Highalt's 2013 Grow - End of Season Wrap Up

stc3248 · Jul 24, 2013

Never would have thunk it...Hmmmm, gonna have to try that!

highalt · Jul 25, 2013

Sanarda said:
I finally got caught up all the way from June. My bad. Happy belated bday. There is too much awesomeness to comment on but things look fantastic. The Fatalli seems to be looking more correct. I grew them last year and loved them. Beautiful scenic pics flower pics and pod pics. It was a joy catching up. Keep up the great grow

Hi Pia,

I'm hopelessly behind on everyone's glogs at this point, but I try to stop by at least a couple a day, so I totally understand! Thanks for checking out my grow!!!

Devv said:
Hi Bonnie,

Sorry I missed your 25th B-Day!

Your garden is a rockin'!

I'm super impressed with what you've accomplished in your harsh environment.

Have a great week!

Thank you, Scott! Um, yeah, 25th birthday, that's right. :liar

:

Sawyer said:
Kids or no kids, that zucchini candy looks great. Have you tried candying peppers like that?

Thanks, Sawyer! I did look at some threads on here about candied peppers last year, but then never got around to making them. It sounds like they would be delicious. I wonder which varieties would work best ... other than jalapenos.

highalt · Jul 25, 2013

I thought about sticking a pepper in the pic, just so I wouldn't get in trouble for too many non-pepper related posts ...

Today's project = Pineapple Zucchini Bread

I harvested my first Lumbre pepper today, and a couple more Serranos, Costeno Amarillo, and Aji Chinchi Amarillos, but still not enough to make a batch of pepper jelly. Maybe in another week or two ...

Devv · Jul 25, 2013

Bread looks mighty tasty!

Glad to see you incorporating your grow into all these great dishes!

highalt · Jul 25, 2013

Yeah, well, zucchini waits for no man (or woman). Once it gets going, it is hard to keep up with it, and forces me to get creative. I made a Chocolate Zucchini bread last week, and used some in a rice pilaf the other day, and I STILL have at least four more large ones in the fridge. May have to just grate and freeze for later use.

Devv · Jul 25, 2013

I agree with that, in fact we now only plant one hill. Talk about a plant that just produces!

Pulpiteer · Jul 25, 2013

Wow, your baking always has me drooling. That zucchini candy is brilliant. I have to find time to try that.

Your fatalii pod shape does look good, I wonder why it's red. It must be some sort of cross, have you tasted one of the bigger, fatalii shaped pods?

I'm growing the Mulato Islenos again this year as well. Last year was my first year with them, on a whim, and I really liked them.

stickman · Jul 26, 2013

+1 on shredding and freezing Zucchini... I have a favorite Indian curry recipe that I make with it. Thaw the shredded Zucchini, wrap in a dish towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible, but save the liquid and set aside. Mix the Zucchini with Chickpea flour, minced onion, fresh ginger, cilantro and green chile and form into 1 and 1/2 inch balls, then fry in hot oil until browned on all sides and looking like meatballs. I use the Zucchini liquid and crushed tomato sauce to make a curry and add the "meatballs" in the last 5 minutes of cooking, then pour over noodles or rice.
http://www.food.com/recipe/zucchini-meatballs-vegetarian-curry-madhur-jaffrey-345571
I usually skip the cup of heavy cream in the recipe and just add a dollop of sour cream to cut the fat. By using frozen and thawed shredded Zucchini I don't need to use salt to draw out the liquid from it ( I have high blood pressure, and I need to use as little salt as possible). Cheers!

highalt · Jul 27, 2013

Between work in the mornings and VBS in the evenings, I spent pretty much zero time in the garden this week. So got the front yard cut yesterday, and spent some time cleaning up the flower beds, and pulling bindweed out of the yard this morning. Then I headed down to the community garden to tie up the sprawling tomatoes, and do a little harvesting.

Most things are doing really great, but I have two plants that I am considering pulling - a Chilhuacle Negro (I have two), and my only Aji Yellow. I thought they had bug damage, but now it is looking more virus or wilt-like. For now, I removed any suspicious foliage or stems, but if it continues to spread I'll pull the whole plant to protect their neighbors.

Here's Ancho Gigantia

Noticed a hole in the stem/top of the pod on a couple of pods, and on closer inspection saw an earwig. When I went to pull the pods, several earwigs came crawling out of the hole, which kind of "wigged" be out. (sorry, couldn't resist)

Speaking of earwigs, they don't seem to be bothering the pods on this plant, but they like to sleep on the fuzzy leaves and stems of the Goat Weed.

