Gardening: 2015-2016

[ElainaA]

29 minutes ago, sartoric said:

This is our current basil crop which needs harvesting. 

I've made so much pesto we're a bit over it.

 

Any suggestions for ways to use it ?

I freeze basil leaves. Just rinse, pat a bit dry and seal in a freezer bag. Not quite like fresh but in the middle of winter they seem really good. Or chop, mix with a small amount of water and freeze in ice cube trays.

[sartoric]

18 minutes ago, heidih said:

huiray often just uses it as a vegetable. I like to take masses of it, cover in olive oil and set in a low oven to extract flavor. Fabulous as a bread dip or to finish other vegetables. 

I'm going to try this, thanks. Do you keep the oil in the fridge ? 

18 minutes ago, heidih said:

huiray often just uses it as a vegetable. I like to take masses of it, cover in olive oil and set in a low oven to extract flavor. Fabulous as a bread dip or to finish other vegetables. 

 

[djyee100]

1 hour ago, sartoric said:

This is our current basil crop which needs harvesting. 

I've made so much pesto we're a bit over it.

Any suggestions for ways to use it ?

 

Ravioli and tomato salad with masses of basil, a recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I recommend tossing in the basil just before service. Otherwise it gets mushy. I take this salad to summer potlucks and people love it.
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/ravioli-and-tomato-salad-with-masses-of-basil/183205

 

Also Thai Basil Chicken, one of my faves for a quick weeknight dinner. I cut back on the garlic and chiles in this recipe. I prefer Thai basil for this dish, but I've used Italian basil with good results. I sometimes cook this recipe with an equivalent amount of ground chicken instead of boneless thighs. That works well too.
http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/recipes/basil-chicken-recipe.html

 

I wish I had too much basil now. Also, I long for good tomatoes. And it's only January!

 

Edited January 4, 2016 by djyee100 (log)

[sartoric]

43 minutes ago, huiray said:

 

Simply use it as a vegetable. Yes, really. Stir-fries. Soups, especially soups. Try wilting handfuls of it into a nice stock with, say, fish balls. Or a tangy soup with chicken and bunches of trimmed basil.  Use it as one would fistfuls of Thai basil in similar circumstances except with a slight twist to it.

 

(In fact, half of what you have in that tub would easily go into ONE pot of soup for just a couple meals, or, if I'm hungry, a single meal. :-) )

Wow, I'm impressed ! That pot is 30 cm square. We do use the leaves in Thai and other Asian meals (soup coming up tonight).  

Quote

 

 

[sartoric]

46 minutes ago, ElainaA said:

I freeze basil leaves. Just rinse, pat a bit dry and seal in a freezer bag. Not quite like fresh but in the middle of winter they seem really good. Or chop, mix with a small amount of water and freeze in ice cube trays.

Thanks  ElainaA, although we grow it year round here. 

46 minutes ago, ElainaA said:

 

 

[sartoric]

35 minutes ago, djyee100 said:

 

Ravioli and tomato salad with masses of basil, a recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I recommend tossing in the basil just before service. Otherwise it gets mushy. I take this salad to summer potlucks and people love it.
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/ravioli-and-tomato-salad-with-masses-of-basil/183205

 

Also Thai Basil Chicken, one of my faves for a quick weeknight dinner. I cut back on the garlic and chiles in this recipe. I prefer Thai basil for this dish, but I've used Italian basil with good results. I sometimes cook this recipe with an equivalent amount of ground chicken instead of boneless thighs. That works well too.
http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/recipes/basil-chicken-recipe.html

 

I wish I had too much basil now. Also, I long for good tomatoes. And it's only January!

Thanks djyee100, I'm going to try the Thai chicken and basil.

35 minutes ago, djyee100 said:

 

 

[huiray]

59 minutes ago, sartoric said:

Wow, I'm impressed ! That pot is 30 cm square. We do use the leaves in Thai and other Asian meals (soup coming up tonight).  

 

 

I use it with the stems as well, trimmed to include the tender stems and discarding the woody lower parts ---so the "trimmed basil" I refer to includes more than just the leaves, and the "fistfuls of basil" I use is definitely more than just leaves.

[sartoric]

9 minutes ago, huiray said:

 

I use it with the stems as well, trimmed to include the tender stems and discarding the woody lower parts ---so the "trimmed basil" I refer to includes more than just the leaves, and the "fistfuls of basil" I use is definitely more than just leaves.

Okay, tender stems are going in ! 

Thanks.

[heidih]

2 hours ago, sartoric said:

I'm going to try this, thanks. Do you keep the oil in the fridge ? 

 

 

Yes - it does not last long as it is such a lovey product. The kids would sit around and dunk lightly toasted bread in it

[djyee100]

1 hour ago, sartoric said:

Thanks djyee100, I'm going to try the Thai chicken and basil.

