Rogers Gardens

I know we have posted about our love of Rogers Gardens before...but they are constantly changing just like the seasons....here are some of the latest goodies we found there..

~~Click on the photos for a larger glimpse~~

Hand formed planters

A wall of greens when you enter...it's hard to imagine the scale by the photo.

Artwork and collectibles can be found in their gift shop.

How about this metal Louie shoe for planting a dainty flower!

Handmade gifts abound there.

There are several twig chandeliers in one of the gift sections.

Bunnies just waiting to pounce into some fortunate child's basket.

Plants aren't just potted~they are given a finished look with rock or plant treatments, etc. at their base.

Check out the flowering wonky tree. It zigs this way and that. There are a number of them in the espalier section. There are several fruited espalier varieties. 

This is a living evergreen canopy. 

Topiary olive tree with succulents at base. 

A leftover from Valentine's Day!

They have a florist shop--pictured are the forced blooming branches.

Even the ladies room has a grand entrance.

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you~for real this is a yellow-green section of plantings. Even the accent rocks have yellowy moss. It looked surreal in person. 

End of Summer Pasta

A quick and easy dish to serve on the side or as a main dish.

Cardiologists are telling us the best diet for maintaining a healthy heart is the Mediterranean Diet. Studies have been done on the benefits of portion controlled foods found most prevalent in the geographic areas known as the Mediterranean. Fish, olives and olive oil, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, and wine are laden with things that are good for our hearts. Here is a simple recipe:

Whole grain pasta, follow the package instructions to prepare (we used fettuccine)

1 handful baby heirloom tomatoes per person

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced or crushed

1/3 cup fresh basil, julienned

sea salt (we used French fleur de sel)

Olive oil

Grated Parmesan cheese

To Prepare:

Heat a large saute pan on medium high heat and to the hot pan add 3-4 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and stir into the oil (don't take too long-you don't want the garlic to burn). Add the tomatoes and saute at a high heat for about 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes just begin to crack and soften. Add salt to taste and basil.

Serve over cooked pasta. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan. It's just that easy! This is a very clean, healthy way to eat.

Look at all the plump goodness, ready to serve over pasta.

Now grab a glass of wine and just know you are taking good care of the ole ticker.

It's all in the detail

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

3 abundant pots of boxwood to charm a driveway.

Fairy-tale home. Exquisite paint and woodwork on the exterior.

Distinctive fencing.

Creating a time-worn look.

The hinges take this garage door to a whole new level.

The name of this home is "Promises Kept". The landscaping just grabbed our attention. This is just a corner snippet. There are layers and layers of detail. No matter how simple we live or how bountiful, detail matters. It enhances the mundane and it's possibilities are endless.

Summer Lovin Tart

~Tomato Parmesan Summer Tart~

~The key ingredients~

Tomatoes from the garden, grated Parmesan cheese, Gruyere cheese, Pancetta bits, cream and butter.

~Recipe~

This recipe calls for 4 large tomatoes. The first step is to salt the tomatoes with aprox. 1 teaspoon of salt. I lay them on paper towels on a cookie sheet. The salt will season the tomatoes and cause the juices to release from the tomato slices so that your tart will not be soggy. Now you can proceed with your recipe.

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

1 cup AP (all purpose) flour

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

3-4 tablespoons ice water

1 tart pan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

I use my Cuisinart to make the dough. I put the flour, Parmesan, salt and pepper in the work bowl. Give it a quick whirl. Add the butter bits, and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the ice water ( I used all 4 tablespoons). Run the Cuisinart until the dough just comes together. Stop and remove from the work bowl of the processor. Press the dough into the tart pan. Keep your fingers floured as you go. I start with the edges first and work my way in to the center. Prick with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes or until the shell is a light golden color. Remove from the oven and add the filling. Return to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the top has a light golden crust. Serve with a green salad.

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

4 tomatoes, that were already salted and drained of their juices.

2 ounces Pancetta bits, sauteed in a dash of olive oil. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels when they are crisp and golden brown.

1 small onion, thinly sliced and sauteed until translucent in the same pan the Pancetta was cooked in.

