Rented National Treasure 2
I have the following going in:
zucchini
squash
cucumbers
cantaloupe
multiple colors of bell peppers
a wide variety of hot peppers I am too lazy to list
a wider variety of tomatoes, including heirlooms, big boy, beefsteak, better boys and on an on.
broccoli
As far as herbs I am putting in some mint, cilantro, basil and some other spices I can not remember. The herb garden already has several things growing in it, so I will just chuck those in there. I can already taste fresh tomatoes. Also, I don’t know how the overall economy is doing the past week or so, but the Lowe’s around here was JAMPACKED with people. I was waiting in line to check out for near 15 minutes, it was so crowded. That, for a change, is a good thing.
Missed most of the lacrosse today, but Syracuse destroyed Duke and Cornell smashed UVA. I watched the first half of Cornell/UVA and UVA never looked like they were even in he game.
Anything going on your way tonight?
BDeevDad
Go Big Red! Barely ever get to say that.
smiley
Weeds grow like zucchini in my yard. I hope your herbs include chives and parsley. There’s a difference between herbs and spices. Look it up. Spices are mostly from seeds – unless I’m mistaken.
Added: I looked it up. I was wrong about the seeds. However:
2. flavorings from plants: food flavorings derived from the nonleafy parts of plants
smiley +4
JL
No playmate for Tunch? I already have 3 dozen tomatoes on the plants. They might only be the size of a quarter but still it’s a start. The peppers are starting but I only have three plants. My other plants look healthy but no signs of vegies yet.
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
I got some stuff moved out of my tiny garden and now have a couple of tomato plants transplanted to some old blue recycling boxes in the sunniest sections.
My neighbours on either side have paved patios and a few elegant potted plants, while I have a mishmash of scraggly lawn, gravel, a tiny garden plot, and those damn blue containers. I think someone has to be trailer trash in every neighbourhood, right?
John, have you been saving eggshells? One crushed eggshell in the hole for each tomato plant gives it enough calcium to ward off blossom end rot, and broken shells around plants that slugs love help keep them away.
John Cole
I’m just growing herbs, no spices.
Bhall35
John, I’ll be curious to hear your opinion of “Taken.” We rented it last week and I hated it. Beyond the aggressive stupidity of the plotting and dialogue, the characterizations are tissue thin and cringingly simple minded.
Lastly, the politics of it are a little to close to “24” for my taste. Just another bullshit excuse for pro-torture entertainment. Odious. And the way Neeson outclasses the material makes it doubly apparent. Also.
JL
@Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse: Thanks, I didn’t know that. I’m planted my tomatoes in the same spot as last year and they are already starting to fruit, so I think it’s okay. I’ll switch them next year. I have three gardens, one herb, tomato, and one that’s 8×16 with beans, beets, peppers and squashes. I don’t have one large spot to combine everything.
JK
Savage Republican Hecklers In Action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irpmcntf-B8
Violet
We’re already harvesting tomatoes down here! Climates vary so much in this country. Also harvesting peppers, but they’ll produce longer through the summer. Oh, and green beans are almost done, although I’ve moved the bush beans that are in pots into the shade/filtered sun, so I’m hoping that will allow them to produce a second crop.
Watch out for the mint! It takes over everything. Consider putting it in a pot.
Broccoli at this time of year! I can only imagine. We harvest it in Jan/Feb/March and by April it’s totally done.
JGabriel
John Cole:
Yeah, a wild one here too at Chez Gabriel – I’m thinking of watching Stargate SG1 on Hulu. And I don’t even like it that much. The whole militarism vibe clashes weirdly with the liberal SF optimism.
I guess I just watch it ’cause Amanda Tapping is hot.
.
JL
@John Cole: If you let cilantro go to seed, it’s a spice called coriander. I have trouble growing cilantro though because it goes to seed pretty quickly.
Starfish
No rosemary?
If you don’t plant some arugula, I may have to question your devotion to the Democratic Party.
Violet
@JL:
You might be planting it at the wrong time of year. Depends where you live. For me, it’s a winter herb and goes to seed once the sun gets the slightest bit hot. A few months ago I asked the “herb lady” at a farmers market if she grew it during the summer and she just laughed and said don’t even bother trying.
The Pale Scot
Yeah, I expected better from Liam. Taken just pushes all of the american paranoia buttons.
