Paul is a third-generation California farmer as well as an accomplished illustrator and painter, honored as Tulare County’s official Art Laureate. He farms in the early morning hours and devotes the rest of each day to his artwork, which is on display both locally at his ranch gallery and in locations as far away as Washington D.C. Learn more about Paul HERE.
Archive for August, 2010
Paul Buxman on Gardening
Friday, August 27th, 2010White Peach Margarita Chicken
Monday, August 16th, 2010
Makes 4 Servings Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 8 to 10 minutes
Marinate time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
| Topping | |
| 2 | fresh California Summerwhite® peaches, pitted and diced |
| 2 | tablespoon tequila |
| 2 | tablespoon fresh lime juice |
| Margarita Chicken | |
| 4 | boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-inch thick |
| 1/4 | cup tequila |
| 1/4 | cup fresh lime juice |
| 3/4 | teaspoon salt |
| 1 1/2 | tablespoon olive oil |
| Chopped fresh cilantro (optional) |
Directions
Stir together all topping ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place tequila, lime juice and salt in a shallow dish. Add chicken and let stand for 15 minutes. Turn and let stand for 15 minutes more. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove from skillet and top with peach mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired.
Per serving: 290 calories, 40g protein, 10g carbohydrate, 6g total fat, 100mg cholesterol, 400mg sodium, 1g fiber.
Variety tastings & Rootstock Tours
Sunday, August 15th, 2010Friday started out as a typical day. But little did I know it was about to get exciting as I headed out to was another interesting day in the world of California tree fruit! Variety tasting and a rootstock tour were my next adventures as I continue learning about California tree fruit. I had never heard of either variety tasting or rootstock tours, so this was completely new to me.
As I approached the tasting, I noticed my soon-to-be father in law gather in a group. That was the second time I had ran into him in the past two days! I must say, it’s pretty cool that we work in the same industry. As I walked around the tables, plates of fresh peaches, plums and nectarines were displayed on the tables. They were for eating, and I brought an appetite!
Variety tastings are an opportunity for peach, plum and nectarine ‘breeders’ to showcase their new varieties of stone fruit, giving the growers and other industry members the opportunity to savor the latest developments in stone fruit. Breeders grow and analyze sample trees to develop the best quality peach, plum and nectarine varieties that they know will cater to peoples’ taste buds. That’s what it’s all about right- biting into the best stone fruit they’ve ever had? Variety tastings gives the growers knowledge and expands their opportunity to grow new varieties that they know shoppers will enjoy.
Rootstock tours are a different breed, don’t mind the pun. Rootstock tours allow growers to see tree root bases that can accommodate varieties and help the grower to grow the new varieties they would like to plant.
They accompany a variety tasting because they allow industry members to observe the tree’s growth and study their development for growth of new varieties. This rootstock tour was at UC Davis Kearney Agricultural Center. As we hopped on the back of a trailer, we made our way out into the orchards.
So now that you have a brief summary of what variety tastings and rootstock tours are and why they’re important to growing tree fruit, check out the video. And, don’t forget to leave us your thoughts in a comment. We love hearing from our readers.
~ Sara
Tree Topping!
Thursday, August 5th, 2010Dale Janzen, a tree fruit industry professional, gave me a heads up that a local grower was tree-topping his trees. It is a fascinating process, and I couldn’t wait to get out there! Tree-topping is done by this grower once a year, but on average, growers do it every few years. They cut off the overgrowth at the top of the tree that the pests love to eat. The top parts of the trees are fresh, vulnerable foliage and the best option is to trim it and reduce stress that the pests can put on the trees. The machine that performs this task is a contraption that looks like a tractor at the base, but carries an upside-down blade that rotates spinning saws to cut the trees as it moves in between the aisles. It’s quite the machine, and it gets the work done! It’s a novel way to deal with pests and it’s pesticide free! It’s just another example of how California growers are always looking for new ways to grow a better peach. Take a look at the video as Dale explains the process.
August Peach Varieties
Monday, August 2nd, 2010It’s August, which means you should start thinking about canning or jamming peaches to lock in the flavor of summer all winter long. Canning fresh California peaches are a good way to get the nutrients you need from fresh produce without having to stray from a U.S. grown product. While you can get summer produce over the winter it comes from other countries:( Take a look below to see what varieties of white and yellow flesh peaches are ready to harvest in August.
-
- August Flame
-
- August Lady
-
- Autumn Flame
-
- Ryan Son
-
- September Snow
-
- September Sun
-
- Snow Gem
-
- Sweet September
-
- Tra Zee
