Posts Tagged ‘gardens’
October 19th, 2010 by Pamela Murski
On a recent to trip to Blackwood, an educational land institute within a 30 minute beautiful drive from BrenhamTexas, I was delighted to see the way that the land has been preserved through gardens and nature through sustainable practices. A formerly neglected tract of land has been turned into a living learning environment at Blackwood, including the construction of an amazing straw bale home. It inspires me with my gardens
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Tags: Blackwood, Brenham, gardens, Herbs, straw bale house, Washington County
Posted in Brenham, Texas | Comments Off
October 12th, 2010 by Pamela Murski
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Fall Cabbages
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Herbs for sale: Antique Rose Emporium
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Scarecrow
With dill as the herb of the year, it is a good idea to start planting it in the garden soon. Be sure to plant lots of its wonderful familial relatives such as parsley, fennel, lovage, cilantro, and chervil. Now is also a good time to start planting other cool season plants such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, chard, spinach, lettuce, collards, mustard, turnips, beets, and such. Stick some of these into your flower beds for interest. ‘Redbor’ and ‘Winterbor’ kales with their dark purple or soft green leaves look great with pansies, snapdragons, calendulas, dianthus, chartreuse lettuces, parsley and cilantro – the bonus is
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Tags: Fall, gardens, Herbs, Murski Homestead B&B, plants, ranch, roses, vegetables
Posted in Gardening | Comments Off
August 26th, 2010 by Pamela Murski
The summer brought on the grasshoppers and leaf cutters but the gardens transitioned beautifully from Spring to Summer producing zinnias, gladiolus, sweet peas, roses, flowering basils, incredible cardoon blossoms, and so much more. Our vegetable gardens at the B&B were chock full of cucumbers, squash, thyme, fennel, colorful swiss chard, bell peppers, basil, yellow and red tomatoes. We spied this fun cucumber that we had missed that was now firmly entrenched in the landscaping timbers! What were your gardens like this summer?
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Cucumber
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Gladiola
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Daylillies
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Figs
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Cardoon
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Yellow Tomatoes
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Zinnia
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Gomphrena
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Sunflower
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Coneflower
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Daylilly
Tags: Brenham, Flowers, gardens, Herbs, lodging, Murski Homestead B&B, ranch, vegetables, Washington County
Posted in At the Ranch | Comments Off
July 24th, 2010 by Pamela Murski
Our gardens at the ranch are worked year round so that we and our guests can enjoy being outside and the wild birds have plenty of food, water, hiding places and nesting material! We had a great flush this past Spring after the hard freezes of the winter helped put nature back in balance with growth patterns, weeds and bugs. We use of a lot of the flowers, herbs and fruits in our cooking classes and food preparation. There is nothing better than “farm fresh”. We encourage all our guests and cooking class participants to use anything they can find locally and fresh from the farmers markets and meat markets…..
Some great photos of some of our flowers and herbs:
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Tags: Brenham, Flowers, gardens, Herbs, lodging, Murski Homestead B&B, plants, ranch, Washington County
Posted in At the Ranch | Comments Off
June 2nd, 2010 by Pamela Murski
Cheria and Kevin had a beautiful sunset wedding at Murski Homestead B&B last night! Intimate weddings are our pleasure here at the ranch….it couldn’t have been more perfect…..cool breeze, lovely sunset, late spring garden setting, delicious wedding cake & champagne, gourmet wedding dinner and most important, the much in love, romantic couple! Beautiful photos….
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Tags: B&B wedding, Brenham, country wedding, Elopement, gardens, lodging, packages, ranch, ranch wedding
Posted in Elopements & Weddings | Comments Off
April 16th, 2010 by Pamela Murski
Tags: activities, Brenham, Cooking, culinary travel, farmers market, Food, gardens, plants, shopping, Washington County
Posted in Events | Comments Off
March 20th, 2010 by Pamela Murski
Spring at our Ranch B&Bin Brenham, Texas is just around the corner and after this crazy, wild winter we are planning on a bumper crop of spring herbs. Some of our favorites include Aussie Sweetie Basil, African Blue Basil, Biergarten Sage, Lemongrass, Rose Pelargonium, Dill, Fennel, Cilantro, Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, Mexican Mint Marigold and Lemon Thyme, to name just a few. Our Bay Laurel trees have survived the frigid temps of this winter in fine form, as well as the Thyme, Rosemaries, some of the Sages, Parsley, Fennel, Sweet Marjoram and more. If you try any of these, they will definitely get you started on the road to flavor!
