What did you do in the garden today?

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. I've been a little busy this morning. Got my laundry started early, dug up 1/2 pound of potatoes for dinner tonight. Pulled the two summer squash plants then planted rainbow chard, curly endive and radishes where I had my sugar snap pea tower. I picked some more blushing tomatoes, a jalapeno, a hungarian pepper and a handful of: wait for it, pole beans finally. Now I'm on my second cup of coffee and second load of laundry. Is it nap time already? I still need to water the garden. No real substantial rain for awhile and the last time I watered was Thursday. I got some positive proof yesterday during "free range" time that ground hogs, at least my little Louie, is not harmful to chickens. Sitting out with the girls I noticed one of the littles and Alice, one of the old RIR hens, staring down a terrified looking Louie who was trying to make his way from his "hatch" and into the woods. Finally he made a dash to his usual trail and escaped. That made me feel better about learning to coexist with the little guy. I made chocolate zucchini muffins yesterday. These muffins were more like cupcakes and use two small to medium zucchinis. I cut the sugar back from 2 cups to 1 1/2 cups and they were amazing. Aside for the egg, they are dairy free and low fat and I believe easily convertible to gluten free @Sueby.


3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 12 cup muffin tins with shortening or line with paper cups.
In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in sugar and oil. Add cocoa, vanilla, zucchini, and stir well. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Mix just until moist. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins until 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Store loosely covered.

Finally, my favorite tomato @Lovem all would have to be any tomato that is blight resistant. Have a great day everyone.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Thanks may have try those. Do you peel your zucchini before using @Wee Farmer Sarah

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Thanks may have try those. Do you peel your zucchini before using @Wee Farmer Sarah

No. I just grate them on my box grater.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Sounds good shredded some with the Kitchen Aid shredder not all the peel grated
that way

 

[igorsMistress]

What's everyones favorite kind of tomatoes?

I'm a fan of Romas but I like to dehydrate them for chips.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Me it is Roma for paste beefy boy every thing else

 

[WthrLady]

I'm a fan of Romas but I like to dehydrate them for chips.

It depends on the use. I like SanMarzano for any kind of sauce/puree/salsa. THey are smaller than Amish paste and ripen faster. They also don't need cut or chunked for my puree and mill machine.
Romas are grand, but don't do well here at all. I have no idea why.
Heritage tomatoes, with all their nooks and crannies, are prone to disease here.
Early girl and better boy do well here for slicers.

Vine tomatoes that are indeterminant do better here on my windy dry hilltop than the determinant bush type tomatoes.

So it's not only what IS your favorite. It's what the end game is, and your location.

 

[WthrLady]

I pulled another 18 pounds of tomatoes out this morning. Tally board puts us at 168 pounds so far for the season.

We're heading to a humid SMOKEY 100 degrees from now until Friday. Phew. I'll be going out to do some more tying up in a few minutes and to let the hens out. IT's HOT.

I think the hens will be getting frozen veg for snack.
Alpacas will need hosing off.

Hope to get around to another blog entry today.

Have a great day all.

 

[igorsMistress]

Good morning gardeners. I got out to the garden and moved one plant to a new spot, cleaned the bunny litter boxes, the mess left in the garden and tinkered in the coop a little bit. I have some stuff coming to build a brooder so I can go back to using the cage to hold birds before processing. I moved the nest boxes to the mini coop yesterday and I'm going to brood in the main coop, won't need hubs for building anything either. I think it'll be easier to transition newbies into the flock that way and the 6 week olds are already roosting with the big girls. I think they might both be the same sex but I'm undecided as to whether they're boys or girls yet. The less than week olds are starting to feather out and running around in their little cage but keep managing to get out. I'm prepping the area I plan to put carrots with bunny poop and hay, will dig it all in later today but it's out there. We have a 20% chance of rain but it's muggy and gross out there already. I need to slice a watermelon for the dehydrator, have a good day all!

 

[igorsMistress]

It depends on the use. I like SanMarzano for any kind of sauce/puree/salsa. THey are smaller than Amish paste and ripen faster. They also don't need cut or chunked for my puree and mill machine.
Romas are grand, but don't do well here at all. I have no idea why.
Heritage tomatoes, with all their nooks and crannies, are prone to disease here.
Early girl and better boy do well here for slicers.

Vine tomatoes that are indeterminant do better here on my windy dry hilltop than the determinant bush type tomatoes.

So it's not only what IS your favorite. It's what the end game is, and your location.

Very true! I want to try some San Marzanos next year for sauces. They're on my list for seeds because of the praise you give them.

I like Romas for pico de gallo and for dehydrating. They're fleshy enough to hold up to making chips and I like their flavor in the pico.