Moonies Galore!

For the record:

Burpee has moonflower seeds (bought at Wally World for 1.07).

There are about 19 seeds per package.

And how does your garden grow?

Here we have:

2 rows of sugar snap peas

2 rows of bush beans (blue lake)

1 row black beauty eggplant

2 rows scallions

1 row banana peppers

1 row mixed bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, white, black)

1 row leeks

1 row bibb lettuce

1 row spinach

I have a plot!

Tomorrow this will be my garden

Garden layout and Plant list

Better Homes and Gardens Heirloom Garden Plan

Vegetable Garden

A Amish Paste Tomato
Teardrop-shaped red fruit, meaty and juicy with outstanding flavor. Amish
heirloom discovered in Wisconsin, 85 days after transplanting.

B Brandywine Tomato
Flattened form, red, rich flavor has slightly spicy flavor, grows 6-7 inches
in diameter and up to 1 pound. Amish heirloom, 90 days.

C Amish Snap Pea
Long-time favorite in the Amish community, flavorful 2-inch pods on 5-to
6-foot vines. Prolific, and will yield for 6 weeks if picked regularly, 60
days.

A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T
Super Sugar Snap Peas
3-to 4-inch pods on a disease-resistant vine, grow on 2-foot-wide
trellises, 62-66 days.

D Vernandon Bush Beans
Gourmet filet beans from France, meaty texture, delicate and rich flavor.
Harvest at 6-inch length, 50-60 days.
A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T

Sequoia Bush Bean
Italian-type Romano, 5-inch-long purple pods turn green when cooked,
50-60 days.

E White Wonder Cucumber
Heirloom variety and hardy grower in hot weather, ivory-skinned cukes
have a mild flavor and unique color, pick at 7 inches, great for salads and
fancy pickles, 35-60 days.
A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T

Miniature White Cucumber
Ivory-colored 3-inch cucumber, sweet eating that requires no peeling.
Productive, growing on 3-foot vines, 50-55 days.
F Alma Paprika Pepper

According to Seed Savers this is "a favorite at Heritage Farms," best for
drying and grinding into paprika or eating fresh, slightly warm and very
sweet, can be cream, orange, or red, 70-80 days.
A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T
Beaver Dam Pepper

A Hungarian heirloom brought to Wisconsin in 1929 by the Joe Hussli
family. Great when eaten sliced and raw in cheese or meat sandwiches
or for stuffing. Mildly hot when seeded. Crunchy, green to red, 80 days.

GRosa Bianca Eggplant
Lavender-rose with white markings, round to teardrop shaped, Italian
heirloom is tender and creamy, pick when 5 to 6 inches and shiny, good
for stuffing, 70-80 days.

A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T
Louisiana Long Green Eggplant
Southern heirloom variety with extremely sweet, long fruits, mild and
tender skinned. Pale lime-green in color with creamy-white flesh, easy to
cook, grill, or broil, 75-100 days.

H Purple Sweet Basil
Purple-red leaves on bushy plants with reddish stems. Use in salads, as
garnish, or flavor vinegars.


A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T
Lavender
"Munstead strain" of lavender will provide fragrant foliage and lavender
blooms much of the summer. Use as a garnish or in potpourri.

I Pinwheel Marigold (Tagetes erecta "Pinwheel")
A single-blooming marigold with gold and red stripes, first mentioned in
Curtis’ Botanical Journalin 1791, 24-36" tall.
A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T

Chamomile (Motricaria recutita "Bodegold")
Small "daisies" with yellow centers, slightly apple scented, use in teas.
Sweet blooms are said to benefit pollination of nearby vegetables,
2 feet tall.

J Purple Dragon Carrot
Named for its red-purple exterior, but the interior is deep orange, sweet,
juicy and slightly spicy. Harvest at smaller sizes for best flavor, grows
quickly, 60-70 days.
A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T

Royal Chantenay Carrot
Reliable variety that will grow in heavier soils, deep orange and good for
canning, freezing, and juicing, 60-70 days.

K Nordic IV Spinach
Sturdy hybrid form Holland, fast growing, 8-inch leaves have a
delicate flavor and can be creamed or used in salads or pasta dishes.
39-45 days.
A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T

Bloomsdale Spinach
Vigorous, dark green stalks with twisted leaves, tender and well flavored.
Good for salads, cooked, or canned, first introduced in 1908. 39-60
days.

L Hailstone Radish
Pure white skinned radish with firm, crunchy flesh, globe shaped,
23-40 days.
A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T

Early Scarlet Globe Radish
Bright red globe with white flesh, 1-inch diameter, good flavor,
20-28 days.

