Chris's Blog Posts: Fresh Veggies abound...

[ChrisDurnan]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HfPYShbE29s/SlyRyd2J-yI/AAAAAAAAGCw/OJ1YFaEYhvU/s320/IMG_2072.JPG (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HfPYShbE29s/SlyRyd2J-yI/AAAAAAAAGCw/OJ1YFaEYhvU/s1600-h/IMG_2072.JPG) My hubby keeps adding to our fresh veggie bowl as I keep working it down by making salsa and other items. He and my son come in in the morning smiling with their shirts rolled up and the haul of veggies rolled into the bottom of them. We grew the white/yellow tomatoes this year. I am not sold on them. They are firmer and good for homemade salsa and also make the salsa look interesting, but I am not sure they will be on the list for next years garden. We are ready to plant a few additional items in the garden so will have to check our desert gardening southwest book. I have say gardening here is nothing like when I grew up in Wisconsin. You have two growing seasons here. You cut back the tomato plants in July because it is hot they just don't set fruit. Skip the beefsteak tomatoes as they will get heat rotted before they are large enough and go for quick setting veggies. I buy my plants from a local grower or seeds from the native coop seed exchange. The big box stores that offer plants sold nationwide never seem to be cued into our desert growing ecosystem. We try to get something the ground for summer plants by later Feb or the first week of March. Then you get really nice specimens that set before the summer heat. This book is the best. It is all broken down. I don't have to read it and memorize it.http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HfPYShbE29s/SlyTJPrSDhI/AAAAAAAAGC4/dB08URfJY0E/s320/14677219.jpg I just open it up once a month. Or rather my hubby does right now. he has become our gardener. I got burned out with many attempts and frustration over the rodents (pack rats) and other items getting what I was watching grow. He is doing phenomenal. He hauls in the veggies regularly and it is wonderful to see his smile. He has become a very happy gardener. I love that. i love to see him happy... and I love a fresh flavorful tomato. And on top of that he is teaching my son a few things about caring for things and the give and take of nature. It is wonderful. Love my hubby. Love my son. Love my life.
Enjoy! -Chris







Chris Durnan, designer at www.visualdesignsbychris.com
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[scrappinmama]

Gosh you are making me hungry. I really miss my garden this year. And I'd kill for a fresh picked tomato!!!!

[scramper75]

WOW those look great Chris, I have been picking cucumbers from my garden for the past few weeks now, it is awesome. I love fresh veggies. I have made pickles and just ate one for lunch. I had also planted some tomatoes and bell peppers as well as 4 heads of lettuce, the only thing ready was the cukes :)

[Darcy Designs]

You guys are lucky! I didn't get my garden in this year. Although my little guys & I did get our pumpkins replanted just this morning. I hope they have enough time to mature! We started them in pots about a month ago because the garden was just too soggy, but they didn't grow as much as they should have since the roots were confined...or maybe it was because its been such a cold summer. It was actually 65 degrees when I took Christopher to his swim lesson this morning...brrrrrrr

[ChrisDurnan]

Wow. I would be frozen. I think the hubby is planning to pick up pumpkin plants today or tomorrow. we shall see. :) The two of them get such a kick out of it. I love it.

[Deb C]

ah Chris what beautiful vegetables - now for salsa do you make fresh or the other kind - we are starting to get into salsa but not the hot kind- we are a little warmer here it is 73F at 11 am but it is a very cool summer - and a night 68F makes me shiver so the garden is slow but with all the rain we have had the raspberries are huge (even the "wild" black ones) and they are starting to ripen but my tomatoes just have flowers so unless it gets warmer it is going to be a horrid tomato season.
But I enjoyed looking at the veggie bowl

[ChrisDurnan]

I make fresh salsa. It never ends up the same because I go with what I have. I can't eat the really spicey so i go with flavorful. I have been getting raves over my new secret ingredient and the family can't put their finger on what it is. ha!

So my salsa base is usually.
5 or 6 low juice tomatoes. chopped as small as I can get it.
Can of chopped green chiles if I don't have fresh.
one chopped bundle of green onions
one can of diced stewed tomatoes some times.
tidbit of garlic
And Tony's Creole Seasoning light light coating because it is salty otherwise

And lately I have been putting in a dash of mesquite smoke flavoring.

Always in a glass bowl because plastic makes the tomatoes ferment.

Usually I go with chunky but sometimes I'll jsut throw it all in the food chopper and give it a whirl.



** My sister emailed this morning and is done with the tomato try. Sounds to me like a neighbors cat must have sat on one her tomato plants or something. She is going to stick with doing squash. haha.

I miss picking raspberries so I planted a plant a month ago in one of the beds and every once in a while my son will come in with a big red grin and say there was only one and he brought it in for me. ha!

Okay back to it.
Enjoy!
chris

[paminsd]

I need to buy that book for my daughter, she misses her yard and garden back here. The tomatoes looks wonderful. Mine are slow growing this year, but we've been picking zuchinni and yellow squash. Yesterday we picked cherries from my daughter's tree and made a pie last night, looks so good, haven't tasted it yet. I"m back from TX OMG it was hot...how do you guys live in that kind of heat? :eek:
Pam in SD

[ChrisDurnan]

Our years are literally reversed. In the summer we are all inside and in the winter we are all outside. :-) just a roll reversal.

Beautiful pie!!

enjoy!
Chris

[Games]

Those cherries look awesome. Pie too!:D

[paminsd]

Chris, I ordered that book for my dd in AZ, thanks.
Pam in SD