FEBRUARY 'BIG LOVE' ~ PHALAENOPSIS / HERB CRUSTED CHERRY SALMON - ROASTED ROSEMARY SWEET POTATOES (NATIONAL HEART-SMART & CHERRY MONTH)

"There is no instinct like that of the heart."

~ Lord Byron

HERB CRUSTED CRANBERRY/CHERRY SALMON

~ A delicious crunchy meld of herbs, antioxidant lemon, tart cranberries & sweet dried cherries combined with 'heart-smart' salmon

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1 1/2 lb. salmon filet

1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries

1/4 cup chopped dried Michigan cherries

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 cup panko crumbs

zest of 1 fresh lemon

3 Tbsp. melted butter

sea salt & freshly ground cracked pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 375º.
• Rinse and pat salmon dry. Place skin side down on foil lined baking sheet sprayed with Pam. Season with salt & pepper.
• Combine chopped cranberries, cherries, onion, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, and panko crumbs. Blend in 2 Tbsp. melted butter.
• Pat mixture evenly over salmon. Drizzle with remaining butter.
• Pop in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until salmon is opaque in center. (4 servings)

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ROASTED ROSEMARY SWEET POTATOES

4 scrubbed sweet potatoes (peel or unpeeled)

3 heaping Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

extra-virgin olive oil

coarse salt & freshly ground cracked pepper

Slice potatoes in thin wedges or chop in bite-size pieces. Place in ovenproof pan or iron skillet. Sprinkle with rosemary, cracked pepper and coarse salt. Bake in 450º oven or 45 minutes or until roasted. (4 servings)

Plant care for Phalaenopsis Orchid

'FAIR PRIMROSE' (February Flower of the Month)

“O fairest flower, no sooner blown but blasted,

Soft silken primrose fading timelessly.”

~ John Milton

INDOOR PRIMROSE GARDEN

Although the primrose flower is native to areas of Europe and Asia, they can be found growing in abundance throughout the Midwest and Northwest regions of North America. Primulaceae, or the primrose family, contains around 24 genera of popular garden and wild-growing plants. There are a number of different varieties of primrose flowers; however, most gardeners place them in two distinct groups: the bog and woodland flowers, which prefer moist, rich soil, and the rocky area flowers, which do well in dry areas. These flowers are generally planted for ground cover and may be seen growing as single-headed flowers or in large clusters. Their colors range from the traditional yellow to white, purple, pink, and occasionally even coral hues.

The oils of the primrose flower are commercially cultivated in at least 15 countries. This is understandable as it has become a staple in many supplements. The oils of this flower contain gamma linolenic acid, linoleic acid and essential fatty acids which are thought to positively effect cholesterol and blood pressure, premenstrual symptoms, arthritis and the immune system. The oil is also said to be very effective in other areas as well. For example, rubbing the oils into door frames or dripping it around garden perimeters may help avert bees, as the scent is thought to be a deterrent. Given that the primrose flower is considered one of the symbols of purity, many real life and mythological stories tell of their association with children. For instance, these flowers were frequently planted on the grave sites of small children in Victorian England, as they represented the unchanging innocence of the lost child; in German myth, children were enticed into the halls of the goddess Bertha by way of the pale, delicate flowers. The flower’s myth, however, is not entirely somber. This blossom is associated with the Norse goddess Freya – who is the symbol of youthfulness, refinement, fertility and beauty. They are also seen in Celtic myth which states a patch of these flowers can mark the gateway to the fairy realms.

As well as being a symbol of purity, the primrose flower is said to represent both February births and the month of May. They are also thought to symbolize courage in the face of adversity, devotion, love and renewal. As a gift, these flowers are frequently presented to long time loves, as they are a great way to represent passing through many years of struggle, only to find yourself just as happy as you ever were with your partner.

(http://flowerinfo.org/)

OUTDOOR PRIMROSE GARDEN

Evening Primrose

Primrose Garden

The Primrose (Primula) is a gift that just keeps giving ...

as both an indoor garden then planted outside

FEBRUARY FOOD FOR BODY (BLACK FOREST CHEESECAKE) & SOUL (CYCLAMEN)

"Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul."

