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Living a Village-ish Life in Suburban California

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Critters You Don’t Want

Sap sucking, root destroying, leaf nibbling monsters! They are everywhere, and there are easy and environmentally friendly ways of dealing with them.

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Welcome to Mostly-Greek! I’m Dorie, a Greek mom and yiayia (grandma) living the suburban life with my family in the heart of California like it’s a Greek village!

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I can't seem to resist the urge to experiment with things, probably my ADHD at work, but whatever. Sometimes good things come of it, like this newest version of my pomegranate jelly recipe. I was tinkering with the process and ended up with an equally delicious but different flavor as a result. Different enough that I figured it deserved its own recipe. I make my jellies with natural pectin from apple scraps (yes, scraps!) and the new method I used imparted more of that apple flavor to the jelly, perfectly offsetting the slightly tart pomegranate juice. The flavor is almost buttery and very smooth, with a perfectly set texture. Not at all runny or gummy like preserves made with commercial pectin can sometimes be. It's not an instant gratification process, but trust me when I say that the effort is well worth it!! I have the recipe with easy to follow steps and information ready for you, so come on over for a visit!

With eggs being as expensive as they are these days, it only makes sense to make the most out of them. This bacon and tomato frittata topped with tangy feta cheese does just that. It's a flavorful and easy dish to prepare, as perfect for breakfast as it is for dinner. I mean, really, who said eggs could only be eaten in the morning? Whoever they were, they were wrong! The recipe is waiting for you so come on over, it's dinner time!!

My asparagus bed is a hot mess right now. Bermuda grass (count yourself extremely fortunate if you don't have to deal with this weed) and mint have invaded, and the area is in need of a serious overhaul. It's one of many items on the garden to-do list. But despite the neglect, we're still getting spears of asparagus popping up. There is no comparison to the flavor of super fresh, you picked it five minutes ago, asparagus spears. Growing your own is really easy, and once you've got it going you'll have repeat harvests for years, maybe even decades! I've got more info on my blog, so come on over for a visit, spring is on its way!

No matter where you live, baby, green almonds will be in season at the same time of year. That's because the vast majority of all almonds produced here in the States come from right here where I live in Central California. Though the season hasn't started yet, it will soon, and it doesn't last long. So what exactly are green almonds? They are the fruits that appear in spring that will eventually have the almond nut (seed) develop inside. In parts of Greece and the Middle East, these fruits (called τσάγαλο, TSAH-gah-loh in Greek) are picked off the trees and preserved either in syrup, or pickled like the ones I made here. They are eaten whole and the pickled fruits work great as an appetizer, or used in place of olives, capers, or other pickled food. Baby almonds are growing in popularity and are showing up in specialty markets across the country, so keep your eyes open for them. Come on over for this recipe so you'll be ready to enjoy them when they appear!

Spring may seem like an eternity away right now, but it's on its way, I promise. For some garden plants, you don't want to wait too long to get ready for the warmer weather. Eggplant is one of those garden vegetables that needs time to get going to reach maturity before the weather cools back down again in the fall. After all, the goal of growing vegetables is to actually get some, right? Growing eggplant from seeds gives you a wide array of options that you can't get from starts or the grocery store, and have far better flavor and texture, too! Did you know that eggplant is a perennial plant that could be kept year after year if properly overwintered? That means you could have earlier and more abundant harvests, too. I have a lot more information on growing this wonderful vegetable, along with recipes using them, and tips for storing extras away for later use, waiting for you on my blog. So come on over for a visit, gardening season is never over!

The sun has finally come out after what feels like a never-ending series of rain storms. The west coast will get hit by winter weather systems called atmospheric rivers, often nicknamed pineapple expresses because they are warm systems coming up from the equator. These bring much-needed moisture, but often too much too quickly. Right now everything is soaked and the garden is a soggy, dreary mess. Even so, some bright spots can be seen here and there. I hope you are having a lovely weekend, no matter the weather!

There are a few benefits to living in a region that gets hotter than I would like each summer. One of them is the ability to have fresh, local citrus available in winter (often as local as the backyard!). Our mild, Mediterranean climate winters allow citrus trees, and the delightful fruits they bear, to thrive. In Greece, the mantra is waste not, want not, so not only is the fruit enjoyed, so is the peel!! Orange and lemon peels are frequently turned into a delicious treat called a spoon sweet, called so because they are served on a spoon in a puddle of syrup. These sweets are often reserved for guests, but we enjoy them stirred into hot or cold tea, topped over ice cream or Greek yogurt, even served on toast or waffles! Any way you would enjoy jam or syrup would also be a good way to enjoy these candied peels. The process is rather easy, so come on over for the recipe!

Repeat after me: dinner should be easy AND tasty. And it definitely can be with this Greek fish stew. Chunks of savory whitefish sit alongside flavorful vegetables in a light but filling broth, and it's all topped with crumbles of creamy feta cheese to add just the right contrast of taste and texture. All it takes is a handful of ingredients and a short amount of time to bring it all together, and it's a great way to use less expensive varieties of fish. The recipe is ready for you, so come on over for a visit, the soup pot's on the stove!!

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