Sun Gold

Over the years I've been asking myself what the big deal is about 'Sun Gold' tomatoes. Why does everyone grow them around here? Why would I chose these over the really unusual varieties that I can start from seed?

Well, I'm now eating crow with a side of Sun Gold tomatoes.

I came across an extra plant at work and placed it in a hot sunny spot. Cherry-sized golden tomatoes were ripe before mine at home were flowering. And the balance of acidity and sweetness is just about perfect. Their flavor is even more intense if picked in the heat of the afternoon sun.

It will be hard to resist eating every single last one of these tomatoes. I'm going to let the ripe ones go to seed. I'm definitely growing this reliable variety next year! 

Broccoli

I would like to say I thoroughly enjoy growing vegetables of any type. Well, for the first time, I have met one that I do not like growing. Broccoli.

I love eating broccoli and any member of the mustard family (except the overly used choy sum in Chinese restaurants--it never looks or tastes good). So why is it that I would be fine never growing it again? From each plant, I don't get much bang for my buck. Aesthetically, they are boring with a plant smaller than kale with a clump of flowers in the middle that's for harvesting. Once they are harvested, they look odd with the middle head clipped out and side shoots start to grow.

I didn't yank them out of the ground yet. "That would be wasteful!" as I'm constantly telling my 3-year old when it comes to tossing out food. I made a second round of broccoli harvests this evening for my curry. Oliver followed me out into the garden asking if he could try some. I gave him a little side shoot bouquet while trying not to show my utter suprise given he's always asking me to take out the "green things" from his plate. It didn't last long, but hey it was an attempt!

Back to dinner, I chopped these up including the ends of the stems. The side shoot ends were still tender, but anything below of the main stalk was too woody for cooking.

My curry is super easy. I use Patak's mild curry paste and add a spoonful or two to a large pot over medium high heat with chopped onions (1 medium) and carrots (3 peeled and diced). Stir until the carrots and onion are coated with the curry paste then add one can of coconut milk. Add cubed potatoes once the carrots are just tender. If you want to add either diced chicken or shrimp tails, hold off on adding broccoli (or green beans, corn, etc) until the meat is thoroughly done. When I'm making a vegetarian version with tofu, I'll add the veggies at the same time. Serve with quinoa, rice, or pasta (preferrably penne or bowties).

Yum! Curry is my ultimate comfort food in any season.

Magnolia Sugar Snap Pea

I absolutely love the look of this sugar snap pea. A sucker for anything purple, when I read in the Adaptive Seeds catalogue that the pods were purple, I had to grow them and see for myself.

The flowers are sweet too. I'm usually not a fan of pink, but I like the two shades of pink here. The banner (that's the top part of the flower) is a light blush. The wings (the two petals underneath the banner) are a dark dusty rose hue. And the keel (the 5th petal in between the wings) is a bluish purple which you can see in the flower on the left.

The pods are longer and not as fat as the Cascadia variety. But I do like how nutty the flavor is. Maybe a little more water on the irrigation front will help.

I'm super excited these came through for me. I can't wait to include them in a summery Asian noodle salad. Yum!

Hurry up and grow!

Right after the 4th of July, I start to panic over how well my veggies are growing. Mainly, I am freaking out that the plants aren't big enough nor do they seem to be growing vigorously either. Melodrama kicks in and I'm ruling out producing a single tomato this summer.

I fall into this pattern every year, and somehow I end up with a decent amount of veggies to pick from the garden. Although, I am still a little worried about the tomatoes.

I was relieved to finally see the Kew Blue pole beans and the Sugar Magnolia snap peas are twirling and twining up their bamboo trellises.

 

Looking at my tomatoes, I noticed my Estonian Yellow Cherry has tiny fruits starting. Yay! I still have a ton more floweres, but hopefully the warmer weather this week will help. 

Green but promising!

I harvested some Apollo broccoli last week and missed one. I snapped it off, leaving a long stem on it. I'm always a little intimidated by eating raw broccoli since it is usually tasteless (from the grocery store) or way too bitter (waiting too long to pick it). It was so sweeet! The ends are great snacking and the florets--the little flowers we eat--had just the right amount of spice.

Sorry this is blurry, but I polished it off right after I took the photo. Oops!

The next post I'm planning is all about cucubits--cucumbers and squash...  

Kohlrabi Part II

Summer has finally arrived in Seattle! Nothing says summer more than grilling in the warm evening sun.

We had kalbi from Bob's--our butcher down the street. Kalbi is Korean marinated short ribs and the ones from Bob's are quite good.

I peeled and sliced them and tossed them in  a few shakes of Old Bay seasoning (I would have used Lawry's season salt--one of my guilty pleasures). I grilled them for about 5 minutes on each side to keep their crunchy quality.

Here are the two side by side on the grill. Tasty!

I'm at the point now where we need to finish the kohlrabi patch so I can plant something else. I'm looking forward to planting eggplant and cucumbers now that the heat of summer is here to stay for awhile. I plan on letting a couple of kohlrabi go to seed out of curiosity. I did that with parnips (which has been quite the adventure!). More on that later... 

Lettuce Link

I have been offering up my lettuce to friends who have the same problem I do. Too much lettuce and not enough meals in the day to have salad. I contemplated sneaking it onto my friends' doorsteps, but it would take them less than three guesses who it came from. Not a risk I was willing to take.

What should I do with 15 extra heads of lettuce? I had heard of Lettuce Link who encourages p-patchers and home gardeners to grow an extra row for food banks and meal programs. Since my eyes are bigger than my garden and stomach, I never seem to have a problem growing more.

Under the frequently asked questions, I found a link to where I could take my lettuce. The table showed what food bank takes what type of produce and the hours they are open. The Food Bank at St. Mary's is close to me and they take lettuce. And they are open daily for donations. When I arrived, they were busy sorting food and eagerly took the lettuce off my hands. They asked what p-patch it came from, and I was proud to say it was from home!

So, if you're in the same boat as me. Don't be sneaky--whether it be lettuce or zucchini (really, no one wants that on their doorstep baking in the sun--especially a south facing one like mine!). Harvest it, wash it, and bag it up for someone who will truly appreciate it.

Dilly dally

My dill 'Tetra' was pretty slow to start this season. My impatience got the better of me at the farmers' market and couldn't resist picking up a mini pack of pickling dill seedlings from Stoney Plains. Plus, I was able to share them with friends--the perfect excuse.

Now as these seedlings are starting to bolt, the 'Tetra' is ready. Plus, I have another random crop from a seed packet I picked up at Floriade (check out my other blog here). Plenty of dill to go around!

Herbs are an easy way to break into kitchen gardening. They don't require a lot of space or maintenance. And they're a great way to brighten up your recipes.

My sandwich with Loki lox and cream cheese garnished with freshly picked dill. Simple, easy, delish!