Edible Berkshires

Watch Out for These Pests in Your Garden and Home Orchard The spongy moth is a notorious leaf eater. Photo: Jerzy Strzelecki licensed through Creative Commons, CC-By-3.0 Most gardeners know a handful of garden interlopers: aphids, slugs, Japanese beetles, etc. I’d like to introduce you to three less-familiar pests that pose challenges you’ll likely face very soon. SPONGY MOTH Lymantria dispar dispar By now you’ve learned the hard way about this critter’s capacity to eat leaves.

Aperol Spritz The most popular cocktail-hour drink in Venice, Italy, is undoubtedly the Aperol Spritz, and anytime you are at Ombra in Lenox, you should try one! Aperol is an Italian amaro invented in 1919 with a brilliant red hue and a balance of bitter, sweet citrus, and herbal notes. Over ice in a nice wine glass, and topped up with prosecco and an orange slice, an Aperol Spritz is refreshing and invigorating.

Great (and economically minded) gardeners, don’t stop planting, they continue to sow crops that will extend their season as long as possible. And for those who didn’t get around to planting in the spring, it is never too late to plant out a garden plot to provide vegetables in the months ahead.

Beet Salad When I was a kid, I despised beets—perhaps because they came from a can. Now that I have access to my own garden-grown beets or fresh beets from the farmers market, I adore them—especially in a salad. This is a great side for lunch, especially with a quinoa salad. 5 beets (golden or red) 1–2 tablespoons olive oil Zest of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon chopped chives 1–2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1 handful feta cheese* Boil 5 beets for about 1 hour, until tender.

Kale and Corn Salad In midsummer, our garden produces food faster than we can eat it! Two of the most abundant crops are kale and corn. One day I invited some people over for dinner but didn’t have any fixings for a green salad, so I decided to use my kale. But kale is so tough, I thought. Then I remembered reading that salt and lemon tenderize the kale. Thus, this Kale and Corn Salad recipe was born.

Watermelon and Arugula Salad Watermelon has an array of healing qualities. Of course, it helps us stay hydrated during the hot summer months, but it also contains the powerful antioxidant lycopene, even more than tomatoes. The seeds are good for us as well because they contain iron, zinc, protein, and fiber. Combined with the sulfur-containing arugula, digestionpromoting mint, and tasty feta, this salad is a winner on so many levels. It’s delicious, healthy, and beautiful.

Tomato and Golden Raisin Chutney Slather this delightf ul spicy-sweet chutney on toasted whole-grain bread or serve it with cheeses. If you wish, you could process it in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes. It keeps in the refrigerator for at least 2 months, if not longer.

Open-Face Tomato Pie A terrific old-timey recipe that everyone loves. Bring it to your next potluck and watch it disappear. For the brightest flavor, make it in high tomato season and serve it freshly baked at dinner or lunch. Don’t be tempted to add more tomatoes than the recipe suggests or the pie won’t heat through properly.

Nothing says summer like a ripe, juicy garden tomato. With a litt le time and effort, it can be summer in your kitchen all year round. One of the joys of tomato season is being able to preserve your fabulous summer harvest or CSA bounty for the winter. But what’s the best way to put up tomatoes? Can, freeze, or both? Freezing is the easiest and most efficient, but nothing compares to home-canned tomatoes and the process, while time-consuming, isn’t difficult.

Colleen Taylor shares a moment of levity with her staff in the afternoon before opening. PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTINA RAHR LANE Colleen Taylor settles into her cozy office in the Greylock Works building for a chat with Edible Berkshires. There’s a large window with a view of the street, a couple of desks, and a massive wall calendar marking all her commitments. It will come as no surprise that the calendar is jam-packed.