Love those Texas Gardens

[lovebenton0]

Thanks, GG. I knew that cross pollination was a problem with inter-typical squash, but did not think about getting plants (I have four, all growing the same type squash now) that would be subject to this. I won't be saving these seeds to depend on food production, but am curious to see what they produce. The squash is wonderful -- just good luck if the cross pollination effect is the source of the fruit.

[jschyun]

I just had some Costata Romanesco squash fried, a very large one, and I don't undrstand how people can like it fried when it's this huge. I'll stick to frying the young 'uns.

Edited June 3, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[lovebenton0]

New info on the "Mystery Squash," which is not a mystery any longer.

 

Regarding the "Mystery Squash"

It is a hybrid, called Hurakan F1

Zucchini gray type

Harris Moran holds the patent

http://www.harrismoran.com/products/squash/hurakan.htm

Thanks, andiesensji. That's it for sure. It is zucchini, but the best zucchini I've had. I would recommend it.

[jschyun]

Sweet, you don't have to save seed now. You just buy it! hehehe

Doh! Can't believe I forgot about the grey zucchinis. Will be sure to try some next year.

Edited June 3, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[jess mebane]

Jess, how are your pink Brandywines doing? My orange Bs are acting like they want to bloom, but not accomplishing anything yet. Great leaves -- if I were growing them for foliage I'd be happy.

The super fantastics are producing, not in mass quantity yet but about 20 tomatoes growing on the four plants, and lots of healthy looking blooms. The Beefeaters are acting kinda puny, like they don't know their job yet, but as they are later 'maters I'm willing to be patient.

That plant had the homeowners' association on my ass last week when they sent me a notice of "unsightly weed overgrowth," over my driveway-side fence. I sent them back a picture of my ungainly, six-ft. Brandywine plant, along with a few chartreuse fruit, and polite instructions as to curing them along to red/pink. Can't wait to see what they'll make of the corn patch.....

But the sad part of this story is a dastardly horn worm is trying to make short work of the middle third of the same plant, and I can't seem to find the sucker.

[fifi]

I have got a really stupid question.

I bought some beautiful Medjoul dates at Kroger the other day. I can't seem to make myself throw out those seeds. Since I am currently a frustrated gardener, I am wondering if those seeds will sprout. I am thinkning of putting them in a pot of sandy soil (as soon as I find some) on the balconey and seeing if they will sprout. Does anyone know if this will work? Are Dates "cured" somehow that might kill the seed?

No... I am not envisioning date trees in my future. I just think they might make interesting little house plants for a while. I guess I am regressing to my childhood when I sprouted all kinds of things for the fun of it... avocado seeds, sweet potatoes. You know what I mean.

[jess mebane]

I say go for it...'course this is pretty much my gardening motto.

[lovebenton0]

Fifi, I'm with Jess on this. Try it! And I think you should envision date trees in your future -- how else will those little seeds know what to do?

I've seen a small avocado tree grow from a regular grocery store avocado seed -- something I have not been successful at doing myself. However, I did have a great pineapple plant for years in Houston, fifi. Frustrated balcony gardeners get to grow all they can! I've got the space here to grow what I want but I'm still not over the "what can I encourage to grow" phase. I have a sweet potato sprouting in my kitchen window right now. Some of us are just born experimenters.

Edited June 5, 2004 by lovebenton0 (log)

[lovebenton0]

Jess, how are your pink Brandywines doing? My orange Bs are acting like they want to bloom, but not accomplishing anything yet. Great leaves -- if I were growing them for foliage I'd be happy.

The super fantastics are producing, not in mass quantity yet but about 20 tomatoes growing on the four plants, and lots of healthy looking blooms. The Beefeaters are acting kinda puny, like they don't know their job yet, but as they are later 'maters I'm willing to be patient.

That plant had the homeowners' association on my ass last week when they sent me a notice of "unsightly weed overgrowth," over my driveway-side fence. I sent them back a picture of my ungainly, six-ft. Brandywine plant, along with a few chartreuse fruit, and polite instructions as to curing them along to red/pink. Can't wait to see what they'll make of the corn patch.....

But the sad part of this story is a dastardly horn worm is trying to make short work of the middle third of the same plant, and I can't seem to find the sucker.

My B's are not doing very well, and no corn this year. What am I not doing for the B's? They are watered, and well-fed, just not doing much of anything for me in return.

But OMG I hope they don't tap me for the bamboo growing below the rockwall on the front street side. Thank goodness my six foot fennel is in the back inside area of the garden terrace.