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Tags: antique rose emporium, Brenham, Cooking, culinary, culinary travel, Food, gardens, Herbs, Murski Homestead B&B, plants, Spring
Posted in Brenham, Texas | Comments Off
March 16th, 2010 by Pamela Murski
OLD GARDEN ROSES: Mike Shoup, owner of the Antique Rose Emporiumin Brenham is one of the original “rose rustlers” who brought heirloom roses back into trade. Most of the roses here at the B&B on the ranch are of the antique variety and can be found at Antique Rose Emporium which is only a few miles north of the B&B. It is one of those day trips
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Tags: activities, antique rose emporium, Cooking, culinary travel, Desserts, Food, gardens, Murski Homestead B&B, ranch, Recipes, Washington County
Posted in Desserts | Comments Off
February 9th, 2010 by Pamela Murski
Our cooking classes feature local produce, meats and wine when available and we seek to encourage cooks to use local foods from their farmers markets and co-ops. Promote sustainability and living fresh from the farm by purchasing from local growers. You will enhance your health as well as your palate! To that end there is an event coming up for anyone who is interested in gardening, growing your own food, experiencing a local growers world or just learning something new. It is the Market Growers Symposium March 2010! To learn more about it check out the link! Come stay with Murski Homestead B&B that same weekend and double your pleasure! Book now for March fills up quickly!
Tags: classes, farmers market, Food, gardens, Herbs, lodging, plants
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January 22nd, 2010 by Pamela Murski
We are all about good food at the Murski Homestead B&B Ranch! Whether with a group of good friends or making new friends, nothing says TEXAS better than a great meal and relaxation around the table and in the kitchen……Our 2010 schedule for our fantastic “Foodie” Weekends is now posted. Guests determine the depth of their involvement, with options ranging from a visit to an area farmer’s market, garden/herb harvest to cooking with me. Regardless of how much you get involved, these weekends are all about kicking back with some great food & drinks! Click Here for our scheduled dates and booking your stay for a fun and delicious foodie vacation!
Tags: Cooking, culinary, culinary travel, Food, Fun, gardens, Herbs, lodging, Recipes
Posted in Cooking Classes | Comments Off
December 16th, 2009 by Pamela Murski
Tea is the international symbol for friendship. Tea is all about connections, as are our cooking classes at the ranch. So, my friends, let’s connect, have a nice cup of tea and whip up some great food & fun. Harvest herbs from our gardens to make your own cup of tea! Enjoy one of our favorite “Chai Tea” recipes below and also some interesting Tea Trivia….
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Tags: classes, Cooking, Drinks, Food, gardens, Herbs, Recipes, tea
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December 2nd, 2009 by Pamela Murski
Carrots are great this time of year for holidays dinners, parties and snacking. This recipe from another cooking class at the ranch is easy and delicious! The Balsamic vinegar when reduced creates an intense rich earthy flavor that can’t be beat. A Balsamic reduction is also wonderful on fresh fruits, lending
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Tags: carrots, classes, Cooking, culinary, downtown Brenham, Food, fruit, gardens, Herbs, Sides, vegetables
Posted in Sides/Vegetables/Pasta | Comments Off
November 6th, 2009 by Pamela Murski
Our new garden additions with the water features are finally finished! The process was so very interesting. I was intrigued watching the different techniques for hardscaping and installing water features.
The first feature is a tumbling waterfall surrounded by rock and perennial plants including a Pineapple Guava Standard. It arrived too tall so after it settles in I will trim it down to size and retrain it next year into a shorter tree form. We were able to convert our antique water trough (originally used to water the livestock by our ancestors who established our homestead) into a unique tumbling waterfall. I have learned two new tricks already after brown algae began to grow in the trough: add a bag of barley grass and some goldfish! Both are organic, natural ways of taking care of the algae and adding interest to the trough. We started with 12 fish and are down to 2…..one of the perils of being a fish in the country with all the wild “critters”. The remaining 2 are wily creatures who thus far have survived.
The second water feature includes Japanese Rain Chains. They are made of copper and will develop a lovely patina as they age. The water flowing from cup to cup makes the most delicious ”babbling brook” sound…..so very soothing and relaxing. Makes me want to lie down with a good book right there! The rain chains are in on the backdrop of our wedding gazebo with backlit stained glass on either side and gardens expanding from both the left and right. We expanded the gardens to include more perennials and some edibles (Pindo Palm, Cardammon, an Olive Tree, Daylillies, Roses to name a few of the edibles).
Gardening has always been one of my passions but learning to hardscape with water is a whole new arena and one I am enjoying! Come enjoy the new gardens with the birds, wildlife and other guests!