John Cole
I gotta be honest, I am planting all this stuff, but the only thing I care about are the tomatoes.
tomato sandwiches with yellow mustard
tomatoes, mozarella, and basil
open faced tomato sandwiches baked in the oven with sharp cheddar
tomatoes, onions, oil and vinegar
sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper
bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches
and, of course, a metric ton of home made salsa.
I better start taking prilosec again.
JL
@Violet: I think you are right. I love cilantro in the summer to add to various dishes with tomatoes. I’m just in a burb north of Atlanta so we actually have two growing seasons. By the time I prepared my gardened it was to late to plant broccoli but I plan on putting it in mid to late August.
Rey
Taken- will have you on the edge of the couch, Excellent movie. I finally rented W last weekend. I don’t care what Obama does in the next four years, it can not be worse than the moran we had in there the past 8. Geez, how did we survive, oh wait we didn’t.
Violet
@JL:
Oh, yeah, Atlanta will probably be way too hot in the summer for cilantro. Try growing it in a protected area in the late fall/early spring and maybe winter, depending on how much frost you get. Try putting it in a pot in the fall and keep it near the house on the south side, if possible. Let it get sun but keep it protected from the worst of the wind. It may surprise you and actually overwinter. In a pot you can bring it in and out, or push it into a covered porch or something if it’s going to be really cold.
You should be fine with cilantro in the ground for spring/fall, but once you get into the shoulder season heading to/from winter, you might have better luck with the pot.
We’ve got two growing seasons here too. Well, actually we grow all year around, except for the worst heat of summer when it can be so brutal you just don’t want to bother. I’m always growing something, though. Even in the worst heat of July and August, I’ll be harvesting asparagus beans.
JL
@John Cole: Try a few slices of tomato on a bagel that has been spread with cream cheese and then toast it.
What happened to Shayla?
lost in GA
Wahoos break my heart again in the final four. We are a long way removed from the 17-0 season in 2006. Good luck Big Red. And John, if you do get a dog, mutts are great. Just get him/her DNA tested if you really can’t do the part beagle thing.
smiley
@John Cole:
All good stuff. However, these are among my favorites:
tomato sandwiches with
yellowspicy or Dijon mustardtomatoes, mozarella, and basil
bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches
Also baked tomatoes. Cut in half. Scoop out some of the seeds, fill/top with a bread crumb/mozzarella mixture, drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 350 for however long it takes to look good to you.
As far as TV, if you’re so inclined, check out this site. You have to do stuff to be able to watch but…
http://westwingonline.net/episodes
Bhall35
Only if you’ve never seen a movie before.
Old Gringo
@<a href=”
“>John ColeApostate.
JGabriel
@John Cole:
Tomatoes, spinach, and broccoli salad.
.
Max
Question for the group…
I’m in the third round of interview stages for a job in ATL. I’ve visited there many times, but have never lived. It’s a perfect proximity for friends/family in the Carolina’s and Florida (close but not too close). I know it’s humid, I lived in Florida for 9 years.
I currently live in Oakland, Ca and am so ready to leave. The Bay Area is lovely, but its expensive, crime is rampant, there is no growth potential in my current job and I’m looking to be closer to loved ones. Plus, I miss Chik Fil A and thunderstorms.
Does anyone care to share their opinions of Hot-Lanta?
PaminBB
This thread reminds me that I need to go out and prep the small bed for tomatoes. The plants are waiting…
Litlebritdifrnt
Ditto on putting the mint into a pot (without drainage holes) cause it will take over the entire place and will find a way to crawl through the drainage holes and invade. Also with your zucchini (seeing as you will more than likely have so many you’ll be giving them away and when friends and neighbors no longer want any you’ll be throwing them into the neighbor’s yard at night and lobbing them into the open windows of passing motorists) consider letting a couple grow very large (known as a marrow in England), they make excellent jams, chutney (pickle) and I have a kick ass recipe for marrow rum if you are up for the challenge. As for the cukes you will again be overrun so consider picking them very small and pickling them as “gherkins”. Finally do not forget to “pinch out” your tomato plants (the tiny shoots that grow between the leaf stem and the main stem) this will encourage more fruit production as opposed to more leaf production. I already have fruit on mine cherry, grape, better boy, and romas, I am surprised you are not growing romas, they are simply the best for turning into pasta sauce and are almost as prolific as zucchini.
