Bare root fruit trees are stored in damp sawdust at White Forest Nursery. Photo by Jennifer Baldwin

Jeffrey Grant tags bare root fruit trees at White Forest Nursery. Photo by Jennifer Baldwin

An example of what the bare roots of fruit trees look like before they are planted in soil. Photo by Jennifer Baldwin

By Michelle Beck

It’s January, so now is the time to plant bare root fruit trees, nut trees, grapes and berries. Bare root plants are sold with the roots exposed, rather than in a pot. The plants are dormant when sold this way, and often look like a bunch of sticks. But when the weather warms, they will leaf out and start growing.

Bare root plants are generally less expensive and, in my experience, seem to be hardier than those purchased later in a pot. Home improvement stores sell bare root plants packaged in bags, which is not the most desirable way to purchase them. White Forest Nursery is my favorite place to buy bare root plants because they store the plants in damp sawdust, not plastic. They also have, by far, the best selection of plants. (Note: White Forest Nursery is closed on Wednesdays.)

For me, the most important bare root tree to plant is an apricot. Apricots are one of my favorite fruits, and because they need to be picked ripe, it is nearly impossible to buy decent apricots, even at the Farmers’ Market. Ripe apricots are soft and have a short shelf life, so most producers pick them a little green. Many varieties exist, and the workers at the nursery can help you select the one best suited for you. My apricot tree is a Blenheim, which has smaller, firmer, less juicy fruit than other varieties. I love the flavor.

I also have an Elberta peach because I consider it to be the best-tasting peach around. Elbertas are an old-fashioned peach with thick skin and lots of fuzz. Once peeled, they are soft and juicy with incredible flavor. Elbertas are very soft when ripe and bruise with even a frown in their direction, so they are another fruit you won’t find in a market.

Plums are another favorite that grow really well here. My favorite variety is the Santa Rosa, which is purple on the outside and red on the inside. Many varieties of apricot/plum crosses are available. Trees with the apricot dominating are called apriums and trees with the plum dominating are called pluots. Apriums and pluots come in many different colors, flavors and textures and most are delicious.  Some stone fruit trees (trees with a single pit in the middle, such as apricot, plums and peaches) can be bought with a variety of different fruit grafted onto one trunk. These “fruit cocktail” trees are a great space-saver, but be certain that the variety of each fruit are ones you like. I almost bought a plum tree with three different varieties grafted together until I realized that I don’t like any of the varieties.

Berries, such as boysenberries, blackberries, olallieberries (a cross of several berries) and marionberries (a cross between olallieberries and blackberries) grow very well here and White Forest always has a large variety for sale bare root. The vines are generally thorny, but thornless varieties are also available. Berries are vines and need a place to climb. My boysenberries grow on my back fence. Berry vines can be invasive, but I love being able to go out my back door in the late spring to pick a bowl of berries.

Grapes also grow well here. I needed something to grow over an arbor to provide shade, and grapevines have been an inexpensive way to accomplish this, with the added benefit of summer fruit.

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi, also called German turnip, is a member of the cabbage family along with broccoli and cauliflower. It tastes like broccoli, and is delicious peeled and sliced in salads. It’s also good on a veggie plate with dip or hummus.

Here are a few kohlrabi recipes:

Sauteed kale with kohlrabi

Kohlrabi and mache salad

Kohlrabi and apple salad

Daikon radish

Daikon radishes are large, white, pointed Asian radishes. They are less peppery than the small red radishes, but can be used in the same way. They are delicious sliced in salads, and can also be made into a pickle like this recipe.

Los Cabos – The Pupusa House

I had the good fortune to try a new restaurant the other day, Los Cabos – the Pupusa House. It is located on Ming Avenue at Akers, in the same shopping center as Brink’s Deli. Los Cabos serves Salvadorean food, which is similar to Mexican food, but with a Caribbean touch. The pupusas are delicious, as are the plantains. The fried yucca was crisp and delicious with a flavor similar to French fries.

Bananas

Speaking of plantains, bananas are not technically a locally grown food. But I do know of some people here who manage to grow them, so I am going to mention them anyway. Bananas are a tropical fruit, which means Bakersfield’s weather is generally too cold for the plants to survive through winter.

Many varieties of bananas exist, but the most popular kind – and the only kind most Americans have eaten – is the Cavendish. Plantains, which look like overgrown, greenish bananas, but don’t taste as sweet and are used heavily in Caribbean food. Red bananas are smaller, with a creamier texture than the Cavendish. They are dark red when ripe, almost black. Manzanos are very small bananas that are also very dark when ripe.

When cooking with bananas, make sure they are very ripe for the best flavor. The more brown spots, the better. If you have extra ripe bananas, break them into pieces, freeze them on a cookie sheet and store the chunks in a Ziploc bag. The frozen chunks can be used in smoothies or baked goods.

Bananas are an example of the dangers of monoculture. Monoculture is the growing of one variety of a plant to the exclusion of all others. When disease strikes, disaster can result, such as the Irish potato famine of the late 1800s. The banana of choice 50 years ago, the Gros Michel, was wiped out by a fungus, and the Cavendish is facing a similar plight. This Popular Science article gives a good explanation of the problems facing our banana supply.  This book by Dan Koeppel, “Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World,” explains even more.

Hungry Monkey

This a great book about a food writer and his wife trying to teach their daughter to be an adventurous eater. It’s a fun, quick read, and includes some great ideas and recipes: “Hungry Monkey,” by Matthew Burton.

Greens

As I have mentioned previously, in the past couple of years I have worked on expanding the presence of greens in my diet. I really like spinach, chard, kale and, of course, different kinds of lettuce. I have enjoyed collard greens in soup.  I know that the greens on beets and turnips are edible, but I have yet to bring myself to prepare them. I have tried mustard greens exactly once.

Here is a challenge: make me want to prepare mustard, turnip and beet greens. Please put suggestions in the comments section.

One green I do enjoy this time of year is mache, or lambs lettuce. It is a delicate green, like butter lettuce or baby spinach, and is delicious in salads. Trader Joe’s carries it, and I understand that it grows wild as well.