Odds and Ends Again- Tomatoes on the vine, Yummy Oatmeal, Garden Lettuce

Ever wonder why you can buy tomatoes with the vine attached? I’ve heard that the vine keeps them firm and fresh. Remove the vine and the tomato stops ripening. Ever heard of that? At three times the price...Are they really worth it?

Next time you make oatmeal try using apple juice instead of water. YUM! I mix mine with flax and chia seeds and some dried cranberries. If you make it with water as I did here, you can add some guava syrup if you'd like.

Here are some herb markers my daughter gave me for my birthday. So pretty - Can’t wait to use them next year.

Just went out into the garden and picked some fresh lettuce. It’s washed and all ready to eat. Bibb, Endive and Red Leaf.

The broccoli is almost ready to harvest.

Everything else will have to wait a few more weeks.



That’s a wrap~

Broccoli Salad

Here is one of my favorite recipes for broccoli. I got this from a cookbook called “Southern Celebrations” by Kathleen Howard Rambo. It’s a great salad to bring to a picnic or pot luck. I make it so often that when I pick up the book it falls open to this recipe.

Broccoli Salad
1 large broccoli head
1 cauliflower head or broccoli head
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 green onions, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup walnuts, pecans or peanuts
1 carrot, grated
1 (6-ounce can Mandarin oranges, drained
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

photo credit: CK Worley

Cut broccoli and cauliflower into tiny flowerets to measure approximately 6 cups and place in a bowl with raisins, onions and mayonnaise.
Measure out sugar and vinegar and place in microwave on high for 2 minutes, or place on medium heat on stove to dissolve sugar. Mix well and add to broccoli. Prepare nuts and carrots and place with salad. If making a day in advance, nuts and carrots should be set aside to keep from discoloring cauliflower. Before serving salad, mix prepared ingredients together and layer in bacon and oranges. (Tossing oranges might cause breakage.) Makes 8 to 10 servings.

photo credit: CK Worley

The time is fast approaching to plant winter vegetables so even if you’ve never really liked or planted broccoli, this salad may change your mind. Remember that broccoli likes sandy (not sand - sandy for drainage) slightly acidic soil and full sun. Vegetables taste so much better when you’ve grown them yourself.

What to Plant and WHEN?????

I wrote to Nancy Awot who is a Horticulture Specialist at W. Atlee Burpee & Company and asked that same question. Here is her answer to my Zone 7 question.

“It is too late for tomatoes, however, there are many things you can plant now and in the fall. You can still plant lettuce, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions and garlic.  Onions and garlic you plant in September for a next summer harvest. If you want to try a fruit you could try alpine strawberries.  If you would like some flowers try pansies they will flower until the hard freeze.

 As it gets colder you can still continue to plant lettuce, beets, carrots and spinach about every two weeks for continual harvest. If you check out our website www.burpee.com  click on the growing calendar on the left column.  It will tell you  what you can plant and when  to plant  your vegetable. So you can plant well into the fall.   A winter garden doesn’t mean you can plant things all winter long. Once the ground freezes no more planting but you should be able to harvest up until that first heavy freeze.

Make sure you try spinach you can still plant those in October they like the cold.”

Thank you Nancy Awot ~ That was very helpful information! :D

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