thistle

Zora, this blog is great-everything looks so delicious! & don't you hate it when you type it all out, insert pictures, think you've posted it & it disappears into the ether? I love the pickles, I've just started to harvest some cukes off 2 of my plants, but we love to eat them fresh, in a 'quick pickle' of rice vinegar & salt (the smallest one will not allow pepper, can even spot white pepper), I don't think I'll ever have enough for pickles. I know this is a food blog, but what are you reading & viewing these days? I've just started watching Top Chef, Hell's Kitchen, & the Next Food Network Star on tv (now that the children have ceded 1 tv to me) & I'm already hooked, although they are all bad in their own way. After watching HK last night, I ran out to the library to pick up Gordon Ramsay's bio & although it said, 'on shelf', it was nowhere to be found (almost as irritating as losing your post online). Now that I'm not working my p/t job during the summer, I'm rereading old cookbooks & working in the yard. Looking forward to your next installment...Thistle

Most of mine have set fruit, the ones that haven't are Old German (only 1 out of 6 in EBs that has no fruit yet), Brandywine, Pink Brandywine, & Lemon Boy, which is being smothered by a volunteer compost squash. To be fair, these last 3 get less sun than the other plants, thanks to my neighbor's redbud. She's said I could trim it back, but I think it'll be too late for the tomatoes. Oddly enough, I have an unidentified white rose (probably a HT) that blooms quite well in the shade of the redbud. I seem to have lots of bees, my plants are mixed in w/ nepeta, roses, purple fennel, & other plants. The catmint was so floppy, I had to trim it this week. I use TomatoTone, & occasional foliar sprays of Messenger, fish, & seaweed concentrates. I'm becoming an Earthbox evangelist, the plants are huge & frequency of watering is reduced. My 6 tomatoes look like a huge hedge... Of course, my peppers are puny, all my eggplant had flea beetles & look scrawny, too...

Eric, that bacon was great!-how did you slice it?

The recipes I'd definitely like to get-the orzo salad w/ apricots & almonds, the picadillo & Greek cucumber salad (which were wonderful eaten together)& those yummy brown sugar looking cookies...-my smoked pork was 2- 10 lb. Boston butts in an electric smoker for about 9 hrs., pulled & doused w/ vinegar sauce (attributed to Elizabeth Karmel-I didn't use alot, because some people like it mild), from Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Bible. The poundcake recipe is from Camille Glenn's 'The Heritage of Southern Cooking'-mine was messed up abit, since my DH peheated the oven for a frozen pizza, while the poundcakes were still in the oven, cooling (yes, I know that's my fault). I did 1 small batch of homemade rolls & used 1 frozen Sister Schubert's rolls (I ran out of time). Well, at least, I couldn't mess up the drinks or the packaged bacon...Linda

Well, for this first-timer, the picnic was amazing! I can't single out any of the food, because everything I had was great (& I think I tried almost everything-at the end of the afternoon, someone needed to say,'Ma'am, please step away from the food'). The lamb, in the Caja China was awesome, although I didn't take my daughter up to look at it (afraid it would give her nightmares). On the other hand, my 11 yr. old son, Tom, who stayed with me 'til the end (his dad & sister bailed early) was fascinated by the lamb & greatly appreciated the chance to assist the bacon grillmeisters...can't wait until the fall picnic...Linda/Thistle

I'll be there , maybe w/ just +2 kids- I have 2 10 lb. butts out in the smoker, will start poundcake soon, & bake rolls in the morning. We'll also bring asstd. drinks in a cooler, some mass market bacon (Boar's Head, John Morrell, & Gwaltney), & whatever chips my kids haven't opened up by tomorrow. Looking forward to meeting everyone...Linda

Thanks, I did blast them w/ water & the Neem (from Green Light) also had pyrethrin-I'll try soap next, if it doesn't clear up. It's funny how 1 plant out of the 6 in the Earthboxes is covered in aphids (Old German), while the others look fine....I also took home today the last of the 'abandoned' plants-2 peppers, oregano, parsley, 2 Purple Cherokee tomatoes-these were ones not handled well in shipping, & my boss looked at them today & said throw them away-I can't do that to any plant that is still green!

My big project this weekend is to try & install a DIY irrigation system- I got a Mister Landscaper starter kit, patio & potted plant kit, & a timer-I think if I can simplify watering the beds closest to the house, I can move my soaker hoses out to the perimeter ( I try to plant drought tolerant plants out there, but newly planted things appreciate the consistent watering.) The tomatoes (in EBs) are still huge mutants, although 1 has aphids-used Neem, I'm wondering how long I should wait before trying something else (ladybugs or Spinosad or Sevin)-what do you experienced gardeners think?

