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Veggies

Norma you mentioned tomatoes the size of grapes are those what we call cherry tomatoes here in Canada?
 
Mo it looks like our courgettes. Stitcher is that the watercress seed you were on about?. Either way I have never heard of it but let me know how it turns out?. Jean.
 
Gee Gee jean, I thought zucchini was auubergine.
I did mention watercress in an earlier post and said that because it needs to grow in running water, if you grow it and keep it very wet you risk stomache bugs like salmonella. I grow 'American Land Cress'. It looks like actual watercress and tastes exactly the same but it grows in ordnary soil in the garden and needs no special treatment.
The seeds I mentioned were 'CARDOOM' it is an old veg and I have never heard of it. From what I have read it is used rather like spinach.
 
Looking forward to the outcome of your spinach look taste alike. I do love watercress though. Water is vital to life but it store some horrible organisms. Should have seen the results of some of the pool tests at Wyndley and you used to swim in it [and at swallow it] Doesn't bear thinking about. Jean.:sick:
 
Gee Gee Jean, if you havent, you really ought to try American Land Cress. The only difference in shape and taste is that is probably a little more peppery. Lubberly Jubberly.
 
Do you know of a stockist Stitcher. My tortoises eat a lot of cress but if it's the expensive kind I'll have it myself. I spend £9 a big tub for their food cook them caulies and other veg they are spoiled. Had them for years though. Bye. Jean.
 
Gee Gee Jean I am sure I got my seeds from a Wyevale garden centre. I promise you G. The look and taste are udisguingishable, blimey is that a real word, from normal water cress. Do You have a fish pond because my friend buys a bunch of watercress and drops it loosley into his pond. It grows very quickly and is a very good airator for the water. You could do this and when it is growing you can thin it out and give to your tortoise. If you dont have a pond you could always make a tray as I did and grow it. It matures very quickly and the health thing wouldnt be a problem for the pet. If you are worried you could always ask the vet or pet shop first.
 
Alf thanks for that. Going to bed with my stomach saying my throats cut. [Another old Brummy saying]. Jean.
 
Jean, obviously hasn't seen your links yet Alf, but please try sautéed zucchini browned each side in butter and add crispy bacon bits absolutlely delicious. . .

It is a must for my family here in Canada for both Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas. . .

Take care Beryl
 
Beryl I have. I think we all posted at the same time. Will study them in the morning. Going to a family bbq Sunday [no matter what the weather] and will see if I can cook one of the recipe's up. Have my orders. Bombay potato's smoked bacon potato salad coleslaw and rice. Don't mind Pete's [my son] providing the meat. He's even got people camping in his garden. Should be fun. It's a get together after a fund raising do in Brighton for Lyndon house. A respite home for autistic children to give their parents a well earned break. Bye. Jean.
 
Norma, I can honestly say i have never seen grape tomatoes like that before, and that's absolulety amazing.

Wonder if Maureen has seen them? New Jersey is not that far away, it's weird that I haven't seen them here in Toronto.
 
You have my sister's name. . . You are one lovely person Jean. What's Bombay Potato?
 
my grandson aged 6 came home with a beansprout he had planted, we put it in the garden and today he had his first 2 beans
his face was a picture when i cooked them for him:)
 
To tell you the truth Norma I hate grocery shopping and cooking too though I do it .

My husband Stuart loves to cook, so I let him LOL He has never seen those grape tomatoes either. If Maureen or Jennyann has seen grape tomatoes I will be surprised. Take care Beryl
 
Beryl see the post below yours. Yes I have seen them and bought them. They are like very tiny plum tomatoes. They come from the US in the winter when cherry tomatoes are not available.:)Mo
 
Will you all please forgive me. The Cardoom I told you about is CARDOON. Yes it is apparently similar to Chard and spinach. I will try and get another packet of seeds and put a picture on the thread. If you put it into Google you will find some recipes for it. The leaves on mine are about 7 inches now ands I saw somewhere that it is perineal.
 
Will you all forgive me again please. I tried to put the picture from Google on before my message. It appeared to not work. so I was going to get my friend to do it when I scan a seed packet. When I posted my message the %$*@ picture appeared. It could be an age problem. Mine not the computors.
 
