Weekly Gardening Thread – 2009 Vol.18 – September 18

Free Republic | 9-18-2009 | Red_Devil 232

[Red_Devil 232]

Good morning to all of you gardeners. For most of us this summer’s gardening season is almost over and some of you have started fall/winter gardens. I thought it would be interesting to find out what you have planted in your winter gardens and also what you are doing now to prepare for next springs garden.

If you have a favorite recipe for the foods you have grown or just a recipe you would like to share please feel free to post it.

[Red_Devil 232]

Weekly Gardening Thread

Weekly Gardening Thread

[Red_Devil 232]

Ping to the Weekly Gardening Ping List.

I hope all of you will stop by.

This is typically a low volume ping list. Once a week for the thread and every once in a while for other FR threads posted that might be of interest.

If you would like to be added to or removed from the list please let me know by FreepMail or by posting to me.

[Centaur]

RD, Please add me to your list.

Now for the garden, with the exception of my plum tomatoes and chili peppers, the summer garden was a bust with the lack of heat and all the rain. But the winter garden? I was rather stunned that the jack-o-lanterns and pie pumpkins, planted late did astonishingly well, squash bugs and all. I'm sure that planting them in the horse manure pile had something to do with it, hehe.

I managed to get six loaves per pumpkin out of this recipe which I thought appeared rather healthy :) http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Bran-Bread-1325. I substituted raisin bran for the allbran and it was superb. Thanks for the list.

[poobear]

I took the solarizing plastic off last weekend, tilled, watered and am planting on the new moon Sunday.

Pole beans, tomatoes, collards, cucumbers, green onions, jalapenos and if there is any room left a few peas.

I'm banking on the pole beans for canning.

[dajeeps]

Everything getting ready for crocus, tulips and daffodils for early spring.

There’s just something about the crocus poking through the snow mid-march that gives me a great start to my day as I’m walking out to get in the car in the morning. I’m from CA and live in the Rochester, NY area now. I used to hate late winter/early spring because the cold hangs on so late here, but the early spring garden makes it one of my favorite times of the year now!

Add me to the ping list please.

[HospiceNurse]

I have always had a love of wild things. I particularly love to eat them. I highly recommend bacon tomatoe and wood sorrel sandwiches. Look online for wood sorrel pictures. It looks like a shamrock and probably grows in your yard. It tastes like grapefruit to me.

[Red_Devil 232]

Good morning. I made your link clickable: Pumpkin Bran Bread

YOU HAVE

ADDED TO THE WEEKLY GARDENING PING LIST

[Red_Devil 232]

YOU HAVE

ADDED TO THE WEEKLY GARDENING PING LIST

YOU HAVE

[cripplecreek]

I graze on wood sorrel all summer.

[Tiger28]

hi red- please add me to your list:) cant contribute much though, this year my northeast garden was a disaster—

[Gabz]

Morning!

[Red_Devil 232]

YOU HAVE

ADDED TO THE WEEKLY GARDENING PING LIST

YOU HAVE

[Red_Devil 232]

Good morning! Glad to see you survived the Habaneros! LOL

[Eagle50AE]

Good Morning RD, I echo the fact of no sun in over a week, rain gauge I quit reading, will mark a sunny day when and if it happens, few tomatoes and peppers left here also, and late squash are producing (bugs drowned ).. thankfully have late Brittle Blue Blueberries and Huckleberries to pick in the rain.
and it’s Sweet ‘tater time:

Sweet Potato Snack Cake
Category: Cake
Serves/Makes: 8 | Difficulty Level: 3 | Ready In: 2-5 hrs
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cup cooked mashed sweet potato
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons skim milk
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar (optional)
Directions:
Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and spices, and stir to mix well. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir to mix
well.
Coat an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, and bake at 325 degrees for 40 to
45 minutes, or just until tester inserted comes out clean.
Cool the cake to room temperature. Sift the confectioners sugar over the cake if desired, cut into squares, and serve.

[Arrowhead1952]

Good morning RD. I planted a few fall tomatoes last weekend. I still have two that made it through the dry summer. I also have a few pepper plants that survived the hot dry summer.

I added some manure to my garden and tilled it in after the rain. The dirt was really hard from the drought, but the rain really helped.

I also planted radishes, turnips, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, fall squash, leaf and head lettuce. Some are already coming up. My shallots are about six inches tall already.

[rightly_dividing]

Thanks for that recipe. I am going to try that TODAY !

[P8riot]

I planted a dead woodchuck in mine yesterday afternoon. He was munching away and never knew what hit him. Apparently he’d been at it a while he was the size of three cats.

[Grammy]

Good morning RD. My tomatoes were doing fabulously.... and died, with all remaining fruit... almost over night. I found a few plum tomatoes that weren’t ugly, but the rest are done. I didn’t even get any for fried tomatoes!

My friend said he was surprised they made it as long as they did. We have a fungus that took most things out this year. So, my garden is completely done now. Don’t know if we should try to do any winter crops, of just let it go, and get it ready for spring. I am thinking the later.

Have also talked to Mr G about expanding it for next year. I would like to do pole beans, and more tomatoes. I am thinking another 2 or 3 boxes should be good.

[painter]

Broccoli and califlower if the rabbits stop eating them.My second round of corn is just starting to tassel.My pole beans(great lakes)seem to be reloading,oakra keeps producing,and my tomatoes (heirloom)are struggling with blight.I don't know how long they will last.

[Happyinmygarden]

Here is the recipe for the zucchini appetizer that my son-in-law now serves in his restaurant in L.A. [Backstory: my daughter and I grew some giant zuccini in the garden and he took it to show the chef, who promptly created this recipe. The customers love it.]

1. Zucchini cut into julienne strips (ala large french fries)
2. Pat dry with paper towel to make sure there is no water on the strips
3. Dip in very well beaten/whipped egg yolk
4. Sift some flour until fine (or use old-fashioned cake flour, or cut your sifted flour with a touch of Bisquick)
Toss the flour with sea salt and oregano and a touch of rosemary
5. Dredge the egg-covered zucchini strips with the flour mixture
6. Deep fry very quickly in fresh, hot vegetable oil until golden on the outside but still firm on the inside; make sure not to let the zucchini go limp.
7.Serve immediately with extra course ground sea salt on the side