PS) Have you checked out the “dead plant” section at Lowes? It is usually at the back of the garden center, where they put all the reduced plants. Anyhoo, this week in both the one in Wilmington and one in Jacksonville they had these potted arrangements which included a tomato plant and various herbs, in the “Italian” one there is a roma tomato, a green pepper, basil and oregano. In the others there is a tomato, basil, parsley, chives, dill and sage. I picked them up for $5.00 each. Worth a look.
Meadow Lark
I have to agree with the comments about “Taken” – just too much like “24” and far too predictable.
As far as our garden grows, the beans and the corn have just appeared and there is 1 small tomato. It may rain this weekend so will have lots of weeding to do next week.
SiubhanDuinne
John, I hope you will plant some catnip for Tunch and the new kitteh. (Of course, you might end up having every cat within a 5-mile radius hanging out in your garden . . . .)
T. Scheisskopf
Garden fresh tomatoes. Sliced.
Garden fresh basil.
Smoked mozzarella ala buffala.
Extra-virgin Olive Oil.
A fine vinegar benediction over the top of it all.
A recipe for paradise.
HeartlandLiberal
In addition to what you listed, I am growing cabbage, collards, kale, turnip greens (seven top for greens), turnips, rutabaga, daikon, french breakfast radishes, sugar snap peas, snow peas, eggplant. Did you mention cucumber. Plus I always grow plenty of okra.
I had not grown herbs for about three years, and our dried stock was getting low, so I expanded and added a small herb garden. Two rosemary plants that are perennials and should make nice bushes, then the basics: cilantro, parsley, globe basil, thyme, a few others. I have it only have filled, and plan to finish it out this weekend.
Plus I always grow my own pumpkins, and yellow summer squash, acorn squash, zucchini. I am trying a watermelon and some cantelope this year, but they usually do not do well for me. I have been expanding my garden, which is in my suburban back yard on northern edge of the city where I live, and this year added enough I have a total of about 1,400 square feet under cultivation now.
FWIW, we are from the south, and I could live on collards, kale, rutabaga greens, and cornbread. Especially with a little ham cooked in the greens.
Laura W
I just bought The Wrestler from DTV.
Showtime one minute and counting. I need a good sob. I’m counting on this movie.
Litlebritdifrnt
“open faced tomato sandwiches baked in the oven with sharp cheddar”
What kind of fucking elitist, foody, snob name is that?
Where I come from that’s known as cheese and tomato on toast. Good gravy.
T. Scheisskopf
Oh, and…
Diced fresh tomatoes.
Diced onion.
Diced scallions.
Diced Serranos.
Salt.
Fresh-squeezed Lime Juice.
Pico del Gallo. And yeah, you can cut down on the work and make it in the food processor as well.
Old Gringo
@JCole
I think I broke your blog. The post disappeared, save for the “@” but I fixed this for you.
Ejoiner
Just got back from “Night at the Museum 2” and it was enjoyable and humor/action packed just like the first – whole family liked it.
BTW – best special effect was Amy Adams’ ass. Holy crap Emilia Earhardt never looked so hot in those tight aviator duds.
garyb50
Great: an open thread. I have been feeding our best dog in the world Benefil for the past 5 years. And I’ve used the bags for worm compost & trash bags & whatever. I just discovered, this afternoon, the bag is lined with a most incredible silver/aluminum sheet with a brown paper backing. I will save every one of these from now on.
I once decorated an entire bathroom with crushed aluminum foil on the walls.
Speaking of gardens… I’ve had my garden in for a little over a month. Grew seedlings in the garage & over the past 2 days have been spreading straw (salvaged from an illegal dump site I visit a couple times a week) to retain moisture. I have 4 raised beds, a really funky place I dug up for the hell of it where I have cucumber & squash growing & another 6 foot square with corn, tomatoes, mesclun, radish, & my most favorite thing in the entire world… mustard greens.
Oh, & one makeshift 5 gallon bucket I’m trying to do an upside down tomato.
Geoff
I watched Taken last night. Some of the worst action/car scene chases I’ve ever seen. I’m more than willing to suspend belief for a bit but Taken just insulted me. Other than that, not that bad of a film. 1hr and a half of Liam Neeson kicking ass is kinda fun.
smiley
@Max:
There must be some reason why you would hesitate. Is it personal relationships in the bay area? A significant other?
