Garden & Kitchen - Amazing Greens and Fruits and "Fruits".

Dear Folks,

The other day I harvested the most amazing mix of greens and some veggies.  More on that below.

First I was so pleased to find new Barbados Cherries (aka Acerola Malpighia emarginata) on my tree and I got to them before the birds.  The lovely thing about these high Vitamin C and antioxidant fruits is they continue to ripen when you pull them off the tree, so if I think the birds are going to swoop in, I can beat them to them :-)  The tree flowers and fruits multiple times through the year, but these cherries are the biggest I've seen in many months.  The tree must like the weather we have been having.

We refer to the swollen calyx of the Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) as "fruit" because that is how it is used.  This tangy cranberry flavored fruit is outstanding for its Vitamin C and other antioxidant properties. It is a stunning plant in the garden and LOVES our summer heat.  While most folks grow the bush for its "fruit" I use the leaves through the summer as part of my summer "lettuce" aka greens mix for salads and on sandwiches.  I also shred the leaves along with other greens for soups.

***Don't Forget My Free Seed Share This Saturday***

Free Seed Share
Saturday, November 3, 2018
1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Mesa Urban Garden (MUG)
212 East 1st Avenue (NE corner of Hibbert and 1st Avenue)
Mesa, AZ  85210
602-370-4459

I was sitting at the kitchen table looking out the window (aka "Garden TV" because we just enjoy watching the goings on while having a meal), when I spotted "red" near the top of the cherry tree.  Grabbing the binoculars we keep handy, I saw cherries!!.  So I went out to harvest. 

As I mentioned above, it is important to keep one step ahead of the birds!

While touring the garden, I took a really close look at our Roselle and the "fruits" are HUGE.  I have not been harvesting, and plan on sharing some of the branches this Saturday (first come, first served).  Many folks may have enjoyed tea with something called "Hibiscus" or "Red Hibiscus" and THIS is the "fruit" used.

If you have a nice sized spot in your garden (the bush can get 6+ feet wide), in full sun, I would encourage you to grow this wonderful edible.

I harvested a wonderful mix of greens and two different sweet peppers the other day.

Sweet potato and nasturtium leaves, celery, I'itoi onion tops, purple and sweet basil, roselle leaves, mesclum mix of romaine, arugula, red sails, Paradicsom and Lipstick sweet peppers.  I like the color mix of yellow and green.

I sowed a small area with a mix of lettuces and got that bunch of mixed colors and textures (lower left of picture) - LOVE it!  I add more seeds to keep the mix growing along, while treating the growing greens as cut-and-come-again. The bit of celery - below the nasturtium leaves is from the recycled celery roots which are growing nicely.

I am trying to perfect my egg poaching skill. Still in training!  I read about a new way of poaching and I just need to tweak it a bit and then I can tell you what worked. But this meal was great tasting if not quite as pretty as I was hoping.

I took the peppers and finely diced with some celery and carrots.  I tossed with a bit of one of my lime dressings, sprinkled some of the dressing over the avocado slices.  I shredded my lovely greens mix and used as a bed for everything.  As I noted it was delicious!

I hope you enjoyed this visit to my garden and how I use some of our bounty.

You can have my monthly planting plus more tips at YOUR finger tips with my wall calendar.

Click here to see - there is a preview available (click on "preview" below the picture).

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Have a best day in your garden and kitchen,


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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Free Seed Share Coming Up - and Garden and Kitchen Fun

Dear Folks,

My Free Seed Share is this coming Saturday, November 3rd, 1 pm at Mesa Urban Garden.

Free Seed Share
Saturday, November 3, 2018
1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Mesa Urban Garden (MUG)
212 East 1st Avenue (NE corner of Hibbert and 1st Avenue)
Mesa, AZ  85210
602-370-4459

I hope to see you there!

My Elephant Garlic is finally sprouting.  I was looking for it sooner as the regular garlic began sprouting just days after I planted them.  But these are coming along nicely now too.

