Eating food I grew

[Lowdown3]

It's always interesting for me to read about growing seasons in other areas. For warm weather stuff ours is VERY short. Usually have to have beans, corn, etc. in by first of April and by mid June they are all done and almost nothing will grow with the heat. But we can start putting in fall/winter stuff mid Sept.

[KirkMcquest]

Wow and back in june too? You southern guys do have some serious advantages in your climate! Enjoy.

[addon]

The food grew himself is present a good taste.I always use food which i grow in my farm.

[Jeremiah2913]

I ate supper from my garden yesterday! Wish I'd taken pictures, I will next time.

White acre peas - so delicious
Baby butterbeans -Wow
Squash - yummmmm

Everything was so good I wish I could do it again today, but I'll have to wait a day or so for more food to mature.

I got a real since of accomplishment from eating food I grew!

Congrats, it's hard to go back to anything less after you've been spoiled like this! I didn't start one this year due to time constraints and I'm really missing those green beans!

AAOOB foods is a great place for non-hybrid seads. They have long term storage kits available by region and I always have 2 or 3 buckets in the freezer.

[Ruthmary]

Here in Australia it is spring and because we live in a mild climate with very few frosts, we have vegetables in the garden all year round. I don't know how I could cope if my garden was covered in snow for part of the year!
Tonight we will have potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, onions and broad beans I have just picked and pumpkin from autumn. This will go with pork chops I bought.
Over the last few days, I have been planting our summer garden.

[LizardKing]

The Okra Wars have been fought and won. I planted 6 okra seeds a while ago and for the last 2 months I've been eating okra every night for dinner in any way I can think to fix it. I have to say that it was getting a little old, but with the cool nights, production has slowed to a crawl. Unfortunately, I still have bags of it frozen that I still have to use. