Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[Western]

Farmgirl, You are 3 weeks ahead of me!! Looks like we'll be eat'n at your house

Jim, I like those rows!! Big enough to drive the ATV through!!! The Israel melons look great, mine are waaayy behind yours.

They "upgraded" us to 60% chance tonight, but I will water today any way, like you guy's, I cant depend on rain right now:irked:. How am I supposed to grow moles if I dont water At least I'm ahead of y'all in that department:thumbsup:

 

[farmgirl19]

I'll water tonight too, Western. Won't have time to do it in the morninjg before work, if it doesn't rain, and I am not willing to lose the garden yet, after all we have been through to get them growing and producing! I hope to be adding squash to the grill in a week! My okra is only about 2-3 inches tall, and the stuff I planted last week is barely breaking the surface.

Might make for a chance to plan a get together NEXT year for grilling bounty from the garden. We aren't *that* far apart! Good food, good ffriends, and some cold beer? Hmmmm....... might have to think abot doing something like that.

 

[Bird]

I don't know if it's a difference in the time, a difference in the part of the country, or what, but when I was a kid, we always grew the yellow squash, but never any zucchini. But we also always had the white squash and I still love that white squash, sliced, dipped in beaten egg, then in flour (or a flour/cornmeal mixture) and fried. One year, down in Navarro County, I only bought seed for the yellow squash and zucchini, I thought, but somehow a white squash seed had gotten in with the yellow and I had one plant that produced the white squash.

 

[farmgirl19]

Bird: You are looking for the white patty pan squash. When I order seeds each year, I have to get a packet or two of that for some friends, as well. He makes a beer batter to cook his in, but otherwise, recipe is similar to yours. If you want some seed next year, let me know about the middle of January, when I get antsy and begin putting my seed order together, and I'll get you a packet or two of seeds.

 

[jinman]

Bird, I have three hills of spaghetti squash this year too. My wife is not super crazy about it, but it can be used as a low-cal pasta with spaghetti sauce. One year I grew the white scalloped squash (called patty pans) and it is super grilled. You can slice it into thick slices and add a little olive oil and spice to your taste. Grill it until it is tender and begins to brown a bit. YUM! My daughter introduced me to sliced squash and zucchini chips to dip in ranch dip or other. It's great that way and easy to fix.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

My bush green beans are looking a bit better (since the frost bite or whatever) and are producing. I got to eat my first meal of green beans cooked with fresh chopped onion. I planted my rows about 2 to 3 feet apart so I can run the tiller down between the plants. Since my carrots did not do well, I replanted a row of black eyed peas. Not sure why perfectly normal people call them "Cowpeas"... Must be a California thing.

The corn seed I bought at our Ace hardware (per Don's recommendation) has come up fine and is already about 8" tall. I put cages around my 7 tomato plants. It seems my tomatoes are not doing that well. Maybe they are just now kicking in gear. I started them in those "pucks" you buy that grow when you water them. They seemed so fragile when I transplanted them.

I usually get okra volunteers from the previous year but so far not this year.

 

[farmgirl19]

jinman: Care to share the zucchini and yellow squash "chip" recipe? Thanks!

 

[Bird]

farmgirl, thanks for the offer, but I've quit growing a garden and just buy them at the farmers market.

Jim, I'm not that fond of the spaghetti squash myself. It's not bad, but more trouble than it's worth to me.

Kyle, I'm not sure when blackeyed peas were first called cowpeas, or vice versa, but I remember lots of stories my parents told about their time in Baltimore when I was a baby. One of the stories was about not being able to find blackeyed peas in 1941-43. And someone told them the feed store sold them as "cowpeas" for cattle feed. Dad said he went to the feed store and they had the dried ones in hundred pound sacks, but agreed to open a sack and sell him 5 pounds.

Incidentally, when I went to the Traffic Institute at Northwestern University for the 1971-72 school year, we could not find any kind of blackeyed peas in any of the grocery stores, so when we came home for Christmas, we bought a case of canned ones to take back with us.

 

[farmgirl19]

I think it all goes back to the "Civil" War days. (Like any war is civil.) Also, where we get the Black-eyed Peas for luck on January 1 tradition. If anyone needs a reminder of that, let me know, and I'll post here. But since the Yanks thought those peas were to feed cattle, I figure that is why some call them "Cowpeas". Good thing they didn't know how wonderful and nutritious they can be!

 

[jinman]

jinman: Care to share the zucchini and yellow squash "chip" recipe? Thanks!

HA! Even I can do this one from memory. Just wash the zucchini or squash and slice them into rounds about 1/4" thick. Dip into ranch dip and enjoy! If your zucs have tough skins, you can peel them first. Use young yellow squash no larger than 1-3/4" diameter. Those are the most tender and have undeveloped seeds. Refrigerate before slicing for a nice crisp texture. No cooking needed, just a healthy raw veggie snack. They are great served with young banana peppers, cherry tomatoes, and sugar snap peas. I can eat myself silly on that stuff.