When I was deciding where to attend graduate school, I wanted to live in a particular part of the country. The best school, for a lot of reasons, was someplace very hot and humid where I didn’t want to live. My father, in all his wisdom, stated the obvious: Go to the best program. I went to the hot and humid place and never regretted it. In fact, I’ve benefited from it tremendously.
Go to Atlanta. It’s not that bad.
Mike in NC
Assume a big thumbs up from Dick Cheney and NRO. It was pretty lame, what with the nefarious Albanians and other Euro-thugs. Funny how everybody I ever knew at CIA was a dweeb.
RandyH
If I had some soil to plant in, I’d plant the stuff you list plus some beets and some string beans. I could eat beets and/or string beans every day…
SiubhanDuinne
@Max: FWIW, I’ve lived in metro Atlanta for 25 years and although the heat, humidity and pollen can be beastly, a perfect spring day here makes it all worthwhile. Of course we have more than our share of wingnut pols and voters in Georgia, but then aren’t you from California?
Bhall35
@ Laura W
There’s one scene in particular that I think should get you there. Let me know if I’m right when you’re done.
JL
@Laura W: I have Netflix and have been pleased with it. The Wrestler is an excellent film but not necessarily one that will create lots of tears. A few maybe.
Has anyone heard of the Roku Digital Video Player. It allows you to watch Netflix instant movies on your tv. Right now I have to watch instant movies on my computer and I’m thinking of buying it.
JGabriel
@Mike in NC:
All the hot ones are classified / undercover, c.f. Valerie Plame.
.
Max
@smiley: No hesitation, its my dream job, if I were so fortunate, I’d take it even if it were located in Wasilla, Alaska.
I appreciate the lending of your dad’s wisdom.
Laura W
@Max: Plus, then you can vacation in Western NC like all the other ATL elitists. It’s purty here!
Max
@Laura W: I’ve done the group house rental at the Outer Banks. I definitely would get my elitist card stamped again for another visit.
You’re lucky to live in that part of the country.
Jay C
@Laura W:
Seconding what JL said @ #44: The Wrestler is a great film (well, IMHO, a mediocre film saved and made great by Mickey Rourke’s performance) but not exactly a tearjerker – YMMV. Definitely worth it, though.
Violet
I like Atlanta. I have friends there and visit semi-regularly. The weather is hot in the summer, but nowhere near as bad as where I am now. Plus it cools down sooner. We wait until October here for the first cool breeze.
One of my friends who lives there and is sort of left leaning (she’s sort of Libertarian-ish too) is beyond disgusted with her elected representatives. She thinks they’re all idiots and is really frustrated with the way religion invades politics in the state. She points to winners like Zell Miller as examples. I tell her she’s got nothing on me, since I live in Texas. Then we commiserate.
You definitely get the southern thing there. Think Gone With The Wind. There’s an element of that in “society” and it does pervade things to a certain degree. But Atlanta has come a long way and has a lot to offer these days.
It has hills. It’s an attractive city in a lot of ways. It’s close enough to outdoors-y things. On one visit we drove up and rafted the Nantahala on a Saturday, and were home in time for dinner. So you can definitely get away, if you like that kind of thing.
If you’re comfortable living in the South, then you’ll probably like Atlanta. Big enough to have the advantages of a big city. But still retains some of the southern charm.
LarryB
Hey John,
Mint can be an invasive weed. You might want to put that one in a box bed or a pot.
Violet
Yeah, once mint gets established, it’s really, really hard to get rid of. It invades everything. Definitely put it in a pot or some confined space.
My ginger mint is currently escaping out the drainage holes in the pot. Fortunately, it’s sitting on the deck so it can’t really re-root. It’s trying hard, though.
Paddy
I grew up here in Northern Indiana and my dear father was an incredible gardener. Our 1/2 acre he worked himself (evenings and weekends after a 50 hour week) had every type of vegetable, fruit, herb and spice you could grow up here. Made his own wine from the grapevines, apple and peach trees he grew.
We never had junky treats* for after school snacks- either homegrown sweet tomatoes with slabs of chunky British cheddar or apples and peanut butter. Or vice versa.
I of course, kill every plant within a 1/4 mile radius.
*Winter would be my Irish grandmother’s scones and cream.
smiley
@Violet: Plus it’s close enough to Savannah and Charleston for some real southern charm.