Tags: barley grass, brown algae, gardens, goldfish, japanese water feature, rain chains, water, waterfalls
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October 29th, 2009 by Pamela Murski
Oh what an incredible and glorious fall it has been so far! Not only have the rains replenished our tanks, cattle and land but also perked all the gardens up and the fall blooms are abundant. The ‘Country Girl’ mums, the Mexican cosmos with their radiant orange flowers, the smellicious almond verbenas, the multi-colored zinnias and the ‘Ponderosa’ lemon weighing heavily with its abundant and heavy fruits are but a few enjoying the bounty of the rains. Butterflies still abound in the garden – especially on the various mistflowers, butterfly weeds, the zinnias, and the chaya. Caterpillars are busy munching away on the fennel and other plants in a hurry to metamorphose before the first frosts.
Speaking of Fall, now is the time to plant herbs and flowers. Culinary herbs such as dill (herb of 2010), fennel, parsley, caraway, coriander/cilantro, celery, chervil, and lovage. There are also many ornamentals such as bishop’s weed, Queen Anne’s lace, and laceflower. Vegetables such as carrots, beets, turnips, and parsnips obviously belong here too. I also sprinkle in seeds of tri color swiss chard for their beautiful and edible foliage, sugar snap peas and baby lettuces for a quick harvest.There are also medicinal plants such as angelica – of which the Chinese variety (Angelica polymorpha var. sinensis) does best here (zone 9) - in part shade. It is biennial and can reach 8 to 10 feet when blooming! Angelica, by the way, is a historically important plant that was used to treat a variety of ailments and gives its characteristic flavor to the liqueur Benedictine. One member of this family which you should truly avoid growing is poison hemlock. It can be mistaken for parsley and is quite lethal – just ask Socrates if you don’t believe me. As a important and fun experience, most of these plants are great larval host plants for many butterfly species!Get on your gloves, get out your spade and get digging! The reward is far greater than the work involved….
Tags: culinary, gardens, Herbs, plants
Posted in Gardening | Comments Off
October 26th, 2009 by Pamela Murski
First pomegranite of the season from my friends trees was harvested recently at her farm near Burton, Texas. Mary Jane, a great friend in my culinary unit, is also a wonderful artist and weaver. She and her husband built their home by hand and it is a intense mixture of color, whimsy, art and function. Her gardens are eclectic in form and by their very nature an extension of her artistic bent. While at her home recently for a meal, I snapped this photo of her in her kitchen with her pomegranite in hand! (TIP: While in Brenham, be sure to sign up for one of her weaving classes at Fibers!)
Not only great decorative tools, pomegranites are also edible and full of vitamins—–seed are used in salads, as garnishes, eaten out of hand fresh and juiced for their antioxidant properties being used in drinks from cocktails to punch!
Tags: art, culinary, Fibers!, fruit, gardens, Pomegranites, weaving
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October 24th, 2009 by Pamela Murski
October 10th was National Herb Day and the Pioneer Unit of the Herb Society of America put on herb day demonstrations & lectures at the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, Texas. Talks on herbs, tastings of herbed products and demonstrations on using herbs were given. This free event, held every year in October, is a great way to learn hands on and experience the beauty of herbs in the setting of an incredible nursery. The members who put on this day are noted gardeners, horticulturalists and herbies, passionate about herbs and willing to share their wealth of knowledge to anyone willing to listen and learn. Be sure to put it on your calendar for next year as it is a day not be missed!
Tags: activities, antique rose emporium, Brenham, free, gardens, Herbs, National Herb Society of America, nursery, Pioneer Unit, plants, seminars
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October 22nd, 2009 by Pamela Murski
Like the first taste of delicious nectar, a sun-kissed ripe persimmon can not be compared to a store bought one! I have harvested and enjoyed 4 in the last week and there are more to come….. Persimmon Cream Custard may be in the offering if I can resist the temptation to eat it straight off the tree (as I am want to do) before getting them into my kitchen! If you can find these are your local farmers market, snap them up! To pick them, make sure they are deep apricot orange in color and give slightly when pressure is applied. The Hispanic culture uses them green and eats them as you would an apple. I prefer them very ripe when they are at their peak in sugar content and melt in your mouth. Eat skin and all!
Lemon-Simmon Custard
- 1/2 c. of thin-skinned lemons, sliced paper thin and cut into quarters
- 1/2 c. of orange juice
- 2 c. sugar
- 4 eggs, well beaten
- 1/2 c. heavy cream
- 1/2 c. persimmon puree (fresh ripe persimmons, skinned and pulp pureed)
Combine lemon, orange juice and sugar. Allow to stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. Stir beaten eggs into lemon-orange mixture. Pour into ramekins to within one inch of the top. Put 1/2 inch of persimmon puree on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile whip heavy cream with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Top custard with whipped cream just prior to serving.
Tags: custard, Desserts, farmers market, fruit, gardens, persimmons, recipe, shopping
Posted in Desserts | Comments Off
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