-~ The Koran

BLACK FOREST CHEESECAKE

~ 1985 favorite retro-dessert (Bon Appetit), perfect for February (National Cherry Month)

Cherry Topping:

1 lb. (thawed) frozen unsweetened cherries

1/4 cup kirsh

1/4 cup Morello cherry syrup (or sour cherry syrup)

Chocolate Crust:

8 12 oz. chocolate wafer cookies

6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) well-chilled butter, cut into 12-in. pieces

Chocolate Filling:

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

12 oz. coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate

16 oz. (room temperature) cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

4 (room temperature) eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chilled whipping cream

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. kirsch

Chocolate curls

For topping: Soak undrained cherries and kirsch in small bowl 6 hours.Thoroughly drain cherries in strainer set over medium bow, shaking occasionally, at least 2 hours. Reserve liquid. Add enough Morello cherry syrup to cherry liquid to measure 1 cup. Pour 6 Tbsp. into heavy skillet (reserve remaining liquid for filling). Halve cherries and add to skillet. Boil until syrup is thickened and mixture resembles preserves, about 6 minutes. (Can prepare 2 days ahead and chill).

For crust: Generously butter 9-in. springform pan. Finely crush cookies (on/off turns) in processor. Cut in butter (on/off turns) until mixture begins to gather together. Press crumbs into bottom of pan and up sides to 3/4 in. from top (should be no cracks). Refrigerate crust for at least 30 minutes.

For filling: Preheat oven to 325º. Heat 1 1/2 cups cream with chocolate in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring constantly. Cool 10 minutes. Beat cream with 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at at time until combined. Beat in chocolate mixture, then remaining 10 tablespoons cherry liquid and vanilla. Pour into crust. Bake until outer 2 inches of cake are firm but center still moves slightly, about 1 1/4 hours (top may crack). Cool completely on rack. Top pan with paper towels and cover tightly with foil. Refrigerate 1-2 days.

Remove foil, discard paper towel and pan sides of cake. Spread cherry topping over cake. Beat remaining 1 cup cream with 2 Tbsp. sugar and kirsh to peaks. Spoon onto center of cake. Top with chocolate curls. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead and refrigerated.). Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. (12-14 servings)

Indoor Garden

Cyclamen are a genus of plants containing 20 species, which are part of the family of Primulaceae, the Primrose family. In the wild, their distribution is centred on the mediterranean, being natives of parts of Europe, western Asia and parts of North Africa. They are tuberous plants and have no obvious affinity with Primroses, although they do resemble the North American Dodecatheon in having reflexed petals.

Their habitats range from Fagus (Beech) woodland, through scrub and rocky areas, to alpine meadows where they flower in snow meltwater.

The genus is notable for the fact that although it is small, there are species which flower in every month of the year.

In cultivation, there are some species which are definitely hardy, some which are borderline, and a few species which will not tolerate any frost.

The genus also provides florists plants in the form of cultivars based on Cyclamen persicum. These are generally winter and spring flowering plants which are available in a wide range of colours.

(The Cyclamen Society)

FOR THE LOVE OF ROSES (FOOD FOR THE SOUL) ~ 'PORTRAIT OF A ROSE'

"Every rose is an autograph from the hand of God on his world about us. He has inscribed his thoughts in these marvelous hieroglyphics which sense and science have, these many thousand years, been seeking to understand."

~ Theodore Parker

Treasured 1st Edition

"Oh, my luve’s like a red, red rose, That ’s newly sprung in June;

Oh, my luve’s like the melodie That’s sweetly played in tune."

~ Robert Burns

'Carefree Beauty' Shrub Rose

"Won't you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you."

~ Richard Brinsley Sheridan

"The rose speaks of love silently,

in a language known only to the heart."

~ unknown

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

~ William Shakespeare

"The rose speaks of love silently,

in a language known only to the heart."

~ unknown

"When love first came to Earth,

the Spring spread rose-beds to receive him."

~ Thomas Campbell

"Then will I raise aloft the milk-white rose.

For whose sweet smell the air shall be perfumed."

~ William Shakespeare

"Do not watch the petals fall from the rose with sadness, know that, like life, things sometimes must fade, before they can bloom again."

~ unknown

"If the rose puzzled its mind over the question how it grew, it would not have been the miracle that it is."

~ J. B. Yeats

"But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold."

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

TODAY ALL THE WORLD IS 'GREEN' ~ 'THE PRIME COLOR OF THE WORLD'

"Green is the prime color of the world,

and that from which its loveliness arises."

~ Pedro Calderon de la Barca

JAPANESE PAINTED FERN

LENTEN ROSE

(Helleborus Orientalis)

FERN

HOSTA ~ LADY FERN

Annabelle Hydrangea

COLEUS 'Chocolate Mint'

FERN

AUTUMN FERN

AUTUMN FERN

HOSTA

(Click on photo to enlarge)