The Garden Corner

[jujubeans]

Juju, do you eat the chive blossoms? If not, try them in a salad - they have a nice zippy flavor, like radishes. Carnation petals & nasturtiums are good too!

might have to try those next year..little late for the blossoms now...and I'd already cut down my carnations cuz my cats made a bed out of them...*l*

 

[jujubeans]

Finally starting to can my tomatoes..slow start with just three quarts, but have a whole bunch that is ripening up. I'll admit to still being a little terrified of my pressure cooker, but at least it keeps the heat contained in the kitchen!!

 

[greg334]

might have to try those next year..little late for the blossoms now...and I'd already cut down my carnations cuz my cats made a bed out of them...*l*

Does OVM also scare your cats?

One of mine is petrified to come near the computer since she saw him in those shorts.

 

[jujubeans]

Does OVM also scare your cats?

One of mine is petrified to come near the computer since she saw him in those shorts.

are you kidding? They love him to death..especially the new little gray tabby kitten!

 

[jujubeans]

It's raining pretty good here now...good for the lawn, the flowers and the garden...Bad for the gardener..too muddy to pick the cukes or dig the leeks..guess this is the start of what winter will mean...

 

[OntarioVanMan]

getting overcast here...predicting "frost" any night soon...that should trigger the turning of the leaves....Mn is sure a nice state...

 

[jujubeans]

getting overcast here...predicting "frost" any night soon...that should trigger the turning of the leaves....Mn is sure a nice state...

Oh don't say the freeze word...I'd have to pull the rest of my tomatoes off the vine and I don't think they'd all fit in the house...*LOL*

 

[jujubeans]

The monthly average first frost shouldn't be until about mid October..

Oh well, am using onions and shallots and green onions out of my garden to make my chili..and just gave John a pack of corn on the cob. He said it had to be better than Schwans..*LOL*

 

[OntarioVanMan]

gotta love the barter system....
got your pilot light lit for cobs of corn....*L*

 

[jujubeans]

gotta love the barter system....
got your pilot light lit for cobs of corn....*L*

yep...I tossed in a couple of heirloom tomatoes too..the little green striped ones and the big yellow one.


Now I've got a craving for a chocolate cake donut..cleaned up my little fry daddy and am now wondering if I want to make the mess.....

 

[greg334]

I had to post this here, instead of the other thread - the feedback people may have gotten mad at the off topic conversation.

You probably won't...I think where at all possible I will use the water bath as opposed to the pressure canning. Last count on jars..70 quarts of pickles, 10 quarts of pickled green beans, 1 quart of yellow beans, 6 quarts of pickled banana peppers..then I'm not even sure how many pints I've used. But the tomatoes are just starting and I have 4 cases of quart jars just waiting for them. And I also have a freezer full of frozen veggies, which is another good way to preserve. She's gonna have FUN!!

Oh, yep she will have fun ... watching me work. She started to make sweet potatoes this morning and after almost slicing her finger off, I ended up making them, making butternut squash, acorn squash and mushroom/onion soup. That is beside being on pig patrol from 2 to 6 this morning and I didn't even get any of that - all gone.

I have a pressure canner and a large pot for boiling water but the rack was taken out of the pickup when I was moving things, the reason we actually went out.

She got on a garage sale kick a couple years ago and I told her - ask for canning jars and amazingly a lot came home with her. It wasn't like I needed any, I have my grandmothers and parents collection here, with hundreds of lids and bands and all kind of stuff.

Pickled Green Beans? That sounds good.

How many acres is your garden?

 

[jujubeans]

I had to post this here, instead of the other thread - the feedback people may have gotten mad at the off topic conversation.



Oh, yep she will have fun ... watching me work. She started to make sweet potatoes this morning and after almost slicing her finger off, I ended up making them, making butternut squash, acorn squash and mushroom/onion soup. That is beside being on pig patrol from 2 to 6 this morning and I didn't even get any of that - all gone.

I have a pressure canner and a large pot for boiling water but the rack was taken out of the pickup when I was moving things, the reason we actually went out.

