retired
folks.
The big backhoe is operated with
very careful precision, which is admi-
rable. For such a big machine to follow
a line so straight — it’s obvious that
the man at the controls has done this
before. (All this is bewildering to the
neighborhood dogs.)
The big sage plant was spared and
gets an extra drink this afternoon. I
was sure that it would be in pieces that
would need to be rooted so I’d have a
lot of little plants in place of the gnarly
giant.
The old pipe being removed did not
look terrible after being buried for
decades, but corrosion was not the only
reason it was being replaced. The old
pipe was joined with lead at each joint.
Lead used to be considered all right to
use, but further education has shown
us that lead is toxic. The new pipe will
have no lead and the water will be safe.
Garden Chores
• Mid to late May is the last op-
portunity to start pumpkins in time for
Halloween.
• Prune spring-fl owering shrubs like
forsythia, viburnum, and lilac after
they fi nish their bloom.
• Monitor roses for fungal diseases
and use appropriate control measures.
• Plant summer bulbs such as cala-
dium, dahlia, canna, and elephant ears.
• Set out transplants of tomato,
pepper and sweet potato as soon as
you’re sure there will be no more night
freezes.
• Sow seeds of summer squash and
watermelon.
If you have garden comments or
questions, please write to greengar-
dencolumn@yahoo.com. Thanks for
reading!
Productive
gardening
without the
poisons
By Liz Douville
For The (Bend) Bulletin
Either I’m daydreaming, or there are
more articles in garden publications
promoting the integrated pest manage-
ment technique of home gardening.
Integrated pest management minimiz-
es the use of chemicals and emphasizes
natural and low-toxicity methods such
as crop rotation and benefi cial preda-
tory insects.
How, when and where did we develop
the ideology that all aspects of our life,
including our gardens, had to be per-
fect? Sometimes problems or imperfec-
tions should just be accepted as nature
at work. Sometimes we are the creator
of our problems.
An example would be an aphid inva-
sion. Aphids are the most common gar-
den problem. What are the causes? The
causes might include lack of sunshine,
too much water, inappropriate plants
for climate or location or excessive use
of nitrogen-rich fertilizer, which encour-
ages too much tender, leafy growth.
See Gardening/Page 3B
Dakota Mackey/The Daily Meal-TNS
Haddock with fresh herbs and paper-thin veggies.
S PRING M EAL
S UGGESTIONS
JeanMarie Brownson
The Daily Meal
As spring emerges and the world continues
to heal, our cooking lightens and our com-
mitment to exercise deepens — in theory, at
least. At the very least, sunshine and warm
breezes can’t help but brighten our attitude
this time of year.
Sheet-pan dinners never get old; they
continue to inspire and save time on cleanup.
Many of these meals, however, have more
oil than I prefer. Luckily, steam can be as
moisture-enhancing as oil and fat.
In the fi sh and veggie sheet-pan recipe
that follows, I steam seasoned zucchini and
shallots in the microwave — no added fat
required — before roasting with haddock
and tomatoes. The fi sh only needs a light
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for fl avor and
moisture. The dish yields a hearty portion of
veggies and protein with plenty of nutrition
and a super-modest calorie count.
Another spring trick I like to employ is us-
ing fl avor-packed hot liquids to help stave off
cravings and snack attacks. A nice cup of tea
or a mug of broth can work wonders.
Similarly, soup is more than a winter meal,
as proven by the verdant recipe below. You
can create a fl avorful, rich broth by gently
cooking chicken in water laced with store-
bought chicken base and seasonings. Poach-
ing chicken in broth yields both a rich potage
and a moist, low-fat protein to use in soups,
salads and sandwiches. In the recipe that
follows, I add the chicken back to the broth to
enjoy as a main course with plenty of spring
green vegetables and tender, garden-fresh
herbs.
Of course, a mug of broth is no match for
the breakfast scones and muffi ns at the local
coffee shop but everything in moderation.
