2022 Veggie gardens!

Good meme! :stuck_out_tongue:

That’s impressive! I have two tomatoes (one is about 3-4 inches across; the other only about 2 inches) that developed late August that are still all green, and I’m clinging to the hope it will still start to ripen a bit before frost. Nights are getting chilly (50s to mid 40s), but day time temps can still get to 60-70F. Might be a pipe dream. Even had a 3rd little baby tomato develop but that little one is too late for sure. Most of the garden has wound down, but there are a few scraggly scallions that weren’t picked that I can go through. Lemon grass needs to be harvested and frozen and then in 2 weeks, it will be cutting all the perennials down and finding a spot to bring all the plants in 4 citrus plants, young lavendars and what’s left of my poor rosemary).

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Gardening is kinda sad this time of year isn’t it? Be sure to pick any still green tomatoes before the 1st frost, and bring them inside, because they will ripen indoors. Wish I could share some of my bounty with you. Looks like I’ll need to make more sauce to can, or maybe just crushed tomatoes. A good problem to have for sure.

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This transition time is definitely hard because the day time and night time temperatures here are so drastically different. I’ve been checking hourly temperatures every day in case we drop below 40F. The mini warm ups are not unheard of, because I remember past years my garlic sprouting way too early before the frost. :confused: Just wished this New England weather just picks one pattern and sticks with it.

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I like this time in the garden, but it’s pretty tricky. Hoping it will cool off and there will be rain.

Aside from cherries, my only tomato this week.


The peppers are loving every minute of it.

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We have a visitor.

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" Indeterminate potatoes and most fingerling potatoes keep forming new tubers but no more than about 12” above the seed potatoes . So in a potato planter like above, you will not increase production by mounding dirt or straw to more than 12” high ."

What Are The Differences Between Determinate And Indeterminate Potatoes- Gardening Know How

Determinate and Indeterminate Potatoes- Laid-back Gardener

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This one says it doesn’t matter, at least for their potatoes, growing in Canada.

French Revolution in Potatoes Comes to America https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/25/garden/french-revolution-in-potatoes-comes-to-america.html

Can’t seem to make the tiny url of the gift link work.

My apologies for the delay @MunchkinRedux!
Here is the way to make Greek Monastery Sauce; sorry I don’t have precise measurements or weights for this, but this is how we do it. Quantities listed are approximate for a 10 quart pot.

3 large yellow onions, chopped
2 medium sized heads garlic, peeled and minced
4-6 colanders of fresh tomatoes, use a combination of Romas and heirlooms, or Romas only - whatever needs to be used; scald tomatoes, reserving skins, and de-seed if desired; purée tomatoes in blender or food processor, leaving chunks for texture, if desired
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh Greek or Turkish Oregano, minced (can use dried)
1/4 cup Italian Parsley, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, in chiffonade
4-5 Turkish Bay Leaves (dried)
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons Ceylon Cinnamon
Remaining 1/4 cup olive oil
Citric acid for processing

In a 10 quart stockpot, sauté the onions in 1/4 cup olive oil until soft. Add the minced garlic and sauté an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and cook bringing to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer slowly for about 2 hours, uncovered, and until sauce starts to thicken.
When sauce is the consistency desired, add the parsley, basil, cinnamon, salt, and remaining olive oil, simmering for 5 minutes, then turn the heat off.

If you wish to can the sauce, sterilize bottles, and prepare lids and rings. Ladle the sauce into jars, acidulating with citric acid for safety precautions. Add 1/4 teaspoon per pint or 1/2 teaspoon per quart. Process in a water bath, allowing 40 minutes per pint, and 45 minutes per quart. Enjoy your delicious sauce.

** It must be noted that Greeks typically do not cook with basil! Since we had fresh on hand, H put it in there. The flavor should be oregano forward, with a hint or background note of cinnamon.
Please let me know if you have any questions!

** For the reserved tomato skins, I run them through a chinois which yields an amazing amount of pulp and juice, which is added to the pot.

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Thank you so much!

This sounds really interesting (I love cinnamon). We’re still getting a few tomatoes, and I’d like to give a small batch a try. Will let you know how it comes out!

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Thanks and good luck! Forgot to mention that dried herbs and parsley are ok, and Chinese or Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon works also, but use a lesser amount. Anxious to hear how it turns out.

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Thanks! That sounds delicious.

It’s worth seeking out true Ceylon Cinnamon; it’s my favorite type and harder to over use when you just want a hint in a. recipe.

If you process a lot of tomatoes, like I do, some of the older, especially Italian types are sufficiently acidic to skip citric acid or lemon juice. It’s crucial to insure the pH is below pH 4.6 for a water bath canner. Here, a pH meter is very handy as reading colored pH papers is unreliable, due to the red tomatoes. If in doubt, add the acid.

That’s surprising! So, oregano forward leans a bit towards, say, pizza sauce?
Is Turkish Bay leaf much different than common Bay leaf?

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Is there a use for horseradish leaves? I planted a root after Passover, and it’s now a nice-looking plant. Has anyone every cooked with it?

The way you know a pizzeria is owned by Greeks is if you taste oregano in the pizza sauce.

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When I lived in the city, there was a Greek pizzeria which delivered to my neighborhood. They were the best pizzas! Haven’t thought of those in a long time. Maybe I will try and replicate one.

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Yes, they’re edible, with a typical brassica flavor when cooked. However, they get tough and fibrous, so you want young leaves that have grown fairly quickly, ideally in cool weather. Harvesting foliage will reduce the root size.

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Thanks! I tasted a raw leaf when the plant first got going and was a little disappointed it didn’t taste more like horseradish.

Agree on the Ceylon Cinnamon, especially for savory things, and Greek and Moroccan cooking, among some others. Yes on the acid in tomatoes usually being sufficient for canning, I just add the citric acid as insurance so to speak, especially since onions and garlic are added to the sauce, sometimes even chiles or peppers.

Think it’s fair to say the sauce resembles an oregano forward pizza sauce, but ours is probably not quite that punchy. It has a nicely rounded flavor, especially with the back note of cinnamon. Sometimes I make variations of it, adding some chiles for heat, or Penzey’s Turkish Seasoning, which is fantastic. My H insists on calling it Byzantine seasoning, as kind of a joke

As far as California Bay Leaves go, to me they have a sharp eucalyptus or menthol like flavor. I don’t like them at all in food, and I threw my supply away, and haven’t used them for decades. This might just be my/our palates, or perceptions of the flavor profile.
Happy gardening to you, and thanks for so generously sharing your knowledge with us!

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Yes, I had the same feeling ,
meh. It’s closer to leaf broccoli or kale, maybe blander.

Growing decent horseradish roots is a bit tedious. Periodically digging and trimming side roots off to get a big, single taproot. I love the stuff, but usually resort to store-bought roots to make prepared horseradish at home, which is very potent!

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