Gardening: (2016– )

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, chromedome said:

LOL One day I'm going to make something with eggplant, green bell papers, raisins, celery, corn and cilantro...just to push everybody's buttons.

 

You forgot the cauliflower.

 

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

You forgot the cauliflower.

 

 

To clarify, I'd forgotten that it was someone's hot button. It was pretty predictable that I'd miss one or two, regardless.

[rotuts]

My Garden , on my kitchen window sill :

 

 

pls ignore the state of the window.  its hard for me to get to it. , and The Shrubbery doesnt mind.

 

these are 3 bunches of green onions , from the local high end market , purchased one week apart.

 

the outer layer inevitably does not get enough water to stay its course , so I cut those off and use them

 

same day.    tase now will last quite a while , chasing the water out for cold water and maybe a Root Rinse

 

every few days.  It my current garnish , and Im grateful to have them.

 

I did used to have a decent outdoor garden ........................

 

back when.

 

sigh

[kayb]

First harvest:

 

 

Zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers. I had forgotten I put a cucumber vine in there (!),

 

More baby tomatoes popping up. First green ones nearing ping-pong ball size.

 

[rotuts]

@kayb 

 

Nice !

 

Im wondering if you have a Cuisinart ?

 

in my not so humble opinion 

 

the Prep 11 + is the finest one they made   I didn't get the Prep 14 +  

 

and do not regret it

 

Ive had one for years .

 

it may still exist !  I have a spare in a box !

 

back to summer squash

 

the pret 11 + has a CuiSi extra blade that does match sticks .

 

Cuisinart DLC-833TXAMZ 3-by-3mm Medium Square Julienne Disc, Fits 7 and 11-Cup Processors

 

I think its this one     I do have it , but  ...

 

if you have a CuiSi that this blade fits

 

it does very nice julienne summer squash 

 

that you do just before ' service ' and  lightly dress 

 

on a bed of Bibb lettuce ?

 

cooking summer squash is a watery experience 

 

julienne   much different universe

 

same for broccoli , carrots etc

 

does not work for purple eggplant 

 

might work for Oreintal EP   but Ive never  tried those.

[kayb]

Being Southern, I like to saute summer squash and onions in a little olive oil. Any leftovers can be combined with cheese, cracker crumbs, eggs and milk to make a squash casserole. But I also like to use a veggie peeler and do little squash ribbons, steam them very lightly and dress with a little olive oil and vinegar.

 

Somewhere on eG, @HungryChris did pickled zucchini ribbons. I need to try that.

[KennethT]

Please keep your fingers crossed for me.  I planted a bunch of really old seeds - maybe 5 years old?  maybe more??  I planted them in a pH adjusted saturated rockwool cube, then misted the top to really saturated the seeds, then put them all in a ziplock bag... and now we wait... as Tom Petty said, it's the hardest part.  I planted Genovese basil, thai basil, cilantro and vietnamese mint... I put in a lot of seeds - I can always thin it out before I put the blocks in the coco coir... assuming that they germinate at all of course....

[heidih]

56 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Please keep your fingers crossed for me.  I planted a bunch of really old seeds - maybe 5 years old?  maybe more??  I planted them in a pH adjusted saturated rockwool cube, then misted the top to really saturated the seeds, then put them all in a ziplock bag... and now we wait... as Tom Petty said, it's the hardest part.  I planted Genovese basil, thai basil, cilantro and vietnamese mint... I put in a lot of seeds - I can always thin it out before I put the blocks in the coco coir... assuming that they germinate at all of course....

 

I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Seeds are warriors. Tom always nails it. With the zip bag - be vigilant about humidity - a tiny crack open , may be needed. Show what happens

[KennethT]

Update #1: one of the group's looks great... It's one of the basis but I'm not sure which yet... The other basil looks like it's about to sprout...

[Paul Bacino]

First pluck of the season

 

[TicTac]

33 minutes ago, Paul Bacino said:

First pluck of the season

 

Nice specimen! 

