Helpful Tools for the Garden

Vegetable gardening can be intensive. Helpful tools in the garden can make a huge difference. After years of practice, I have discovered some of the tools that set my mind at ease going into every gardening season. Here is the list of my favs:
(1) The Minihooper: This is a neat little device that will allow you to plant your garden earlier in the spring and extend it later in the fall. The minihoop house (by New Dimension Seed) sets up directly in your vegetable garden, protect your vegetable starts from frost. How many times have you guessed when the last spring frost is??? and that is not an easy task!
(2) A "D" ring hoe. This is by far the best hoe I have ever purchased (and believe me I have purchased a LOT!). I like this hoe from a mechanical engineer's perspective: it allows you to use the least amount of force to archive the best result. Buy one that is well constructed so the screws don't fall out on you. I carry it with me whenever I go into the garden, especially when the veggies are still small. Kilis the weeds before they take over.
(3) A Garden Seeder (from Midwest Products, available from www.newdimensionseed.com/tools). This is is a device no serious gardener should go without. If you plant a large garden like I do, this can give your garden a professional look and draw admirers from miles away... The seeder comes with different disks for sowing different seeds. You will get perfect spaced straight rows that not only is good looking, but produce tons of veggies. It is ideal for market gardeners!

Zucchini Pineapple Bread(from the Taste of Oregon cookbook): Cooked in Jars

3 eggs
1 C. oil
2 C. sugar
2 C shredded zucchini
1 can (8.5 oz.) crushed pineapple
3 C. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1-1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. nutmeg
1 C chopped nuts or currants
Mix all wet ingredients together, mix all dry ingredients together, be sure to sift the flour, it makes a big difference. Fill quart canning jars half full. Use a canning funnel so you don't leave batter on edges. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes. Leave ample space between jars so they cook evenly. Remove jars one at a time, cover with canning lid, screw band on tight. Leave jars in a cool non-draft place until sealed. Can keep up to 6 month. Great for the cold winters!


To make jar-bread

8-25-08 The Garden is in Full Production

Tomatoes are turning red, tons of zucchinis, lots of peppers, giant green onions, even eggplants are producing like mad, and don't forget the delicious Stallion White Cucumbers (from New Dimension Seed)! My watermelons are about 8" across, should be ready in about a week or two. I can't wait. I harvested all my Yukon Gold potatoes. The lettuce is gone, but I picked the leaves and stuff them in a ziplog bag and through them in the fridge, they will last a while. Corns are almost filled, but still on the young side, since I like mine chewy sweet.

Summer is finally here, So many choices of fresh vegetables to use. Here are some ideas of how to use these wonderful vegetables:
Tomato soup made with leftover steak and fresh tomatoes;
Egg Flower Soup with fresh tomatoes;
Fresh salsa with tomatoes, peppers and BASIL! It was delicious.
Zucchini Pineapple bread;
Zucchini pancakes;
Chilli Releno with Estella Pepper;
Cucumber salad
Hot German Potato Salad;

On the fruit side, pears are ready, Akeen Apple, my sure producer is loaded with apples and they are turning bright red. It's a very good fresh eating and cooking apple, tart and sweet. The Italian prune tree didn't do well this year, I guess non of the plum and prunes did good.

08-02-08 Little Apples Big Taste

One of the unspoken pleasure of having apple trees is the apple dessert made with the small, not quite mature apples. These small apples are drop offs, or thinned out ones that are often thrown away, but they make a delicious apple dessert. They are tart like granny smith, but with flavors of their own. I always enjoyed these in the early summer days. Add some ice cream and you'll get a perfect a la mode!
Here's the recipe:
3 C. cutup peeled, cored small apples,
1/2 C. sugar,
1 T. butter,
lime juice from half lime,
2 T. flour
1/2 t. cinnamon,
dash of slat,
A few blackberries (Optional)
For the dessert topping:
1/2 C. instant oat meal,
1/2 C. brown sugar,
2 T. flour
3 T. butter
Heat the butter in a frying pan until melt, add the apple pieces, add lime juice, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Please in a baking dish. Place blackberries on top of the apples. Blend the topping ingredients together, place it on top of the fruit. Bake at 350 F preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. Cool, serve with vanilla ice cream and whip cream. Yum!

07-31-08 Picklishious

The snap beans are in full production. These are the Xupar No String Snap Beans from New Dimension Seed. I picked 12 pounds today! Prepared some for fresh eating, I pickled the rest. They are absolutely delicious. The Xupar Snap Beans do not have strings, so it is perfect for pickling. Here's the dilly bean resipe:

Easy Dilly Beans:
8 lb. snap beans
4 C. cider vinegar
4 C. water
1/2 C. salt
Spices of your choice, I used fresh dill, dried mustard seeds, whole peppercorns, garlic, dried red pepper. Bring the water vinegar and salt to a boil. Pack trimmed beans in sterilized hot jars, pour hot liquid in jars. Cap jars. Process jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars, let cool. I am certain these won't last long, so I just bought another gallon of vinegar and I will make more...

07-28-08 Tomato Care

It is the end of July, tomatoes are still all green. Several factors to consider when growing tomatoes (1) selecting early varieties to grow. And plant several different varieties. Most tomatoes don't mature until August. One exception is the Dwarf Red Bell Cherry Tomato (From NewDimensionSeed)
which can be harvested in later June. It grows 12" tall and loaded with tomatoes. (2) Start them the right time (3)If there are too many side branches, bury the extras in the ground so that they can generate additional root structures to support the plant. (4) remove the bottom leaves to promote good air circulations, preventing disease from forming. Then wait patiently for the tomatoes to turn red...

07-25-08 Sushi Night

Last night I made sushi for dinner. The fresh cucumbers are just ready to eat. The soybeans are nice and plump. I used one package of frozen yellow fin tuna.One thing I love is the sushi mold. It is a two piece fixture and makes perfect rice cubes. Make the presentation real nice. I will explain how to assemble the sushi in another time, for now I will just talk about how I made the side dishes:
1. Seaweed Salad: I made the seaweed salad with dried shredded seaweed (available in Asian stores, very cheap). Soak the dried seaweed in hot water for 15 minutes, add minced garlic, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds, all to taste. You don't need to add any salt because the seaweed's salty already.
2. Cucumber Marinade: Slice the fresh picked cucumbers into thin slices, add flavored sushi rice vinegar, let set for 15 minutes.
3. Boiled Soybeans: Boil fresh or frozen soybeans for about 12 minutes in salted water. Serve cooled.