Laura W
@Jay C: Yeah, maybe I should’ve gone with Slum Dog Millionaire or that movie with Jen Aniston and the dog. The fight scenes (the blood thirsty mob scenes) are getting tiresome are not exactly the vibe I wanted, I guess. I might not hang with it.
@Max: I’ve not yet been to the Outer Banks. Look forward to it one day. Only been to Sullivan’s Island, SC, twice. It ain’t no Monterey Bay or Sausalito Ferry, but you know… relocations have consequences.
Nylund
During good economic times, when people want to fix up or repair the house, they often just hire someone to come in and do it (landscape the yard, build the porch, put in new cabinets, etc.) During bad economic times, people are more like to try a “do it yourself” approach, scrap the contractor and go build the thing yourself.
Also, during good economic times, people consume a lot of goods and services outside of the house (restaurants, etc.) and when times get a little tight, they switch to doing things at home. So when you switch from meals at a restaurant to meals on your back patio, this can be an incentive to fix up your home amenities.
You fix up the home theater because you’ve decided not to go out to the movies anymore. You fix up the kitchen because you’ve decided to do more cooking at home. You fix up the garden so you can grow, rather than buy, your vegetables.
For reasons like these two, there are people who see increased business at places like Lowes and Home Depot not as proof that the economy is doing better, but proof that people are making recessionary substitutions in their lives.
garyb50
Also, I’m doing basil, sage, cilantro, chives & some mystery thing that came up that I forgot to label.
… and a homemade upside down tomato in a 5 gallon bucket which is not doing well.
My favorite thing is 5 potatoes I planted because I read about a tire thing: you plant potatoes & as they grow you put a tire around them & fill it with straw & do that for 5 tires or so. Insead, I’m using a cardboard box I cut & stack.
Supposedly, you can get 100 lbs. of potatoes in the end.
South of I-10
I think next year I am going to plant some veggies. I have lots of flowers and my blueberry bushes are doing great – can’t wait for lots of blueberries. Katie the kitty is doing great, I am really glad we made that visit to the shelter.
freelancer
@JL
$100 ain’t bad for a Netflix player, but if I were you, I’d just assume get an Xbox 360, w/ Live and a netflix account. Between $30 a month for internet, $12 for Netflix and $6 for XBL, screw cable. The only thing I really miss is sports, but I live 2 blocks from 10 different bars.
Laura W
@South of I-10: Do we have photos of Katie Kitty to share?
I need to photo my blueberry bushes one of these days. The berries are starting to appear. I am hoping hoping that if I delay my move out of here until mid-July, I can score most of them. It seems to be an early season this year? Probably since there was no Easter frost.
Ked
YMMV, but I’m gearing up (read: preparing alcohol and junk food) for one of the best 30-hour stretches of sports on the calendar.
8pm – NNS racing and a hockey playoff. Get both TVs going, though this stuff is just warmup.
10pm – UFC 98 (or whatever – who’s counting?) with a doozy of a grudge match and maybe the most technical striking matchup I’ve seen in the twoish years I’ve been watching the sport.
6am – GP2 racing, yes, it’s minor league but it should be good for giggles since the circus is at…
8am – Grand Prix of Monte Carlo, the most INSANE street course in the known universe, combined with the highest tech and the biggest egos.
noon – Indianapolis 500. Granted it’s just a shadow of the grand old days, but it’s still the signature open-wheel event in this country and in my backyard.
3pm – More hockey playoffs, and as I’m kinda halfway between Chicago and Detroit, this is the one I care about.
7pm-ish – The 600. Because only NASCAR is stupid enough to run 600 miles on an oval, not to mention start the race late enough that it’s reasonably possible to run past midnight local time.
Fun fun fun! Thank goodness I have Monday to recover.
neddie jingo
The Outer Banks rock with the rockingness of a very rocky thing.
Three recommendations:
1) The farthest north area above Corolla. You have to have 4WD drive to get to it, but jesus, once you get there, it’s absolutely fantastic. Best oceanside holiday I’ve ever spent. Wild horses, man! Wild horses! Couldn’t drag me away!
2) Ocracoke. Extreme south of the OBX, reachable only by ferry. Surreal views. Fantastic surfing. Tell ’em I said hi.
