garden rewards

[Vanessa]

JUst wanted to check how's everyone gardening going. Our yellow pear tomato plant just dried out never seen that happen before. Just made batches of pesto...Oh yes the whole house smells pesto, roasted peppers and blanched beans.
I guess I will have to bake some zucchini bread tomorrow too.
The "squash borg" attacked a zucchini but I have several on the deck to be planted... I love this month because the garden is green and things are ripening!
So how's your garden coming along?

[Sami]

I have a big problem with deer, so this year I only planted 3 tomato plants and 1 pepper, then wrapped each one with wire to keep out the animals. So far so good, but the flowers are now being eaten.

I have 1 basil plant and it is gigantic. I have made pesto and like the ideas in the August issue , but what is there to do with the rest of the leaves?

[KathrynY]

My squash plants are gigantic, and I should be harvesting fresh yellow squash within the week! :) (Now to the Great Food board to find that recipe for squash casserole...)

Don't know what's up with my zucchini though, it flowers, they drop off, but the fruit never grows? Also, something's been nibbling at my Thai hot peppers - I didn't think anything ate those LOL! Herbs are doing well, and we should be getting ripe tomatoes in a few weeks too. Happiness is garden-fresh produce!

[Angela]

I am so excited with our first garden!! We know we are going to get WAY to much stuff, we went a little crazy with the seeds. I said last night we are going to have to set up a table in the front yard with a sign "Free to a good home". :)

We picked the first veggie--a cucumber--last week and we've got great looking tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos, watermelon, canteloupe, corn, zuckes. Can't wait to pick the other stuff!!

The only problem we've had is ants on the watermelon. I was hoping to have an organic garden, but the ants were just too bad we had to spray.

Happy Gardening!!

[lorilei]

We're harvesting Romas and grape tomatoes daily in Wisconsin :) The tomato plants are loaded, and I'm eager for the yellow plums to ripen!

Basil is also in full swing. Have been making lots of pesto and adding fresh basil to everything (everything tastes better with basil, right?) Sage plant and Rosemary is HUGE and my fennel really should be harvested.

Also have an influx of jalapenos and Thai peppers. Seemed like I was waiting FOREVER for those Thais to turn red... now my wish has come true, and I need to find a couple of new recipes to use them in!

So far, the most trouble we're having is with our stubborn little marigolds. They're just not growing, and I'm beginning to suspect some sort of blight...

[lindrusso]

Oh Vanessa, must you ask this question???? ;)

If only I could really hate bunnies, but alas they are far too cute! I have a fence around my veggie garden, but there is a baby bunny who can fit through the openings and has laid waste to my green beans - one of only 2 veggies I even bothered planting this year!!! Wahhhhhh!!!! The plants keep putting forth new foliage, but, the bunny keeps chomping. I haven't tried any of the remedies I've ready about - I just haven't had the heart to do much gardening this year for some reason.

My tomatoes look absolutely pitiful. There is definitely something wrong with the soil. But, it's too late to do anything to remedy that now, the growing season will likely be over soon here in IN. Oh well - we should at least get a few Early Girls.

On a positive note, my basil is doing beautifully - mostly because I always plant tons. If I plant tons, I figure the bugs can have some, a few plants can die off and I'll still have plenty! I need to go into pesto-making/basil-freezing mode this weekend. Just made my first batch the other day.

The loss of the beans doesn't bother me as much as the tomatoes. You can get a decent-enough bean at the store, but home grown tomatoes cannot be matched. Next year I will garden in earnest and with determination!!!!

[Vanessa]

Hi . Lindrusso sorry about the garden! One yr we had a big fat groundhog who ate everything except the bell peppers. Its frustrating !! Sami heres a recipe for your basil
Potatoes with basil l vinaigrette

Though this dressing can be whisked by hand, you can use a food processor, which mixes it to a wonderful shade of green. Serves four; yields about 3/4 cup vinaigrette.

1-3/4 lb. small red potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 cup packed basil leaves
1 small clove garlic
3 Tbs. red-wine vinegar
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2/3 cup canola oil
Steam the potatoes until tender, about 15 min. In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. With the machine running, gradually add the oil until completely incorporated. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve or quarter them, depending on their size. Put them in a serving bowl and drizzle with about 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette. Serve warm, with extra vinaigrette on the side, if you like.

[Heidi]

Vanessa, you mentioned your yellow pear tomato plant. How disappointing that it dried out! I just picked a whole bowlful of yellow pear tomatoes from the garden this morning, but don't know what I should do with the little cuties! Is there something specific that you (or anyone else!) do with them besides eat them plain or in a salad? I need some ideas!

Also, is it too late to plant basil in a pot? I am kicking myself now for not growing any because I'd really like to try making pesto.

[donleyk]

We had our first home grown tomato of the season last night. It is so nice to eat one that tastes like a tomato and this one was so big that one slice covered the whole piece of bread! Yummmm

My basil did really well. Made pesto last week.

Our salsa peppers are doing very well in the containers. Our jalapeno's are doing good as well as the green peppers. Our roma's are plentiful, just slow ripening yet. They'll probably explode with red next week when we are away on vacation! Happy eating everyone!

[Sami]

Thank you so much for the recipe Vanessa. My one plant is gigantic and this will help. I plan to make it tonight for dinner and will let you know the reaction. Sami

[lindrusso]

Vanessa - Yes, thanks for sharing that recipe. It sounds wonderful. I've been trying to decide what to do for a BBQ next week and that sounds perfect! I saw the bunny tonight and sadly he is not the least bit scared of me! I guess I just don't have the heart to be truly mean to him. Maybe I can just plant him his own little garden.

Sami - you can also put chopped basil in ice cube trays, fill with water and freezer in a baggie. This is my first year trying this method, so I hope it works!

[Sami]

I tried the recipe and it delicious. I used olive oil instead of Canola because to me it is more Italian. I served it over new potatoes. A definite keeper.

I have dried basil and used it in winter, and I have made pesto without the cheese and frozen it and added cheese later. But I never tried freezing it in water. That should work.

Note that Italians from the Liguria area put pesto in just about everything, and I do add it to soups, but only a little, and there are just so many times I can serve pasta.

Sami

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by Sami
Note that Italians from the Liguria area put pesto in just about everything, and I do add it to soups, but only a little, and there are just so many times I can serve pasta. Sami

Thanks for the feedback on the potato recipe - I can't wait to try it.

I just recently discovered putting pesto in soup - it was wonderful. I made a vegetable soup with white beans, tiny pasta and added the pesto - a few dollops. If you have prepared pesto around (I still had some in the freezer from last year) it makes seasoning soup super easy - since it's so flavorful it's the only flavoring you need!

[Beth]

Now see, all of you who were still waiting while I got our first tomatoes snaked away from the birds are harvesting while we are ripping out and trying to plant a fall crop. Ours are pretty pooped now, and the squash never did anything. I actually had to BUY zucchini!