The Story of Mr. Holland and Opus Eggplant
Opus Eggplant is a hard, round Asian eggplant that matures early. I like it not only because it matures early, also because of its exceptional quality in texture and taste. It was not a popular variety in my seed collection. I always thought maybe because people don't eat that many eggplants, or maybe because of their disappointing eggplant growing experience. I frequently hear people say:"My eggplant never produced!" or "My eggplant set fruit so late, by the time the weather turned cold, they were still size of a golf ball". I'd always told them they should try Opus Eggplant, it does not disappoint!
One such person I convinced was Mr. Holland. I met Mr. Holland in a local Flower and Garden Show. Mr. Holland loves eggplant, but complained how much work it is to get his eggplant to produce. I told Mr. Holland I can get my Opus Eggplant to produce at the end of June, good eating sized eggplants. He bought the seeds at the show, with certain amount of reservation.
The next year at the same garden show, an older gentleman walked straight up to me and said: "I got my eggplant to produce June 15th!" I was befuddled, and said: "And you are....", trying to search my brain where I had met him. "I am Mr. Holland, Karl. Remember me? You sold me Opus Eggplant last year." Ahh, now it all makes sense, eggplants!
Mr. Holland went on raved about how good the eggplant tastes: "It's sweet with no bitterness whatsoever, and it's firm, I made the best eggplant Parmesan ever! We just LOVE it!" Even though I knew all about Opus Eggplant, it is one of my favorite. Still, it was so nice to hear from someone else, especially from a enthusiastic eggplant lover.
One such person I convinced was Mr. Holland. I met Mr. Holland in a local Flower and Garden Show. Mr. Holland loves eggplant, but complained how much work it is to get his eggplant to produce. I told Mr. Holland I can get my Opus Eggplant to produce at the end of June, good eating sized eggplants. He bought the seeds at the show, with certain amount of reservation.The next year at the same garden show, an older gentleman walked straight up to me and said: "I got my eggplant to produce June 15th!" I was befuddled, and said: "And you are....", trying to search my brain where I had met him. "I am Mr. Holland, Karl. Remember me? You sold me Opus Eggplant last year." Ahh, now it all makes sense, eggplants!
Mr. Holland went on raved about how good the eggplant tastes: "It's sweet with no bitterness whatsoever, and it's firm, I made the best eggplant Parmesan ever! We just LOVE it!" Even though I knew all about Opus Eggplant, it is one of my favorite. Still, it was so nice to hear from someone else, especially from a enthusiastic eggplant lover.
We Are What WE Eat
The old saying "You are what you eat" reflects that people have long known that diet can affect one's health. Now scientific proof is finally on the way to explain why people eat "healthy" foods can avoid many of the calamities brought on by nature. In this captivating video you will learn that the "healthy foods" starve off the blood supply to support cancel cell growth, therefore, they never develop into something harmful. It turns out some of the foods are just as potent in fighting cancers as the highly priced pharmaceutical drugs. So make your next meal a gourmet cancer fighting feast. Eat more vegetables, drink red wines and have a great tea party with your friends. Do what you can to keep the health you have instead of treating the illness you get!
Time to Think Tomatoes
Just as we think spring is just around the corner, March surprised us with a blanket of snow. Don't let that dampen your spring fever, now should be the time to put your quest for the best tasting tomatoes in gear. There are so many good heirloom varieties available these days, the important thing is to select only the varieties that grow well in your region, and mature in time before winter (in our case, the rain) sets in. Ask around, talk to your local extension agents, don't leave it to chance! There are a few things you can do to maximize your success.
(1) Use fresh seeds as much as you can, especially if you are new to grow your own starts. Fresh seeds have higher vitality, they germinate faster and produce healthier seedlings.
(2) Use only sterile soil with good drainage and wetting agent: Tomatoes are slow growing seedlings, be sure to start with clean soil with no containment so the seedlings will not die of premature death (called damping off). The soil you use should be a seed starting mix with wetting agent. I use a seedling mix that contains: 50% peat moss and 50% vermiculite. Wetting agent, fertilizer and trace elements added. Free of weeds, disease and insects.
(3) Germination: Assume the above two conditions are satisfied, three elements are essential for the tomatoes seeds to germinate: temperature, moisture and oxygen. The optimum temperature for tomato seeds to germinate is between 75F-80F. They will germinate at a lower temperature, it will take longer. You supply the moisture by watering. Keep the soil moist after sowing. The fluffy loose soil should allow good drainage and plenty oxygen to reach the roots. Your seeds will emerge in 3-14 days, depending on the freshness of the seeds and the conditions they are growing in.
(4) Seedling Growth: Once they seedlings emerge, they will need light and nutrients to grow. Transplant the seedlings to larger containers. Give them plenty of light, otherwise they will grow thin and tall. Keep the seedlings in a condition that is not too hot, let them get some air so they can grow strong. They will remain in the containers until you are ready to transplant then out to the garden.
(5) Seedling Care: Since tomato seedlings are going to remain in the pots for quite sometime, there are a few good practices you can use to keep them healthy and disease free. You can keep the seedlings in the greenhouse with proper ventilation; or in a covered area, be sure to bring them in when the temperature drop below 40F, otherwise they could suffer frost burn. Other tips that are helpful are: cover the pots with a thin layer of chicken grits, these fine rocks act like a mulch. They keep the moisture in the pots and discourage molds from growing on the pots. (6) Varieties I had success with:
Cuban Yellow Grape: A small yellow grape tomato with intense flavor. Matures early and holds up well in the fall. Great in mixed heirloom tomato salads. An early maturing indeterminant type cherry tomato, a prolific yielder. Pick Red: An early, determinant plant, produces large slicing tomatoes with great taste.
