In the back west corner of our yard, there grows a wonderful little loquat tree. I’ve really come to appreciate this tree for all that it has to offer a gardener in Central Texas.
Native to China, the loquat is a nice evergreen tree with broad leaves that remind me of a wrinkly old southern magnolia (without the waxy shine) and/0r Appalachian mountain laurels. In fact, it’s kind of a good stand-in for magnolia. I think this is the very far western edge of the southern magnolia’s natural range, and the ones I see around town often look like they struggle (too dry, I think).
The loquat, on the other hand, grows and grows without any care. It’s especially nice because it is covered with sweet smelling blooms during winter, when not much else is flowering. On a warm day, bees are all over those flowers. The flowers are followed by a small edible fruit that ripens about now, mid-April.
The fruits are orange-yellow and look great hanging on the dark green tree. They taste a bit like an apricot. Very mellow. But beware that there isn’t much in the way of flesh. The seeds are enormous inside; big like persimmon seeds.
If you can get to the fruits before the bugs, squirrels and birds, they are really tasty. I’m trying to take advantage of that this year. My neighbor across the fence, who’s now a freshman at Evergreen College in Washington, likes to make preserves out of them.
Just last night, John made a really nice breakfast recipe, and we threw in a handful of chopped ripe loquats as a substitute for apricots and peaches. Very tasty. Here's the simple recipe from Whole Foods:
This breakfast provides protein, whole grains and fresh fruit for a breakfast sure to help you start your morning right. Simply mix the ingredients together and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy it cold or warm the next morning.
Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking)
2 cups lowfat milk or milk substitute (we used Original Rice Dream)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds
2 peaches or apricots, pitted and sliced (or loquats!)
2 tablespoons agave nectar (optional) or maple syrupMethod
Combine oats, milk, zest and vanilla in a bowl then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, scoop oatmeal into bowls and top with pecans, peaches and a drizzle of agave nectar.