MMerville des Quatre Saisons Lettuce
Easy-to-grow French heirloom, soft butterhead type. Loose pale leaves
are tinged with rose and bronze shades, good for baby greens,
50-60 days.
A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T

Cardinale Lettuce
"French crisp" lettuce has thick, crunchy red leaves, heat tolerant and
delicious, 50-60 days.

NBorentta Onion
Mild-flavored Italian heirloom is a "little onion." Matures at 2 inches,
bronze-rose color, great for cooking. 100-110 days.
A LT E R N AT I V E P L A N T

German Red Garlic
A German heirloom with 8 to 12 cloves, light brown with purplish base,
plant 4 weeks prior to the first fall frost.

Wampanoag Three Sisters Garden (acclimated to the south east by Native Americans

Wampanoag Three Sisters Garden

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/complant.html#appCultivation

It was the Wampanoag gardens that enabled the early settlers of Jamestown to survive and thrive in the New World. Squanto was a Wampanoag who "taught the newcomers to plant maize in little hills and fertilize each mound with an alewife, a species of fish". With this efficient and intensive gardening style, each family could sustain their needs on about one acre of land. Many of the tribes of the Northeast, including the Iroquois, used the Wampanoag garden design. Planted without plowing or tilling, the traditional Wampanoag garden includes corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. The corn and beans are planted in mounds, with squash planted between the mounds.

The sunflowers are planted along the north edge of the garden, so that they do not cast a shadow on the other crops . When the sunflowers have bloomed and the squash and beans have flowered, the Wampanoag Three Sisters garden becomes a stunning cluster of red, yellow, and white flowers against a textured backdrop of shimmering greens.

First, the raised corn and bean mounds must be constructed. These small mounds are laid out in rows with 4 feet between the centers of the mounds . Each mound is about 4 inches high, with a wide base (about 18 inches in diameter) that narrows to a flattened top (about 10 inches across). To conserve moisture, a depression with a lip may be formed at the top of each mound . The finished mounds have a remarkable resemblance to miniature moon craters.

When the mounds are ready, plant four corn seeds about 6 inches apart and 3 inches deep in the top of each mound. Once the corn has grown to a height of 4 inches or more, plant four beans seeds halfway down the slopes on the sides of each mound . Allow the bean vines to entwine themselves around the cornstalks for support. The bean vines may be pruned if they get too aggressive .

Squash seedlings are planted at the same time as the beans. Construct rounded mounds 3 inches high and about 1 foot across at the base. The squash mounds are staggered between the mounds of corn and beans . Traditionally, four seedlings are planted in the top of each mound.

The seedlings are arranged to represent each of the four sacred directions . Both winter and summer varieties are planted, including pumpkins, acorn squash, and summer crookneck squash . Sunflower seeds are planted at the same time as the corn. The smaller-flowering common sunflower, Helianthus annus, is traditionally grown in a Wampanoag Three Sisters garden. The sunflower mounds are located at the north edge of the garden. The mounds are spaced about three feet apart from center, with three seeds planted (one seed per hole) atop each mound. The sunflowers seeds are traditionally harvested after the first frost.

Companion Planting Chart

Table 1. COMPANION PLANTING CHART FOR HOME & MARKET GARDENING (compiled from traditional literature on companion planting)
CROP	COMPANIONS	INCOMPATIBLE
Asparagus	Tomato, Parsley, Basil
Beans	Most Vegetables & Herbs
Beans, Bush	Irish Potato, Cucumber, Corn, Strawberry, Celery, Summer Savory	Onion
Beans, Pole	Corn, Summer Savory, Radish	Onion, Beets, Kohlrabi, Sunflower
Cabbage Family	Aromatic Herbs, Celery, Beets, Onion Family, Chamomile, Spinach, Chard	Dill, Strawberries, Pole Beans, Tomato
Carrots	English Pea, Lettuce, Rosemary, Onion Family, Sage, Tomato	Dill
Celery	Onion & Cabbage Families, Tomato, Bush Beans, Nasturtium
Corn	Irish Potato, Beans, English Pea, Pumpkin, Cucumber, Squash	Tomato
Cucumber	Beans, Corn, English Pea, Sunflowers, Radish	Irish Potato, Aromatic Herbs
Eggplant	Beans, Marigold
Lettuce	Carrot, Radish, Strawberry, Cucumber
Onion Family	Beets, Carrot, Lettuce, Cabbage Family, Summer Savory	Beans, English Peas
Parsley	Tomato, Asparagus
Pea, English	Carrots, Radish, Turnip, Cucumber, Corn, Beans	Onion Family, Gladiolus, Irish Potato
Potato, Irish	Beans, Corn, Cabbage Family, Marigolds, Horseradish	Pumpkin, Squash, Tomato, Cucumber, Sunflower
Pumpkins	Corn, Marigold	Irish Potato
Radish	English Pea, Nasturtium, Lettuce, Cucumber	Hyssop
Spinach	Strawberry, Faba Bean
Squash	Nasturtium, Corn, Marigold	Irish Potato
Tomato	Onion Family, Nasturtium, Marigold, Asparagus, Carrot, Parsley, Cucumber	Irish Potato, Fennel, Cabbage Family
Turnip	English Pea	Irish Potato

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/complant.html#appCultivation

companion planting

Traditional Companion Planting

Companion planting can be described as the establishment of two or more plant species in close proximity so that some cultural benefit (pest control, higher yield, etc.) is derived. The concept embraces a number of strategies that increase the biodiversity of agroecosystems.

