WalkGood 2013, 2014 and Beyond

WalkGood · Feb 9, 2013

DocNrock said:
Looks great, Ramon. Have been busy at work so it took some time for me to catch up here. Nice artsy shot of the "Black Hab." That's what Ansel Adams would have done if he shot chiles! Hope that mite/whitefly/thrip problem is gone. Man it is disheartening when our plants become part of the food chain. The foodie pics immediately above were awesome. And great looking iron work. Tropical, indeed!

I thank you as always and I think the mites are dead but to be on the safe side I will spray once a week for the next 4 weeks, then cut back to once a month.

Jamison said:
Ramon, I must say this again brudda, you are livin the life my friend! I too am obsessed with Jamaica mon. Ever since I visited Negril and all the great stops along the way from Montego, I always told people I could truly live there and be the happiest SOB around. Awesome people, awesome food, really good ganj, and did I say Scotch Bonnets, and beef patties, jerk chicken, beautiful weather.... I could go on for days my friend! And about the seaweed tea you got goin, I'd say drench the soil with that. If you want to know about AACT there is an awesome thread or you can always ask me. I make mine with MYKOS, Buffaloam compost, some Dr. Earth's stuff like kelp meal, alfalfa meal, and that has tons of good fungus in it already, and some Black Strap molasses, and a lil Bio Weed from General Organics and some pure water with tons of bubbles. Turns out nice!

Sounds like you had some fun there too

My favorite locations are far from the tourist spots, hidden beaches and awesome mountains. My favorite parishes are Port Antonio, Saint Thomas, Saint Elizabeth, the hills of Saint Mary, Saint Ann, Trelawny and Manchester. I spent time in the hills with the Maroons, some of the nicest peeps there, there’s also some great lov’in folks in Kingston. There’s also much hidden beauty in Kingston or Spanish Town (Saint Andrew & Saint Catherine). Since I was there so long I must have drove around the island hundreds if not thousands of times and really got to find the best nooks and crannies that some of my Jamaican friends didn’t even know, lol. Surf spots that are totally undiscovered, waterfalls that no one goes to, craw fish in rivers (dam tasty with peppers), etc. etc etc.. … was a great learning experience for me and makes me wish I could live in my birth country before I die some day. Thanks for the comments and the tea info, mines finished and I've already sprayed first time. Wow they loved it and looking perky, I'll post a pic of the tea a little later, thanks again ^_^

Stefan_W said:
I showed the pictures of your wildorchids to my wife, and she agreed that you can't cut them back otherwise they wont flower. And she is absolutely marvelling over how beautiful the iron doors you had made are. Kudos to the people who made them, and to your wife's design!

Didn’t I tell you before that your wife has ~~good~~ great taste and you should listen to her, she’s a wise woman

Thank you mucho and my wife thanks both of you as well!!!

STEVE954 said:
Double fried tostones! Great foodie pics Ramon!

Thanks Steve, if you wana swing by before you go home from work on Monday, you can pick up some green plantains if you & your wife do this kinda ting mon. Just let me know in advance, I have plenty left brah.

Now for mo foodie ... got lots so I might need a bump, hehe

My wife decided to make Venezuelan Arepas for breakfast this morning and I made a few with sofrito starter in them, dam tasty little devils. I’ll just post the pics and if anyone wants any more detail feel free to ask. I am kind of tired after beach soccer and finalizing Seaweed tea and spraying all the plants. While these are not fancy, you can cut them open and stuff with ham, meat, eggs, etc. which we do occasionally. With these, we just graded queso blanco, stuffed them and ate with café con leche.

Simple ingredients: pan white cornmeal 2 cups, salt 1 teaspoon and water 2.5 cups.

Kneading dough.

Allow dough to rest 10 minutes.

Roll little balls and make them into shape of flying saucers, although if you have an arepa machine you can just place the balls in the cooking press. We finally bought one after years of making them by hand; they can be pan fried with very little olive oil, just brushed on lightly.

Dough balls in the press

Here’s what they look like once cooked a few minutes (roughly 7 minutes)

Cheese and a little extra sofrito starter.

When you cut one open, you can see the sofrito starter, add queso blanco, close that puppy back up and eat

Sorry no time for café pics, starving

I have lunch shots to post once bumped ...

stickman · Feb 9, 2013

bump... Is the dough you use for making Arepas any different than what you use for your basic tortillas?

