What did you do in the garden today?

[IamRainey]

Still in my pajamas so no pix today but I made a post-breakfast trip out to the chicken coop and garden. No yield to speak of from my very late start garden but there were 2 surprises this morning.

The small ornamental pumpkin that I planted for my grandson is going great guns. No actual blossoms yet but the vine is 4' tall and working it's way up the trellis steadily. I put in a second trellis for in at an adjoining raised bed. And I gave it a good examination. Turns out the plant label says the variety is "Big Max". Oooops!

Then I bought one tomato seedling and rescued a second volunteer and gave them deliberate places in my veggie beds. Out in my landscape there's a spot that was a good sized ornamental bed. I'm presently trying desperately to kill nutsedge in the lawn around it so it's gone fairly wild between that period when I wasn't mobile and the futility of planting where I'm using an herbicide. Only it's swamped with tomato volunteers the birds planted for me sprawling all over. I've been ignoring that spot but this morning I went over and gave it a quick once over. Turns out that my fussed over plants haven't produced even a sign of production yet but 2 of my neglected volunteers have little greenies! One is clearly going to be a cherry size but the other may turn out to produce decent sized tomatoes. ...if the squirrels and rats will leave them alone this year! Now I'm hopeful of some yummy homegrowns!

 

[IamRainey]

I'm ALWAYS open to any suggestions anyone has. I'm desperate & will try anything and believe that the power of social media to help with things like this is awesome. As a matter of fact I just started watching a series on Netflix called Diagnosis where a doctor & NYTimes writer is doing just that - putting mysterious, rare, undiagnosed illnesses out to the world & actually getting answers for these people. Pretty cool.

...

Off to google turbinates...

What an interesting use of media and social media! Have you appealed to it for help? I mean if you're open to new approaches...

Turbinates are little peninsula sort of shaped soft tissue in front of the opening to the sinuses. One ENT approached them as obstacles and wanted them out of the way to increase my air intake. The other as guardians of the sinuses trapping particulates before they could enter and aggravate the cavities.

Long time ago and, frankly, I don't think I've noticed a big effect of either approach. I'm just sensitive to the first "tickling" or congestion and begin irrigating. Works for me and I prefer it to all the steroids that I've had to take for 40-ish years for various issues. I take them when it's essential but prefer a bit of toughing things through when I can avoid them.

YAY!!! for all your tomatoes! Nothing's more yummy than a ripe home grown tomato.

How do you use them? The last time I had any crop I made a tart of multi-colored slices with a polenta crust topped with cheddar cheese. I've been waiting for another one for a couple years now! Maybe this year....

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I can tomato sauce that I can later turn into different things like marinara sauce or enchilada sauce. I use it in Indian curries as well. I don't pickle green tomatoes, however I have used a few small green tomatoes in place of tomatillos when making green chili stew. The flavor is similar. I'm not all that fond of fried green tomatoes especially since I've cut way back on fried foods. I may can stewed tomatoes this year. I can use my bell and jalapeno peppers in them. I really liked the cherry tomato salsa I made, so I will likely make another batch of that. I used some along with some refried black beans for a vegetarian burrito. It was quite tasty and quick to make. Good thing I already ate lunch or I'd be making myself hungry again. LOL!

 

[IamRainey]

That all sounds like it has delicious possibilities and will come in handy!

You know what I'd like to can some day and have never found a recipe for? Ratatouille, that garlic-y French stew of tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, red peppers and onion. We LOVE it and eat it all Summer long. But it would be a wonderful thing to have in the cold months too.

I've never found a recipe or process and I suspect it's that the zucchini and probably other things bring the acidity level too low. I'm OK with treating tomatoes as adequate even if the USDA isn't because that's the way my family always did it and I did it for years before I knew that they insist you have to add acid, but I'm nowhere near confident about lowering the acid level and then trusting its safety without guidelines from a reliable source.

Buuuuuutttttttt, since you can a lot, Wee Farmer, or Sarah, or whatever you prefer, maybe you know or will run across a safe way to preserve it. If you do, I'd LOVE to get pointed in that direction!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

That all sounds like it has delicious possibilities and will come in handy!

