2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

[Chicklady]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

Ohhhh Me too!! Make a dip with tahini and kefir. or tahini, sesame oil, lemon juice and hot pepper flakes. I've been known to much more than a half pound at a time despite the fact that this diet is so unhealthy

[not2late]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

Sunny, I stand in my garden picking and eating my snow peas too! I do the same thing for my strawberries, which I grow in containers, and cherry tomatoes. Nothing tastes better than an absolutely ripe strawberry, eaten a few seconds after being picked. When I was growing up, a neighbor had a cherry tree and grape vine that she would allow us to eat off--delicious!

I keep promising myself I'll grow a grapevine, because I love Greek-style stuffed grape leaves. But every year, I never get around to getting a vine.

I use broccoli leaves and stems too. I even use cauliflower leaves as a green veggie too.

[Hopeful1]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

oooh stuffed grape leaves? Please explain. I planted a grape vine last year that is full of leaves this year. I'm not very knowledgeable on what I can and cannot eat. lol I had no idea about the leaves from peas I am pretty sure I planted snow peas the plants are big right now. Also on eating broc. & cauliflower leaves do you have to wait until after the plant has produced cause will eating leaves from it do it in? lol sorry.

[quotidianlight]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

I just used herbs from my little herb garden stash for the first time!!!! I have three types of basil and my pork chop looked so pretty.

[Creek]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

Wow! Y'all are serious gardeners! I'm delighted to find a garden thread, so I hope you don't mind if I join in.

My fella, Cowboy Bob, is a livestock broker and hauler. We live in Amish country, and a large majority of his business is buying and selling dairy cows for the Amish and hauling them. We've got a lot of Amish friends, and I think of them as the original organic farmers. We raise our own beef and pork, and from the Amish we get chickens, eggs, raw milk and some vegetables. I like canning and freezing mass quantity's of vegetables so we have 'from the garden' year round. Currently, I'm up to my eyeballs in asparagus.

My garden has Brandywine Heirloom tomato's, pole beans, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, collard greens, summer squash, snow pea's, (did I mention asparagus?), parsley, basil, oregano, and chives. I also grow mint which the Amish have taught me to make a wonderful "meadow tea". I have two grapevines from which I make jelly and give to my grandchildren and family and friends.

It's been so interesting to read about your gardens, and Sunny I am very impressed at what you can grow in a more Urban setting!

Gardens Rock!

[not2late]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

Grape leaves: they have a slightly tart taste---not unpleasant, but there is a vegetable-type tartness. Pick them when they are young and tender, for the very best leaves. As the get older, they get tougher and stringy. You can blanch the older leaves for a few minutes in boiling salted water. Dry them thoroughly on towels, and freeze them for winter use.

Anyhow, the Greeks and Middle-Eastern recipes use rice, sometimes dried fruit like raisins, sometimes meat (particularly lamb.) What I've done is to make a meat filling similar to a meatloaf mix---raw ground meat, some finely chopped sauteed onion and garlic, some tomato paste. Roll it into small balls. Then starting at the leave end form the ball into a cigar shape. Fold in the sides and roll towards the stem end. Place the roll, seam side down in a large pot. Really pack the grape leaves into the pot. Then add a little broth mixed with tomato paste. Put it on the stove. Bring to a boil, then simmer partially covered for about 30 minutes.


I've used grape leaves to wrap cod or whiting steaks, then I toss them into a baking dish, cover and bake.

RE: pea shoots

Be very certain that you are eating the garden peas, like snow peas or sugar snap peas. Sweet peas (the flowers) are poisonous, so you don't want to be eating them!!!!

Another shoot I've eaten are tomato plant shoots--again the young, tender, end leaves of the tomato plants. They don't taste like tomatoes, but they have a green vegetable taste.

I've read about this shoot but haven't tried it: zucchini. Supposedly it tastes like zucchini. I'll have to try it out this year (when I get my zukes growing.)

[Chicklady]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

Have never tried it, but i understand the flowers from the squash family are really tasty too. Anyone eaten them?

[brandywine1241]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

I've had squash blossoms - and also tiger liliy blossoms. I dredged them in a flour and egg mixture and fried them in my pre low carb days.

[SunnySmile501]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

Another shoot I've eaten are tomato plant shoots--again the young, tender, end leaves of the tomato plants. They don't taste like tomatoes, but they have a green vegetable taste.

That's one I don't think I'll try. Tomatoes are my very favorite food in the world, but I am allergic to the leaves. I also hate the smell. When I pick tomatoes, if I don't scrub my arms and hands immediately, I get hives. When I was a kid, I was allergic to tomatoes, but I loved them so much I just kept eating them and finally got over the allergy. If I eat too many in the summer, I get ulcers inside my mouth, still. My grandson has the same allergy.

Green bean plants and corn leaves also give me hives. On the other hand, poison ivy and poison oak doesn't break me out.