Sakura.Yes mine survives the winter here in Birmingham. I get the larger leaves and cut the stalk out. Then I put a couple of spoonfuls of spicey minced meat/chicken on them and roll them up, a bit like stuffed vine leaves I suppose. The meat will be pre-cooked and can be used cold because the wife then puts them into the steamer and lets them heat up until the leaves are well wilted. This means that if you use meat cooked yesterday it will have heated through by the time the leaves are done. If you use just cooked meat it will not spoil while the leaves cook.
 
Sounds good, I guess if you added rice as well it would be like cabbage rolls. Mmm :)Mo
 
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Trevor Like Maureen says you can do that with cabbage too. Cabbage rolls are popular here.

Must have posted the same time
 
Are we making you hungry Norma? It must be hard cooking for one. If I am by myself I just don't eat very much it's no fun eating alone.

I will be doing that next week when my husband is hospital. . Take care Beryl
 
;)Nas, you may not fancy this but it is delicious if you like greens. It is easy if you grow your own sprouts and cabbage. Get a stem from a sprout plant and cut it into 2 inch pieces. It is very tough so mind you dont slip and cut yourself. Then you can stand each piece on end and peel it by cutting from the top to the bottom of each piece, taking off only the hard shell or skin. This leaves a pith like lump. You can cut this into discs like coins or julienne it. I think thats the right word. if it is wrong word, cut it into matchsticks. Then you can steam it or use it in stir-fry meals. Do the same with cabbage and calabrese storks.
 
Yes Nas, Brussell Sprouts. In Birmingham we can sometimes buy them on the stork. If you cut the pieces a litle larger or thicker so they cook slower you can boil them with your other greens or veggies. When you have taken the hard shell-like skin off they are rather softer do you see. Do the same with cabbage storks, they taste just like the vegetable. If you can get Brussells sprouts on the stork it will sometimes be 2 feet or more long so you can get quite a bit off them.
 
Today was the big day. I cut some of my Cardoon leaves. She who will be obeyed cut out the stalks and washed it all. She then cut the stalks into 2 inch pieces and steamed the lot. Let me tell you I have never tasted anything so vile. The stalk pieces were very tough and the leaf part was as bitter as gall. I searchd for recipes and discovered that it is a winter veggie and should not be used until the weather hes turned cold because,it says, in the warm weather it tastes bitter. You should also remove the outer stringy layer from the stalk. So I have to wait a few more months to try it again. I asked a man at The Botanical Gardens about it and he said it is sweet tasting and could be a good thing to grow while the economy is wobbly because cultivated and fed properly cardoon can get 2-3 foot leaves. You wont need many of them to fill a saucepan.
 
Nas, yes it is perinial and spreads slowly over the years so you are never without it. The recipe page says it is rather sweet and is very nice with recipes that will allow a lemon sauce to be used. I wil let you know again after we have had a few frosts.

I wrote awhile back about American Land Cress and may not have made myself clear. When it is ready to pick it almosrt exactly like water cress. It tastes exactly the same but it grows in the garden like a normal plant, whereas Water Cress needs to be in running water. I bought the seeds from Bournville Garden Center near to Cadburys in Selly Oak. I planted 2 seed per peat pot. I then planted the pots when the cress was about 2 inches tall. I have had to pull quite a few out and put them on the compost because it grows so fast. I defy anynone to tell the diference between this and water cress.

I have grown tumbler toms this year in hanging baskets. They were rather slow fruiting initially but for the last 2-3 weeks we are picking a few every day. they are small, hard and taste great.
 
Nas, I do like to be in the garden. I grow a small variety of veggies every year. I also have about 15 giant dahlias, all different colours. I dont show them but I do go to the Dahlia association sale in the early spring and get a new one if it stikes me as better than what I already have. If the weather is o/k I am in the garden doing something. If it is too cold or wet I am either sewing or pootering. One of my projects at the moment is a 1940 postcard which I am trying to turn into a x-stitch pattern. Being old it is not of brilliant quality and to sew it I want it to be good so I am doing it with the x-stitch software which is rather slow and laborious, but I will get there.
 
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