You know what I'd like to can some day and have never found a recipe for? Ratatouille, that garlic-y French stew of tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, red peppers and onion. We LOVE it and eat it all Summer long. But it would be a wonderful thing to have in the cold months too.

I've never found a recipe or process and I suspect it's that the zucchini and probably other things bring the acidity level too low. I'm OK with treating tomatoes as adequate even if the USDA isn't because that's the way my family always did it and I did it for years before I knew that they insist you have to add acid, but I'm nowhere near confident about lowering the acid level and then trusting its safety without guidelines from a reliable source.

Buuuuuutttttttt, since you can a lot, Wee Farmer, or Sarah, or whatever you prefer, maybe you know or will run across a safe way to preserve it. If you do, I'd LOVE to get pointed in that direction!

Me personally, I wouldn’t want to can it. Just make it fresh whenever you want to. All the ingredients are readily available year round. If you don’t have a recipe for it already, just google it. I have 2 copies / two separate editions of the “Joy of Cooking” and they have recipes for almost anything. Good luck with that.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Just a note @IamRainey, I don’t can soups. I can or freeze the produce from my own garden to use throughout the year. I cook from basic ingredients that I have grown mostly myself. Nothing fancy, I cook what I like to eat and not to impress anyone. When I do make soup it’s a small batch and I will only freeze a single serving or two. I rarely make soup in the summer, it’s just too hot. And like fried green tomatoes, I’m not particularly fond of eggplant. So my go to vegetarian soup is pasta e fagioli.

 

[IamRainey]

Me personally, I wouldn’t want to can it. Just make it fresh whenever you want to. All the ingredients are readily available year round. If you don’t have a recipe for it already, just google it. I have 2 copies / two separate editions of the “Joy of Cooking” and they have recipes for almost anything. Good luck with that.

Yup! You're right that most of the stuff is available year round. ...except for the Summer tomatoes that have a flavor the Winter tomatoes DON'T have. I do make it with canned tomatoes when I have to, but it would be nice to be able to have it prepared.

One day I may come across the proper process... No prob at all if you don't have a resource for it. Not sure one exists since I've been looking for it for years.

BTW, it's not so much a soup as a very thick sauce that you have with rice or noodles or polenta or some such thing. Pretty yummy -- and a great healthy choice! -- but if you don't care for eggplant it might not be for you.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Yup! You're right that most of the stuff is available year round. ...except for the Summer tomatoes that have a flavor the Winter tomatoes DON'T have. I do make it with canned tomatoes when I have to, but it would be nice to be able to have it prepared.

One day I may come across the proper process... No prob at all if you don't have a resource for it. Not sure one exists since I've been looking for it for years.

BTW, it's not so much a soup as a very thick sauce that you have with rice or noodles or polenta or some such thing. Pretty yummy -- and a great healthy choice! -- but if you don't care for eggplant it might not be for you.

I've made it myself, I don't care for it. And it is pretty much a vegetable soup or stew. My point was that canning soup will not retain that same freshness. I am retired and have the time to make meals from scratch. I know @WthrLady makes and cans soups, however with her busy lifestyle it likely helps her out immensely. I can't imagine trying to do all the work she does on her ranch and spending an hour or more cooking dinner every night. So it really goes on your personal taste buds and what fits your lifestyle. However, if you want to give canning it a try, check out this link: https://www.thespruceeats.com/ratatouille-recipe-with-canning-instructions-1327484. Happy cooking!

 

[pennyJo1960]

hoping to get out to my garden bad day here arthritis and weather changes do not mix but slow up this morning been working on a new sourdough starter about 4 days old now but smelling great .. have tomatoes on the plant hope yesterdays rains do not split them BF weedeated the garden even raked the grass out for me we have good space between the tires we use

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

hoping to get out to my garden bad day here arthritis and weather changes do not mix but slow up this morning been working on a new sourdough starter about 4 days old now but smelling great .. have tomatoes on the plant hope yesterdays rains do not split them BF weedeated the garden even raked the grass out for me we have good space between the tires we use View attachment 1885889

Good luck with your starter Penny. I’ve managed to keep mine alive for 7 years now.