first pepper 5-20-2011

first eggplant 5-20-11

Does anyone watch the show Victory Garden? The 30-minute gardening show has aired on PBS for 33 years and I can honestly say I have no idea how. I’ve been DVRing this show for 6-months and have learned one thing. Just one. This is quite upsetting because it’s hosted by the hottt Australian, Jamie Durie, but even he isn’t enough to keep me watching.

The tip was in regards to saving seeds from heirloom vegetables. I had been taking a few seeds from tomatoes and brushing them on a paper towel to dry. I figured I would just cut up the paper towel and plant it. I wouldn’t have gotten very far because the gel that surrounds the seeds prohibits them from germinating. To remove, you just soak the seeds and gel in water for a few days until the gel separates, then strain off the seeds and let dry. And toss any floaters - they won’t germinate.

garden 5-20-11



carrots 5-15-11

I must write a blog post, I must write a blog post, I must write a blog post.

Only a week after my last post, the garden absolutely exploded. It was wild. Once the weather turned hot, it was on. The tomato plants have grown to five feet tall, the beans are producing, and the cukes have taken over the trellis. And there’s squash….lots and lots and LOTS of squash. If any of you out there have squash recipes to share, speak up.

I love squash, but there's sooo much of it. I’ve been giving heaps of it away and still have enough for dinner every night of the week. The quickest and healthiest way I've found to eat squash and preserve the shape and texture of the plant is to grill it. Cut the squash lengthwise down the center, sprinkle with s/p or Cavender Greek Seasoning and toss on the grill face up. Let the outside crisp for a bit, then flip face down and allow the moisture drain out. Very tasty. If I’m feeling fancy or cooking for friends, I’ll make a squash casserole. This squash casserole comes from the one and only Laurie Kohut. Those who know her know this casserole recipe is the biz.

• Cut 3-4 mediumish squash into large chunks and boil until tender. Drain in a colander and gently fork apart once cool.
• Combine 1c sour cream, 1 can cream of chicken soup, small jar of pimentos, shredded carrot, medium onion chopped.  Mix in squash.
• PAM the bottom of the casserole dish. Melt a tablespoon or so of butter and mix with a few cups of Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing. Enough to make a crust on the bottom of the pan.
• Pour in the casserole mixture. Top with another cup (or so) of cornbread stuffing mix with a bit of butter so it browns in the oven.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes. Take out, top with ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 5 more minutes.

The best thing about this recipe is you can make a low fat version and it’s just as delish.

The garden has provided a couple of interesting “learn-as-you-go” surprises. Surprise #1 – it’s not that easy to grow normal looking carrots. The weather has turned very warm and according to all my books carrots reach maturity in about 2 months. I’m going on about 2 ½ months and my carrots are downright laughable. They taste pretty good (I use them in the squash casserole), but let’s just say I won’t be hocking them at the local farmers market anytime soon. One friend described them as looking like mangled human fingers in a horror movie. See pic. I’m not really sure where I went wrong, but next year I might try a shorter variety.

Surprise #2 has been my potatoes. I didn’t have much hope or stock put into the potatoes, but growing them has been dare I say fun. You spend several weeks watching the plant grow. After a month or so it flowers and then begins to wilt and die. That’s how you know when to harvest the plant. And when you do harvest it’s like a treasure hunt – you have no idea what you are going to find! Even though I planted all the potatoes at one time, they haven’t all wilted at the same time, which has been good for attenuating the release of produce into the kitchen. I’ve been able to harvest a plant or two a week which has added a just the right amount of potato to the plate.

I have lots more to write and will keep the recipes and foibles coming.