3) Soundside in Duck. You’re close enough to the ocean (especially if you rent a bike), yet Currituck Sound is just incredibly…. Sunsets. Whoever thought they could be so dramatic?
Delia
I had a lot of wild weedy mint in my yard when I moved in. It was really hard to get rid of. One thing you can do if you want to avoid the Round-Up route with a large well-rooted weed like that is to pour a pot of boiling hot water on it. Then after a day or so when it’s had time to to die a bit it’s a lot easier to pull out.
BTW, do people outside of the Northwest have a cherry tomato called Sungold? When it’s ripe it’s kind of oval shaped and orange, and the sweetest tomato I’ve ever eaten. All the nurseries around here sell out of the plants they’re so popular. The first year I planted one but the spot wasn’t sunny enough so I didn’t get very many. Last year I planted two and two slicers in my bed for flowers which is sunnier, and they all grew to be about four feet high and I had an acid stomach from eating too many tomatoes. This year I’m back to two plants. My stomach won’t take any more.
neddie jingo
Oh, and…
Tomatoes and peppers (too many types to list) went in last week. Catnip, chives, basil (two varieties), parsley, cilantro, and onions went in yesterday evening.
Yep, gotta keep that mint disciplined. Mint and poison ivy compete for resources in the area I think of as “that part of the garden I really need to do something about.” I’m thinking nuclear weapons.
I believe that the bit of labor with potentially the most reward is the catnip. Our two (strictly indoor) kittens have not yet been exposed to it, and I look forward to introducing them. (Heh, heh.)
garyb50
OMIGOD, yesterday I took the best dog in the whole world for an outing & on my way back home stopped at a yard sale & bought a paper shredder for $5. I have 5 wormbins going @ all times & spend hours shredding newspaper, phone books & whatever for my bedding. I just spent 6 minutes in the garage using this shredder & it is fucking amazing. 6 minutes produced what usually takes an hour of labor.
smiley
@neddie jingo
When I visited there, fairly popular sweat shirts were gray Champion sweat shirts that said “Duke” or “Wake Forest” or “UNC” on the front. I bought one that said, in the same script, “Duck”. No one noticed. Or no one said anything.
Alan
This is my first year testing my gardening skills. My tomatoes haven’t been all that great. They’ve been splitting from too much water. And suffering from tomato rot and leafminers. The cucumbers have been doing well. I haven’t eaten one yet. But I’m tempted to harvest one soon.
We’ve been getting too much rain in my area over the last week. So I haven’t been able to add garden dust just yet to see if I can bring my tomatoes back. I see lots of squash forming. But the size isn’t all that great. My eggplant is budding. Hopefully it’ll start producing something soon. I’ve yet to plant any melons. I will soon.
South of I-10
Katie the kitty. Forgive the fabu background, she was in my laundry room. Hannah, the best Border Collie ever, took the hit for the team today, and threw herself inbetween Katie and Pati. I didn’t know Pati had come back inside and she was not happy about seeing tiny kitty running across the kitchen.
Delia
@smiley:
Hmmm. I suspect the production shop was infiltrated by a mad University of Oregon fan a very long way from home. They’re endemic here.
JGabriel
Laura W:
That’s just sick, Laura.
.
Laura W
@South of I-10: She’s absolutely precious! And her paws look a bit large for her current bod, which might mean she’ll be a good-sized darling. Makes me want one in the worst way. Not till the geriatrics go, I keep telling myself. And they keep on hanging on. Driving me nuts in 1,000 ways. Patience, Laura, Patience. Ugh.
PattyK
Take care with the mint. As Edward Behr says in his wonderful book The Artful Eater: “In the garden, mints must be confined in a pot or banished to a far corner where the aggressive spreading of their runners will do no harm.” Mint just takes over, using up ground much better spent on tomatoes or basil, of which you cannot have too much. Basil takes the place of lettuce in summer, too hot for ordinary lettuce.Here in NC, July and August mean delicious tomato, basil and mayo sandwiches.
Litlebritdifrnt
@Violet:
See I told you John, pot with no drainage holes!
Jen R
I am getting my time-to-myself for the week by … dorking around on the computer in the kitchen while my husband plays on the Xbox. Our lives are exciting.
Maybe I’ll make cookies.
