Last night I finally spent some time planning my tulip garden for this year. I'm going for more textural variety (thus parrot and doubles), but trying to stick to similar heights in the two main areas of my garden (the parterre and the edges). Provided that these are still in stock at Van Engelen when I place my order, this will be what I buy this year, in quantities of 100:
I noticed that some of my very favorite (Gudoshnik and Silverstream) are all related to each other - Silverstream is originally a sport of Jewel of Spring, and (I do believe) Gudoshnik is a sport of Silverstream. Nice, nice tulips! Sad not to have any Gudoshnik this year but I'm sure some will show up in the "leftovers" pile.
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This recipe, from "Sampling the Cuisine of India," by Sambhu Banik, makes a very dry yet hearty curry. I like to use the leftovers in burritos. This was the first dish that got me to enjoy eating yams - a real accomplishment! Serve with basmati rice, dal, and some kind of naan or chapathi, and it makes a filling vegan meal that the most devout carnivore will enjoy.
1 lb fresh spinach, cleaned and chopped 1 t turmeric 4 T oil 2 medium potatoes,peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes (I recommend cooking these beforehand) 1 medium eggplant/aubergine, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes (I skip this ingredient and use bell peppers instead) 1 medium yam, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes 1 t cumin seed 1 t freshy ginger, finely chopped 1 t cayenne powder 1 t ground coriander 1 1/2 t salt 2 T badis (seasoned lentil balls, can skip this) 1 T ground coconut (I skip this bit too) 1 t sugar
Steam spinach with turmeric until tender. Set aside.
In a large frying pan, heat 3 T oil, and fry the potatoes, eggplant, and yam until tender, and set aside.
In another large pan, heat 1 T oil, add cumin seed, and saute until it becomes a shade darker (a few seconds). Add ginger, cayenne powder, and coriander. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add spinach and fried vegetables. Mix well. Add salt. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add Badis, coconut, and sugar. Mix well.
I got an email from the Old House Gardens folks trumpeting a secret shipment of bulbs from the Hortus Bulborum today. Remembering my disappointment at not being able to get tulipa acuminata from them last year, I decided to make the plunge more quickly this year so my chosen beauties could be my own (this despite the fact that I have some doubts as to whether or not I'll even still be living in Seattle come spring).
So here are this year's choices: Double Hyacinth "Chestnut Flower" Double Hyacinth "Madame Sophie" Double Tiger Lily Turk's Cap Lily (This was also sold out last year. Hah!) T. Acuminata Single Early tulip "Silver Standard" (my big indulgence) Hyacinth "White Roman" - promised to be a good naturalizer
Next stop: Van Engelen! I'll try to restrict myself to 500 bulbs or less this year.
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One of my favorite parts about going to Long Beach, Washington is hitting the fabulous pinball parlor across the street from Marsh's Free Museum. "Funland" is, at its heart, one of those old-fashioned shoot-em-up arcades featuring light-activated statues in an Old West setting that do something when you "hit" time with your laser rifle (cunningly disguised as a Winchester rifle). But its narrow side pathways are filled with pinball games- some 23 or so. It's so many games that I'm actually surprised people aren't holding pinball conventions here. Sadly, they've let go of my favorite table: Theater of Magic. This was heartbreaking as I used to get in about an hour of play on it every time I went to Long Beach, and of all of the incarnations of this games I've played this deck was the smoothest ride. They're looking to sell some other tables too, sadly including Addams Family ... and if I could only commit to the $2000+ asking price I would surely buy it, as it's one of my top five pins of all time.
At any rate, for ya pinball freaks, I'm including a list of the games currently in (as of August 2004) Funland. But first ...
Another surprise for this trip was the discovery of "La Pinata de Quito," a "mexican grocery and party supply store" in Seaview, just south of the intersection of the main Long Beach highway with the 101 loop (38th and Pacific Way). On Fridays and Saturdays they have $1 tamales in red (chicken, I think) and green (pork, I think), and DAMN were they good (buy the green, and get many of them). I would have gone back and filled up the cooler on my way home, but they're closed on Sundays. They also have the little mexican tacos, but I'm not sure if this is a Friday-Saturday only thing or a daily thing - but they're worth checking out one way or another.
The other new Mexican food place in town, about a half mile north of the "downtown" of Long Beach, was so wretched I didn't bother to write their name down, even for the weak pleasure of warning people off of their swill. Christ, I didn't know people actually had the nerve to microwave cheese in a flour tortilla and call it a quesadilla anymore! It was like paying to eat bachelor food.