Geranium cuttings and a vegan recipe: “Pumpkin Pie for the Soul” (Organic gardening in Kodiak, Alaska #1276)

As we enter the holidays in this world of COVID, I’d like to focus on ways we can lighten up. So for today, I want to cover a few indoor and outdoor projects, as well as my favorite vegan pumpkin pie recipe called Pumpkin Pie for the Soul.

So let’s dig in…

[Hello there! This organic gardening article was originally published in the Kodiak Daily Mirror, the hometown newspaper for Kodiak, Alaska. You can access the archive page for my past columns, written each week since 1986].

In the garden:

It’s not too late to prune your raspberry plants and tend to rhododendrons.

> For raspberries…

• Clip out any raspberry canes that bore fruit last summer. If you can’t figure out which cane is which at this point, clip through a stem: If it’s brown, it’s done. Or simply wait for spring.

> For rhododendron plants…

• Mulch with a layer of leaves around the base of the plants. There are a lot of leaves out there folks, just waiting for you to re-purpose them. This is a great project for kids, too.
• Pull leaves away from the trunk, however, and sprinkle a not-too-thick of leaves. Rhodies are shallow-rooted and need good drainage and air in the root zone. If you live in a windy spot, anchor the leaves with spruce boughs.
• By the way, if your rhododendron has been looking spindly these past few years, grab the pruning shears. You’ll sacrifice some flower buds that have already formed for next year, but the plant’s energy will divert to what is called “latent growth” buds. These buds will then be ready to push out their new growth early in the growing season.

Make exercise a habit:

Talking with a friend in northern California where beaches and trails and closed reminded me how grateful I am to live in Kodiak, and to have access to our beaches and great trail systems in Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park and on Near Island.

That said, do you have an exercise schedule? As Michelle Obama would say, “Get moving!” It’s too easy to talk yourself out of exercise. Find a walking buddy (bring masks if necessary) and check your tide chart for beach access or take a stroll around the harbor floats.

Mail a postcard:

Now more than ever, we need to make a special effort to stay in touch. Not everyone does Facebook and Zooming turkey dinner with all the fixings is a one-day deal. We all know how good it feels to receive a hand-written card or note, right? Think of someone that you haven’t contacted for a while. Drop a line. It might end up being a life-line.

Start some new geraniums

Now is the best time to start a new batch of geraniums from cuttings. Not only plants brighten out interior-scapes, but you’ll have new plants for next year’s containers.

> Here’s what you do:

• Using a sharp knife or razor blade, take a slip (section) from the tips of the healthiest stems. They should be about four inches long. Remove the leaves from the bottom two inches of the cuttings.
• Place the cuttings 2 to 3 inches deep in yogurt containers or small jars filled with water or a potting mixture of coarse sand, perlite, vermiculite, or potting soil.
• Place the containers in a north or east window or under artificial lights until rooted. This takes 4 to 6 weeks.
• After the cuttings have rooted, then you can up-plant them and put them in a well-lit spot. Keep the soil evenly moist and begin fertilizing monthly with an organic fertilizer once new growth appears.

What’s for dessert?

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]This was the best pumpkin pie I have ever tasted. Incredibly delicious! — Cathy H.[/perfectpullquote]

A friend always said, start dinner with dessert! It’s your choice, but after trying this pumpkin pie, it might become your main dish or even breakfast.

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie for the Soul

Filling
2 cups pureed pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potato or yam
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (10 oz.) package soft tofu (not low fat)
1/8 cup molasses
1 pie shell (recipe follows)

Crust
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup packed pitted dates
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup almond butter
2 – 4 tablespoons non-dairy milk

In a food processor, add the oats, dates, and salt. Puree until crumble. Add the almond butter and puree for about a minute. Stop and move stuff around if you need to. Add the milk and pulse until the mixture becomes sticky and holds together. Transfer to a lightly oiled pie pan and press in evenly on the base and up the sides.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream all filling ingredients in a food processor. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for about 50 minutes. Serve warm or chill and top with cashew cream.

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About these garden columns… Slowly but surely I’m posting over 1,200 articles that you can access here. For personal updates, sign up for my newsletter, the Garden Shed: All Things Organic Gardening. As a thank you for signing up, you’ll receive a FREE PDF: 220 Things You Can Compost. (I’m also on Facebook and Instagram). To get in touch by email: marion (at) marionowenalaska.com