B
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
The Observer & Baker City Herald
BETWEEN
THE ROWS
WENDY SCHMIDT
Symbol of
the season:
poinsettia
One holiday tradition enjoyed by
many is the purchase of a poinsettia for
decoration. The poinsettia (Euphorbia
pulcherrima willd) is named in honor
of Joel Poinsett, the U.S. ambassador
to Mexico during the early 1800s. The
poinsettia is native to Mexico.
Select a poinsettia with crisp,
healthy foliage and bright bracts (the
colored leaves). Its cyathia (the true
fl ower which is tiny and yellow and in
the center) should be tightly clustered
and just starting to shed pollen. One
should avoid plants with insect or
disease symptoms. Wilted or yellowing
leaves often foretell of root diseases.
Home care of your poinsettia should
include a bright location away from
cold drafts. Temperatures of 60 degrees
nights and 72 degrees days along with
high humidity will prolong bract color.
Water when the soil surface is dry
to the touch. They don’t like wet feet.
Discard water that might collect in a
saucer placed under the pot. If the pot
is foil covered, make a drain hole in the
foil.
Finally, contrary to the belief of
some, poinsettias are NOT poisonous.
Extensive testing conducted by Ohio
State University resulted in a clean bill
of health for the poinsettia.
There are many colors available
now. The traditional red is still a favor-
ite of most people.
CHORES
• Overwintering geraniums like
bright light and cool temperatures.
Keep soils on the dry side.
• If you are planning to have a live
Christmas tree and plant it after the
holiday, dig the planting hole before the
ground freezes.
• Mulch and cover the backfi ll soil
from the hole so it remains dry and
does not freeze.
• Spray the tree with anti -
transpirant to reduce needle moisture
loss.
• Store the tree outdoors in the
shade away from wind until the last
minute. Don’t allow roots to become
dry.
• Living trees should be set up in
your coolest room. Don’t keep indoors
for more than one week. Then plant
promptly.
If you have garden comments or
questions, please write to greengar-
dencolumn@yahoo.com. Thanks for
reading!
Exploring
the Hassett
Building’s
rich history
By Ginny Mammen
The next building at 1108 Adams
Ave. has the historic name of Siegrist
Jewelry on the National Register of His-
toric Places. However, some interesting
individuals were involved and a number
of events occurred prior to this being the
home of that particular business.
According to a Sanborn Map there was
a “Dry Goods and Millinery” store there
in 1893. So we know the building was
constructed prior to that date. But who
built the building? The 1903 City Direc-
tory lists “Mrs. H. M. Hassett-Dry Goods
and Millinery-Adams Ave between Depot
and Chestnut.” The next clue comes
from The Observer in October 1910
when it reported that the Hassett Build-
ing at 1108 was purchased by William
Siegrist for $5,000.
See Hassett/Page 2B
Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-TNS
Homemade cheese and spinach ravioli in a lemon butter sauce comes together quickly.
H OMEMADE P ASTA ?
I T ’ S N OT A P ROBLEM
■ This pasta dough is easy to make, and perfect for molding into ravioli filled with cheese
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1 egg
Homemade pasta might seem like a job for 1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 teaspoon salt, divided
experienced cooks, but the truth is anyone
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground
can do it if they’re willing to practice.
black pepper, divided
This dough is super easy to stir together,
Zest
of 1 lemon
and even easier to work with. Just be sure to
1
egg
whisked with a little water
let it rest for at least 10 minutes so the gluten
Gretchen McKay
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
strands relax and create a strong, pliable and
roll-able dough.
Once you’ve got the hang of rolling out
dough, either by hand or with a pasta ma-
chine, ravioli should become your specialty.
The dumplings can be fi lled with any com-
bination of cheese, meat and/or vegetables.
If you get a system going and make several
batches at a time, you’ll always have pasta in
the freezer for dinner.
These ravioli are fi lled with cooked spinach
and ricotta, with a hint of lemon zest to make
them bright. They’re fi nished in a simple
sauce of lemon olive oil, butter, a little more
zest and a sprinkling of fresh basil.
For dough
2 1/2 cups all-purpose fl our,
plus more for dusting
1 cup very hot water
For fi lling
12 ounces baby spinach
For sauce
1 tablespoon lemon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Shredded basil, for garnish
Combine fl our and water in a large bowl. Stir
to combine into a large ball. Cover with plastic
wrap and let sit at least 10 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add spinach and cook just until it turns bright
green, about 15-20 seconds. Drain, and when
cool, squeeze dry between paper towels and
then chop.
Combine ricotta, egg, parmesan, chopped
spinach, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pep-
per and lemon zest in a medium bowl and stir
to combine.
To form the ravioli, cut dough into 4 evenly
sized pieces. (It should be slightly sticky.) Add
extra fl our as necessary for rolling. Form each
piece into a 2-by-6-inch rectangle. Recover the
dough with the plastic wrap.
Lightly dust work surface and a rolling pin.
Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll
dough into a 4-by-12-inch rectangle. Place 6
rounded teaspoons of fi lling about 1 inch apart
down the center of the dough. Fold dough over
the fi lling. Brush egg wash on sides of dough
and in between the fi lling. Press down around
the edges of each of the ravioli with your fi nger-
tips.
Cut ravioli into small squares with ravioli
press (It will automatically seal at the same
time). Or cut into small squares with a knife and
press down around the edges again with your
fi ngertips to seal. Place fi nished ravioli on a bak-
ing tray and continue forming remaining ravioli.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over
high heat. Add half the ravioli and cook until
the ravioli fl oat, stirring occasionally, about 3-4
minutes. Drain into a large bowl and cook the
remaining ravioli.
Meanwhile, melt butter with olive oil in a
large saute pan. Add melted butter to bowl with
cooked ravioli along with shredded basil, lemon
zest and remaining salt and pepper. Gently toss
to coat and serve immediately.
Serves 4-6.