[jess mebane]

Jess, how are your pink Brandywines doing? My orange Bs are acting like they want to bloom, but not accomplishing anything yet. What am I not doing for the B's? They are watered, and well-fed, just not doing much of anything for me in return.

I've been wondering about this year's prodigious rainfall as an effect on crop production. Did anyone see the Fredricksburg peach crop article in the Statesman a week or so ago? A peach farmer specifically said that altho this year's yield would be the best in some years, what they lacked was a good amount of sunshine to finish the peach up, so to speak.

I think our Texan victory gardens this year are benefitting from all the rain by growing taller than ever, but not necessarily producing as quickly; i.e., six foot tomatoes and fennel, attack of the artichokes, etc. In the end, I would bet our egullet vegetation enjoys a big, if slow, finish.

[lovebenton0]

Sunshine . . . finally! Plenty of weeding to do now that the gardens have been drenched for days. If we can't get out there soon the weeds will be staging a take-over.

But the canteloupes are growing, even with the rain, biggest one is reaching softball size now. And the squash are coming in faster than before. We're eating eggplant or zucchini everyday now. How can I complain about that! Still waiting for the bigger tomatoes -- but the little Sweets are the sweetest cherry tomatoes ever.

Had to take out two tomato plants, one beefsteak and one Brandywine, they were dying there with no reason why that I can tell -- just yellowed and went punier than before. My mr pulled them up -- leaving open places for the okra to start.

[jess mebane]

I'm probably going to lose a B'wine as well. Although it reaches over 6', the rain seems to have beaten down the vegetation above its highest cage line and we're getting brown leaves now. The artichokes, once so muscular in their thistle shizzle, man, now look like someone's stepped on them. Herbs run wild, as do the peppers and wisteria. The Super 100 cherry tomato is insidious in its advantage over some of the more waterlogged varieties; suddenly vines full of little green monsters are gleefully threading around the ponderous beefsteaks and orange oxhearts. The corn is slightly bent in spots. (sigh).

[lovebenton0]

Rain, rain, rain. I agree, that's been a boon and a bust this season so far. The herbs are going crazy, and the assorted chilies are heavy with fruit, but the bigger tomatoes are getting water-logged. Those little Sweet 100s have been just that -- small, but beautiful and sweet.

Shame about your artichokes, Jess, as an experiment, but a crying shame about the corn! Think it will recover? No corn for us this year -- but the bamboo is looking a bit like monster corn stalks out front. What do I do with it for bamboo shoots to use them for stirfry? Keep cutting it back for new shoots to come up? Then what? Anyone know? I'd love to be eating it! Pains me to have something around I can cook with and not do it. Probably need to check the Asian forums.

The Snowy eggplants are finally coming along -- compared to the Ichiban which we have been eating for about three weeks now. I have hopes they will be interesting eating as well. Anyone else trying those this year?

[memesuze]

I posted this on the gardening thread, but in case you don't get over there, here 'tis again:

for those of you with tomatoes, check out the Tomato Problem Solver from Texas A&M University

and for a natural mosquito repellent, into 4 ounces of almond oil add the following drops of essential oils [can be found at a natural food shop, Whole Paycheck, Central Market, aromatherapy, or herb store]: 8 drops of lemongrass oil, 4 drops of thyme oil, 4 drops of lavendar oil, and 4 drops of peppermint oil.

There will usually be sufficient room in the air space of the new bottle of almond oil to add the essential oils. Let the mix sit for a day before using - Slather onto your exposed surfaces, and watch the mosquitos buzz around but not light. Smells good too.

[jess mebane]

for those of you with tomatoes, check out the Tomato Problem Solver from Texas A&M University

Leave it to the aggies to document tomato afflictions like a dermatology reference book. My emotional response runs the gamut from, "ew", to "thankyewveddymuchh, memesuze!"

[lovebenton0]

The snowy eggplants are very sweet and mild. The skin is tougher than the Ichiban eggplants and I suggest peeling before cooking unless you are stuffing them, then the skin would make a good boat for the filling.

Tomatoes are finally growing into monster size fruits. We've been eating the smaller ones for over a week now. Just slow going this year with the rain and and so many cloudy days I guess, as jess suggested earlier.

That has only encourged the bamboo, however, which is now taller than I am, almost six foot. And the basils and thymes are loving this. I'll be doing a lot of pesto, and drying, as well as cooking and salads with the basils. Peppers of several varieties are jumping into the kitchen at an accelerated rate. The Tabasco peppers are producing, but they always do best in the real fry pan of the summer here, so none are ready yet. When they start to turn I will have a basketful at once.

