Pepper Population Boom

I knew many of my plants would bounce back once the rains returned and the temperatures cooled...but my peppers have something else in mind. I think they intend to take over my gardens.

Not that I would mind. After the dismal summer we had - especially for virtually any kind of veggie gardening - my booming peppers are a welcome presence. Here's the rundown of who's doing what. The seed sources I used are linked for each type.

Antohi Romanian, an Eastern European frying pepper. Gorgeous pale yellow color turns to orange and then flaming red. First prize for production, strength and longevity, even through the hot, dry summer.

The Merlot sweet bell also did pretty well, but really stepped it up when the weather cooled. Stunning purple color fades to red as the fruit sweetens. I ate one today that had a reddish blush to it and my heavens, it was like candy.

Anchos/Poblanos always do fairly well in the Texas heat, if given enough water. Mine's growing in a half whiskey barrel, so adequate irrigation was a constant challenge. With all of this recent rain, it's really kicking butt.

I love the so-called "bull's horn" sweet peppers like Marconis and Cubanelles - they are easy to grow, generally, you get a lot of pepper and not a lot of seeds, and they are extremely versatile in that they can be eaten fresh, baked or fried. These Biscayne Cubanelles have really come on strong lately, although I hope they get just a bit bigger.

Here's a rare site: purple jalapenos growing next to purple cabbage. The jalapenos should be done by now, right? Uh, no. This variety is especially handsome and I'm so glad to see them re-emerge after the rough weather.

Yes, go ahead and ask "So, where are the peppers in this picture?" They're coming, believe me. This is the beautiful, variegated Fish pepper - the fruits are striped too. Unfortunately, this plant got totally munched by a hornworm caterpillar but is now making a remarkable recovery, with flowers starting to emerge. Read a fascinating story about the origin of Fish peppers here.

Cool Season Vegetable Gardening in Hell

Triple digit temperatures remain around DFW in late August, but the end is in sight. My lustful fantasies about working comfortably in the yard in a sweatshirt are becoming closer to reality as the calendar marches forward.

And, as Marianna Greene correctly stated in a recent Dallas Morning News article, as gardeners, we can't pay attention to anything but the calendar, especially when it comes to vegetable gardening. We must put a gloved thumb to our nose and get on with it, even if it is bloody 105° outside.

Here's what I started in Jiffy jumbo-sized peat pots today:

Cabbage - Deadon (Savoy)
Cabbage - Samantha (Savoy)
Mustard - Purple Wave
Mustard - Tah Tsai
Broccoli - Belstar
Beets - Gourmet Blend
Bak Choi - Red Choi
Radicchio - Red Surprise
Radish - Round Black Spanish
Nasturtium - Mahogany
Nasturtium - Peach Melba
Nasturtium - Variegated Queen

Most of these varieties prefer cooler weather and, when they sprout, we'll all be hoping fall is just around the corner.

Go Fish

I've been growing fish peppers for the past couple of years with limited success. In most attempts, I put the plants into my community garden plot and watched as they slowly got munched down to nubs by various varmints during the growing season.

Well no more. I am now growing them in pots in the somewhat safe sanctuary of my own backyard, and my success has escalated...when I can keep the tobacco hornworms off the plants, that is. (I plucked off a hornworm as big as my ring finger the other day. Luckily, we have lots of attentive and hungry mockingbirds around our property.)

Anyway, this year's success of the lovely variegated heirloom Fish Pepper got me thinking: what exactly do I do with the peppers now that I have them? Are they hot? Are they a main dish type of pepper or a flavor-enhancing kind?

Well, trusty old Google provided me with some answers and then some. I learned a lot about where these unique peps originated and how their seeds have survived. Quite fascinating. Read on:

Heirloom Fish Peppers - I don't think there's a vegetable my buddy Kenny over at Veggie Gardening Tips hasn't grown. Check out his interesting and informative article about Fish Peppers.

Fish Peppers - Mother Earth News - William Woys Weaver offers a fascinating look at the history of these peppers, including a great story of how his grandfather was a key player in keeping the seed in circulation.

As for recipes...well, it's difficult to find them, mostly because when you Google on "fish pepper" you get a a lot of recipes with fish and peppers in them. There is some correlation in the name, however, as the traditional usage of the vegetable was as a flavoring in seafood dishes. A-ha!

Surrounded by Squash

First, check out the picture of my "Siamese Twins" squash. This is a budding Zephyr squash, in actuality, but I guess the flower was double-pollinated? Pretty cool...I'd be interested to hear from any of you who have seen and/or experienced this before.



Here's the rest of my harvest...the yellow crooknecks shown are what I picked just from this week...just from one plant! I've already resorted to pushing some off on the neighbors, since hubby doesn't care for squash in any form, color or shape. I also used quite a bit making this yummy casserole.



Lastly, please check out my new Organic Gardening newsletter. Some of it is Texas-exclusive advice, but most is not. There are tips on feeding hummingbirds, composting, and a brief product review of my new Neuton electric lawn mower.

Conflicting Reports

Everything seems to be "off" this year weather- and garden-wise, in one way or another.

I saw a hummingbird today - the earliest ever - yet the juncos are still here. Some of my Louisiana irises are swelling with buds...at the same time as their usually-earlier German bearded and Siberian iris cousins are blooming.

Nearly all of the tomatoes planted at the Community Garden perished in sub-zero, wind-whipped temperatures last week. Because of the presence of the aforementioned juncos, I continued to hold off on planting my half dozen or so tomato plants, and am trying not to be smug about my foresight. But watching the birds was something my mother taught me from a very young age; our feathered friends possess a sixth sense about weather conditions that we do not. At least, the winter birds have it, anyway. I'm not sure what that crazy hummingbird is doing here already.

