Dirt Therapy

Miscanthus sinensis "Adagio" Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Despite the plethora of recipes lately on my blog, I'm actually on a diet and I've lost almost 10 pounds in the past month. Unfortunately my worst enemy is sugar and I love the sweet stuff.  I'm only allowing myself one day per week of indulgence. I made this a few weekends ago when we had company. It comes from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) and it is wonderful. The recipe calls for a thin chocolate chip cookie and she recommends a variety. But you can never find anything the TV chefs recommend in Florence. A recipe reviewer mentioned an Alton Brown thin chocolate chip cookie recipe and I made those to go in the cake. The cookies are awesome, very soft and perfect for this recipe. Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake 2 cups cold heavy cream 12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Pernigotti 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3 (8-o...

I was looking at my blog statistics and I noticed that a lot of visitors got here by typing "bagworms" in their search query. Now is the time that they raise their ugly heads and damage becomes very noticeable. I wrote a post last year about my experiences with them. Fortunately, I have not seen any on my evergreens this year.  However, there is a Leland Cypress hedge across the street from us and I could clearly see the telltale brown dying branches and the disgusting bagworms hanging from them. This is a rental property and last year they had to cut down a row of Leland Cypress on the opposite side of the property. You can spray with Malathion now although it is more effective is done earlier in the spring when eggs are being laid. Hand picking is also effective but sometimes this might not be practicable if the plants are too large. Whatever method you choose, you must take action or else the plants will soon be toast. For more information, refer to my previous post . T...

I'm surprised that I've never written a post about Michael's delicious Southern cooking. He is an excellent cook. His mamma taught him well! While I consider myself a good baker, I'm not that great at regular cooking and unlike him, I have to have an exact recipe to go by. We went to the Farmer's Market Saturday morning and bought fresh okra. We had okra, peas, fried green tomatoes, corn and of course, cornbread. We only eat like this about once a week, otherwise we would both be the size of the house. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Here is a nice refreshing treat for the July 4th holiday. Watermelon Sorbet 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 2/3 cup light corn syrup 2 TB. lemon juice 1/4 large watermelon (about 8 cups of cubed watermelon) In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water and corn syrup. Stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Without stirring, simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and cool to room temperature. Cut melon into cubes (remove seeds if there are any). Puree 2 cups at a time in a blender or food processor with a metal blade. Stir into the cooled syrup. Pour into ice cream canister. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

  "Star Gazer"  I would be remiss if I didn't mention the beloved "Star Gazer" lily which is blooming right now next to a bench in our vegetable garden. This morning I noticed a hummingbird fluttering around it. Despite the location being shaded most of the day, it has performed nicely here for years. The only requirement is a stake to keep the winds and storms from knocking it down. This lily has quite a history, filled with legal issues, tainted friendships and lost fortunes. Leslie Woodriff, of Brookings, Oregon was passionate about hybridizing oriental lilies and begonias but a little disorganized and short on business sense. Enter businessman Ted Kirsch, who created Sun Valley Farms in the late 60s in Arcata, California. Kirsch recognized Woodriff's talent and offered him and his family jobs at his nursery in exchange for his lily collection. Woodriff, in dire financial straits and suffering from health problems, took him up on the offer. Woodriff...