What did you do in the garden today?

[Taote]

Shiso is a Japanese herb and ornamental, leaves green on top, purple underneath. A member of the mint family, with a robust herbal flavor and a hint of licorice. Great in small doses in a salad, or to wrap sushi. Also easy to germinate and grow, tho has been a little sulky in this heat. I think it would be considered a tender perennial in KY.

 

[chickmom3941]

Thanks! And, I told my hubby about your son traveling with his chicken and he laughed out loud. But man, when I have to go to ohio for medical stuff - we take our dogs - and I worry the whole day about the chickens. I really care about them, and think they are way more intelligent and affectionate than I ever would have believed.

Yes, me too. When I was first reading about chickens (before we got our flock), I kept hearing people say that they each have their own personalities. It was hard for me to imagine a chicken having much of a personality, but boy was I wrong! They certainly do have personalities, each one different. And I love them all!

 

[Taote]

@Taote Yes, Jen, please do consider using the Homegrown by Heroes logo! I know it would influence my personal buying habits to know I was buying from our local veterans and their families. I'm so very tickled you had a good day at market!

I'm being lazy this afternoon. Well, not lazy, prudent. It's blasted hot and I got a bit dizzy before lunch. Got some things done out on the coop though. Painted the floor while the walls are off and it's easier to get a good couple of coats on it all. Painted some cut pieces and the edges near foundation, even though they'll be covered, paint helps them last longer. Watered everything good while I did other stuff by letting the hose run low and slow. Kept an eye on the biddies in their pen. Gave them a large plant saucer wading pool. Not sure everyone is using the nipples yet, so better safe than sorry.

Biddies catching flies in midair is hilarious! Running and jumping to catch them. And the noise they make as they run around with some special find is great. Fun to watch them.

I am known far and wide as Wink. Got the nickname from my Uncle Darrell when I was about 5. I asked him why he blinked his one eye at the nice ladies ("To show them that I think they are special nice"), then practiced learning to wink for a long time. He started calling me "lil wink" and it stuck. I'll answer to Terri, but I only seem to be called that when I'm in trouble or for legal matters.

Doing indoor housework this afternoon. HE is going over bills, so I'll bake him a sweet treat. Maybe a cheesecake so I don't have to get the house hot.

That is by NO MEANS lazy, lol! You work HARD, Wink!

I WISH my girls would go for flies but they ignore them completely : ( And since we are surrounded by horses the flies are terrible (and they BITE).

p.s. There's a part if me that is loathe to have an advantage because of my service. Farmers are such hard workers...

 

[CapricornFarm]

@Taote Yes, Jen, please do consider using the Homegrown by Heroes logo! I know it would influence my personal buying habits to know I was buying from our local veterans and their families. I'm so very tickled you had a good day at market!

I'm being lazy this afternoon. Well, not lazy, prudent. It's blasted hot and I got a bit dizzy before lunch. Got some things done out on the coop though. Painted the floor while the walls are off and it's easier to get a good couple of coats on it all. Painted some cut pieces and the edges near foundation, even though they'll be covered, paint helps them last longer. Watered everything good while I did other stuff by letting the hose run low and slow. Kept an eye on the biddies in their pen. Gave them a large plant saucer wading pool. Not sure everyone is using the nipples yet, so better safe than sorry.

Biddies catching flies in midair is hilarious! Running and jumping to catch them. And the noise they make as they run around with some special find is great. Fun to watch them.

I am known far and wide as Wink. Got the nickname from my Uncle Darrell when I was about 5. I asked him why he blinked his one eye at the nice ladies ("To show them that I think they are special nice"), then practiced learning to wink for a long time. He started calling me "lil wink" and it stuck. I'll answer to Terri, but I only seem to be called that when I'm in trouble or for legal matters.

Doing indoor housework this afternoon. HE is going over bills, so I'll bake him a sweet treat. Maybe a cheesecake so I don't have to get the house hot.

Better safe than sorry. I am getting a migraine so i am off to bed.

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Rest well Cap. And thanks Jen! I looked at the list again. I got more done than I thought!

 

[Taote]

Better safe than sorry. I am getting a migraine so i am off to bed.

Feel better! I'm going to have a late siesta, I think.

 

[dunnmom]

I did nearly nothing today. Too hot! Although I did take some scotch tape out to the garden to remove squash vine borer eggs from my delicata plants. Got about 50 or so, cussing the entire time. Lol!

 

[Taote]

Shiso

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Oh man! Someone else who has Shiso in their garden... I can't control it in mine. My mum brought it to me FIVE YEARS ago thinking it was purple basil. I have never tried to grow it since, it's just always there, it reseeds itself so vigorously.
Incidentally, one of it's biggest uses in Asian cuisine is to dry it, grind it up and mix it with salt to make a powder that gets shook on rice bowls and rice balls. It's sold as "Beefsteak" seasoning for it's almost meaty flavor when dried. It's got a hint of anise when fresh, but it's very interesting when dry.
Since it reseeds so vigorously I always just pick a few plants to let it go to seed and it just grows back year after year. Nothing delicate about this plant! It's the first thing to sprout and the last thing to die back.
https://www.amazon.com/JFC-Shiso-Fumi-Furikake-Seasoning/dp/B0006G5KE4

 

[chickmom3941]

Call me Jen, and I sold out : ) thanks for asking. My head hit the pillow around 3am and had to get up at 5:45.

I ended up making 36 dinner rolls (3 flavors), 1 round light rye loaf, 12 lavender caramel breakfast rolls, and 6 packs of lavender sugar cookies (wasn't going to do those but there were some people who said they were coming early to get them before I ran out so I went ahead and pulled that dough out of the fridge after all). Also made 4 peach blackberry buckles in individual tart pans. Oh and 8 mini zucchini loaves.

I'm super glad we sold out all of the bakery, but MORE excited to have sold out of specialty tomatoes (green zebra, black krim, and terra cotta). Very few of them were "perfect" and people were glad to buy them, esp. after getting a taste.

We sold all of the cherry tomatoes too, maybe 10 pints - a good mix of varieties. Plus some purple pole beans.

And also a lot of repeat customers buying summer squash / zucchini, cukes, and jalepenos.

So Yay! Our best one yet : ), but with a tiny bit of trepidation ... I'm a little afraid of people's expectations ...

People like and are coming to expect more and more bread and bakery. Kindof hard for me to pull off sometimes - if I have a bad day the day before a market and bring no bakery it feels like I would really be disappointing people.

Jen

I could see how people would flock to your stand for all those wonderful-sounding baked goods, plus the tomatoes sound really interesting, as well. Are they heirloom tomatoes, or new-fangeled (sp-?) ones? I love all the neat tried and true heirloom veggies, but some of the new ones are really great, also. Sounds like you have your hands full with all that baking, but sounds like a lot of fun at the same time! I'm happy for you!