Generally, companion planting is thought of as a small-scale gardening practice. However, in this discussion the term is applied in its broadest sense to include applications to commercial horticultural and agronomic crops. ATTRA has another publication, Intercropping Principles and Production Practices, that provides additional information on larger-scale applications.

While companion planting has a long history, the mechanisms of beneficial plant interaction have not always been well understood. Traditional recommendations (see summary chart provided as Table 1) used by gardeners have evolved from an interesting combination of historical observation, horticultural science, and a few unconventional sources. For example, some of the recommendations for companion planting, made around the middle of this century, were based on the results of sensitive crystallization tests (1).

Originally developed by Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, sensitive crystallization testing entails the mixing of plant extracts with select salt reagents like sodium sulfate or copper chloride. The resulting solution is placed in a controlled environment chamber and allowed to evaporate slowly. The process results in a precipitate that often takes on beautiful geometric forms and patterns. The characteristics of the pattern are studied and interpreted to establish whether the plants are likely to interact well with each other (1). Sensitive crystallization appeals to practitioners of Biodynamics™ (BD) and others who take a more metaphysical approach to nature. Conventional science is much more skeptical of this process as a means to evaluate plant associations.

Food as (my) Artwork

Zoe's Romantic Getaway Sat Night Downtown Ramisi's Cocktail Party...

Ramsi’s Cafe on the World Louisville, KY
October 20, 2006 · 5 Comments
Where can you go in Louisville KY and choose a dish off a menu with options from around the world? Ramsis Café on the World of course. This is my kind of eclectic place. It sits in a hip, urban and diverse neighborhood while delivering freshly cooked food from around the world.

Right when you walk in you know you are in for a treat. The décor is international. There is a Jamaican wall hanging next to an African picture with a beautiful British painting in between. There is a huge (12 foot) door leaning on a wall, a great water fountain in the outdoor covered seating area and many unique statues and trinkets on the wall. I bet there is a story behind each item. I would love to hear about each one of them. Every table in the restaurant is different, each with their own table cloth and many of them are handmade or imported. Even the chairs are different. But that is not all, each table setting is unique as well – plates, forks, knives, spoons and glasses.

The food is great. I enjoyed it so much on the first night of my trip that I went back on the second. I started the night with the Tuna Tartare (Fresh marinated Yellow fin tuna with red onions, peppers, green onions, avocado & cilantro). It had such a fresh, light and tangy flavor. For my entrée I tried the Coconut Scallops served with spinach Alfredo and fried plantains. What a great combination. The scallops were perfect, crisp on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. On the second night I tried the 1001 Arabian lentils. It was served with caramelized onion marmalade, yogurt and cucumber-tomato relish. Again, quite a unique combo that my taste buds couldn’t get enough of. I also had the soup of day, which unfortunately I cannot remember what it was. All I know is I finished it off.

I recommended the place to a couple of co-workers (Vishal & Hooman) who went toLouisville a week after I had gone in September. Guys, please tell us what you thought.

This place earns a 4 page rating for the story. The owners are both Arabs who grew up inJerusalem and their Mother is Catholic. Their Mother owns a small grocery store and they both have engineering degrees. In 1994 they decided to start a unique restaurant that would provide a place for people to feel at home, enjoy international food while they engage in great conversation. What a fascinating story.

It started out very small and every few years has had to expand in order to keep up with the demand due to the tremendous popularity. So, it is actually quite large and therefore only has a 1 hole in the wall rating.

I must mention the wait staff. I have never seen a more eclectic collection of folks – some very young, some with pink hair, others more middle aged, but all were totally into serving their customers. One of the hostesses spent a little time with me and gave me the pieces of the story that I shared above. If anyone has more information on the story, I would love to hear it.

Next time I am in Louisville, I will definitely go back to one of my kind of places, Ramsi’s Café on the World.

Canning Basics

Canning Basics

Why should you can?