On those days when I’m feeling virtuous,
there’s nothing more satisfying than yogurt
and fruit made hearty with muesli cereal.
Prepped overnight, it’s a grab-and-go way to
start the day.
Think of it as a warm-weather alternative
to hot oatmeal or a fresh take on overnight
oats. Tailor the fruit additions to the season
or opt for frozen fruit to save prep work.
You can even turn the bowl into dessert by
adding a scoop of sorbet or spooning a little
warm maple syrup or caramel sauce over the
top.
Get outside. Eat thoughtfully. We can do
this.
HADDOCK WITH FRESH HERBS
AND PAPER-THIN VEGGIES
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 11 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Other fi sh options include cod, rockfi sh,
halibut and salmon. Look for small fi llets
about 1 inch thick. Serve steamed asparagus
as a side dish.
3 small zucchini (about 6 ounces each), ends
trimmed, sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper fl akes
3 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 medium-size shallots, very thinly sliced
2 red-ripe small round or plum tomatoes,
ends trimmed, very thinly sliced
2 fresh (or thawed frozen) haddock fi llets,
each about 4 ounces and 1 inch thick
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
2 or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil,
chives, dill or a combination, for garnish
6. Bake until the fi sh almost fl akes easily,
about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprin-
kle with fresh herbs and serve immediately.
SPRING CHICKEN AND GREENS
SOUP
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Chicken cooked on the bone with the
skin always has the best fl avor and texture.
You can use 1 pound of boneless skinless
breasts instead; reduce cooking time by a
few minutes.
Buy the best chicken base available;
brands I like include More Than Gourmet,
Kitchen Accomplices Broth Concentrate and
Better Than Bouillon Reduced Sodium.
5 cups water
1 tablespoon chicken base or broth
concentrate (or follow package directions)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
or curry powder
Salt
2 small bone-in, skin on chicken breast
halves, about 1 ¼ pounds OR 4
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit on
bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
convection or 425 degrees Fahrenheit on con- 1 medium-size zucchini, ends trimmed,
ventional setting. Spray a medium-size baking
halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
sheet generously with nonstick spray or brush 1 cup fresh shelled or frozen peas
lightly with olive oil.
(or trimmed snow peas, shelled
2. Put sliced zucchini into a large microwave-
edamame or baby lima beans)
safe glass or ceramic bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon
1 medium-size red-ripe plum
salt, several grinds of black pepper and a
tomato, ends trimmed, diced
couple of pinches of crushed red pepper fl akes. 1/2 small jalapeño, seeded
Toss to distribute the seasonings evenly.
and sliced (optional)
3. Cover with a glass lid or plastic wrap
3 cups (2.5 ounces) baby spinach or arugula
vented at one corner. Microwave on high (100 2 skinny green onions, thinly sliced or 3
percent power), stirring 2 times, until zucchini
tablespoons chopped fresh chives
is crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Add 3 cloves thinly
1/4 cup fi nely chopped fresh cilantro
sliced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil and 1/2
1 tablespoon fi nely chopped fresh dill
teaspoon dried oregano. Microwave 30 sec-
Finely shredded lemon zest
onds. Let stand covered.
Optional add-ins:
4. Put 2 thinly sliced shallots and 1 table-
1/2 cup cooked orzo or brown rice
spoon water into a small microwave-safe
Diced ripe avocado
bowl. Microwave on high until tender, about 2 Diced queso fresco
minutes. Drain well and add to the zucchini.
5. Spread zucchini and shallot mixture on
1. Heat 5 cups water to a boil in a large
a baking sheet in a thin layer. Top with sliced
saucepan. Stir in 1 tablespoon chicken base
tomatoes. Sprinkle fi sh on both sides with
and ½ teaspoon turmeric until dissolved. Sim-
salt and pepper and place in the center of the
mer 5 minutes.
vegetables. Drizzle each piece of fi sh with 1
See Spring/Page 2B
teaspoon of oil.