 

 

My adaption of Kasma's recipe with a pic on the Dinner thread, post dated 2 Jul 2010. These days I make this stirfry with thinly sliced red Fresno chiles, very pretty with green basil.
https://forums.egullet.org/topic/143505-dinner-2010/?page=28

[huiray]

13 hours ago, sartoric said:

Okay, tender stems are going in ! 

Thanks.

 

Sartoric, here are three pics of soups I've posted here on eG using basil as a vegetable - either "normal" basil or Thai basil.  They were from a very quick search and I simply took the readily available shots. There are many more in a similar vein here on eG that I have posted about.

Pic 1.   Pic 2.   Pic 3.

[cyalexa]

Re. expensive celery 

 

Last spring I cut the bottom 1.5 inches off of a stalk of purchased (most likely organic) celery and put it in a bowl with just enough water to cover the bottom half. A couple days later I planted it in an unused corner of my herb garden. I began harvesting ribs in the early fall and have not purchased celery since. Before out first hard frost I dug the plant up, potted it, and put it our little greenhouse. It is still producing. It is entirely possible that it would get enough sun in a east- or south- facing window of a house or apartment. I find the flavor of my homegrown celery too strong to eat raw unless cut very, very small but it is great for cooking and I have an abundance of celery leaves. 

 

I realize that not everyone has the room or inclination to try to grow celery but if you do, give it a try. 

[pedie]

Finally some cold, overcast, drizzly days in Los Angeles!  Today I picked some parsley, swisschard, leeks and have a nice soup simmering away!

[ElainaA]

This is how I get through winter. There is one more order to arrive. Two of the varieties I am excited about (yes, I get excited about seeds) - paleo spinach and chocolate sprinkles tomato - are back ordered by Territorial. Hopefully they will show up. I don't start tomatoes (inside) until late March so there is lots of time. One of my experiments this year is gunsho - a variety of choi sum. It is taking the place of the broccolini that I grew last year - the broccolini was delicious but it came up, made heads and then bolted in what seemed like two minutes.

As ever, I was thoroughly seduced by the seed catalogs and ordered more varieties of everything than I should have. Do I really need 13 different shapes and colors of lettuce? And the same number of tomato varieties? Well, yes. 

I also started a pot of microgreens  today - they should be ready to eat in 2-3 weeks.

 

Has anyone else started garden planning yet? What are you growing this year?

 

 

[Wayne]

That looks like my garden work table. I've already received all of my ordered seeds and drawn a planting plan and a tentative planting schedule.

New for this year (I'll try some new cultivars every year for fun): cocozelle summer squash, collards and asparagus or yard long beans.

Already in the ground are fall plantings of garlic, overwintering sunchokes, perennial herbs and the asparagus patch.

Cheers.

 

[Shelby]

19 hours ago, ElainaA said:

This is how I get through winter. There is one more order to arrive. Two of the varieties I am excited about (yes, I get excited about seeds) - paleo spinach and chocolate sprinkles tomato - are back ordered by Territorial. Hopefully they will show up. I don't start tomatoes (inside) until late March so there is lots of time. One of my experiments this year is gunsho - a variety of choi sum. It is taking the place of the broccolini that I grew last year - the broccolini was delicious but it came up, made heads and then bolted in what seemed like two minutes.

As ever, I was thoroughly seduced by the seed catalogs and ordered more varieties of everything than I should have. Do I really need 13 different shapes and colors of lettuce? And the same number of tomato varieties? Well, yes. 

I also started a pot of microgreens  today - they should be ready to eat in 2-3 weeks.

 

Has anyone else started garden planning yet? What are you growing this year?

 

 

 

  I just got mine in the mail, too.  My husband already snagged some seeds--onion, lettuce and tomato and planted them in the greenhouse.....maybe a bit too early, but I'm not complaining.

 

 

Elaina, have you had good luck with Johnny's Seeds?  I get a catalog from them but have never ordered..........seeing all of your selection makes me want to order more...

[ElainaA]

4 hours ago, Shelby said:

 

 

Elaina, have you had good luck with Johnny's Seeds?  I get a catalog from them but have never ordered..........seeing all of your selection makes me want to order more...

Hi Shelby -  I've always had very good luck with everything from Johnny's. They have great selections and I figure that anything they can grow in Maine will grow here. I also really like the fact that it is an employee-owned company not part of a huge conglomerate. I probably order more from Pinetree Garden Seeds - another small (in this case family owned) company and also in Maine. Pinetree packages seeds in small amounts (and at small prices) which is great for me since I like small-ish amounts of lots of varieties. I envy you your homegrown melons and corn. I've never had any luck with melons - I suspect the growing season here is too short - and I decided years ago that corn would take up too much space in my not very big garden. And my husband drives by a corn stand every day on his way home..