Canning food is an easy and economical way to keep food beyond its normal storage period. Proper, safe home canning procedures control the growth of spoilage microorganisms, such as molds, yeasts and bacteria as well as enzymes, and that increases your food potential. The canning process involves placing foods in jars or similar containers and heating them to a temperature that destroys those microorganisms. During this heating process air is driven out of the jar and as it cools a vacuum seal is formed. This vacuum seal prevents air from getting back into the product bringing with it contaminating micro-organisms.

Safe Canning Methods

There are two safe ways of processing food, the boiling water bath method and the pressure canner method:

1) The boiling water bath method is safe for tomatoes, fruits, jams, jellies, pickles and other preserves. In this method, jars of food are heated completely covered with boiling water (212°F at sea level) and cooked for a specified amount of time

2) Pressure canning is the only safe method of preserving vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood. Jars of food are placed in 2 to 3 inches of water in a special pressure cooker which is heated to a temperature of at least 240° F. This temperature can only be reached using the pressure method

http://www.canning-food-recipes.com/canning.htm

Well butter my biscuit!

Some southern sayings....



Southern Saying: Butter my biscuit
Translation: Isn't that something!
Usage: Well butter my biscuit!


Southern Saying: Speckled pup in a red wagon
Translation: Reference to being cute or precious.
Usage: That baby's cuter than a speckled pup in a red wagon.


Southern Saying: Two goats in a pepper patch.
Translation: That's some hot stuff.
Usage: It's hotter out here than two goats in a pepper patch.


Southern Saying: Snowball's chance in hell.
Translation: Not a very likely occurrence.
Usage: You ain't got a snow ball's chance in hell of gittin' that girl.


Southern Saying: Argue with a fence post.
Translation: Stubborness
Usage: That woman would argue with a fence post.


Southern Saying: Rode hard and put up wet.
Translation: Looking rough
Usage: Man, you look like you been rode hard and put up wet.


Southern Saying: Heebie jeebies
Translation: A condition similar to the chills.
Usage: That fellow gives me the heebie jeebies.



Southern Saying: Three sheets to the wind.
Translation: Drunk
Usage: Betty Lou is three sheets to the wind.


Southern Saying: Short end of the stick.
Translation: Treated in an ill manner
Usage: We got the short end of the stick on that deal.


Southern Saying: Half cocked.
Translation: Lacking all the facts.
Usage: That fellow went off half cocked.


Southern Saying: Skint
Translation: Very versatile term meaning to remove hide, drunk, or to beat up.
Usage: I skint his hair back.


Southern Saying: Above your raisin'
Translation: Acting as a snob acts.
Usage: Little Miss Priss is shore above her raisin'.


Southern Saying: Ruffled her feathers.
Translation: Upsetting
Usage: I really ruffled her feathers.


Southern Saying: Chewin' the fat
Translation: Talking up a storm or talking about nothing in particular.
Usage: We was just a chewin' the fat.

Southern Saying: Like a stuck hog.
Translation: Screaming or squealing in pain.
Usage: Bo hit is finger with that mallet and hollered like a stuck hog.

Southern Saying: I declare.
Translation: I did not know that or that is surprising or it can merely be used when there is really nothing else to say.
Usage: I declare!


Southern Saying: In a coon's age.
Translation: A really long time.
Usage: I ain't seen nothin' like that in a coon's age.


Southern Saying: Bump on a log.
Translation: Refers to one being unknowing.
Usage: He was just sittin' there like a bump on a log.


Southern Saying: Mouth overloaded his butt
Translation: That individual cannot back up what they are saying with actions.
Usage: Boy, you're lettin' your mouth overload your butt.

Southern Saying: Countin' your chickens
Translation: The very risky act of assuming the outcome.
Usage: She's countin' her chickens before the eggs hatch.


Southern Saying: Bitten' off more than you can chew.
Translation: Taken on more than one can handle.
Usage: I really think this time I've bitten off more than I can chew!


Southern Saying: Caught with my pants down.
Translation: That individual was taken by surprise or was totally unprepared.
Usage: She caught me with my pants down.


Southern Saying: Barking up the wrong tree.
Translation: A situation to avoid at all costs. Indicates you may be about to have your hair skint back.
Usage: You're barkin' up the wrong tree now boy.


Southern Saying: Meat on that bone
Translation: There is still more to go - as in not complete.
Usage: There's still meat on that bone.


Southern Saying: Can't see the forest for the trees.
Translation: Unable to see the big picture.
Usage: Boy, you can't see the forest for the trees.

Southern Saying: Like water off a ducks back
Translation: Reference to the certainty of some event occuring or the ease at which it occurred.
Usage: It was like water off a duck's back.


Southern Saying: Shut my mouth
Translation: An expression of speechlessness.
No, we can't keep our mouths shut and this is how we tell you.
Usage: Well shut my mouth!


Southern Saying: Two peas in a pod
Translation: Suited for each other or identical.
Usage: They like two peas in a pod ain't they?