[lovebenton0]

Tomatoes by the basketful, and so many eggplants I'm ready to start putting some up -- we have eaten them grilled, sauteed, Thai'd, Italian'd, and Chinese'd. Our Ichibans usually slow down near the hottest end of the summer then go back up into full production for the fall. The latest we've had them is mid-December. Since this has been a cooler summer than most for us around Central TX/Austin area we may not get the slow down at all, unless August heats up a lot more than we've seen this season.

I have so many peppers this year that we're eating them and I'm jarring them quick as I can. Tabasco peppers are starting to ripen to full red. Always a good producer for us the Anaheims are amazingly prolific this year. All my peppers are reddening faster than is usual. Anyone else experiencing this quickening with their peppers?

Tiny little cuttings of oregano -- Italian and Mexican varieties are finally taking off. Bayleaf trees have grown almost a foot this season.

Does anyone else have wild persimmon trees on their land? Folks around here call them "Texas cherries." Also known as Mexican, Texas, black persimmon or Chapote Negro. My trees are loaded with fruit this year. The jelly is thick, almost a jam, and as the fruit, is a blackish green. I just call it damn good and ugly jammy.

[fifi]

For those of you with excess eggplant (and squash?) I have put the Oven Fried Eggplant into RecipeGullet.

Let us know how it works for you with various squash.

[lovebenton0]

For those of you with excess eggplant (and squash?) I have put the Oven Fried Eggplant into RecipeGullet.

Let us know how it works for you with various squash.

Oven-fried eggplant is wonderful! Also very good with summer/white flesh squashes. Due to dietary restrictions, and my love of eggplant, I developed this recipe for Eggplant Parmesan several years ago.

I do essentially the same thing as you do, fifi (great minds foodie alike? ):

Dip eggplant in egg then coat with seasoned bread crumbs, except I just spray my eggplant with olive oil cooking spray after breading. Bake for about 20 minutes at 400 until tender inside and crisp on the outside. Then I use all those glorious rounds (or with the Ichiban I often "half-peel" them then slice lengthwise) to make Eggplant Parmesan with good garden tomato sauce well spiced: lots of basil, garlic and some crushed red pepper. A little sauce on bottom of baking dish, then layer eggplant, Parmesan, eggplant, Parmesan . . . continue layering ending with eggplant. Pour sauce over all and bake at 375 for about 35 minutes. Then top with a good thick layer of shredded Parmesan and return to oven to melt. Serve with angel hair pasta tossed with olive oil, minced garlic, and basil.

I made a big pan on Wednesday night and we are eating the left overs tonight for dinner.

[fifi]

OMG that sounds good. I am thinking that we should do that this weekend what with a few eggplants coming off my sister's garden this weekend.

[nacho]

Thanks for the Eggplant Parmesan recipe, lovebenton0!! One day last week when I didn't feel like cooking, I stopped at Whole Foods on my way home and found an eggplant parmesan just as you described in their grab-and-go case, and I LOVED it. I've been thinking about how they made it since then. I was pretty much on target, but glad to get confirmation via your post.

I look forward to trying it for myself soon.

[lovebenton0]

Fifi and nacho, let me know how you like it.

I should probably get off my butt and add it to RecipeGullet.

[nacho]

So last night I made fifi's oven fried eggplant recipe, and then stacked them up with sauce and parmesan as described by lovebenton0 (I don't know why I can never do just one recipe, I always seem to take my favorite parts from a few different places to experiment). Anyway, it was very good, and even better for lunch today I look forward to trying it again soon, as I'm sure I can get better at it with practice. This time, I think I got my breading too thick, and cut the slices too thin. They were nice and crispy before adding the sauce, but once stacked and baked, I didn't catch a lot of eggplant flavor (but, in my experimental manor, I varied the slices from pretty thin to 1/3 inch to see which I liked best; in the end, if I had followed the recipe more precisely, I think it would have been exactly what I was trying to create).

Thanks again for the inspiration.

[fifi]

I should probably get off my butt and add it to RecipeGullet.

Ummm... Yes you should.

And I know what you are going to say next... And I did. recipe

I like your idea of using the olive oil spray. That is a really good idea. Now if I could only find a sprayer that actually works.

[lovebenton0]

Thanks, nacho and fifi, for the feedback.

And yes, I finally did it, I added the recipe. A few days at the coast to celebrate the blue moon postponed it but Eggplant Parmesan (Oven-style) is there now. Posted on the Eat 'em thread also.