Weekly Garden Thread - October 15-21, 2022 [Falling Leaves Edition]

October 15, 2022 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Liz]

Spicy Cranberry Salsa

Think I'll add some spice to a classic Thanksgiving side with this Tex-Mex transformation that calls for 4 oz can Old El Paso™ chopped green chiles, teaspoon lime zest, 2 tb chopped fresh cilantro. Serve salsa chilled or at room temperature. Garnish with cilantro sprig.

[GaltAdonis]

"The weather."

.

6:30 AM Wednesday Oct 19 - temp 36° with a frost advisory.

I haven't ventured out yet to see if there really is frost.

Yesterday evening I picked about a 3rd of my larger green tomatoes - to be on the safe side.
I need to build a greenhouse here at my new location.

As they say - "weather happens".

[Liz]

Imagine. Eminent French chef Jacques Pepin likes the ubiquitous supermarket rotisserie chicken. PEPIN “Plump, brown, shiny, juicy, and eminently appetizing, these are good in pieces, served on romaine or Boston lettuce with my personal enhancement, a persillade, on top.”

Poulet Persillade

Separate the leaves of packaged, prewashed organic romaine or Boston lettuce. Spread them out on a large platter. Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Using kitchen shears, cut the rotisserie chicken into pieces, bones and all, and arrange on the salad. Spoon Sauce over chicken pieces. Serve.

SAUCE Heat 2 tb olive oil and tb butter in a skillet. When hot, add 2 tb chopped shallots and tb chopped garlic. Cook 10 seconds. Add about 3 tb coarsely chopped fresh parsley, cook 20-30 seconds longer; stir in the juice from chicken container.

[Liz]

Chicken Persillade

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Liz! Thank you! I am amazed that he does, but then Julia Child liked McDonalds French Fries!

Senior Buying Tip! Walmart Rotissere Chicken that is not bought on its cooing day is cheaper in the cold case next day!

One chicken can feed 2 or 3 people for 3 days if you watch your portions, and you can use the remainder for stock!

(Lettuce for your Persillade! (Picture date 10 October)

[Liz]

Wish I had that garden lettuce right now.

Thx for the shopping tips.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Well, I suspect that you do not need the tips, but someone might read this that does!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Where is your new location? State/Zone

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Click on a gourd to link to the New weekly garden thread!

[GaltAdonis]

Central/Coastal New Jersey plant hardiness zone 7a.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

I hope you get your greenhouse!

The garden state! Coastal Maritime climate? Probably a lot you can do in that temperature range and annual rainfall!

[GaltAdonis]

They don't call NJ the 'Garden State' for nothing!
Did you know that Campbell soup company is located (founded) in Camden, NJ?
That's because of the close proximity to the Jersey tomato.
Eat a can of Campbell's tomato soup - and you are eating Jersey tomatoes.

But of all of the other places I've lived, the Umpqua River valley
around Roseburg, Oregon had the best growing climate for almost all
fruit and vegetables. It has milder winters than here.

But Jersey's okay. Not going to grow anything tropical here
of course. No pineapples, or avocados, or almonds or whatever.

But tomatoes, peaches, blueberries, etc. we're good.
In fact, the specie(s) of blueberries that we now eat were developed
by Rutgers University in the NJ Pine Barrens.
(More New Jersey 'Agro-Trivia' - LOL)

One thing that I don't think can be grown here are pecans.
I love pecans. Is it possible? (I think they like warmth.)
I'll have to look that up. (Just did - Georgia is for pecans.)

Happy gardening!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

G.A. Thanks. Love Blueberries! NY had to get food from somewhere! I think Territorial Seed was located near Umpqua. (Umpqua Broccoli!) Rutgers developed at least one tomato variety!

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Pecans. Northern Pecans grow in Iowa and Nebraska and Southern Wisconsin. I would say yes, they could grow in NJ, you might want to check with the local county Ag specialist but I would not be surprised if he does not know or says they will not.

Northern Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) Zones 4-9

Growth Rate: medium (12"-24" per year) Height: 70-100' / Spread: 40-70'

pH levels: 6-7.5 Soil: deep, moist, well-drained

Sun: full sun

Fall Color: yellow

Here is a New Jersian who studied in NC and moved to KS and researched pecans.

https://www.farmprogress.com/education/retirement-bill-reid-ends-4-decade-era-kansas-pecan-research

He has a blog spot and has commentary on various pecans he has collected and maintains. Retired. Maybe he would respond to an email!