I've been posting most of the pictures of this plant over on the "Tallest Plant" thread, but thought I'd post a pod shot of my Birgit's Locoto over here. Sorry it's a bit blurry.

The pod's so dark that it's kind of hard to see in the photo, but it's the first pod on the Pimenta de Neyde.

Purple Bhut pods are getting bigger, and turning purple now.

Harvest shot from today

Close up of the first ripe White Habanero

... and lastly, I'm hoping for an ID on this bean plant. Anyone recognize it?

It's either Fagiolo Rampicante Neckargold, Marvel of Venice Climbing Romano Bean, or Mountaineer Half-Runner.

Thanks for stopping by, and hope you are having a great weekend!

Pulpiteer said:
Wow, your baking always has me drooling. That zucchini candy is brilliant. I have to find time to try that.

Your fatalii pod shape does look good, I wonder why it's red. It must be some sort of cross, have you tasted one of the bigger, fatalii shaped pods?

I'm growing the Mulato Islenos again this year as well. Last year was my first year with them, on a whim, and I really liked them.

After that little one lit me up, I'm trying to get up enough courage to eat the big one, and there were two more ripe today. :scared:

stickman said:
+1 on shredding and freezing Zucchini... I have a favorite Indian curry recipe that I make with it. Thaw the shredded Zucchini, wrap in a dish towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible, but save the liquid and set aside. Mix the Zucchini with Chickpea flour, minced onion, fresh ginger, cilantro and green chile and form into 1 and 1/2 inch balls, then fry in hot oil until browned on all sides and looking like meatballs. I use the Zucchini liquid and crushed tomato sauce to make a curry and add the "meatballs" in the last 5 minutes of cooking, then pour over noodles or rice.
http://www.food.com/recipe/zucchini-meatballs-vegetarian-curry-madhur-jaffrey-345571
I usually skip the cup of heavy cream in the recipe and just add a dollop of sour cream to cut the fat. By using frozen and thawed shredded Zucchini I don't need to use salt to draw out the liquid from it ( I have high blood pressure, and I need to use as little salt as possible). Cheers!

Thanks for that recipe suggestion! I'll have to check that link out. Don't typically cook Indian dishes, as I"m not sure it would go over well with the family, but this sounds pretty tasty.

stickman · Jul 27, 2013

Great pics Bonnie! I especially liked the one of the Ancho Gigantia. Have your beans set pods yet? I grew the Marvel of Venice runner beans last year, and they have a wide, flat pod instead of the more usual round ones. I don't remember what color the flowers were.

HillBilly Jeff · Jul 28, 2013

Awesome looking pictures. Nice and clear. Nice harvest as well.

highalt · Jul 28, 2013

stickman said:
Great pics Bonnie! I especially liked the one of the Ancho Gigantia. Have your beans set pods yet? I grew the Marvel of Venice runner beans last year, and they have a wide, flat pod instead of the more usual round ones. I don't remember what color the flowers were.

No pods yet, Rick. Guess I could just be patient and the pods would give it away ... nah.

Received some rain last night and this morning, and it's starting to sprinkle again. I don't have a rain gauge at the moment, but the weather websites are saying it was only a couple tenths of an inch. Sure thought it was more than that ...

Anyway, with it being overcast, I was able to take a few decent pics.

Overview of the entire bed

Alice's Favorite - the only info I can find online says pumpkin shaped, which it obviously is not, so I guess it's yet another NOT this season. What's weird about this one is that the plant is only about a foot tall, but the pod in the picture is almost bell pepper sized, and there are several more smaller pods on there.

Paradiscom Alaku Sarga Szentes - Now here is one that really is pumpkin shaped. Here is the info I found online about this variety: 80 days. “Yellow, flat, ribbed pumpkin shaped fruit with very thick, crisp and juicy flesh and the tremendous flavor that peppers from Hungary are famous for.”

Golden Greek Pepperoncini

Ochsenhorn finally set some pods! This one is also a very compact plant, but I think this may have been one that got nibbled on by the cat during the indoor grow, which could have affected its growth habit.

