let's see your veggie garden {pics}
- Thread starter Chicken
- Start date
- Status
Kitke
New Member
This year I made a lasagna garden bed using carton and unwashed sheep wool and privet trimmings and planted four squash seeds. I also added aged chicken compost.
They are growing all over the bed and around it
I have to take a picture of their bed - just waiting the end of the extremely hot weather.
They are growing all over the bed and around it
I have to take a picture of their bed - just waiting the end of the extremely hot weather.
Interesting garden, and tasty looking squash, Kitke.
Welcome to the forum. Feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself section. If you enter your general location into your profile, it will appear alongside each of your posts.
Bob
Welcome to the forum. Feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself section. If you enter your general location into your profile, it will appear alongside each of your posts.
Bob
Striking a Blow Against the Tomato Onslaught
I have no idea why I've never tried this before. Using my cheapie food processor, I pureed a stack of large, whole, firm but ripe tomatoes, a half-dozen whole garlic cloves, and a small onion. It took 3 batches in the processor to do all the tomatoes--about 10 seconds per batch.
The frothy blend went into a pot with herbs, spices, salt, pepper, olive oil (several Tbsp) and a similar amount of lemon juice.
It initially has the aroma of Mexican gazpacho, which is an uncooked, chilled tomato soup. As it approached a slow boil, the color changed a bit, and the gazpacho aroma vanished. That's it. I didn't cook it any further.
It's like the intersection of tomato juice, tomato soup, pizza and pasta sauce, but tastier than any of them. Since the onion and garlic are just barely cooked, their aroma and flavor are spectacular.
So, other than the ugly stem scars, which were cut from each tomato, this soup includes the blenderized tomato skins and seeds. Quantities and proportions of ingredients don't matter. And leftovers can be frozen and stored for several months. But there may not be any. I've already inhaled two large bowls of this, and I'm considering having a bowl of it for dessert.
Bob
I have no idea why I've never tried this before. Using my cheapie food processor, I pureed a stack of large, whole, firm but ripe tomatoes, a half-dozen whole garlic cloves, and a small onion. It took 3 batches in the processor to do all the tomatoes--about 10 seconds per batch.
The frothy blend went into a pot with herbs, spices, salt, pepper, olive oil (several Tbsp) and a similar amount of lemon juice.
It initially has the aroma of Mexican gazpacho, which is an uncooked, chilled tomato soup. As it approached a slow boil, the color changed a bit, and the gazpacho aroma vanished. That's it. I didn't cook it any further.
It's like the intersection of tomato juice, tomato soup, pizza and pasta sauce, but tastier than any of them. Since the onion and garlic are just barely cooked, their aroma and flavor are spectacular.
So, other than the ugly stem scars, which were cut from each tomato, this soup includes the blenderized tomato skins and seeds. Quantities and proportions of ingredients don't matter. And leftovers can be frozen and stored for several months. But there may not be any. I've already inhaled two large bowls of this, and I'm considering having a bowl of it for dessert.
Bob
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
The seeds taste like pumpkin seeds!
Nice looking soup, by the way. Ours starts with a beef roast browned in butter.
Another thing you might do is make ketchup.
CobGuy
Well-Known Member
Our extra tomatoes go into making "gravy" ... slang for marinara ... and frozen for future use.
That soup sounds really good though and I'll try it this Fall!
-Darin
That soup sounds really good though and I'll try it this Fall!
-Darin
OldDinosaurWesH
Well-Known Member
Interesting soup concoction. I might have to buy some vine ripened tomatoes and try it. The growers across the state line in Milton-Freewater Oregon grow excellent veggies and tree fruit. I have a commercial food processor that would reduce those 'maters down to mush in no time. Said food processor holds a little under a gallon, is all shiny stainless steel, and weighs about 20 pounds. It makes elegant raspberry smoothies. I never thought about tomato soup.
Wes H.
Wes H.
OldDinosaurWesH
Well-Known Member
Latest Veggie Garden photos
Photo one, these squash runners are taking over! It's an alien invasion!
Photo two, squash blooms.
Photo three, this squash runner might not survive the lawnmower. Oh well, there are more where that one came from.
Photo four, little baby watermelons. I hope they have time to get to be big watermeons.