Well, I have discovered a brand new 'favorite' salad green. I planted salad mix mesclun and spicy mix mesclun and arugula rocket was in both mixes. I absolutely love it. It tastes just like 'creasy greens' or dryland cress, which is my favorite green, available only in the very early spring. I'm going to get a pack of arugula and plant a bunch of it.

Sunny!

[SunnySmile501]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

Wow! Y'all are serious gardeners! I'm delighted to find a garden thread, so I hope you don't mind if I join in.

My fella, Cowboy Bob, is a livestock broker and hauler. We live in Amish country, and a large majority of his business is buying and selling dairy cows for the Amish and hauling them. We've got a lot of Amish friends, and I think of them as the original organic farmers. We raise our own beef and pork, and from the Amish we get chickens, eggs, raw milk and some vegetables. I like canning and freezing mass quantity's of vegetables so we have 'from the garden' year round. Currently, I'm up to my eyeballs in asparagus.

My garden has Brandywine Heirloom tomato's, pole beans, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, collard greens, summer squash, snow pea's, (did I mention asparagus?), parsley, basil, oregano, and chives. I also grow mint which the Amish have taught me to make a wonderful "meadow tea". I have two grapevines from which I make jelly and give to my grandchildren and family and friends.

It's been so interesting to read about your gardens, and Sunny I am very impressed at what you can grow in a more Urban setting!

Gardens Rock!

Welcome to the thread, Creek! I, too, live in an Amish/Mennonite area. Not as big as yours, but I grew up with the black buggies all around. I get my eggs from an Amish family. We have a bulk food store near me that started out owned by old order Mennonites (it was recently sold to non-Mennonite) where we can get all kinds of Amish/Mennonite made cheese and meats and the spices and cooking products cost pennies on the dollar. I got a huge one-pound container of Dutch process cocoa for $1.88 yesterday.

I grew up on a farm and have always had a huge garden and at one time a greenhouse. I can and freeze everything I can get my hands on. Although disability caused me to have to move to town, I still find a way to garden. From February to mid-May, my apartment is taken over with plants. It bothers me to have my house turned upside down, but not bad enough to stop raising plants.

Sunny!

[Creek]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

Thanks for the welcome!

I've toyed with the idea of a greenhouse, but the Amish starter plants are so reasonable, I couldn't possibly justify the cost. My supplier is a gentleman we call "Produce Ike".

The only thing that I plant from seed is Atlantic Giant Pumpkins. They are known for being very picky about being transplanted. I started playing with them last year when a co-worker gave me some of his seed. He had won 2nd place in the state the year before with a 875 pumpkin. I managed to get two pumpkins up to 350 & 400 pounds, and then we had 10 days of downpouring rain, and they got a fungus and had to be disposed in the pasture with the cows. (Cows & horses love pumpkins). I'm going to try again this year. Growing giant pumpkins is strangely addictive.

[not2late]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

RE; squash blossoms and day lily buds: I've eaten them! You can stuff the squash blossoms with a meat ball mixture then fry them. But I usually tear the blossoms and put it in a frittata. As for day lily buds, I usually use them in stir-fry or Asian-style brothy soups.

There are plenty of edible blossoms. The herb blossoms (chives, sage, rosemary, etc.) they typically taste like the herb and can be used in salads or as garnish. Okra blossoms are edible. So are the blossoms of some flowers, like hollyhocks, violets, pansy, rose, and calendula.

RE: arugula and other lettuces.

Buy an extra packet of them now. In late summer (about August and September) start planting them for your fall crop. Two years ago, I was still harvesting lettuce (Black Seeded Simpson) well into November!

[Chicklady]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

. Two years ago, I was still harvesting lettuce (Black Seeded Simpson) well into November!

So was my woodchuck

[SunnySmile501]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

Ohhhh Me too!! Make a dip with tahini and kefir. or tahini, sesame oil, lemon juice and hot pepper flakes. I've been known to much more than a half pound at a time despite the fact that this diet is so unhealthy

About what proportions of tahini, sesame oil, lemon juice and hot pepper flakes? I bought a big jar of tahini and have only used it once (didn't like what I made).

I've been making strange (to me) stuff for several days, and all of it has been good. I made Nuoc Cham, a Vietnamese dipping sauce, and it was outstanding. I used it with lemon chicken.

[Chicklady]

Re: 2008 Low Carb GARDEN!!!!

be sure to get the taosted tahini (like Joyva brand) The untoastd is wicked bland. It actually blends with water, which for such an oily thing is weird! i mix it with almost even portions of kefir or water, then add whatever I'm going to.....several "splashes" of sesame oil (also the toasted kind!) that I would guess equalled about a teaspoonful, and the pepper flakes to taste--I'm a bit sadistic, or is that masochistic? when it comes to hot pepper
don't know if you've ever had a chinese dish called cold sesame spicy noodle....but the sauce made with water makes a great version using the tofu shiratake and bean sprouts.....occassionally I add leftover chicken bits.