Mumsy's Romantic Garden Advice

[MumsyII]

Winter treat they will love. I know last winter the big girls looked forward to a bowl of veggies all winter long.

It never occurred to me to save and freeze over ripe or unused produce for the flock. I'd rather they eat fresh frozen than rotten. As long as I can find a little bit of space in the freezer, this is the new plan.

 

[Jessica Lynn]

Quote:
I agree!

 

[MumsyII]

Tonight was another meal based on fresh vegetables from the garden. I wanted to taste test one of the Burgess Butter cup green squash. Cut open and the yellow flesh was lovely. Lots of seeds.


I quartered the halves and placed them flesh side down in a couple inches of water in my baking pan.



An hour later the squash flesh was soft and fully cooked. I let it cool a bit before scooping out the centers and then removing all the cooked flesh from the rind.


Next I baked Red La Soda potatoes from my garden and then halved them, scooped out the centers and mashed the baked potato flesh with half of the baked squash. I added 4 oz of cream cheese blended with a large minced garlic clove. Then added the mashed potato/squash/cheese/garlic filling back into the potato skins. Baked in a 350 degree oven for about fifteen minutes to just slightly brown the tops.




Husband ate two and loved them. A real nice twist on twice baked potatoes. And a great way to use a cup or two of prepared squash.

Every thing for dinner was from the garden except the pork ribs. Our little store in the village ran a sale on ribs today. Easy.

 

[armorfirelady]

It's not even 9 yet and your making me hungry Mumsy

Do you like mysteries? I have something growing in my garden and the tag is missing. Perhaps you can help?

This has been growing and I thought it would turn green like my acorn squash and it has not

Here it is next to my lonely acorn squash I picked today

Any ideas? I know the plants I purchased is year were acorn squash, watermelon, egg plant, zucchini and butternut squash and yellow squash. The only things that I got were zukes and 1 acorn.

To me it looks like an albino acorn squash. It hasn't grown much the last couple weeks. I left it on the vine thinking it would turn green.

The egg plants are blooming now they wont produce anything before our first frost which is usually by the end of the month. But my pepper plants are finally growing and I got one small black sweet pepper.

 

[BlueMouse]

Don't remind me that frost is coming!!! I'm wondering if I tent my tomatoes with heavy duty clear plastic (we have a lot of vapor barrier left from our house) if I can get them to survive the month out and finish ripening? might be worth a try. I'm definitely going to try something like that with my eggplants, which are still just starting to flower. I finally picked tomatoes yesterady! Yay! and froze three quarts of green beans, and a quart of blanched chopped Kale for soups, and made a whole bunch of Kale chips. Hubby still won't eat Kale even as Kale chips, which I can't seem to stop munching on.... They're SOOOO yummy!

 

[BlueMouse]

Mumsy, what do you know about Gallica roses?? I really want to try to grow Cardinal De Richelieu, but know nothing about gallica's except that they're considered "old world" roses. I'm trying to get away from the floribundas/teas/grandifloras and grow more hardy own root stock, but know nothing about anything but the rugosas and the canadian roses (morden and parkland series roses. hardy to zone 3, can't kill most of them even with a really truly black thumb...)

 

[MumsyII]

@afl: I would pick that albino squash and cut it open and cook it! I'll bet it's already ripe. I don't know what kind it is.

I use heavy duty moisture barrier recycled plastic on my tomato house and I use the thin stuff for painting drop cloth too. Anything that holds heat in and keeps cold rain or frost off is going to lengthen your growing and ripening season.

@Bluemouse: I know quite a bit about Gallicas. They are among my favorite types. Very hardy. They bloom once on old wood. They can grow quite rangy and large if given enough sun and good soil. Don't prune them for a few years after planting and then only take out dead or twiggy growth. Best time to prune once blooming old European roses is after they bloom.


An unknown pink Gallica in my garden.


These are two semi double types of Gallica that were grown in the gardens of monks in the dark ages.

I have more but need to go deep into my folders to find pictures. I'll post them tonight. Got to run now to go off island shopping.

 

[armorfirelady]

Don't remind me that frost is coming!!! I'm wondering if I tent my tomatoes with heavy duty clear plastic (we have a lot of vapor barrier left from our house) if I can get them to survive the month out and finish ripening? might be worth a try. I'm definitely going to try something like that with my eggplants, which are still just starting to flower. I finally picked tomatoes yesterady! Yay! and froze three quarts of green beans, and a quart of blanched chopped Kale for soups, and made a whole bunch of Kale chips. Hubby still won't eat Kale even as Kale chips, which I can't seem to stop munching on.... They're SOOOO yummy! 

Hey that's a great idea.....I have a lot left over as well. I think I will try it as well. Maybe I can get some eggplants to. I still have some time to figure out how to make something to hold the plastic.

Mumsy I will pick it when the rain stops and see what I end up with. It's in the low 60s today a great day to cook up some squash for dinner

 

[armorfirelady]

I cooked up my albino squash. Here it is just cut opened

That's my tiny acorn squash I got next to it. I need to let them cool so I can clean them out. The squash inside looks the same. Curious if there is any taste difference.

I am guessing since I baked them in the oven for a hour & half the seeds are no good to plant next year?

 

[armorfirelady]

So the temps are dropping into the 40s tonight & maybe lower. I had no time to make a plastic hoop coop so my friend came up with this idea

Little red neck but if works it didn't cost me a thing. Plus I can still water them