Photo five, two different roses. The pinkish orangeish is called Key Largo, and the red rose is called Mr. Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln is fragrant. East garden tobacco plantings in the background.
Wes H.
Photo one, these squash runners are taking over! It's an alien invasion!
Photo two, squash blooms.
Photo three, this squash runner might not survive the lawnmower. Oh well, there are more where that one came from.
Photo four, little baby watermelons. I hope they have time to get to be big watermeons.
Photo five, two different roses. The pinkish orangeish is called Key Largo, and the red rose is called Mr. Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln is fragrant. East garden tobacco plantings in the background.
Wes H.
It's been 17 years since I transplanted the sapling. It should be ready for picking in early October.
Bob
CobGuy
Well-Known Member
I'll be by for cobbler a la mode just before Halloween!
~Darin
~Darin
OldDinosaurWesH
Well-Known Member
Looks like many tasty apples. For commercial apples, the useful life is from 8 to 25 years of age. After age 25, the productivity starts to decline. Apple trees can live for over a hundred years and then some. I saw an apple tree that was planted by Dr. John McLoughlin in Vancouver Wa. that was at least 150 years old. John McLoughlin was the Hudson's Bay agent back before Oregon was a territory. Oregon didn't officially become American territory 'till 1848, and became a state in 1859. So...that tree was probably planted in the 1840's. Wikipedia says John Mcloughlin died in 1857. So I guess that tree was pretty old.
Do you have an official fruit-picker's ladder? We wouldn't want you to fall off and hurt yourself.
Wes H.
Do you have an official fruit-picker's ladder? We wouldn't want you to fall off and hurt yourself.
Wes H.
Since I'm not an official fruit picker, no. What I do have is a jury-rigged rake with a padded basket attached below the prongs. Any fruit higher than I can reach with that will be deemed a legitimate offering to nature's proper balance (bugs, deer and other critters).
I don't doubt that apple trees planted from seed can survive as long as most natural trees. Those original varieties are still to be found growing in the Caucasus Mountains of Asia. But my tree has two major strikes against it. First of all, every single commercial (and even "heirloom") apple variety grown today is not grown from seed, but rather from a tiny bud cutting of the desired fruit variety inserted into a separately grown rootstock. That's what you buy when you obtain an apple sapling.
Secondly, semi-dwarf and dwarf fruit trees are created by grafting the desired variety onto a rootstock that is physiologically inadequate. That is, the intentionally crummy rootstock dwarfs the resulting tree. The extent of the dwarfing (i.e. semi-dwarf, dwarf, miniature) depends on how severely the dwarfing rootstock limits the growth. If you plant a carefully pure seed of a specific variety of fruit from a dwarf fruit tree, you get that exact variety of fruit, but on a gigantic, full-size fruit tree. [Winesap is a particular exception, in that it is already a bizarre hybrid that produces only sterile pollen. So there is no way to obtain viable "Winesap" apple seed. That is the reason that Winesap trees must always be pollinated by a different variety.]
In a sense, today's apples can't exist without human intervention. This is similar to our favorite variety of banana--the Cavendish banana. It's so yummy because it has no seeds, and must be propagated by root cuttings. And banana "trees" live for only two years! Seedless grapes are another Frankenstein.
I suspect that this year's unexpected, bountiful crop on my Winsap is because the Dwarf Yellow Delicious that I planted nearby, 5 years ago finally produced a huge number of blossoms for the first time this year. The Yellow Delicious has very little fruit, because the abundant blossoms of the nearby Winesap yield only sterile pollen.
Crazy stuff.
Bob
I don't doubt that apple trees planted from seed can survive as long as most natural trees. Those original varieties are still to be found growing in the Caucasus Mountains of Asia. But my tree has two major strikes against it. First of all, every single commercial (and even "heirloom") apple variety grown today is not grown from seed, but rather from a tiny bud cutting of the desired fruit variety inserted into a separately grown rootstock. That's what you buy when you obtain an apple sapling.
