TOMATOES!!! A description of all kinds for next year's planting

We are all waiting for the beginning of the yearly flood of tomatoes-for sauces, salads, even jams and jellies. It won't be long now, we are near the peak of August.

 
We plant in late May-early June. Then we wait and water --- aiming for the taste of the year, that luscious moment.

Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable grown ( but--isn’t it a fruit? Yes, but U.S. courts ruled it as a vegetable , for commercial reasons.) Click on the links below and see the story behind each tomato variety. I assembled a lot of different sites, each offering you a special knowledge about tomatoes.

Rutgers University has been confirming the favorites by holding Tomato

Tasting Festivals in August for the last few years, inspired by the re-introduction of the Ramapo Tomato.

The most popular Heirloom Tomatoes were in three categories. The Largest favorites were

Cherokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter, Hawaiian Pineapple, and Prudent’s Purple.

Medium-sized favorites were Eva Purple Ball, Arkansas Traveler, Box Car Willie, Lemon Boy, Costoluto, Ramapo, Brandywine Red, and Green Zebra. And the Cherry Size Small Heirloom Favorites were Snow White, Isis Candy, and Yellow Pear.

Do you have any of them in your garden? Bring them to Tomato Fest---we can all try them.

As the growing season continues, you might want to check this site You will find a major collection of articles on the tomato, including members of the Agricultural School’s considered opinion on growing the tomatoes upside down. There are pluses(no weeds!) and minuses (gravity) that should be considered---find out! It might lead to the Best Taste of the Season.

Easy Italian sauce.
Ingredients
2 cans of plum tomatoes, with sauce, chopped.
Olive oil, 1/2 cup
1 Onion. Bermuda, minced finely
cloves of garlic, peeled, minced
3 ice cubes of basil and oregano mix (or 1 tbsp of each herb, minced, if fresh; 1 tsp of each herb, if dried.)
1 tspn. Sugar

Preparation
1.Warm the olive oil in a Dutch oven
2.Add the onion, and sauté until translucent, Add garlic, mix with onion, and cook until alliums are translucent (alliums=onion and garlic)
3.Add tomatoes, stir. Let simmer, not boil, covered, 1/2 hour.
4. Add sugar, then Basil-Oregano cubes, and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
If you do not have cubes (it is the middle of the winter, for instance), use
1 tsp of each herb. If you want a more "herby" taste, increase the proportion to 1 1/2 tspn of each.
5.Serve over piping hot pasta.

A variant on this recipe that does change an Italian sauce into a French one:
- Add one tsp TARRAGON (dried, or 2 tsp (fresh) when you add the herbs.

Another variant from Jekka's cookbook, an English sauce:
- Saute the onions and garlic in BUTTER. Do not use oil.

 ---Pat L

HARVESTING: Plan NOW!

It is fast approaching---the height of the harvest season. Mid-Summer to fall)

As fall comes, plants have less sunlight, even though it is still warm outside.

 The herbs themselves have less volatile oil: that ingredient that contains the flavor and smell. So you need to harvest NOW!

It's part of the plant cycle: as less sunlight is part of the equation, the fruit and seeds and flowers march towards winter.

This is time to plan for the late herbs such as thyme, and get what you can from  those past their prime.

Basil was probably at its prime in late July. But use it for pesto and you can have the early autumn fruits of the field. Just remember that you don't have much time; basil will go fast. When the  leaves are largely yellow, you might as well grind or chop them very fine---- use them for stews or sauces, and even then, with not as much flavor. But in the winter it will be very welcome.

Other herbs, such as thyme, can be deferred in harvesting, till early fall. Although wonderful when fresh (what isn't?), it can be dried and used in delicious meat glazes, such as  Honey Thyme Meat Glaze.

Take a look around the garden---see the lemon verbena? It's a great time to snip a twig or two and start them for next year. Bring the whole plant indoors, and leave  a bit of room---over time, it will grow to 5 feet tall. 

Here are my (condensed ) notes for harvesting when there is little time:

Methods to Use in Harvesting Herbs

Herbs are best when fresh---or so it is said. But given today’s budget crunch (winter time fresh herbs cost about $3.00 for a small amount), putting aside some for yourself is wise.

When do you harvest?
Generally, that is “ in the morning, before the flower emerges, and prior to the loss of flavor oils.” A number of herbs differ---check a harvesting chart (see Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, Teaneck Library)

What do you do with the herbs?
First, think of the herbs you use the most and what you do with them Then you can decide on a preservation method. Know which herbs can be preserved---and which cannot. Shiso and Salad Burnet cannot be preserved---use while in your garden!

Decide how much space you can allocate to storage and what method you will use per herb.

What Methods Fit Your Situation?

-"Dry" can involve drying racks (a laundry rack will serve) and  paper bags (to catch seeds).
---Use rubber bands to take into account  the drying herb to tie and hang the herbs (water drying makes for a smaller stem). Use screens to ensure all sections of small herbs are dry so mold does not set in.