Litlebritdifrnt
Oh and why are you not growing lemon balm? One of my favorite things on the grill, salmon filet, chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh lemon balm, a drizzel of olive oil, sea salt and a splash of lemon juice, wrapped up in a foil packet and placed on a semi-coolish part of the grill. TO DIE FOR!
PS) If you need some lemon balm let me know, don’t buy it, I have it all over my patio, I can send you a plant or twenty.
Anne
@John Cole:
John, as a kid (and still today) I loved tomato sandwiches on wheat toast with lots of mayo and salt and pepper. The toast has to be warm and the tomatoes had to be from our garden. The sandwich would shave off a thin layer of skin from the roof of my mouth but it was absolutely worth it!
South of I-10
@LauraW: Thanks! She is very small! I haven’t had a kitten this small in a long time. She is very sweet and the shelter we retrieved her from is a kill shelter. So hard to walk away from the other animals there.
Krista
I just picked up some patio tomatoes and am growing them in pots — where we just finished the house in December, the yard is still full of rocks, and desperately needs to be tilled before we put in more topsoil. So no major garden this year. But if I can get some tomatoes going, then giddy-up. My MIL grows a big garden, and she’s just next door, so at least I won’t be lacking in fresh veg.
I’ll just have to restrain myself from the fruit, however. They have high-bush blueberries, and it’s not uncommon to see us all out there chatting during the evening, just picking blueberries right off the bush and popping them in our mouths. Once the baby’s born, hopefully my glucose levels will get back to normal and I can partake of some yummy, yummy blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.
BTW: I couldn’t believe it the other day when I found a peach tree that grows in this zone. I’m really, really excited about that — we’re going to have fruit trees and shrubs all up the left side of the property, so the thought of fresh, warm peaches…oh my god.
Litlebritdifrnt
@South of I-10:
Is she doing the kitten thing where she runs around at 90 miles an hour for no apparent reason? I absolutely love that, it is the best. Oh and attacking a piece of fluff on the floor, as if it is the devil itself. Ahhhhh kittens, I miss them. Althought if Ms. Tilly’s condition is anything to go by not for long, unfortunately, someone is going to the vet.
Michael Gass
The movie “Taken” was EXCELLENT. The ONLY technical problem I saw was him taking on 5 or 6 guys at once and winning. Other than that, dead on.
Enjoy the movie!
South of I-10
She is having full kitten attacks, where she runs full blast, then hops sideways and then falls over, but gets up like she meant to do that. She attacked the dog’s tail earlier. Quite amusing.
MTiffany
When harvest time comes might I humbly suggest:
2 cups julienned bell peppers (assorted varieties: red, orange, yellow, but not green)
2 cups julienned cucumber (mouth-managable length on the julienne)
2 cups julienned hot peppers (assorted varieties: habanero, scotch bonnet, whatever your taste in heat may be)
2 cups julienned onion (yellow or ‘baking’)
Put julienned vegetables into stainless steel pot,
pour in enough white vinegar to barely cover veggies,
add heat, medium flame,
bring to boil,
add 4 tablespoons sugar (optional),
add 1 teaspoon salt,
stir gently to mix sugar and salt,
reduce heat to simmer and simmer for 10-20 minutes (or even longer if you wish) depending on desired crunch.
Serve immediately over rice, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, eggplant, beef, pork chops, chicken, or even fish. If you’re feeling adventurous, serve over halved grilled cantaloupe.
Or allow to cool, put into mason jars, and refrigerate. Use within one week to one month (depending on how cool you keep your fridge and how long you cooked the veggies. Cooler fridge and longer cook time equals longer fridge life)
asiangrrlMN
@Max: Oooh, ooh, ooh! If you go before the summer, you can go to the RedState shindig! it’s only fifteen dollars. Check out TBogg for the deets.
@South of I-10: Aw, aw, aw, Katie Kitty is adorable! Post a vid if you can.
binzinerator
Me and Ms. Binz have planted these so far this spring:
2 varieties of romas
a juliette tomato
a wisconsin hybrid tomato
a tomatillo (we’ve found we only need one, there’s always a couple more ‘volunteers’ that come up elsewhere)
a bunch of jalapeno peppers
scads of spinach (been feasting on baby spinach for the past 2 weeks too)
lots of kale
lettuce
chard
peas (2” sprouts now)
green beans
broccoli
red onions
one big buttload of basil
rosemary (grown as an annual here in cheesheadland, but it does amazingly well in a single season)
plus we planted a rhubarb plant. The last 2 didn’t last the season. We are hoping to establish one this time to go with our already established strawberries.