[Martin Fisher]

On 1/29/2016 at 3:56 PM, ElainaA said:

This is how I get through winter. There is one more order to arrive. Two of the varieties I am excited about (yes, I get excited about seeds) - paleo spinach and chocolate sprinkles tomato - are back ordered by Territorial. Hopefully they will show up. I don't start tomatoes (inside) until late March so there is lots of time. One of my experiments this year is gunsho - a variety of choi sum. It is taking the place of the broccolini that I grew last year - the broccolini was delicious but it came up, made heads and then bolted in what seemed like two minutes.

As ever, I was thoroughly seduced by the seed catalogs and ordered more varieties of everything than I should have. Do I really need 13 different shapes and colors of lettuce? And the same number of tomato varieties? Well, yes. 

I also started a pot of microgreens  today - they should be ready to eat in 2-3 weeks.

 

Has anyone else started garden planning yet? What are you growing this year?

 

 

 

Very nice!

I've only ordered from Fedco this year.

I may also place a small order with High Mowing Seeds....all seed orders from them now ship "free."

Edited January 30, 2016 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[Martin Fisher]

Piracicaba Broccoli was among the cultivars ordered from Fedco .

I'm very anxious to give it a try.

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/search?item=3327

[ElainaA]

2 hours ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

 

Very nice!

I've only ordered from Fedco this year.

I may also place a small order with High Mowing Seeds....all seed orders from them now ship "free."

A good friend and gardening (and cooking ) mentor has been urging me to order from FedCo.  She has a small farm and sells at a farmer's market while I grow just for my husband and myself. My impression was that FedCo dealt in larger amounts of seed. Is that true? Is there a reason you prefer them to Johnny's or Pinetree? And why are so many good seed companies in Maine? 

[Okanagancook]

Report from the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada:

 

Oddly enough today I got out my garden seed box to take inventory.  I also checked the ground in my raised beds to see if the ground was frozen....nope.  Tempting to put in a small row of peas to see if I can get a big head start....might try that tomorrow.

 

i have enough seeds left from last year, including my favourite New Zealand spinach which grows in the summer without bolting.  This year I think I will put a shade cloth over it to see if I can get larger leaves.  Just finished the last of the frozen garden spinach.

 

garlic is poking up through the mulch and burlap covering it.

 

i am down sizing my garden this year because I am sick and tired of being a slave to it.....dealing with full baskets of produce EVERY day is not my idea of fun anymore.   But my real goal this year is to eat the carrots when they are small and sweet!

[Martin Fisher]

17 hours ago, ElainaA said:

A good friend and gardening (and cooking ) mentor has been urging me to order from FedCo.  She has a small farm and sells at a farmer's market while I grow just for my husband and myself. My impression was that FedCo dealt in larger amounts of seed. Is that true? Is there a reason you prefer them to Johnny's or Pinetree? And why are so many good seed companies in Maine? 

 

Fedco caters to all types of gardeners, just like Johnny's.

I generally order most from Johnny's - over $200 in seeds, tools and supplies last year - just don't need stuff from them this year. 

Edited January 31, 2016 by DiggingDogFarm (log)

[Okanagancook]

Darn.  It snowed today!  No pea planting just yet.  Worst year for snow staying on the ground.

17 hours ago, Okanagancook said:

Report from the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada:

 

Oddly enough today I got out my garden seed box to take inventory.  I also checked the ground in my raised beds to see if the ground was frozen....nope.  Tempting to put in a small row of peas to see if I can get a big head start....might try that tomorrow.

 

i have enough seeds left from last year, including my favourite New Zealand spinach which grows in the summer without bolting.  This year I think I will put a shade cloth over it to see if I can get larger leaves.  Just finished the last of the frozen garden spinach.

 

garlic is poking up through the mulch and burlap covering it.

 

i am down sizing my garden this year because I am sick and tired of being a slave to it.....dealing with full baskets of produce EVERY day is not my idea of fun anymore.   But my real goal this year is to eat the carrots when they are small and sweet!

 

[BeeZee]

I subscribed to the email list for when the seeds are available for a tomato that Rutgers University says is more like the "tomatoes of old" in New Jersey...my coworker is a serious gardener and I'm going to give him the seeds to plant on my behalf. And hopefully share the bounty.

http://news.rutgers.edu/feature/rutgers-tomato-reinvented-even-more-flavor/20150802#.Vq69-EDnmt8

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Last year I grew Burpee's grafted Rutgers plants.  Unfortunately Burpee's new search feature is even more useless than eGullet's.  Anyhow I got good yield of Rutgers and all the tomatoes I could eat.  The flavor was OK but not great.  By far my favorite New Jersey tomato is Ramapo.  However Ramapo plants or seeds are impossible to find.  At least for me.  In the two years I've grown Ramapo, once in the 1970's and once in the 1990's, I've had almost none to harvest but they were the stuff of which memories were made.

 

This year unless Ramapo somehow reappears I am going back to Mountain Magic, which are easy to grow and the flavor is fantastic.  Mountain Magic are similar in taste to Campari.

 

Wish I had some now.  I feel like a traitor to my state.

Edited February 1, 2016 by JoNorvelleWalker
syntax (log)