More eggplant fruiting!  I love both the Casper and the Listarda, but I think I am beginning to favor the Listarda more - the color, the flavor, few seeds and it can get quite a bit larger than the Casper without over-aging* too soon.   Leaving on the plants until sometime next week.  Not quite sure what I am going to do with them - maybe more "bacon"!

*Over-aging means the fruit starts to turn bitter.

I thought you might like to see a collage of my garden critters.  Daisy Mae the Flying Pig, Annabelle the Goat and Beauregard the Rooster.

In my last blog post I shared the Sweet Potatoes "Molokai" I harvested.  They are in my water heater shed where they can cure and be available for when I need them.  Two were HUGE, so I decided to make a couple of different side dishes with one of them.  I actually still have a piece of this one and will think about how to use (maybe sweet potato "Bacon"?), but I have to say I really liked the way these two sides turned out.  Usually I leave skin on all potatoes when I cook them, even when mashing.  However, with sweet potatoes this size then can be 'woody' and the skin tough so I peel them.

I harvested my I'itoi onions, which have a shallot like flavored bulb and mild onion top.  I used my mandolin to cut a section of the Molokai into slices.  Because the Molokai is more dense at this size, I zapped the slices in the microwave for 2 minutes and cooled them. cleaned and cut the I'itoi into sections.  I melted about a teaspoon each of butter, avocado oil and uncured bacon fat.  I added about a teaspoon of my dried thyme, coarse salt and cracked black pepper and tossed the potato and onion to coat.  I pre-heated my toaster oven to 350, stacked the potato and onion horizontally and baked for about 60 minutes.  Topped each serving with some shredded Parmesan cheese. Yum.  I was trying for a "pretty" presentation with this side.  It "sort of" worked out.

Who does not love some form of potatoes and onions!

I also had to do something similar with more of the Molokai.  I had a lovely bag of organic baby potatoes from the store and a red onion. 

I preheated the toaster oven to 325.

I cut the Molokai into pieces and again zapped in the microwave for 2 minutes.

I cut the regular potatoes into pieces and placed in water to keep from browning. Cut about 1/3 of the onion into chunks (saving the peels in my freezer "stock" bucket).

I melted a mix of butter and uncured bacon fat (about 1 1/2 tablespoons total)  Added the drained potatoes, Molokai and onion and tossed to coat.  I find tossing the veggies IN the pot I melted the fat in did a much better job coating than trying to pour over and stir while in the pan.

Poured into my pan, sprinkled about 2 tablespoons of my crushed dried celery leaves and 1 teaspoon of my dried thyme and roasted for 70 minutes, approximately.  I stirred the mix once about half way through.  Topped with Parmesan Cheese and served.  We LOVED this one.  I think I will do this one more often and alternate the red onion with my wonderful I'itoi onions.  I really like the contrast of colors of the regular potato, the Molokai and the red onion.  The flavor marriage was outstanding.

FYI - I use my toaster oven regularly rather than turn on the big oven, since it is usually just the two of us.

It also fits right into the idea of growing your own and harvesting as needed.

We should have lovely weather for the Free Seed Share this coming Saturday.  I hope to see you there.

Meanwhile, you can find my books and calendars for sale at Amazon or my publisher's site.

Have a Great time in your garden and kitchen!

--Catherine, The Herb Lady

My Calendar and Book Links

Wall Calendar
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1387385798/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Publisher Direct
http://www.lulu.com/shop/catherine-crowley/edible-landscaping-a-month-by-month-calendar-desert-southwest-usda-zone-9b/paperback/product-23433329.html


Beginner's Southwest Gardening Book
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141164039X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Publisher Direct
http://www.lulu.com/shop/catherine-crowley/edible-landscaping-in-the-desert-southwest-wheelbarrow-to-plate/paperback/product-176297.html





-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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Disclaimer: Clicking on links on this blog may earn me a small commission if you purchase something. Your price does not change.