 

Though I am not sure one 'plucks' broccoli....perhaps slice, hack, chop, or snap; might be more suitable verbs

 

[BeeZee]

Coworker, when he gave me garden lettuce last week, included broccoli and cauliflower leaves. He warned that they were tough, but he likes the flavor. I enjoyed them destemmed/deribbed, torn into little pieces and cooked in a risotto, they maintained their integrity (unlike spinach leaves). Next time I might julienne and add to a stir fry mix.

[heidih]

35 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

Coworker, when he gave me garden lettuce last week, included broccoli and cauliflower leaves. He warned that they were tough, but he likes the flavor. I enjoyed them destemmed/deribbed, torn into little pieces and cooked in a risotto, they maintained their integrity (unlike spinach leaves). Next time I might julienne and add to a stir fry mix.

Those keaves are one of the many rewards of growing your own vegetables. That and letting the broccoli flower - pretty ad still tasty. I may be in the minority on mature broc.

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, heidih said:

Those keaves are one of the many rewards of growing your own vegetables. That and letting the broccoli flower - pretty ad still tasty. I may be in the minority on mature broc.

I harvested a lot of raab that way last year, just because I only got out to my remote plot once a week or so and harvesting them before they blossomed was hit-or-miss. I liked them just fine.

[Paul Bacino]

Another thing  I enjoy that has gone to flower is arugala @heidih..      @chromedome

[KennethT]

Basil #2 has sprouted!  Damn - you can't kill those things!

[Paul Bacino]

Your Peas Ness

 

[KennethT]

Updates- everybody is doing really well. I'm especially happy with the kaffir lime and curry trees because I was worried how they would do in the coco coir - I was worried that it would hold too much moisture and get root rot, but all the new growth is really encouraging.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MokaPot]

2 hours ago, KennethT said:

Updates- everybody is doing really well. I'm especially happy with the kaffir lime and curry trees because I was worried how they would do in the coco coir - I was worried that it would hold too much moisture and get root rot, but all the new growth is really encouraging.

 

 

@KennethT , everything looks good. Is this culantro? What do you plan to do with this? TIA.

 

[KennethT]

35 minutes ago, MokaPot said:

 

@KennethT , everything looks good. Is this culantro? What do you plan to do with this? TIA.

 

Yep... culantro, although I usually call it sawtooth coriander as it's typically called in SE Asia.  I use it in lots of stuff - it has a more intense cilantro smell and taste - so it's typically used in a combo of some of the others in noodle soups, fruit salsas (or som tum - or it's Viet cousin Goi) or an accompaniment to fried seafoods as it is commonly used in Thailand.

[MokaPot]

Thanks, @KennethT. Sawtooth is a good description. You can actually feel those pointy "teeth" in your mouth. I've eaten culantro a couple of times, served with pho. I don't remember the culantro tasting like cilantro. I remember more of a neutral, fresh flavor.

[KennethT]

1 hour ago, MokaPot said:

Thanks, @KennethT. Sawtooth is a good description. You can actually feel those pointy "teeth" in your mouth. I've eaten culantro a couple of times, served with pho. I don't remember the culantro tasting like cilantro. I remember more of a neutral, fresh flavor.

You can change the texture based on the environment it's grown in.  If it gets a lot of light, the leaves are tougher and the teeth can be quite sharp.  It prefers shade (that's why it's further from the light than the rest of the plants) and then the leaves and the teeth are tender and soft, and it's more flavorful.

[haresfur]

On 6/18/2020 at 2:50 AM, heidih said:

Those keaves are one of the many rewards of growing your own vegetables. That and letting the broccoli flower - pretty ad still tasty. I may be in the minority on mature broc.

 

In better times, we can go to a market garden/restaurant/car detailing place staffed in part by developmentally disabled people. They gave us a pile of broccoli leaves to stir fry. Not sure I'd go for them all the time, but a nice change.

[haresfur]

On 6/10/2020 at 4:01 AM, kayb said:

 

I have never tried them. But I have some milk that's about to go south, so I think I'll make some ricotta, stuff a few and try my hand at it.

 

I prefer tempura zuke flowers without the stuffing

[Paul Bacino]

Garden Fresh--Asparagus/peas/shiso/thai basil/red raspberries