--- Crumbling the herbs is the next step. Then, store them in amber bottles and place in a dark, dry place.

--Freezing herbs can involve freezing the whole herb in plastic bags, or chopped herbs in ice cube trays with oil or water. How much can your fridge---or freezer----hold? They may be mushy on defrosting, but will be perfect for a sauce or stew.

--Microwave: Put herbs on a paper towel after washing the herbs and dry them  thoroughly .Use a low setting. Good for any dish that has dried herbs as an ingredient, and they are “fresher” than those you buy!

--Preserve in vinegar or oil with a freshly washed and thoroughly dried herb. This method is best for salad dressings, marinades, vegetables in a vinaigrette, or cooking with a flavored oil.

Be very careful to refrigerate oil with herbs---and remove the herb from the oil shortly thereafter. Do not let the herb stick up from the oil, avoid food poisoning. Herbs in vinegar are different--the vinegar will pickle the herb,

However, letting the herb stick up from the vinegar is not good practice---food poisoning is possible. Watch it!

Check the chart below for harvesting for popular herbs:

COOKING WITH HERBS: How To

Tips for Cooking with Herbs

Given today’s budget crunch (winter time fresh herbs cost about $3.00 for a small amount), it is wise to use ALL of the plant: leaves in salads, sauces, stems in slow cooking, flowers in salads, plant as a whole vegetable. Cook them at their best.

--Use with a light hand—the aromatic oils are strong.

--Blend judiciously for different purposes. Have a leading flavor and combine two to four less pronounced flavors with it.

---Never emphasize more than one of the very strong herbs in a blend.

---Blend or heat with butter, margarine, or other cooking fats as the best way to draw out and extend the flavor of the aromatic oils.

---Fresh (unsalted) "sweet" butter gives more satisfactory results than salted butter or margarine.

---Have salad oil tepid, not chilled, when using herbs in French salad dressing.

---Cut or chop the leaves of fresh herbs very fine.
For some purposes they should be ground in a mortar.

---The more of the cut surface that is exposed, the more completely the aromatic oil can be absorbed.

---Keep in mind that dried herbs are three or four times stronger than fresh herbs.

--The delicate aroma and flavor of savory herbs may easily be lost by extended cooking.

(Excerpt  from Savory Herbs: Culture & Use , Farmers' Bulletin No. 1977, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1946) This s a complete guide ot growing and using herbs from the mid forties. It is well worth readin, and proves the old adage: "Nothing new under the sun."

    

    

THE GARDENS of the GREENHOUSE

One for the blackbird

One for the mouse

One for the rabbit

One for the House

---Gardener's hope

Ho Wan Ching's garden has large bamboo and wood tri-pole frames for supporting plants, as well as planters to increase productivity in a small space; in this case, the pathways. She shared her process with us:

" I am Ho Wan Ching; basically this is what I do at my garden.
I got this plot last year as a Greenhouse member. I had to clear all the weeds and dead plants. I turned over the soil with a hoe as soon as the ground was workable.
Then I made trenches. The trenches serve the purpose of drainage so that the plants’ roots will not rot in times of heavy rain. Some I the plants I left on the ground as cover as well as compost.

A couple of weeks later, I started the seeding process: tomatoes, corns, beans, lettuce and peppers. The tomato and corn take longer to bear fruits while lettuce is planted while the weather is cool. Some of the peppers from last year have re-seeded and I got many extra plants this year.I bought some eggplants, squashes, jalapeno pepper and kale plants from our own club sale. I planted my melons from seeds later to avoid the chill which could destroy the seeds. I also planted my cucumbers and long beans.

I rotate the planting location each year to avoid overusing or depleting the soil nutrients. I also ensure those plants that need the sun most will be planted in a sunny spot. During the first year, I did not know what plants do well where, this year I knew more so I planted different plants at different locations.

I tried watering daily in the early morning or late evenings so that the plants will not get scorched by the hot sun. If you need to keep them moist on extreme heat days, try misting them and not watering. Misting will disperse the heat and help the plants stay healthy.I checked on the plants’ progress every now and then. If I see the leaves are chewed on, I sprayed some soap water around the plants but not directly on the leaves; the soap may destroyed the leaves.

This year I have added some granulated cow manure which provided much nutrient to the plants.


Each garden shows choices in how to use space, how to support plants, what and when to plant and how to keep out the critters..

You have to have courage to garden---trying new ways of growing different plants with differing conditions. Each of our Garden Club of Teaneck members show such courage.

Marty Steeil, Ho Wan Ching Leonard Schwartz, Pat Taaffe, and Fred Dolch had gardens on the Herb Harvest Tour, two years ago,  August 31, 2011, 9:15 AM to 12 PM at the Teaneck Greenhouse. Two days before Hurricane Irene had struck, but the gardeners and workshop presenters kept to the tour.

