george shirley

Yesterday DW and I put up several packages of broccoli again plus we
dehydrated seven trays of parsley for later use. In addition we
harvested a large head of cabbage, made half of it into slaw and the
other half was stir fried for dinner along with some leftover steak,
swiss chard, broccoli, carrots, and sugar peas fresh from from the vine.
Today we will harvest the last of the broccoli side shoots to blanch and
freeze.

The best news from yesterday was that the damage that Rita did to our
home was repaired completely. The workers left about 1:30 pm with the
sheetrocking and painting done. We had to repair eight ceiling joists on
the south side of the house. They were either cracked, split, or
completely broken in half, no wonder the ceiling sagged in the living
room. It feels really good to have our home back to normal again, new
roof, lots of new sheetrock on the ceilings and a fresh coat of paint in
the one room and hallway that were damaged by Rita.

George

serene

Recipe, please? (In email would be great if this is too off-topic.)

serene, who's been experimenting with cole slaw trying to get it right
-- too much onion last time

the cook

I happy to hear that you house is all repaired. Getting things fixed
up is nice, but I'd rather do it on my schedule. And glad to hear
that you are improving.

But I must say that I am jealous of your garden. I just started some
broccoli and rapini in the greenhouse yesterday. You reminded me that
I need to start some cabbage. If I am lucky I can probably set the
stuff out the first part of March.

All of the seeds I ordered are here. I need to get them entered into
the gardening software and then figure out where I can put it all.
Pete may have to get out his new tractor and plow up some more
gardening space.

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

george shirley

DW doesn't use onion at all, just cabbage shredded and shaved carrot,
occasionally she will throw in some finely chopped red bell pepper.
AFAIK the dressing is just fat free Miracle Whip with vinegar added,
usually apple cider but occasionally white wine. We add some finely
ground black pepper and, for special occasions, caraway seed. Once she
put in fennel seed and it was excellent. I guess I need to plant some
fennel this spring. However you make your dressing don't make it to wet,
to me that spoils the slaw. Gotta have that crunch of fresh cabbage. HTH

George

george shirley

We're still getting a few tomatoes from plants set out last March. Wife
has been covering them when a light frost is forecast and they've made
it so far. I've got three chile plants still producing after the same
amount of time and they haven't been sheltered at all. Just a weird mild
winter for us.

George

george shirley

Went out Monday and picked about about 9 or 10 quarts of sugar snap
peas. Yesterday I hulled the overripe, destringed the rest, washed,
rewashed, and spun dried the product. After that I put up 8 quarts of
peas in vacuum bags and then froze them. Also froze two gallons of Aji
Limon de Peru hot chiles. These came off the three plants that made it
from last spring until this spring. I swear this particular chile likes
colder weather than any of the others. Seems to produce more once cold
weather, or what passes for winter here in zone 9b, comes to town.

Today I need to harvest about 24 feet of swiss chard and do much the
same to it. Our freezer is almost completely full again after we tossed
the entire 15 cubic feet contents on September 26, 2005 after Rita
turned off our power for a couple of weeks.

The garden soil is just a few degrees shy of 70F and it will soon reach
that magic planting temperature. At that time the spring garden will go
into the ground. Green beans, radishes, spring crop of swiss chard (can
you tell we really like chard?), corn, tomato plants, cukes, bell
peppers, okra, eggplant, and the latest crop of hot chiles.

I bought a new 12 quart combination pot a couple of weeks ago at Bed,
Bath, and Beyond. Has the standard pasta pot inside it plus a smaller
steamer section at the top. Got it for about 50 bucks tax, title and
plates included. Was able to blanch and entire crop of sugar snap peas
and one time and, after two minutes, dump them into a sink full of ice
water until chilled through. I like this pot already but now have to
figure where to store it. Our pantry is also full. Could make some room
if I box my empty jars so reckon I'll do that job today.

This past weekend I planted a Santa Rosa plum to pollenate our Bruce
plum and vice versa and also planted an LSU variety of La Feliciana
peach. The Santa Rosa is to replace our pluot tree that was wiped out by
Rita along with the excellent Flordaglo peach also wiped out by Rita.
Wife put in four more blueberry bushes as she likes those berries. I
still have room for about a dozen thornless blackberries so will be
looking at varieties of those.

Life is good.

George

zxcvbob

I vote for "Youngberries", unless you just really have your heart set on
a thornless variety.

I just placed my seeds order last weekend from Pinetree. Pinetree is
*really* slow this time of year, but that's OK because I can't plant
anything out until April.

I'm gonna plant a row of cigar tobacco in the garden this year and see
if anybody notices...

Bob

the cook

We just planted our peas on Sunday.


I set out about 1" tall swill chard plants yesterday. I also set out
broccoli plants. I still have about 1/2 of the plants I started to set out later.

My tomato seeds are germinating. I can't plant the summer stuff out
until later April. May even wait later for the peppers and eggplant.
I think you can throw out okra seeds any time.

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

george shirley

I agree on the Youngberry as I grew them some 35 years ago when we lived
in Orange, TX. Very large, juicy berries, and very prolific. Only
problem nowadays is that my skin is now so thin that a scratch lasts
three or four weeks so I'm opting for the thornless type.

I've had my order since January, very small one this time. Didn't get
the bush Blue Lake green beans as they were out. Found them in the Ferry
brand at Lowe's so sent Pinetree an email cancelling them. By the time
they get more seed in I will have planted the green beans and they will
have true leaves. Going in the ground, I hope, this coming weekend.


Why do you care if anyone notices? It isn't illegal to grow tobacco for
your own consumption AFAIK. I grew some, Lo! these many years ago, and
had my Mom roll me some seegars. She was a cigar maker back in the early
1920's. Things made me cough so bad I couldn't smoke them. You gonna
have to spray the hell out of them or they will attract tobacco
hornworms to your garden. In laws place in Southern MD was totally
surrounded by tobacco fields back in the fifties and sixties and all the
baccy farmers sprayed almost daily to keep the bugs down.

George

george shirley

Puir, cold place dwellers, only have one planting season a year. What
y'all consider spring plants are winter plants down here in zone 9b. I
don't envy you your seasons as I lived in the NE US for three years when
I was younger. Remind me to tell you about three cruises up along the
Artic pack ice hunting subs from the "Evil Empire." Darn near froze
several body parts off. <VBG>

George