north coast almanack / By Amy Stewart

Sept. 1-15, 2010

(Sept. 2, 2010) Sept. 1. Members of the mint family are frequently, but not always, distinguished by a square stem and a characteristically bracing but pleasant aroma. Coleus is a member of the mint family, as is Callicarpa, the American beautyberry.

Sept. 2. There are those who believe that European honeybees should be allowed to have their crisis, their colony collapse disorder, their mysterious vanishment or what-have-you. They are, after all, a non-native species, bused in like tourists. Native pollinators — solitary bumblebees that forage for food and nest in cavities in rotten wood — could do the job, but getting them to descend upon a crop en masse is nearly impossible. American bees are individuals and opportunists. They prefer to forage alone, answering to no farmer.

Red-Green Coleus

GALLERY >

Sept. 3. The Most Serene Republic of San Marino, founded on this day in the year 301, is a European microstate roughly twice the size of Eureka. Situated on a hillside in Italy, the tiny nation-state is known for its ceramics and its postage stamps, which are highly sought after by philatelists. The locals enjoy a thin flatbread called piadina, and the national military is largely ceremonial.

Sept. 4. The popcorn sandwich, once reserved only for children and invalids, deserves a revival. The traditional recipe calls for popcorn to be finely chopped and mixed with peanut butter before being spread on soft buttered bread and topped with sliced dates. A more modern version might leave out both the peanut butter and the dates, substituting salt and toasting the bread before buttering.

When tea leaves in the bottom of a cup form the body of a mermaid, it should be seen as a warning of temptation to do the wrong thing.

Sept. 5. If you planted raspberries that bear in June and September, you’re awfully glad you did right about now. Remember that the fruit-bearing canes will need to be cut down later in the year so that the younger, non-fruiting canes can have their chance next summer. Some gardeners have a system to keep the canes sorted; others simply wade in with a pair of pruning shears and do their best, figuring that Nature wants to bear fruit and will find a way to do so regardless.

Sept. 6. Geographically relevant palindromes: Yreka Bakery; Ukiah Haiku; UFO Tofu.

Sept. 7. Not far from the Most Serene Republic of San Marino are orchards of the bitter marasca cherries, from which true maraschino cherries are made. No candied Red Dye 4 monstrosities are these. A true Luxardo maraschino cherry is a dark and bitter thing meant to be served to an 18th century dictator after dinner.

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