The public who enrolled in the Herb Harvest workshop went through the Garden Club Greenhouse Gardens. This post concentrates on the five gardeners who volunteered to have their gardens inspected.

Look around---there are others with beauty in their plots. Look at the large white moonflowers in Jane Furman's garden.











 
This structure is a vertical framing support system ("basket weaving" ) seen on  Johnny's Seeds. ME)
Fred Dolch's garden shows a classic economy of space---he has densely planted his produce for a long time, and usually has an excellent crop. His gardening methods are traditional (straight rows, contained definite areas per vegetable, and well-maintained plot, with few if any weeds). Fred's hoe chases them away. Note the crops planted as companion plants, the closeness of tomatoes, corn, cabbage, basil, flowers and fall vegetables.You will see raised beds
, made from aluminum recyclables, in his garden.

Leonard Schwartz exhibits diversity---in this case, stepping out of "flowers and vegetables" to growing bonsai trees. Never a quibbler, Leonard insists that they are "pre-bonsai" trees: and range from well-cared for specimens to rescued bushes (boxwood)that he has hopes to train into good shapes. Pitch Pine, Black Pine, Apple, and Boxwood are some what you will find here. Make sure to ask him what his philosophy of "edibility of the garden" is--- be prepared to be rocked by the answers. 

Learn more about the classical art of bonsai. 

Patrick Taaffe's garden shows a comfortable, "lived in: look. There are architectural elements to this space, such as the plants supports and the arch, as well as a mulch that changes the coloring of the garden. The yellow straw, when first laid, gives a light carpet on the ground level. His plants include Asiatic Lilies as well as tomatoes and a full array of vegetables. Learn the basics of building bamboo trellises as Patrick and others has done.

More Gardens from 2013:

Jane Furman's delightful plot of flowers

 
A close up of Pat Fromm's yellow tomatoes

Showing vertical and pot gardens

Raised beds permeated the gardens this year. 

Corn and Fred and Carol's  house peeping through 

A garden using every inch

Close up of Shiso perilla 

Sunflowers reaching to the sky 

Tomatoes at their peak

Sun spots

 Tower of squash leaves

“Lavender blue dilly dilly...

“Lavender blue dilly dilly”

“Lavender blue dilly dilly” is a phrase from the lyrics  that Burl Ives did in the 60s. But its origins are way back: from  England in the 1600s;  lavender was neither “blue” or “dilly”. But the song is a soothing lullabye.

Lavender is actually a soothing plant, some are close to blue, and the aroma wafts from all 39 species of the genus Lavendula. It grows in France, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Australia and  the Mediterranean region, as well as in the United States. But it is most often associated with Provence, France.

This is a multitasking herb, crossing aromatic, culinary, medicinal, cosmetic and even detergent purposes yet. Although used primarily for perfumes, it is also part of Herbes de Provence, a classic herb mix, an  acne treatment,  an antidepressant , dog medication and pet skin shampoo, washing and even an off label use: floor wash .

However, all is not well in the center of Lavender Country: Provence, France. You see, there is a EU proposal to require labelling of lavender essential oil products as dangerous due to skin sensitivity. The key chemical in lavender is linalool, alleged to have that property (C&E News, Oct 2014, p.19)

 Lavender farmers argue that their lavender should be classified as an agricultural, not a chemical, product. Web sites of lavender growers in Provence raise the alarm: “This is a call for help to save lavender, aromatic and medicinal plants from the destructive effects of new European regulations.” (http://www.lavande-provence-aoc.com/)

This news leads to agita, so ‘tis time to actually use lavender in large quantities. The best way to do that is to visit large lavender gardens and inhale deeply.

Three within a vacation’s reach are on the Eastern Seaboard.

Lavender by the Baywww.lavenderbythebay.com/

Cape Cod Lavender Farm www.capecodlavenderfarm.com/

Hope Hill Lavender Farm www.hopehilllavenderfarm.com/

There are festivals at most of them this month. Let me know of one you explored-it will appear

In The UrbanHerban (blog: http:/urbanherban.blogspot.com)

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Summer Garden Tours

Des Gardens, Brooklyn Botanic

Here are my top ten with one-way travel time:

 1.Kykuit  ---worth many trips, I have gone twice. 

Rockefeller collected sculpture, it is all over the outdoors. 1 hour plus

 2. NYBG herbs are now arriving, let's do what we tried, there is no snow 

   About 1/2 hour to 40 minutes in good traffic

 3.Well Sweep---Now over 1,900 species, well worth it and you can buy some. 

  ---Bring picnic Rt 80 West 1 hour plus a few minutes 

4.Des Gardens, Brooklyn Botanic---herbs a' plenty as well as a Shakespeare plant garden, including the herbs in his time. Travel time varies with driver and route.

5. Cloisters

6.And the best: Grounds for Sculpture---beautiful gardens, beautiful and unusual sculpture---Hamilton, NJ, Turnpike trip 1.25 hours''7,

8.

9.

10.