Peron: An early, indeterminant plant,produces large slicing tomatoes with great taste. Very productive.
Isis Candy: A great tasting tomato when fully matured. It took longer to mature than I had hopped. It was quite sweet with very little acidity. I guess they were not ripe when I tasted them back in August. It sure takes a long time to mature, but it was worth it.
Roma Tomato: The variety I grew was very productive. Good for sauce and drying, not fresh eating.
Jet Star (Hybrid): This is a very early variety, produces large sized tomatoes that are great for fresh eating.
I have found a tomato list from LoveAppleFarm in California, it will provide some good references.http://www.growbetterveggies.com/files/laf-tomato-variety-list-2011---3-1.pdf What's My Favorite BBQ?
Summer is a perfect time for BBQ. The fresh herbs from the garden add extra flavors to the grill. Here's one of my favorite summer meal, it is easy to replicate and always a crowd pleaser.
Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken:
1 large fryer chicken, sectioned;
1 C. chopped fresh flat leave parsley;
1 C. Red Hot brand hot sauce;
1/4 C. vegetable oil; 5 large cloves of garlic;
Juice from 1 lime;
1/2 small red onion;
1/2 t. pepper, salt to taste;
2 T. McCormick Caribbean Jerk Seasoning;
1 C. Red Hot brand hot sauce;
1/4 C. vegetable oil; 5 large cloves of garlic;
Juice from 1 lime;
1/2 small red onion;
1/2 t. pepper, salt to taste;
2 T. McCormick Caribbean Jerk Seasoning;
Mix the hot sauce, herbs and spices together, rub all over the chicken pieces. Let the meat marinate for at least 2 hours. Grill on charcoal or gas grill until chicken pieces are done. Garnish with lime and chopped green onions. Serve with Thai Noodle Salad below.
For the sauce: 3 T. Sauce, 2 T. balsamic vinegar, 1/4 t. white pepper, 1/2 t. salt, 1 t. sesame seed oil, 2 T. sugar, 1 T. honey, 1 t. Red Rooster Sauce (Chinese hot pepper sauce), 2 T. creamy peanut butter, 3 large cloves of garlic crushed, 2 finely chopped jalapeno pepper, 1/2 C. chopped green pepper. Mix all ingredient together, pour over the noodles. If the noodle is too dry, add pasta cooking liquid until it reaches desired moisture content.Adjust salt to taste.
Thai Noodle Salad:
1 lb. spaghetti pasta, cook until done. Drain, add 2 T. salad oil, toss and set aside.
For the sauce: 3 T. Sauce, 2 T. balsamic vinegar, 1/4 t. white pepper, 1/2 t. salt, 1 t. sesame seed oil, 2 T. sugar, 1 T. honey, 1 t. Red Rooster Sauce (Chinese hot pepper sauce), 2 T. creamy peanut butter, 3 large cloves of garlic crushed, 2 finely chopped jalapeno pepper, 1/2 C. chopped green pepper. Mix all ingredient together, pour over the noodles. If the noodle is too dry, add pasta cooking liquid until it reaches desired moisture content.Adjust salt to taste.Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken.
Crustless Lemon Meringue "Non-Pie"
I like Lemon Meringue Pie, however eating the crust always leaving me feeling guilty. So I started making the lemon meringue without the crust, thus makes it a "Non-Pie". This recipe couldn't be easier. Instead of counting minutes when cooking, pay attention to the consistency of the filling.
Here's my recipe:
1.5 C. sugar, 1.5 C. water, 1/3 C. cornstarch and 1 T. flour;
4 eggs, separated;
2 lemons, 3 T. butter, and a pinch of salt.
1/4 t. cream of tartar + 2 T. sugar;
Beat the egg whites with a 1/4 t. cream of tartar and 2 T. sugar until firm peak forms.
Grate the lemon zest in a 3Q pot, add water, sugar, cornstarch, flour and pinch of salt. Cook on high heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stir constantly until thickened(Approximately 3-5 minutes, depending on your stove). Turn down the heat. Scoop some of the mixture and mix with the egg yolks, then pour the egg yolks into the mixture, continue to stir. Add butter, juice from the lemons, stir some more. Pour the mixture in a 8"x12" or comparable sized pan, spread the beaten egg whites on top. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 13 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely before serving (although this is not always possible).
1.5 C. sugar, 1.5 C. water, 1/3 C. cornstarch and 1 T. flour;
4 eggs, separated;
2 lemons, 3 T. butter, and a pinch of salt.
1/4 t. cream of tartar + 2 T. sugar;
Beat the egg whites with a 1/4 t. cream of tartar and 2 T. sugar until firm peak forms.
Grate the lemon zest in a 3Q pot, add water, sugar, cornstarch, flour and pinch of salt. Cook on high heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stir constantly until thickened(Approximately 3-5 minutes, depending on your stove). Turn down the heat. Scoop some of the mixture and mix with the egg yolks, then pour the egg yolks into the mixture, continue to stir. Add butter, juice from the lemons, stir some more. Pour the mixture in a 8"x12" or comparable sized pan, spread the beaten egg whites on top. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 13 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely before serving (although this is not always possible).
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