April 6, 2025 So Much to do, but feeling better about it

 April is here and everything is coming up. The slipper orchid clump has shoots up about an inch at this point. I found a clump of martagon lilies. I will try the deer repellant on both of these precious plants.

There is so much to do. Somehow I feel better about getting it done. Part of that of course is the Wisconsin election. Part of it is a fresh supply of compost, that gives me enough to pot things up to my heart's content. Part of it was some person bring some lovely peonies by for the plant sale.

But first, garden news.

The first hosta to unfurl is almost always Chinese Sunrise. Here it is, about on schedule.

After that stage with hosta you begin to worry about hard freezes. I think we have a 25 coming in a few nights. Will anything get covered? We shall see.

One task that remains is cutting back last year's foliage on the hellebores. I think I will cellebrate hellebores in net week's post. They really stand out this time of year.

Pictures

One thing about this time of year is sort of sad. The first spring flowers are finishing. They disappear and along come the weeds.

The snowdrops and aconite are done. So are the crocuses. All that is left are the pictures.

So....

For your voting pleasure I present this year's crocus display.

You can help determine which should be set aside for the initial cut for the fall contest. Will our outlook be better then? Have we truned the corner?

You should certainly resolve to get another couple hundred crocuses this fall.

#1 Light purple trio

#2 White trio

#3 Pink in a field of yellow.

#4 Pink and white combination

#5 Lots of tommies

#6 gold

#7 striped

#8 muted pink

#9 White with its blue friends

#10 Just White

Other pictures from this week

This adenium is blooming at the office right now.

We were in Des Moines Friday night into Saturday. The downtown sculpture garden is always pleasant, even on a chilly morning. These two charming fellows are both title Moonrise. The artist is Ugo Rondinone.

The star magnolias are blooming all around town. This one is in our bakyard.

This cheerful little naturalizer is chionodoxa. 

Julia's recipe

Rigatoni with Bolognase

Back to the NYT, with another quick main-dish recipe. I like Italian food, but it's not in my background or my DNA. Which is to say I am not sure how close this quick recipe comes to an authentic (acceptable) bolognese. We liked it, but as I said, not my background nor Philip's. Strictly tourists to Italian cuisine and culture.  

The ingredients:

1 lb. 80% ground beef;

1 cup chopped onion;

3/4 cup shredded carrot;

2-3 red Thai curry paste;

1 15 oz. tomato sauce;

1 cup heavy cream;

1 lb. rigatoni or other big shape pasta;

and salt and pepper.

What else is actually needed? 

A little olive oil. Even 80% ground beef can dry out and stick. I sued a tablespoon or two of olive oil while cooking the meat and then the meat and vegetables. 

Also we found the final product a bit bland. So we added some sriracha at the end. Maybe a teaspoon. In the alternative, you could add red pepper flakes (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon) to the meat during its browning phase. 

I started by putting the meat in a hot skillet (I heated the skillet on high for a few minutes before adding the meat). I used a potato masher to break up the chunk of meat. The recipe called for the meat to be broken up into little pieces as it cooked. I added some salt and pepper. I turned the heat down just a bit - medium high.  

While the meat was cooking (about 5 minutes after being smushed up), I cleaned the onion and carrots and cut them into biggish pieces.

At some point during the 5 minutes, I scraped up the browned bits of meat and added a little olive oil.

I put the vegetable pieces in the food processor. The recipe wanted the veggies to be finely chopped. Seemed like food processor territory. 

Here's the texture. Finely chopped but not mush.

I pushed the meat to one side, added a bit more olive oil and then dumped the veggies in. I cooked the vegetables by themselves for a minute or two, then mixed the meat and vegetables together. I cooked the whole mixture (meat and vegetables) for a total of about about five minutes.   

I then added the red curry paste. Not an Italian ingredient for sure, but potent and zippy and that's good. 

I also added a bit more salt and pepper (onions and carrots not being seasoned on their own).

Next I added the tomato sauce and 1/2 can of water. I turned the heat down so the sauce simmered. 

I put a big pot of water (with about 1-1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt in the water) on the stove for the pasta. When it came to a boil, I added the rigatoni and cooked the pasta according to what the box said. 

When the pasta was done, I ladled out 1/2 cup of pasta water. 

Then I added the pasta to the sauce. I added some of the pasta water. I don't think I used it all. 

Last, I added the heavy cream. And this is where the sriracha should be added too. Heavy cream and pepper sauce - perfect. 

On the table. Less tomato-y than some pasta-plus-sauce dishes. And creamier. With a bit more heat - very good indeed. 

We had it with the usual green salad plus blueberries and yogurt. 

As you can see, the recipe made a lot. It heated up nicely to lunches.

On the plate.

Odds and ends

The prayer list is long at this time of the world.

Remember the Ukrane? It has been mostly pushed off the front pages. It is still there, with springtime coming to a war zone.

Remember children everywhere. Protect them from adults. 

Remember the people of those countries who have lost their medical assistance, thanks to you know who. The term cruel comes to mind. (If it comes to mind quickly would it "jump" to mind?)

But then give thanks. 

Give thanks to the voters in Wisconsin. Did you know that Judge Susan Crawford, who was just elected, went to law school at the University of Iowa? She graduated in 1994. 

Give thanks for friends, both who we see and those we wish we could see more often. 

Give thanks for tree peonies, inclulding the little sprouts that might bloom in 5 years. 

It is time to sign off and send this to the post.

Come by the garden if you can. Be kind.

Philip