Odessa Market. Here's what Baker Creek says about this one: "This pepper comes from the Black Sea city of Odessa in Ukraine. A great tasting, top-shaped pepper that starts out bright green, turning orange and then red. Short plants produce fruit all summer, and this variety is dependable even in the north. A good variety for growing in pots."

Jaloro. This is the in-ground one. The one in the Earthbox is much further ahead, but this was one of the left over seedlings that I just stuck wherever I could find a spot.

Chocolate Cherry. Looking a bit pointy, but maybe it will fill out as the pod gets full sized.

Jimmy Nardello. Not sure why the pods are growing all curled like that. Don't remember it doing that last year ...

Okay, I have a few more pics if I can get a bump.

HillBilly Jeff · Jul 28, 2013

Bump bump

stickman · Jul 28, 2013

Oh yes, more please! Y'know, your second pic is of a Hungarian Tomato pepper... The pods look like a lobed and slightly flattened slicing tomato when ripe. I've got a couple of the red variety that I started from seeds I got from Balazs (HabaneroHead).

highalt · Jul 28, 2013

Yeah, the seeds came from someone in the seed swap I hosted this spring.

Here's another one for you, Rick, my Peruvian Purple. It's really loading up now!

NuMex Vaquero (a jalapeno type)

Santa Fe Grande

A couple of NONS:

Cukes

Ludmilla's Pink Heart tomato. This thing is HUGE!

That's all of the garden pics, but I'll try and come back with a foodie pic in just a bit.

highalt · Jul 28, 2013

Tonight's dinner = Fish Tacos

I kind of cheated by using store bought guacamole, but I did use some homegrown veggies. Also the fish was dredged in Zatarain's Southern Fish Fry with some of my Chilhuacle Amarillo powder mixed in.

I'm so sorry that I didn't realize this second pic was blurry until I downloaded it from the camera, and of course, by then the tacos were in my tummy.

I had pulled a red "NOT Fatalii" out of the pepper pile to add to my tacos, but chickened out at the last minute. So the pepper you see on the tacos is just a Santa Fe Grande. I know it's a common one, but I love them. Sweet and juicy, and mild enough for the family.

stc3248 · Jul 29, 2013

Chickened out??? Why the heck do you grow them then lady??? C'mon! Pony up! Everything is shaping up nicely! Pods coloring up, and putting them on the table...well the mildish ones anyway! :rofl:

The Fatalii I grew last year turned out red, and was freakin HOT!!! So may have been a good call!

highalt · Jul 29, 2013

In my defense, I've never grown anything hotter than a habanero before, and those I know I can eat. It's the fear of the unknown ... and the fear of upchucking my fish tacos.

Tonight I have to walk with my women's group, but I will do my best to eat one of those NOT Fatalii's tomorrow evening, just for you Shane. :rolleyes:

stickman · Jul 29, 2013

highalt said:
In my defense, I've never grown anything hotter than a habanero before, and those I know I can eat. It's the fear of the unknown ... and the fear of upchucking my fish tacos.

Tonight I have to walk with my women's group, but I will do my best to eat one of those NOT Fatalii's tomorrow evening, just for you Shane.

Probably you're wise to wait 'til you're alone to try one if you're worried about losing it in front of your kids...

On the other hand, once you know you can, think of the street cred you'll get with them... "My mom can kick your mom's @%$ when it comes to eating hot peppers!" :rofl:

highalt · Jul 30, 2013

Okay, I'm back.

Oldest son, and the one most likely to give me a hard time, was at football practice, and the two little ones were outside playing so thought I'd "pony up" as Shane so nicely put it.

Here is the first real pod off the NOT Yellow Fatalii.

As soon as I cut that baby open I was hit with a strong chinense smell.

First piece was maybe 1/4" x 1/2".

Instant tongue burn just like the little tiny pod I tried, but also a little in the back of the throat. I think I counted 9 hiccups. No fruitiness, but some of that distinct chinense flavor. The burn only lasted 2 - 3 minutes, and I had just finished watching Matt and his wife's 7 Pot Bubblegum review ("Should have gave her a bigger piece!" haha!), so I took another piece about the same size, but this time off the tip. No hiccups this time, same tongue burn, and some excess salivating. No eyes watering, and not really any nose running either.

Not sure what to do with the rest of the pod, since it's WAY too hot to put in the dinner I'm making for the kids this evening, and I'm scared to eat too much more on an empty stomach. Guess I could put it with the other two ripe pods in the freezer ...