Other goodies we have established:
raspberries, red and ‘white’ (aka golden)
thyme and lemon thyme
lavender
sage
chives
peppermint
Things to plant this weekend:
cucumbers
possibly garlic (only problem is we never have enough room to grow all we can use).
And a few things more which I am sure we will want when we go get the cuke seeds tomorrow.
Oh jeez. Can’t forget carrots. They rock here. Had a magnificent crop last year, pulled them by the fistfull until the ground froze and they all were amazing.
M. Bouffant
Lacrosse?
Worse than golf.
The privileged spawn of the Northeastern elite appropriate the game of the people they conquered. Hmpf.
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
@Delia: I’m in Toronto and just planted some cherry tomatoes called Honey Gold that sound similar to what you describe. They’re going to get only a few hours of sun a day, so I’ll see what my yields are.
binzinerator
I’ve seen tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil earlier in the thread. But I prefer this, from my wife’s family:
slices of mozzarella cheese;
tomatoes from your garden, sliced or cut up so they are the same size or smaller than the cheese slices;
fresh basil from your garden, chopped;
small curls of red onions from your garden
balsamic vinegar.
Arrange slices of mozzarella cheese on a plate.
Add tomato slices/pieces on top of each cheese slice.
Liberally sprinkle with chopped basil.
Scatter some red onion bits on top.
Drizzle with lots of good balsamic vinegar.
Eat. Yummers! Summer bliss in your mouth.
(Don’t forget to slurp the leftover puddle of balsamic vinegar with the floating bits of cheese, tomato, basil and onion. Bonus yummers!)
Rex
John,
You probably don’t want to plant both type of peppers–either go with your bells or your hot peppers…or take the hot peppers into your office and let them grow in a pot in the window there. Peppers will cross pollinate with one another and you will wind up with very large hot peppers.
Delia
@Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse:
Very likely they’re similar. I believe that Toronto is at a similar latitude to Eugene and Portland, so the length of summer days would be about the same. Last summer I visited my sister in Utah in September and filled a large bowl with all the tomatoes I couldn’t eat to take along. Her husband and teen-aged son were there to help demolish them. Then when I got home there was a new batch ready. The plants kept setting new fruit until frost. It was ridiculous.
Anne Laurie
Slow-roasted home-grown tomatoes FTW! I have two dozen plants waiting to go into the big planters tomorrow, mostly heirlooms, including a whole bunch of cherry & grape tomatoes. Cut the little buggers in half, drizzle them with olive oil & garlic & maybe salt, two hours or so in a 250-degree oven. You end up with what look like mutant raisins, which can be frozen for use in just about anything… assuming you can resist eating the whole tray out of hand, because they are THAT GOOD. The ‘regular’ tomatoes take a couple hours longer at a slightly higher temp. When they’re done, slip the skins off & most of the seeds out & pack the sauce into baggies for freezing. I never had the patience for Serious Preserving, so praise goddess for cheap refrigeration!
Wile E. Quixote
What’s the difference between [Link] and [Ext. Link] as a tag for comments, with the exception of the fact that anything posted after a [Link] tag just seems to disappear into the ether?
asiangrrlMN
@Wile E. Quixote: To fuck with your mind? That’s all I got.
AhabTRuler
@Wile E. Quixote: I always assumed that somehow [Link] referred to “inside the site” links, as opposed to external. However, I must admit that this is something I completely made up to explain the buttons, although I have been able to make links using said button to posts with the domain. Really, I have no idea what I am doing, and I have learned mostly by guessing.
Would like all those [p] tags back, and I want to know what is up with shỡḝs, but elsewise I am clueless. ;-)
Wile E. Quixote
@asiangrrlMN
Works for me. I mean I don’t know what it says about me, but I’m willing to accept “because someone is fucking with you” as an explanation for just about anything.
Wile E. Quixote
Damn! I can’t believe I missed out on this!
2th&nayle
@Wile E. Quixote: You know, while that whole Latourneau/Fualaau saga really pushed my otherwise fairly liberal socio-sexual norms envelope, I have to admit that after the way it all turned out, I find it to be rather touching. In a somewhat, flesh crawl kind of way. Am I wrong for that?