(His blogspot.)

https://northernpecans.blogspot.com/ (I know...more information than you need!) ***Pollard! (Diane) He sayes $1000 / acre growing pecans and you do not need to replant every year! Maybe If I were younger.

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"But Jersey's okay. Not going to grow anything tropical here of course. No pineapples, or avocados, or almonds or whatever."

Figs are possible. Potted or in ground. There are a lot of different varieties. (I have potted here in 6B)

Ben Bs Search "Figaholics", PA figs and Ross Radi.

Join Ourfigs.com; Search Jersey and see all the Jersey members. (Figs...Italians.....Um any Italians in Jersey?) They could tell you any good local sources.

(I bought some of my trees from Kremps Nursery in PA. https://offthebeatenpathnursery.com/ is in Lancaster PA there are more. )

Good Luck!

[GaltAdonis]

Thank you for the info & links.
I will look into the pecans and figs.

Territorial Seed Company is located in Cottage Grove, Oregon.
Great outfit! I've been getting stuff from them for years.
Yes, Cottage Grove is near Umpqua!

Thanks again!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Lots of Good Eatin' this month!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Introducing, His Royal Highness, King Charles. He goes by, 'Chuck,' as in Chuck Roast. He's a little cutie! Angus and Holstein mix. He's all black, except for the white tip of his tail. He'll be grazing on grass for as long as the weather holds, then it's hay and sweet oats, Milk Bones, carrots and apples, warm beer and daily massages. Welcome to the farm, Your Highness! 🙂

[Qiviut]

Thanks for the info/pic! He is cute! Angus/Holstein is a popular mix.

The hogs on the regenerative farm got moved to “winter quarters” yesterday. It was quite the operation .... large hogs went from pasture to wooded lot (acorns ... yum!). The 3 remaining females from the litter born on Father’s Day (& now about 70 lbs), were moved from a barn lot to the wooded lot with the large hogs (they are low hogs on the totem pole - the formerly low hog is reveling in his new status & chasing them around). The two huge pregnant sows were moved to the “maternity” lot (formerly the ‘3 young females’ lot) at the barn. There are two boar hogs (young) ... I think they’re in separate “boy pens”. It takes a lot of patience to move hogs - if they think you want them to go somewhere, it’s not happening .... has to be THEIR idea. So .... tempting food treat, use panels to slowly funnel them towards where you want to go (in this case, a large horse trailer) & let them decide that in the trailer is indeed where they want to go, especially if there’s food involved.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It’s fun watching the kids move their hogs around the Hog Barn at the fair. That’s exactly the way they do it, with these hand-held panels, almost like a shield they’re wielding, to move them along. :)

I should see if this would work with my Beagle. He’s hog-stubborn, LOL!

Beau reports that Chuck is having the time of his life, now that he’s out of a pen. He’s got him haltered and tied on a long rope and he was running and jumping and kicking up his heals at suppertime, tonight. :)

[Liz]

"

APRICOT HONEY GLAZED CARROTS / decorative holiday deliciousnesss

Preheat oven to 350°. Start by cleaning the carrots and peeling them with a vegetable peeler. Place them on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil. Brush them with the apricot honey balsamic glaze. Roast them. Serve them dressed with goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, and fresh thyme.

GLAZE Mix apricot jam, honey, dried thyme, salt, pepper, balsamic in a small bowl.

[Liz]

PUMPKIN PIE TWISTS / a nice riff on Pumpkin pie

To make these easy Pumpkin Pie Twists, simply:

PRE-STEP: Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Line sheet with parchment paper or silicon baking mat. Set aside.

STEP 1: Unroll crescent dough and lay down as 4 rectangles on prepared baking sheet.

STEP 2: Spread pumpkin onto 2 of the rectangles.

STEP 3: Place the other 2 rectangles on top of the pumpkin. Press edges together.

STEP 4: Brush melted butter on top of rectangles. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice.

STEP 5: Using a pizza cutter, cut both rectangles into 6 strips.

STEP 6: Twist each strip a few times and sprinkle with remaining pumpkin pie spice. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

MAKE CREAM CHEESE ICING:

STEP 7: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract.

STEP 8: Fill a zip-lock bag with cream cheese icing, lock it shut and snip off a corner of the bag. Ice tops of each pumpkin pie twist and enjoy. Simply throw the bag away when finished..