I thought a garden chat and photo thread would be a good idea.
This way, we have a space to share current pictures and discuss dandelions and other plants.
This way, we have a space to share current pictures and discuss dandelions and other plants.
Steffi33 schrieb:
Simply with water… Always so that the vegetables are still “peeking out”… but the water must be visible. Sauté onions and garlic in plenty of butter first, then add everything else. Close the lid. That’s exactly how I do it too, but I often have to thicken it with cornstarch 🙁
Tarnari schrieb:
I do it the same way, but I often have to thicken with cornstarch 🙁I actually never thicken.. We just soak it up with bread or spoon the rest. 😉
Steffi33 schrieb:
I rarely thicken sauces.. We just dip bread into them or spoon up the rest. 😉Today I cooked Asian food. It works great because you hardly need any liquid. A little soy sauce, rice vinegar, some spices, wasabi, and it's done. I always find European vegetables quite heavy.
Wow, Steffi, you’re really ahead of us. This year, I started growing tomatoes early, hoping to get an earlier harvest. But this year’s cold weather completely ruined those plans. We’ll probably only be able to expect tomatoes around the end of August again. We managed to pick a few cherry tomatoes here and there, but those were probably brave early birds.
Most of our tomatoes still look like this:
Green.
A few are slowly turning red:
On the other hand, I didn’t check the zucchini for two days and now I have a monster:
I usually harvest them small whenever possible. They taste better that way and have less interior. Clearly, I missed that one...
I almost always cook vegetables without adding water. I sauté them briefly in a little butter or olive oil, cover the pan, and the vegetables usually produce enough moisture on their own. Then I season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg, and finish with fresh parsley — done. I rarely need to add water.
Also great: roasted vegetables! My favorite seasoning is rosemary and chili. All root vegetables work well, but you can also use bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, etc. Onion wedges and sliced garlic are always included. Tomatoes add great flavor but tend to break down completely.
Just put chopped rosemary, chili flakes, and salt in a baking dish, pour in some boiling or at least hot water to dissolve the salt and soften the spices. Then add a good splash of wine (rosé or white) and plenty of olive oil. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, adjusting size so those that take longer to cook are cut smaller, and those that cook quickly stay larger. Mix everything well and put it in the oven at about 200°C (390°F). Stir occasionally until the vegetables are soft and — just how I like it — slightly browned on top.
At the end, you can sprinkle some grated cheese and/or feta. Since my husband’s a meat eater, I sometimes add meatballs towards the end so they can cook along with the vegetables.
By the way, this is the pumpkin I mentioned before. It blooms beautifully and really attracts the bees, but hardly sets fruit:
I threatened it that it would be removed if it didn’t produce soon, so it reluctantly started to form two tiny fruits — one of which has already been eaten by snails. I don’t know how much longer I’ll put up with this lazy behavior. The only saving grace is that the bees really love the huge blossoms.
Besides that, we ordered some more wood and finally filled the wood piles, so the ugly neighbor’s wall isn’t so noticeable anymore. Now we really have a cozy little spot:
(in the last picture with sunlight)
We really enjoy the space, and the roof protects against light rain, so a few raindrops don’t necessarily send us indoors.
My velvet hydrangea seems very happy in its spot and is blooming beautifully:
Overall, even though the snails try to undo it, everything is growing and thriving, and truly brings us joy:
And once again, here’s an example of the difference between men and women:
This is my husband’s latest acquisition: a rain gauge!
His reasoning: so I can see whether watering is needed or not.
My reply (as a woman): I just stick my finger in the soil to feel if it’s dry — then I water.
Husband: umm, well, yeah, that works too...
Well, as long as the gadgets he needs are this affordable, he can have them 😎
Most of our tomatoes still look like this:
Green.
A few are slowly turning red:
On the other hand, I didn’t check the zucchini for two days and now I have a monster:
I usually harvest them small whenever possible. They taste better that way and have less interior. Clearly, I missed that one...
I almost always cook vegetables without adding water. I sauté them briefly in a little butter or olive oil, cover the pan, and the vegetables usually produce enough moisture on their own. Then I season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg, and finish with fresh parsley — done. I rarely need to add water.
Also great: roasted vegetables! My favorite seasoning is rosemary and chili. All root vegetables work well, but you can also use bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, etc. Onion wedges and sliced garlic are always included. Tomatoes add great flavor but tend to break down completely.
Just put chopped rosemary, chili flakes, and salt in a baking dish, pour in some boiling or at least hot water to dissolve the salt and soften the spices. Then add a good splash of wine (rosé or white) and plenty of olive oil. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, adjusting size so those that take longer to cook are cut smaller, and those that cook quickly stay larger. Mix everything well and put it in the oven at about 200°C (390°F). Stir occasionally until the vegetables are soft and — just how I like it — slightly browned on top.
At the end, you can sprinkle some grated cheese and/or feta. Since my husband’s a meat eater, I sometimes add meatballs towards the end so they can cook along with the vegetables.
By the way, this is the pumpkin I mentioned before. It blooms beautifully and really attracts the bees, but hardly sets fruit:
I threatened it that it would be removed if it didn’t produce soon, so it reluctantly started to form two tiny fruits — one of which has already been eaten by snails. I don’t know how much longer I’ll put up with this lazy behavior. The only saving grace is that the bees really love the huge blossoms.
Besides that, we ordered some more wood and finally filled the wood piles, so the ugly neighbor’s wall isn’t so noticeable anymore. Now we really have a cozy little spot:
(in the last picture with sunlight)
We really enjoy the space, and the roof protects against light rain, so a few raindrops don’t necessarily send us indoors.
My velvet hydrangea seems very happy in its spot and is blooming beautifully:
Overall, even though the snails try to undo it, everything is growing and thriving, and truly brings us joy:
And once again, here’s an example of the difference between men and women:
This is my husband’s latest acquisition: a rain gauge!
His reasoning: so I can see whether watering is needed or not.
My reply (as a woman): I just stick my finger in the soil to feel if it’s dry — then I water.
Husband: umm, well, yeah, that works too...
Well, as long as the gadgets he needs are this affordable, he can have them 😎
Schimi17919 Aug 2021 12:24We are currently harvesting Mediterranean fruits directly from the tree.