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tomato

Beautiful red beets

June 28, 2012 by Elisabeth

Beets

Yesterday we harvested some really beautiful red beets–Chioggias, from Italy–one of four varieties we’re growing in the garden this year. These were planted just over two months ago, on March 21.

Cut in two, a Chioggia looks a lot like a bb target with its red and white rings. For people who like beets, it makes a colorful addition to a salad.

Not everyone likes beets, however. While many love them, many also hate them. President Obama and the First Lady, for example, both count themselves among the thumbs-down-to-beets segment of the population, roughly a third of the country. That’s why there’s not a single beet growing in the White House’s kitchen garden.

Why do some folks not like beets? For most, it’s because of their bad luck in the genetic casino. They ended up with a set of genes that make them especially sensitive to the scent of geosmins, bacterial debris that give fresh dirt its fresh smell, but that also (for these poor souls, at least) make fresh beets taste like dirt. (Google "beets" and "taste like dirt" and you’ll see how widespread this phenomenon is.)

Beets are not the only veggie that puts off certain segments of the population. Cilantro does, too. About 10% of the country thinks fresh Cilantro tastes like soap.  Fresh tomatoes, too. For a very small slice of the population, sliced tomatoes taste gross, like totally icky.

All because of unlucky draws from the gene pool.

Our hearts go out to these poor souls; but this also means all the more for the rest of us (!).

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: tomato

Try Ramapo tomatoes next year

June 1, 2012 by Elisabeth

Ramapo tomator“With this particular tomato, Ramapo, it is on the acid end of the range — the way most people would perceive that is, it has zing to it or it’s tangier. It also is in the moderate to high moderate range when it comes to sugars. The balance of acidity and sugar gives it an intense flavor.”

More info here and here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: tomato

Viability Periods of Various Veggie Seeds

December 9, 2011 by Elisabeth

To help save money when buying vegetable seeds, check the viability of seed varieties and order larger packets of seeds that are long-lived.

Assess your remaining seeds from last season. If you liked a particular variety, continue to use the seed. Because seed can remain viable for years, if properly stored, it is often economical to buy larger packets at reduced prices.

Here is a general list of seed viability for some common vegetable crops:

Short-lived seeds (1 – 2 years)

    * corn
    * leeks
    * onion
    * parsnip
    * spinach

Medium-lived seeds (5 years)

    * squash
    * pumpkin
    * peas
    * eggplant
    * parsley
    * beans
    * carrots
    * celery

Long-lived seeds (over 5 years)

    * broccoli
    * lettuce
    * collards
    * cabbage
    * cauliflower
    * brussel sprouts
    * kale
    * tomato
    * radish
    * cucumber
    * melon
    * peppers
    * turnips

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: cabbage, eggplant, tomato

Help Select Some Heirloom Tomatoes for our Next Season!

November 30, 2011 by Elisabeth

RF Gardeners,

To help us plan what we’d like to cultivate next season….

Here’s a list of the Top 10 Heirloom Tomatoes for 2012:

http://www.hortmag.com/plants/fruits-veggies/top-heirloom-tomatoes?et_mid=527783&rid=2167011

Please vote for your top 3!
– Mike

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: tomato

October weather Surprise

October 30, 2011 by Elisabeth

garden before and after snow

 

After Saturday’s work session, the garden was neat and clean and green. The following day, it was white! The fluke October snow was perfectly timed to weigh down the fresh compost of basil, bean, eggplant, okra, pepper, tomato and tomatillo plants.

The cabbage was snug in its white blanket, awaiting more warm weather and the Brussels sprouts were standing tall.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: cabbage, eggplant, tomato

What to do with arugula? A simple, flavorful vegetarian pasta recipe.

October 3, 2011 by Elisabeth

 

Right now, the arugula is beautiful in the garden.  There is plenty of it, and it’s still tender, as well as spicy.  Last week, I used my arugula in a salad.  But, tonight, John used our share of  Saturday’s harvest in one of our favorite pasta recipes, “Pesto of Sundried Tomatoes with Arugula”.  The book Pasta Fresca by Viana La Place and Evan Kleiman features very simple, delicious pasta recipes and this is one great example, from their section on “Pasta with Raw Sauces”.  Note that, in the printed recipe, John changed the “3/4 cup” sundried tomatoes to “entire jar (8 oz)”.  We use sundried tomatoes from Trader Joe’s, though the cookbook authors urge readers to make their own.  I’ve not done that yet, though I understand that tomatoes can be readily oven-dried. 

As you can see, this dish is very colorful and, with the spicy arugula, sweet sundried tomatoes, dried hot pepper, and garlic, it has a lot of flavor!  It’s also vegetarian, as are many, though not all, of the Pasta Fresca recipes. 

 


 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: tomato

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