Anyway, lots of plant orders are trickling in. I don't consider myself old enough to be even close to senile, but I can never seem to remember/envision what I ordered from these companies when they get around to finally shipping the order to me. I save invoices, make notes, etc., but by gosh I still find myself tearing open boxes like a kid at Christmas because I truly don't know exactly what's inside. A Salvia Pachyphylia 'Blue Flame'? Great! Thanks! (What the heck does that look like??)

I am expecting a 10 lb. box from Bluestone Perennials tomorrow. Ten pounds of plants sounds like a lot to me...! So I guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend. Besides that order, I have six Agastaches and Salvias from High Country Gardens to plant, plus two daylilies and 30(!) Gladiolus bulbs from Dutch Gardens that need to taste soil pretty quick.

And, in what must have been a lustful tropical plant haze, I also ordered several plants from Logee's, including one of those incredible-looking Diamond Head purple elephant ears. Not sure when that order will arrive. I'm trying my hand with a more common red Passiflora (other than Margaret, which didn't do well for me in the past for some reason) plus another round of Tarnok Sarrencia for the water barrel garden and a 'Chad' hibiscus just because it was stupifying.

Call me a multitasker, but I'm also managing several vegetable projects around the backyard. I have two new 3' x 3' beds by the driveway which now host radishes, peas, carrots and beets, and a couple of half whiskey barrels around the pool area with cabbage, bok choi and radicchio. All of these are doing well; the squirrels and/or rabbits are keeping their chewing to a minimum. I've planted nasturtiums around the containerized plants and the marauding rodents seem to be repelled by it. Amazing.

So there's a nice big, fat update about what's been going on with me in the outdoors arena. Spring might be here around Dallas...we're still not sure. But one thing is certain: I'm ready to plant!

Ready to Graduate

Next weekend, all of my little veggie seedlings will graduate to the garden. The varieties I had to restart have come along well.

Even though I usually avoid annuals like the plague (I always think of the Plant Delights t-shirt: "Friends don't let friends buy annuals"), I did start some annual flower seeds, including Calendula 'Oktoberfest' and Gentian Sage 'Cambridge Blue'.

The tomatoes are ready for planting too. This year, I'm trying a couple of hybrids for hotter climates: Orange King and Sun Leaper, plus returning to some old favorites: Early Girl, Black Pearl, and Red Lightning.

Cinnamon Basil Muffins

I am growing some cinnamon basil this year, but frankly, when it started thriving I wasn't sure what to do with it. Well, here's a recipe I found online. These muffins rock.

Cinnamon Basil Muffins

1/4 cup fresh cinnamon basil leaves
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Puree cinnamon basil leaves with oil in blender. Combine with sugar and egg. Sift together flour and baking powder and add to oil mixture, then fold in remaining ingredients.

Bake at 400°F for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 12 regular sized muffins or six large muffins.

A Hearty Breakfast

I'm sure this isn't the biggest tomato you've ever seen, but it's probably the biggest one I've ever grown.

During my Master Gardener training a couple of years ago, our guest speaker on growing veggies suggested 'Kellogg's Breakfast' - a large, vigorous orange tomato. I tried them last year with little success, but this summer...wow!

I'm sure our constant rainfall has helped. No cracking and not much catfacing, conditions both caused by irregular watering.

The taste and texture of 'Kellogg's Breakfast' is marvelous too - sweet and firm. Yummy.

I haven't been down to the Community Garden in several weeks. The truck-sized mosquitoes scared me too much last time. I imagine my plot is a jungle by now...

Tomato Gratin

Your tomatoes are ripening faster than you can eat 'em, right? Here's a great recipe (recently printed in The Dallas Morning News) that will help deplete your rapidly expanding crop. Be sure to use fresh basil from the herb garden too. I increased the cheese recommendation because I seem to be part mouse.

Tomato Gratin

9 or 10 tomatoes, any variety (red, green, etc.)
1/4 cup chicken-flavored stuffing mix
1/2 cup diced red onion or sliced green onions
10 leaves fresh basil, snipped with scissors
salt and pepper
1/3 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup 2% milk Kraft Italian cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Rinse and core tomatoes, then cut into medium-sized slices.
Butter or spray an 8- or 9-inch square Pyrex dish, and arrange a layer of tomatoes in the pan. Sprinkle each layer with dry stuffing mix, onions, basil, salt and pepper. Repeat layers until you've used all the tomatoes. Drizzle with melted butter and top with dry stuffing mix and cheese.
Bake about 20 minutes or until hot. If using all green tomatoes, bake about 45 minutes.
Makes 4-6 servings

Bean Soup

This is a great recipe I adapted just slightly from The Menopause Diet; it's also good for all you low-carb dieters out there. Very high in fiber and pretty high in lean protein. Substitute cubed chicken for pork, or leave the meat out entirely, and it's probably still really good.

3 cans of different beans (butter, black, kidney, etc.)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 can 14-1/2 oz. chicken broth
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup cubed cooked lean ham
2 or 3 average-sized tomatoes, chopped
1 large leek, chopped
1 tbl. fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp. dry basil leaves)
Black pepper, to taste

Drain and rinse the beans in a strainer. Put beans and all remaining ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and allow to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Add more water if necessary.

Veggie Notes: I used my first harvest of fresh tomatoes for this recipe. I also had a couple of leftover leeks from my spring harvest (they keep quite a long time in the fridge) and they were excellent in this soup as an alternative to the usual onion-and-garlic combo.

Of course, you could also use your own homegrown beans, basil, and if you're really talented, celery.