Thanks for explaining the intricacies of pinching-I know enough to pinch, but couldn't tell you why-I also pinch off the tips of coleus, so they won't flower. I have rosemary & thyme in different spots around the yard, in case some don't make it. Somehow (I don't know how), I managed to kill the chocolate mint I planted last year (plastered on my forehead-'the only person who can kill mint!')-I got another one this year, let's see if I'm more successful. My squash plant has flowers, I have plants popping up all over that look like cucumbers or squash, don't know if it's seeds in the compost that are sprouting or not. I'm going to sow a bunch of okra seed (Cajun Delight) in front of the bananas, on the south side of the house...

I have an Old German, too, in 1 of the EBs, w/ a German Johnson-they're getting pretty big! I almost got a Rutgers, today, too-I'm really out of room for tomato plants, but I was looking at them today, thinking, "Someone needs to buy these tomatoes & put them in the ground". I need to get some basil soon or I'll be too late-I have seed for Thai 'Siam Queen' basil, but I think I've missed my window of opportunity. Definitely not too late to plant some strawberries, just get smaller ones or be prepared for them to spread... The reason I work there is to support my plant habit-I'm in the red almost everyday I leave, but my garden is getting to be pretty awesome...(& I've learned alot, too, we have some very experienced plant people there)...Linda

Hey, I work at HWV, school hours during the week, next time you're in, say, 'hi'-I'm Linda, & I'm usually somewhere in the front. Today, I added 4 more tomatoes-Golden Jubilee, Celebrity, 2 Mortgage Lifter (already have 1 of these, but these were freebies-they got bunged up off the truck). I also put in 2 'Cheyenne' hot peppers (wonder if they're a variety of cayenne?) & a 'Japanese Millionaire' eggplant (bizarre name, what could this mean?). Earlier, I planted a couple of the 'Pink Panda' ornamental strawberries, tiny, like the frais de bois-they're yummy, but they're so tiny, I always forget to look for them (they're in containers) & usually the birds or bugs get them first. I also noticed flea beetles on my eggplant & aphids on my other tomatoes, so I sprayed some Neem. My tomatoes in earthboxes are outpacing the ones in the ground, but it's early yet-no tomatoes still. Not food plants, but I managed to plant a bunch of tropicals this weekend-musa basjoo & musella lasiocarpa bananas, hedychiums, some gorgeous red mandevilla...No wonder this is my favorite time of the year!

I don't do anything w/ my rue either-I know it's good to grow it by tomatoes. I'm going to plant nasturtium seeds, as well as okra, I discovered the 2 tiny okra seedlings were right in a water hole. I have 2 big containers of lettuce mix, ready to harvest. I'd like to fit in at least 1 more tomato-I've given up hope of finding a 'Sungold' seedling, I might add a 'Health Kick', this was mentioned as a good plant for canning/freezing (not that I've ever had enough tomatoes to save)...Linda

I put all my tomatoes out, also 'Sundance' yellow squash, 'Tasty Jade' & 'Cool Breeze' cucumbers, 'Ichiban' & 'Fairy Tale' eggplant, a couple of very puny 'Cajun Delight' okra (but I have a backup packet of seed). I also have basil, tarragon, rue (overwintered), parsley growing, & now that it's warming up a little, I'm going to sow nasturtiums, shisho, basil (& put out seedlings, I don't trust my luck)

Alright, I hate to go up against the masters, but I make a great NC-style Boston butt (rolls & slaw on the side) & also a pretty good pound cake-please put me down for 3+, & let me know if there's anything else that I could bring-I've been lurking for way too long, it's time to join the crew...Thistle/Linda

Congratulations-hope you're all enjoying this family time!...

I have lettuce sprouting in a container, sown about a week ago I think. I went to the River Farm plant sale on Sat. & bought a ton of plants, including tomato seedlings. The garden center where I work also gets in a good variety, but a little later. I'm too impatient, so I picked up German Johnson, Black Krim, Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Grape, Lemon Boy, Yellow Pear, & Ildi. I didn't see my favorite, which is Sungold. Now it's time to fill the earthboxes, put the leftovers in the ground, start watering, & wait for tomatoes....

