THE VILLAGE VOICE

"June falls asleep upon her bier of flowers; In vain are dewdrops sprinkled o'er her, In vain would fond winds fan her back to life, Her hours are numbered on the floral dial." ~ Lucy Larcom (Death of June) JUNE WONDERS GARDEN VIEW JUNEBERRY COLEUS NASTURTIUM GARDEN STALWARTS ______________ RASPBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE ~ delightful summer dessert well worth the bit of effort from Barefoot Contessa Family Style as seen on Food Network (2006) ____________ 1 orange pound cake (recipe follows) 1 cup good raspberry jam 2 half-pints fresh raspberries Orange cream (recipe follows) 1 cup (1.2 pint) cold heavy cream 2 Tbsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract Cut pound cake int 9 (3/4 inch) slices and spread each slice on 1 side with raspberry jam, using all the jam. Set aside. Place a layer of cake, jam side up, in bottom of a 2 1/2 to 3 quart glass serving bowl, cutting pieces to fit. Top with a layer of raspberries and orange cream. Repeat layers of cake , raspb...

"Then followed that beautiful season... Summer.... Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow REMAINS OF A SUMMER DAY _______________________ Solstice, from the Latin for sun stands still, in astronomy, either of the two points on the ecliptic that lie midway between the equinoxes (separated from them by an angular distance of 90°).At the solstices the sun's apparent position on the celestial sphere reaches its greatest distance above or below the celestial equator , about 23 1/2° of arc. At the time of summer solstice, about June 22, the sun is directly overhead at noon at the Tropic of Cancer .In the Northern Hemisphere the longest day and shortest night of the year occur on this date, marking the beginning of summer. At winter solstice, about December 22, the sun is overhead at noon at the Tropic of Capricorn ; this marks the beginning of winter in the Nor...

"In summer, the song sings itself. " ~William Carlos Williams Alpine Poppy ( Papaver alpinum ) _______________ PEPPERED ROAST BEEF SANDWICH with DILL HORSERADISH SAUCE ~ Travels well and always a hit ... adapted from The Totally Picnic Cookbook _____ 3 lb. tied roast beef 1 Tbsp. cracked freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbsp. coarse salt 1 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 tsp. mustard seeds 1/2 tsp. Hungarian paprika 2 Tbsp. butter good rolls Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Pat roast dry. Combine pepper, salt, garlic powder mustard seeds, and paprika . Press mixture over roast. Melt butter in roasting pan in hot oven. Add beef, rolling to coat evenly and return to oven. Roast 45 minutes for rare, up to 1 hour for well-done. Set aside to cool. Thinly slice. Serve on good rolls with Dill Horseradish Sauce (Combine 1/2 cup fresh grated horseradish, 1/2 sour cream, 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, pinch coarse salt and 1 tsp. dill weed). Alpin...

“ In June as many as a dozen species may burst their buds on a single day. No man can heed all of these anniversaries; no man can ignore all of them.” ~ Aldo Leopold Incarville delaveyi (Hardy gloxinia , Trumpet fl ower ) ________________ HERB BURGERS with BLACK OLIVE PESTO ~ Moist and tasty easy grilled treat adapted from Southern Living ___ 1 lb. ground round 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 2 tsp. grated lemon rind 3/4 tsp. coarse salt freshly ground pepper to taste 4 toasted Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns shredded spinach or romaine lettuce leaves tomato slices Combine ground round, basil, lemon rind salt and pepper. Do not overwork meat mixture. Shape into 4 patties. Grill 5-6 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Serve on buns with black Olive Pesto, tomato slices and shredded spinach/romaine. BLACK OLIVE PESTO 1 (6-oz.) jar drained pitted kalamata olives 1 garlic clove 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp. dried basil 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pep...

"Garden making is creative work, just as much as painting or writing a poem. It is a personal expression of self, and individual conception of beauty. I should as soon think of asking a secretary to write my book, or the cook to assist in a water color painting, as to permit a gardener to plant or dig among my flowers." ~ Hannah Rion (The Greatest Gift of a Garden) PEONY GIFT of GREEN 'CAREFREE BEAUTY' SHRUB ROSE DELIGHTFUL NEIGHBORS TUBEROUS BEGONIA _____________________ SALAD NICOISE in PITA POCKETS ~ Easy busy day garden lunch or simple supper, adapted from Cooking Light (May 2003) _____________ 1 cup sliced (1 inch) fresh green beans 1 Tbsp. water 1/4 - 1/2 cup pitted & chopped nicoise olives 1 Tbsp. capers 1 (12 oz.) can drained solid white tuna in water 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley pinch coarse salt freshly ground pepper to taste 2 (6-inch) whole wheat pita rounds (cut in h...

" To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wildflower. Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour." ~ William Blake Berlandier's sundrops , Square-bud primrose, Sundrop Calylophus berlandier Onagraceae (Evening-Primrose Family) Ox-Eye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare (Aster family) Geranium Geraniaceae Family ___________________ THYME-SCENTED SALMON with TUSCAN WHITE BEAN SALAD ~ From Chef Stephen Lewandowski in Cooking Light (May 2003) comes this delightful fresh herb infused spring/summer supper ______________ Bean Salad : 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup finely chopped celery 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots 2 minced garlic cloves 3 Tbsp. lemon juice 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley 2 tsp. chopped fresh mint 2 tsp. chopped fresh basil 2 Tbsp. water 1 (15-ounce) can drained cannellini beans or other white beans Salmon : 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1/8 tsp. freshl...

"Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf." ~ Rabindranath Tagore Lady's Mantle ( Alchemilla mollis ) Gardener's Note: Lady's mantle, a gracious hardy garden companion whose mounds of scalloped foliage with airy chartreuse blossoms drape over the ground like a mantle, are 'a must' perennial for zones 3-7. Legend tells us that perhaps Our Lady, the Virgin Mary, chose Lady's Mantle as an adornment or that the lobes of the leaves were very similar to the scalloped edges of the mantle or cloak that she wore. Many herbalists regard lady's mantle as 'women's medicine', treating a variety of female issues. With a preference for light or partial shade, lady's mantle is perfect for woodland or cottage gardens, sprawling ground cover and delightful informal edging. Covered in fine hairs, its fuzzy leaves capture raindrops and dew that bead up and shine like sparkling jewels. The airy flowers make fab...

MACKINAC ISLAND LILAC FESTIVAL (JUNE 5-14 2009) STREETS of MACKINAC ISLAND 'Somewhere in Time' GRAND HOTEL "Grand Hotel is indeed the fitting name for one of Mackinac Island's premier landmarks. The hotel's stately 600-foot veranda is visible from the mainland seven miles away. Grand Hotel's splendor and gracious hospitality consistently place it among the world's finest. It is also the world's largest summer hotel. Since opening in 1887 too provide a destination hotel for rail and steamship passengers, Grand Hotel has maintained its tradition of fine service and elegance, often setting criteria for excellence in dining." ~ MACKINAC ISLAND MEMORIES (Len Trankina ) --- For the history of this popular summer retreat visit the official Grand Hotel website. ________________________ CHICKEN MACKINAC ~ From THE ISLAND HOUSE (built in 1852 and the oldest hotel on the island) comes this special dish compliments of Chef O'Dell ____________ 4 slices do...

"The moon looks upon many night flowers; the night flowers see but one moon." ~ Jean Ingelow ( Songs of the Night Watches ) STRAWBERRY MOON ' Odéimini - Giizis ' ~ Ojibwe _________________________ "The Ojibwe so delighted in this berry that they named a moon after it and included it in their vision of heaven." ~ White Oak Journal - White Oak Society _____________________________ STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE ~ Quick and easy, equally as good with raspberries __________________ 1 pound cake (good frozen is fine) 1 pint or more hulled strawberries 1/2 cup sugar 1 8 oz. package softened cream cheese 1 3/4 cup non-dairy whipped topping Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Crush 1 1/2 cup of berries, reserving remaining berries for garnish. Add sugar to topping cream cheese, beating until smooth. Fold in topping then crushed berries. Fill and frost cake with cream cheese mixture. Garnish with berries and chill.

" … with every leaf, a miracle. " ~ Walt Whitman HOSTA HEAVEN HEAVENLY COMPANIONS __________________ SOFT-SHELL CRAB SANDWICHES ~ Favorite when 'heavenly' soft-shell crabs are in season ... ___________ 6 cleaned jumbo soft-shell crabs 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup crushed saltine crackers coarse salt & freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup vegetable oil 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter 6 soft good bakery rolls sliced tomato sliced avocado lemon wedges Cover crabs with buttermilk in large shallow ceramic/glass baking dish and refrigerate for 1-4 hours. Blend cracker crumbs with salt & pepper. Heat oil in large skillet until shimmering. Remove crabs from buttermilk and shake off excess. Add butter to oil and, when it stops sizzling, dredge half of crabs at a time in crumbs. Fry (undersides up) in skillet, turning once, until cooked through and crisp, about 4 minutes per side; adjust heat if oil gets too smoky. Set crab on bun, top with tomatoes and avocado and serve with lemon wed...

"A simple enough pleasure, surely, to have breakfast alone with one's husband, but how seldom married people in the midst of life achieve it." ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh CHIVE BLOSSOM OMELET ~ A seasonal treat captured when chive blossoms first bloom __________ 4 fresh organic eggs 4 Tbsp. sour cream pinch of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tsp. fresh chopped parsley 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped chives 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 12 rinsed & patted dry chive blossoms Lightly beat eggs, sour cream, salt, pepper, parsley and chives. Preheat omelet pan and melt butter. Pour in egg mixture and leave undisturbed until omelet begins to set. Lower heat and, tipping pan slightly, lift edges to let uncooked egg run underneath. When omelet is firm, sprinkle with chive blossoms and fold in half. ORANGE SCONES with BERRIES & CREAM ~ Delicious orange zested rolled up scones from delightful little book - Scones, Muffins & Tea Cakes 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 tabl...

"June is bustin' out all over." ~ Oscar Hammerstein II, 1945 Paeonia Scarlet O'Hara _____________ Gardener's Note: the beautiful red peony 'Scarlet O' Hara' is a hybrid peony that resulted in a cross between P. lactiflora and P. officinalis. ___________________ "Buds're bustin' outa bushes ..." __________________ "Fresh and alive and gay and young June is a love song sweetly sung." ( Carousel ~ Rodgers And Hammerstein)