Gardening Talk

[cosmicfolklore]

I was looking at Square Foot Gardening, then didn't actually try it.
Growing corn and pole beans together is pure brilliance, and rather handsome to boot.

Something to consider that those Square Foot books totally ignores... if you live in an area where you receive minimal rainfall in the peak heat of summer, consider lowering your bed below the ground level. I do this for my onions and peppers. If I water a raised bed, the water seeps to the grasses growing around the beds and encourages weeds.
By digging out a bed below ground level and using planks to separate the beds from ground level, and then filling with soil to just a few inches below ground level, you get better use of the water, and it doesn't encourage weeds.

also, some plants do not like crowding roots. I have found the advice in those books almost pointless at times. If you crowd most vegetables, they produce really small fruit, if not shut down fruit production all together.

All in all, it is a good concept. Just be careful about crowing. And, consider lowering a few beds if you live in areas with droughts in peek summer.

 

[Pooh-Bah]

Finally got around to taking some up-to-date garden pics.
Some hibiscus growing in an unused bed, that was generously donated to me by some friendly birds.

According to the internet, this is chicory. I didn't plant chicory here, but hey, it works for me.

I didn't plant amaranth in the middle of a footpath, but it's attractive and growing well so it can stay. I'll assume the same birds that gave me the hibiscus moved some amaranth seeds around as a practical joke.

This single kabocha plant has overtaken like a sixth of the garden.

Bloody Butcher corn is like, eleven feet tall and probably a week or two out from harvest.

Red Russian tobacco, which has had a few visitors remark, "Oh those flowers are lovely, what are they?" I haven't been harvesting from it, but maybe at season's end I'll hang the whole plants upside down in the shed or something.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

My beans did fantastic this year but that's no surprise but I have a question. So... I am growing cowpeas (blackeye peas), this sort of mottled Italian beans and a typical looking green pole bean. The first two I plan on shelling and drying whatever is on the vine at this point but does anyone shell and dry what is considered a "green bean"? I have eaten them like 3x a week in various ways and finally reached the point that I'm sick and tired of those damn green beans but still have so many... I thought about pickling them but I don't really care all that much for pickled green beans but if someone has a "must die for" recipe for that I would be happy to hear it as well.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

does anyone shell and dry what is considered a "green bean"?

Yes, I have already put up 16 gallons of green beans into the freezer. I will let the rest dry on the vine, and we use them as a dry bean for soups throughout the winter.

Have you tried over roasted green beans? We will put the frozen or fresh beans in a bag, add olive oil and mix to cover, and then I add some seasoning, like a Greek mix that I make or Italian, (or any herbs that you want) and roast them in a pan at 425 for 16-20 minutes, depending on how densely the pan is packed. MmmmMmmm...

Edit: and then we top the beans with grated parmesan.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

Yes, I have already put up 16 gallons of green beans into the freezer. I will let the rest dry on the vine, and we use them as a dry bean for soups throughout the winter.

Have you tried over roasted green beans? We will put the frozen or fresh beans in a bag, add olive oil and mix to cover, and then I add some seasoning, like a Greek mix that I make or Italian, (or any herbs that you want) and roast them in a pan at 425 for 16-20 minutes, depending on how densely the pan is packed. MmmmMmmm...

Oh yes. I like them roasted. I made something the other day that was fantastic. I blanched the beans and then sautéed them in butter that was about to brown with some sage and then carpet bombed them with parmesan on the plate. Anyways... thanks for those suggestions. I just never saw any bags of dried green beans anywhere. I should get into freezing as well.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Oh yes. I like them roasted. I made something the other day that was fantastic. I blanched the beans and then sautéed them in butter that was about to brown with some sage and then carpet bombed them with parmesan on the plate. Anyways... thanks for those suggestions. I just never saw any bags of dried green beans anywhere. I should get into freezing as well.

We were dedicated jar preservers of green beans for years, thinking that frozen green beans would be rubbery. And, they can be. Now, we just snap them and put them in bags to freeze without blanching, and we get a much fresher bean... and easier.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

We were dedicated jar preservers of green beans for years, thinking that frozen green beans would be rubbery. And, they can be. Now, we just snap them and put them in bags to freeze without blanching, and we get a much fresher bean... and easier.

I guess the key is also what you use the frozen beans for. I often make string bean salads and like them slightly undercooked for that but also make a sort of Persian "stewed" string bean dish is pretty much like string beans in a tomato sauce and for that I like them almost falling apart so something like that seems like a good use for frozen string beans. I've also thought of just making that and freezing it as I do with normal tomato sauce.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Oh, and don't go for those non-stringed varieties of green beans. They don't nearly have as much flavor as a stringed bean. Plus non-string varieties will inevitably get strings if you pick them too late anyways. Kentucky Wonder all the way.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I guess the key is also what you use the frozen beans for. I often make string bean salads and like them slightly undercooked for that but also make a sort of Persian "stewed" string bean dish is pretty much like string beans in a tomato sauce and for that I like them almost falling apart so something like that seems like a good use for frozen string beans. I've also thought of just making that and freezing it as I do with normal tomato sauce.

A Greek friend of mine shared a recipe that they serve at our local Greek Food Festival.
Caramelize some onions, add in the green beans, and some diced stewed tomatoes (don't add so much that they are drenched, just enough to wet them and add some tomato flavor. Then add a dash of paprika, cinnamon, and all spice, and let it cook till the beans are tender, then add some diced garlic just before you serve them. Cooking the garlic diminishes that crisp garlic flavor.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

A Greek friend of mine shared a recipe that they serve at our local Greek Food Festival.
Caramelize some onions, add in the green beans, and some diced stewed tomatoes (don't add so much that they are drenched, just enough to wet them and add some tomato flavor. Then add a dash of paprika, cinnamon, and all spice, and let it cook till the beans are tender, then add some diced garlic just before you serve them. Cooking the garlic diminishes that crisp garlic flavor.

The inclusion of cinnamon and allspice sounds interesting, I'll try that. I like those "dark" tasting spices in savory dishes. They sort of make me pause to consider what I'm tasting.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

The inclusion of cinnamon and allspice sounds interesting, I'll try that. I like those "dark" tasting spices in savory dishes. They sort of make me pause to consider what I'm tasting.

Not too much. You don't want it to taste like pumpkin spice, haha, just enough for interest.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

Not too much. You don't want it to taste like pumpkin spice, haha, just enough for interest.

Worse it nutmeg. It's like the fentanyl of spices...

 

[fireground_piper]

This has been the steady tomato production for the past few weeks. Always a basket or two of both types on the counter.

 

[scloyd]

I ended up with four pumpkins. Not bad for a first timer.

 

[FLDRD]

My okra, tomatoes and peppers are winding down their production.
Figs are just ripening this last week or so, with lots still browning up.
Apples are hanging in there for my best production ever on that front, although only 3 trees...

 

[fireground_piper]

Pulled all the tomatoes today. Anything blushing will hold for a while and we will eat as ready. Everything green will get pickled.