Secondly, semi-dwarf and dwarf fruit trees are created by grafting the desired variety onto a rootstock that is physiologically inadequate. That is, the intentionally crummy rootstock dwarfs the resulting tree. The extent of the dwarfing (i.e. semi-dwarf, dwarf, miniature) depends on how severely the dwarfing rootstock limits the growth. If you plant a carefully pure seed of a specific variety of fruit from a dwarf fruit tree, you get that exact variety of fruit, but on a gigantic, full-size fruit tree. [Winesap is a particular exception, in that it is already a bizarre hybrid that produces only sterile pollen. So there is no way to obtain viable "Winesap" apple seed. That is the reason that Winesap trees must always be pollinated by a different variety.]
In a sense, today's apples can't exist without human intervention. This is similar to our favorite variety of banana--the Cavendish banana. It's so yummy because it has no seeds, and must be propagated by root cuttings. And banana "trees" live for only two years! Seedless grapes are another Frankenstein.
I suspect that this year's unexpected, bountiful crop on my Winsap is because the Dwarf Yellow Delicious that I planted nearby, 5 years ago finally produced a huge number of blossoms for the first time this year. The Yellow Delicious has very little fruit, because the abundant blossoms of the nearby Winesap yield only sterile pollen.
Crazy stuff.
Bob
CobGuy
Well-Known Member
I love that D.U.R.F.
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Not the authentic wasabi horseradish, but a radish, radish, called wasabi radish. I picked these two today and am making kimchi out of them. The roots were a lb each, and I got a pound of de-stemmed leaf. The root kimchi is legit--garlic, spring onion, ginger, chili.... The leaf kimchi is an experiment and a half. I've tried fermenting thicker leaves, like kale, and it just stays chewy, but I gotta try at least once before switching to composting.
Those are big radishes. (So the chairs really are to scale!) With the tops, try simmering one leaf, while frequently checking it to determine its firmness. It may be that a quick blanching will soften them enough to pickle well and not remain too crunchy.
Bob
Bob
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Wish I had read your suggestion before making it. I might try that another time.
I also made sauerkraut, and pickles today.
OldDinosaurWesH
Well-Known Member
I don't know about the veggie garden part...
Freshly ground Dark Northern Spring wheat, variety Kelse, 13.4% protein. Harvested on Friday on the Black place outside Turner Wa. It will be bread by this evening. Can't get much fresher.
Oh yeah, I have a picture from my veggie garden too...
These squash plants are all over the place. I had to prune them so that they wouldn't choke out my other stuff. One tendril has worked its way through the fence and is heading out into the alleyway.
Wes H.
Freshly ground Dark Northern Spring wheat, variety Kelse, 13.4% protein. Harvested on Friday on the Black place outside Turner Wa. It will be bread by this evening. Can't get much fresher.
Oh yeah, I have a picture from my veggie garden too...
These squash plants are all over the place. I had to prune them so that they wouldn't choke out my other stuff. One tendril has worked its way through the fence and is heading out into the alleyway.
Wes H.
CobGuy
Well-Known Member
Do you use anything to keep the veggies submerged or just fill to the top with liquid?
I've used mason jars that I just "burped" but those look great ... reminds me of my beer making days!
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Do you use anything to keep the veggies submerged or just fill to the top with liquid?
I've used mason jars that I just "burped" but those look great ... reminds me of my beer making days!
There is a stainless steel cup under the lid that pushes everything down. I'll also often put an appropriately sized cabbage or grape leaf between the cup and the veggies. And if the veggies are too low, I'll put a piece of carrot or cabbage stalk under the cup.
Yeah, the air locks work great. You can buy them specifically for canning (the blue ones), but it's way cheaper to make your own with plastic mason jar lids and air lock stuff from the brew store (the white ones).
A week ago, none of the tobacco was visible from this view. The two grape vines had risen several feet above their two trellis wires, and completely filled the space between the green, steel posts with vine and foliage. Then I mowed the grass. The tall lever to raise and lower the belly mower bed snagged one very thick vine, as I backed away from the grapes. The force snapped both trellis wires, and dropped the whole mess onto the ground.
After pondering this for a week, I went out there today with pruners and wire cutters, and left what you now see. There was only one tiny bunch of grapes still maturing, and that was sent to the fridge. Soon, I will replace the lost trellis wires with much heavier stuff (the two pairs of pliers kind of stuff), while positioning each of the wires about 6" higher than before.
Bob
- Status
Similar threads