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, roughly minced

1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded.

2 Large eggs

3/4 cup cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

dash cayenne

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Whisk these ingredients together, eggs, cream, salt, pepper, cayenne, parmesan. Set aside.

To Assemble:

Add Pancetta bits to the precooked crust. Add onions. Add tomatoes spacing to cover the bottom. Add basil. Cover tomatoes with a light layer of Gruyere cheese. Top with the custard filling and bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Kind Hearts Are Gardens

Kind hearts are gardens,

Kind thoughts are roots,

Kind words are blossoms,

Kind deeds are fruit.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~

Grilled Tuna Salade Nicoise

~Ingredients~

~Ready to serve~

Grilled Tuna Salade Nicoise

~This is a great lunch or dinner salad, served hot or at room temperature~

Ingredients

1 head of romaine lettuce

2 hard boiled eggs

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata Olives, rough chopped

1 tuna steak per person (I used 6 medium sized portions), grilled

2 cloves garlic & 2 tablespoons olive oil for the cherry tomatoes

1 container cherry tomatoes, saute them in olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. They are done when the skins begin to burst. Remove from heat.

1 bundle fresh asparagus, steamed, seasoned with salt and pepper

12 baby potatoes, steamed-seasoned with salt and pepper

salt and pepper to season

Dressing: You may choose to buy a good Caesar dressing if you are on a time constraint.

Into the work bowl of a food processor place,

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I use country style Dijon)

2 teaspoons sugar or honey

dash cayenne pepper

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

juice of 1 lemon

1 full teaspoon anchovy paste

1 tablespoon mayonnaise (I use olive oil based mayo)

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Combine all these ingredients and then:

add ~ 1 cup Canola oil~pour through the top feed tube of your food processor in a slow steady stream.

Compose all of the salad ingredients on a large platter. Drizzle with dressing. Serve remaining dressing on the side.

Serves 4 as a main course

Gardening nourishes both the body and the soul!

Gertrude Jekyll's Garden

Thomas Keller's Garden across from the "French Laundry"

Our Sweet Garden! It's growing every day!

We had a bumper crop of lemons this year!

We've run our fingers through the soil clearing the way for an array of vegetables and fruits. There's our "ever-faithful" Valencia oranges, lemons (Meyer and Eureka), Santa Rosa plums and apricots, but this year we have ventured out with a substantial garden. The seedlings are sprouting and poking their way towards the sunlight. Cabbages, lettuces, tomatoes of every variety, carrots, herbs, cucumbers, bell peppers, broccoli, corn, scallions, garlic, bulb onions, potatoes, pumpkins, watermelon, green beans and strawberries. Soon our kitchen will be buzzing with activity. We have itchy fingers to begin making jam and canning a bit too! So every day we come out and stand over our sprouts like proud parents and rejoice when a nubbin of green appears. We are plant gawkers! We are smitten with our garden!

Are any of you planting this year? Please tell us!

~~~Jan and Kristen

The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies~Gertrude Jekyll

Stop and Smell the Roses!!

The grounds of Chateau Montelena!

Visually stunning at every turn.

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness; but still will keep a bower quiet for us, and a sleepfull of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing...John Keats

Our Love Affair with Gardens...

It is factual that a garden is never finished. It daily beckons us to walk in it, groom it and fill it with visual splendor. It doesn't matter if it's full of greenery, flora or just plain food-on-the-table plantings; our orafactory senses are assaulted with the smells of floral notes, earthy mulch and herbaceous greens. For years and years we have collected garden books, planted local and antique plants, piled in good earth to compensate for clay soil and water, weeded, nourished, and beheld the work-of-our-hands. It's additive! We're not alone, we know there are lots of kindred spirits out there that understand our fascination. The beauty of a well-cared-for garden is a thing to behold!

Here are a couple of our favorite sources:

Roger's Gardens (the most eye-popping nursery, makes my heart go pitter-patter)

2301 San Joaquin Hills Road

Corona del Mar, California

Rolling Green Nursery

9528 Jefferson Boulevard

Culver City, California