WalkGood · Feb 9, 2013

stickman said:
bump... Is the dough you use for making Arepas any different than what you use for your basic tortillas?

P.A.N. is just fine white corn meal, tortillas can be made from various flour/s, hope that answers your question. We only use P.A.N. for Arepas, bottom of pizza dough and empanadas but I guess you could use it to make tortillas as well. Hope this answers your question?

Lunch:
Stir fried Ham, Pork slices, sofrito starter

Cuban bread, gray poupon, pork slices, ham and cheese. Butter bread on the outside both top and bottom and use a very strong spatula to press while cooking. If you don’t have a super strong spatula, you can wrap a brick with aluminum foil and that works fine. I always make these outside …

~~Dam you're all going to shoot me, I deleted the rest of the shots, lol. Hopefully you get the idea and the plate shot was killer~~

Whoa I was able to un-delete one, certainly not the best but gives you a better idea of its looks

Sanarda · Feb 9, 2013

I am legally freed for adoption ya know!!!!! Just saying

WalkGood · Feb 9, 2013

Sanarda said:
I am legally freed for adoption ya know!!!!! Just saying

lol, thanks ... keep in mind that I'm MWC and happy too!

Edit: for update

Finished and strained Seaweed Tea concentrate, diluted a quart and sprayed all the plants. I still have 4 more gallons waiting for me in the vat. BTW while at the beach I picked up fresh seaweed and it was loaded with baby shrimp and little crabs :o ... I can see why this is do good for dem peppers. Plants got a sudden perky look within 15 minutes ...

Good and bad news, I’ll start with the bad … #1 seedling is not doing good, have no idea why as I treat all the girls the same, ruthlessly

And now for the good, today #3 Chocolate Scorpion and #6 Bhut Jolokia Red hooked this morning \o/ Can’t remember if I’ve mentioned before but #2 Trinidad Scorpion Red is looking very good now. I’ll have to take some pics of the baby girls soon but I’m all photo-dogged out today …

Updated spreadsheet:

Sanarda · Feb 9, 2013

OH dang I forgot about the hubby and kids. See what foodie pics do. SMH

WalkGood · Feb 9, 2013

Sanarda said:
OH dang I forgot about the hubby and kids. See what foodie pics do. SMH

ROFLMAO I can see how food entices one, every time I see you guys post foodie, I run off da net to eat

STEVE954 · Feb 9, 2013

You kow, Ramon, "WalkGood's Cuban Cafe" is not a bad idea!

Here are some Peppermania SB-Jamaican pods for you. Meet at the spot Monday at noon.

WalkGood · Feb 9, 2013

STEVE954 said:
You kow, Ramon, "WalkGood's Cuban Cafe" is not a bad idea! ... Here are some Peppermania SB-Jamaican pods for you. Meet at the spot Monday at noon.
*Pod Picture*

Nice and thank you, you want me to bring you some of dem plantains?

STEVE954 · Feb 9, 2013

I secretly want some SB-dip!

Plantains will be much appreciated. Your too good to me bredren!

WalkGood · Feb 9, 2013

STEVE954 said:
I secretly want some SB-dip!

So no plantains? I'll make you some dip with your pods, that way you'll see how a different dip tastes and it's good, one of our boys loved the other one I made with your pod. Keep in mind, my turn around time on dips is not quick, you'll have to give me 24 hours from Monday ...

Stefan_W · Feb 9, 2013

OK, good. I was wondering whether the seaweed tea was for drinking or for the plants, and I'm happy to hear you used them as a foliar spray.

WalkGood · Feb 9, 2013

Stefan_W said:
OK, good. I was wondering whether the seaweed tea was for drinking or for the plants, and I'm happy to hear you used them as a foliar spray.

While I didn't water them with it yet, I will try that as well and let you know how it works out. I will dilute it with water as well. This stuff is amazing ... and so natural. Next time I get some of the chicken stuff I'll take some pics, lol.

WalkGood · Feb 11, 2013

Very small harvest of JA Habs, Thai Hot's and Jalapeño'ss this morning but enough for a mean lunch

Bushes clean now, I only left a few green ones on but loads of flowers coming so hope to have more in a few weeks. I’ll try to take a picture showing the flowers and how plants responding to seaweed tea, personally I doubt that can come across in pictures but IMHO this stuff is amazing!!! I'll give that a try tomorrow when I have a little more time ...