Yesterday was such a gorgeous day, so when my husband suggested lunch at a place w/ outside seating, it seemed like the perfect time to try Indigo Landing. We're both from the south (further south than VA, that is)-I grew up in NC & he went to school at the Citadel in Charleston (we were married at the chapel there), & we both love southern food. I knew from reading both the article in the Post earlier & comments here that opinions were divided about the cooking, but, hey, I just wanted to sit outside & watch the sailboats & planes... We arrived at noon, w/ our 2 kids, ages 8 & 11, no reservation, asked for an outside table. The first gentleman told me it would be about a 45 min. wait, my son looked at me in dismay, 'Mom, I'm starving', the hostess who added our name to the list said it would be 30-45 min., that we were welcome to wait inside, outside at the bar or on the lawn, & that they would find us when they had a table. I think we waited only 15-20 min. before we got a table right on the side of the deck. I think the service was good, we were brought water right away, our waiter, Josh, was efficient & unobtrusive. The food was ok, but not nearly as great as the setting-I think they're purposely trying to make it 'average', so they can turn over those tables faster. The children both ordered from the kids menu, pasta in tomato sauce & chicken nuggets. My son also got a side of the 'smoky' collards, which were properly served w/ a shaker of hot pepper vinegar, but when I tried a couple of bites, they were oddly sweet, tasted like there was molasses in them. Both of the childrens' plates were served w/ a huge pile of 'mixed vegetables'-giant stalks of broccoli, cauliflower, & a couple of halved grape tomatoes-they didn't touch them (my fault, too, I didn't make them eat their vegetables ) I had the fried flatfish sandwich, w/ shrimp remoulade & mixed greens. It was ok, but had almost no taste-I tried adding lemon, then hot pepper vinegar, but it was still ultra bland. I scooped the shrimp off the top of the sandwich & ate them separately-beside from the fact that the sauce was pink, there was no hint it was a remoulade. My husband got the shecrab soup & gave me a bite of the breadstick that came w/ it, I guess that was the crab springroll? It was the best taste of the meal. He enjoyed his shrimp & grits, I thought the iced tea was quite good & promptly refilled numerous times (that's one of my criteria for good service). So, my verdict is mixed as well-acceptable, totally forgettable food with a fantastic setting & good service...(oh, almost forgot the biscuits that came out early-they were great!)

Well, even though we only had a dusting of snow Fri. night, w/ the prolonged low nighttime temps, I think alot of my plants are going to be slammed. Many of the Japanese maples look a bit wilted, the dahlias in the container plantings (what WAS I thinking?) are toast. Other than a few herbs, I don't really have kitchen garden plantings out yet, though-so that's good. Although it's a little early to guess, alot of the newly emerging perennials, as well as the newly planted, look OK. Next time, I'm going to listen when they tell me Mother's Day is when it's safe to plant....

Well, not a pod, but a plug for a small size (8-cup) thermal carafe machine-Capresso. It's at least 10 years old, has been used almost daily, & I'd buy one again. I grind my beans every 2-3 days, have a Capresso grinder, but preferred the Braun grinder I had earlier (had a timer)....

I bet it was Edward C. Smith's 'Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers'. he is also the author of the book Ilaine mentioned, 'The Vegetable Gardener's Bible'. It's a great guide, I think I've had it checked out from the library for way too long. I got 3 Earthboxes last year & I think they performed very well-the greatest benefit was a slight reduction in watering. I had tomatoes & peppers, & instead of having to water daily (or even twice daily, when it was ungodly hot), I could skip a day or two. That said, last year was a rough year for tomatoes, I think our nighttime temperatures were just too high, I had a couple that did well & the peppers were great. You can make a homemade self-watering container, I'm experimenting this year w/Tuckertotes & cutup milk cartons. I've also built a raised 'lasagna' bed by using paper, compost, peat, manure, leftover or used potting soil. Using containers forces you to keep a close eye on your plants, although you'll have to do alot of watering...

Disclaimer: I've never tried to make sausage, although I have Ruhlman & Polcyn's Charcuterie (as well as a bunch of other cookbooks that have sausage recipes)-I love a good hot dog (Usinger, Hebrew Natl., Nathans), as well as bratwurst, weisswurst, salami-the only product I haven't quite adapted to is chicken liver pate or terrine-I don't know why, maybe not enough exposure as a youth...

Sounds like you had an excellent dinner-maybe you could follow it up with a visit to Central? (spoken as a sidelined restaurant fan-Citronelle is not in my daily budget, either, but I love hearing reports). Also, I greatly appreciate Mark Slater's contributions to online gastronomy & wine appreciation-I have M. Richard's Happy in the Kitchen, while I would love to be a frequent diner, I guess I am just an ardent fan...

thanks, everyone, for all the great ideas-now, since my house seems to be falling apart around me (I think I have malevolent poltergeists), I'm backing off the idea of a party. However, I do plan on making a Kingcake (or 2) & sharing them...(& having a quiet meal of red beans & rice at home).

I'm doing 'so-so', I guess, due to stress at work, cold weather, & things falling apart around the house, but I think my luck is changing-I'm trying to motivate myself to exercise more by making it more convenient (moved my rebounder in front of the TV so I'm using it more, using some yoga & stability ball DVDs I haven't pulled out in awhile, & got some resistance bands). I also borrowed my daughter's jump rope the other -boy, when you haven't done it in some time, it's harder than it looks. As far as food goes, I've starting keeping a food journal, to keep myself honest, & I'm trying to radically increase the amount of fruits & vegs that we're eating-to make sure that my kids are eating well, also...

I really like that song, I grew up in Sneads Ferry, NC, & that sounds like it was meant for us-it's a small town, next to a beach community that is becoming a tourist destination, & the town is changing. Thank you...Linda