She got on a garage sale kick a couple years ago and I told her - ask for canning jars and amazingly a lot came home with her. It wasn't like I needed any, I have my grandmothers and parents collection here, with hundreds of lids and bands and all kind of stuff.

Pickled Green Beans? That sounds good.

How many acres is your garden?

You guys must have fun with your garden...mine's only about 100 feet by maybe 30...just a backyard garden, but I crammed it way too full. Next year there WILL be more space between the rows..and will start a different patch for the potaoes and squash.. for starters. I kind of made the pickled green beans for my sister's grandaughter since she loves them. Just used the same recipe as I do for the cukes and they're not too bad.

The pickle recipe is my aunt's and it's pretty simple if your wife wants it. And pickles don't have to be processed.

How'd that mushroom/onion soup turn out? Sound good!

 

[greg334]

It turned out good, not what I wanted because I had a lot of interruptions I could not prep or watch it like I normally do. I bought 10 lbs of button mushrooms yesterday and been drying them but you know, you just can't leave them alone because they are good. I normally use a variety of them, lions mane and a few make a good soup. I still have 30 pounds of onions to run through the dryer Friday.

We don't have a garden this year (gasp!), we've been buying our veggies right from a farm where I do a little work to pay for them. It works that barter thing. I NOW have an empty yard that needs to be filled (the neighbor was nice enough to take down my pine trees which blocked most of the sun for the price of a case of beer) but first I have to level and screen it (it had a pool and a bunch of other stuff from the PO). It is about 60 by 40 worth of usable space, and thinking of raised beds. But I also have 2 acres adjacent to my truck which I can use, that is good land to use, it was all productive until 4 years ago.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I want to try a couple of raised beds next year...

and make the garden bigger so JuJu can spread out the different varieties.....we want more potatoes next year..we didn't know how good SD weather would support them...now we know..so its a go...

 

[jujubeans]

Now you need to get into that chicken manure pile OR the horse manure pile down in the south pasture and work it in when Druin plows this fall. There won't be any stopping the garden next year!

 

[jujubeans]

It turned out good, not what I wanted because I had a lot of interruptions I could not prep or watch it like I normally do. I bought 10 lbs of button mushrooms yesterday and been drying them but you know, you just can't leave them alone because they are good. I normally use a variety of them, lions mane and a few make a good soup. I still have 30 pounds of onions to run through the dryer Friday.

We don't have a garden this year (gasp!), we've been buying our veggies right from a farm where I do a little work to pay for them. It works that barter thing. I NOW have an empty yard that needs to be filled (the neighbor was nice enough to take down my pine trees which blocked most of the sun for the price of a case of beer) but first I have to level and screen it (it had a pool and a bunch of other stuff from the PO). It is about 60 by 40 worth of usable space, and thinking of raised beds. But I also have 2 acres adjacent to my truck which I can use, that is good land to use, it was all productive until 4 years ago.

The closer to the house the better to weed. I'm thinking of using landscape fabric between my rows this year. 30" wide will really help stop those weeds.

 

[jujubeans]

Chocolate zuchini cake

This is the closest recipe I could find online...

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups zucchini, shredded
1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Spray 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine sugar, butter or margarine, oil, vanilla and eggs. Beat well. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves and buttermilk. Blend well. Fold in zucchini, put chocolate chips and nuts on top after you pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

NOTE: This cake is so moist you won't need to frost it!







I use my own shredded yellow crookneck squash in this.

 

[greg334]

Ah.. do I have to preheat the oven again?

What's with the folding the zucchini, every time I fold it, it becomes a mess.

 

[jujubeans]

Ah.. do I have to preheat the oven again?

What's with the folding the zucchini, every time I fold it, it becomes a mess.

yep...and I kind of cheated on that last step...the mixer was already running soooooooooooooooooooooo...*LOL*

 

[jujubeans]

So one full dishpan of cukes equals 11 quarts of pickles which I'm finishing up now. Also picked a full box of tomatoes which I have NO clue what I'm going to do with. "reaching for my favorite Ball canning quide for ideas"