Other than this year I’ve always been an exclusive JA Hab grower so I know I've not made a cross. That said I wanted to show how one of the original 3 plants puts out different shaped pods on occasion, I think giving away its original cross back in Jamaica from the farmer I got my seeds from.

Back row: #2 Trinidad Scorpion, #3 Chocolate Scorpion, #6 Bhut Jolokia (red)
Front row: MoA, sorry for any miss information but thought I had only 2 of the six with hats on but I have three :/ Of those three I am fairly sure that 2 will shed them but I’m also fairly sure the last one won’t as it looks tight and the other 2 are showing the leaves fairly well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as I'm no surgeon, hehe.

Back row: #5 Butch T Scorpion, #4 White Bhut Jolokia, #11 Moruga Red
Front row: #12 Butch T

That's all for now, thanks for looking ^_^

PIC 1 · Feb 11, 2013

Awesome, I have to page back a few when I get home from work and read this again from my home computer...WOW...simply...WOW !

Later...

Stefan_W · Feb 11, 2013

The seedlings are off to the races! Nice work.

Jamison · Feb 11, 2013

Ya mon! Maybe someday we can meet up in your homeland! I'd love to see da country mon! My wife was too scared to go out anywhere besides Ricks and we actually walked down to the gas station from Breezes in Negril. Quite the experience mon! Met a couple nice peeps along di way. Glad the plants loved the Tea!

STEVE954 · Feb 11, 2013

Ramon, that has to be the MEANEST looking JA hab known to man! Just look at that bonnet! Seedlings look excellent!

megamoo · Feb 12, 2013

Love to see the babies sprout

I have to say that its very cool that you have a `secret spot` for exchanging chillies. I just hope you do it with dark glasses, trench-coats and matching briefcases :cool:

WalkGood · Feb 12, 2013

PIC 1 said:
Awesome, I have to page back a few when I get home from work and read this again from my home computer...WOW...simply...WOW !

Later...

Thanks Greg, I always enjoy reading comments and tips from a master gardener and chef as you ^_^

Stefan_W said:
The seedlings are off to the races! Nice work.

Thank you and please tell me at what point I need to add the pixie dust

Jamison said:
Ya mon! Maybe someday we can meet up in your homeland!

That would be cool but I don’t know Cuba as well as JA, FL and other parts of the US. It’s such a large Island that I bet one could spend a lifetime exploring the sea, mountains and land around it.

Jamison said:
I'd love to see da country mon! My wife was too scared to go out anywhere besides Ricks and we actually walked down to the gas station from Breezes in Negril. Quite the experience mon! Met a couple nice peeps along di way. …

There’s no reason to be scared there but I recommend that people be aware of their surroundings where ever they are. Being white might add to it but keep in mind that there is no color racism in Jamaica, it’s a class prejudice that exists there. IMO this feeling can heighten awareness of your surroundings which is a good thing. I hate to say negative things about Jamaica but the crime rate per capita is very, very high … it’s important not to wander into a bad area anywhere. I’m a different cookie, pushing the limits in exploration thru immersion and learning via personal experience. I only found myself in trouble once in the 5 years there. That said, many cities around the USA are cut throat and IMHO care should be taken everywhere.

Negril acquired a reputation long ago of being a very laid-back, safe, peaceful part of the island. Nevertheless, for dem who are after cocaine, ganja, or messing with the wrong locals bad things can happen. Negril has one of the highest crime rates against tourists in Jamaica, while some are violent, crimes against tourists are mainly thefts. That doesn't mean you should not go exploring, stay on the main paths and day time is always safe in open areas. I could go on and very in depth but I don’t think it’s called for here, if you want to go off line we can chat via PM, IRC or even da phone.

Forgot to mention, while I was around that area once or twice every month, I only took my wife to Ricks once in all that time, we snorkeled all over the place, jumped off the cliffs and had a wonderful time there.

Edit: never go anywhere with more than you are willing to lose, I live by that rule here and freely give it to the bad mon ...

STEVE954 said:
Ramon, that has to be the MEANEST looking JA hab known to man! Just look at that bonnet! Seedlings look excellent!

Thanks Steve, we’ll catch up at noon mon …

megamoo said:
Love to see the babies sprout

I have to say that its very cool that you have a `secret spot` for exchanging chillies. I just hope you do it with dark glasses, trench-coats and matching briefcases

Moo mon, thank you for checking from so far away

It’s not really a secret spot, if you where here you would be welcome to meet and we could enjoy a pint. That said it would be funny if some cop thought it was a deal going down, lol.