What did you do in the garden today?

[Fishychix]

We really like the spaghetti squash that my garden has produced, but the skins are so hard and tough that they're nigh impervious to even the sharpest kitchen cutlery. But I'm a man and I have cordless power tools, so I'm not going to let that stop me. Of course the circular and jig saws would be overkill (c'mon, I'm not a barbarian), which left the oscillating tool and angle grinder with cutting wheel as options. Both were effective at cutting through the stubborn cucurbit's hide like it wasn't even there. But the oscillating tool gets the win for neatness...simply because when a cutting wheel spinning at 9,000 RPM hits the soft guts of a squash the aforementioned guts tend to not stay as confined as one would prefer. Plus the oscillating tool is much easier to use with one hand.

This has been today's helpful tip from the Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor School of Culinary Arts.

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I just stick a chefs knife or a santoku knife straight down in the center and pull it down towards one end, then do the same on the other side.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

We really like the spaghetti squash that my garden has produced, but the skins are so hard and tough that they're nigh impervious to even the sharpest kitchen cutlery. But I'm a man and I have cordless power tools, so I'm not going to let that stop me. Of course the circular and jig saws would be overkill (c'mon, I'm not a barbarian), which left the oscillating tool and angle grinder with cutting wheel as options. Both were effective at cutting through the stubborn cucurbit's hide like it wasn't even there. But the oscillating tool gets the win for neatness...simply because when a cutting wheel spinning at 9,000 RPM hits the soft guts of a squash the aforementioned guts tend to not stay as confined as one would prefer. Plus the oscillating tool is much easier to use with one hand.

This has been today's helpful tip from the Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor School of Culinary Arts.

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Oh oh oh try a sword next!
Video or it didn't happen...

 

[DParker75089]

I just stick a chefs knife or a santoku knife straight down in the center and pull it down towards one end, then do the same on the other side.

Where's the fun in that?

 

[DParker75089]

Oh oh oh try a sword next!
Video or it didn't happen...

Don't give me any ideas.

 

[Elyrian1]

My trick with spaghetti squash was to seesaw the knife with my other hand well out of the way. Once you've got the first cut through the squash skin it goes easily. My recipe calls for the squash to be cut in 1-1.5 inch rings before roasting, so there was quite a bit of cutting to be done. A sharp knife is a must. Lucky me DH has some fancy honing stones and finds knife sharpening relaxing.

 

[chickengr]

Maybe a friendly comment to the guy," You know, if you tightened this up, and straightened that up, your cows would not CONSTANTLY be getting out" type of thing may help?

I don't think this would work.

THIS MIGHT WORK:

Explain to him how DEAD COWS that got splatted by vehicles, not only don't earn him any money, but may potentially cost him the entire farm if someone dies in an accident. Granted, its a scorched earth approach but might be enough to get him to fix his fence?

Aaron

 

[chickengr]

Okra LOVES water. Not swimming in it but give them a good dousing down daily and they'll be happy. Once they start producing, it's slow but they will get bigger, and make more as they mature. Okra is one of those that continues to produce until it dies off (usually frost gets it). Keep picking the pods as they get to eating size, which is about 3 inches tops, and it'll keep making more !!

Aaron

any idea why okra is not blooming? last summer I had an okra jungle without producing. right now my neighbors have the same problem.

 

[Ascholten]

We really like the spaghetti squash that my garden has produced, but the skins are so hard and tough that they're nigh impervious to even the sharpest kitchen cutlery.

Ever hear of a watermelon knife?
They work wonders on hard ass squashes too. Line it up get it started lift the entire thing if you must and thump down, or just rock it into it. Works like a champ.

I am sure they can be found other places but just where I got mine at.
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/victorinox-7-6058-10-12-watermelon-knife/35340286.html

oh oof price went up, but so has everything else

Aaron

 

[Ascholten]

any idea why okra is not blooming? last summer I had an okra jungle without producing. right now my neighbors have the same problem.

Extreme heat and not enough water were the only things I ever seen stunting my okra's.
Are the leaves wilty? They will let you know if they are drying out. They'll come back in a day or so but that can throw off the flowering for sometimes a week if you let it get bad.

My okra's were steady bloomers, never had a ton of flowers /fruits, maybe 2 to 3 at a time max but just constantly producing them.

You could try some fertilizers for them too. High Nitrogen of course is going to make them leafy, some phosphates may be very helpful too. Now I hear seasons are swapped on the other end of the globe, but here in the southern US, it's starting to get late in the season. They should be long producing already and in a few months starting to get leggy and dying off because their season's done.

Aaron

 

[SheaLoner]

We really like the spaghetti squash that my garden has produced, but the skins are so hard and tough that they're nigh impervious to even the sharpest kitchen cutlery. But I'm a man and I have cordless power tools, so I'm not going to let that stop me. Of course the circular and jig saws would be overkill (c'mon, I'm not a barbarian), which left the oscillating tool and angle grinder with cutting wheel as options. Both were effective at cutting through the stubborn cucurbit's hide like it wasn't even there. But the oscillating tool gets the win for neatness...simply because when a cutting wheel spinning at 9,000 RPM hits the soft guts of a squash the aforementioned guts tend to not stay as confined as one would prefer. Plus the oscillating tool is much easier to use with one hand.

This has been today's helpful tip from the Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor School of Culinary Arts.

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Next time try a cleaver and hammer or an axe/hatchet. Once you cet started it'll go right through.
Nice use of overkill though! I have pics somewhere of being unable to find matches or a lighter so that Bday cake got lit by a torch!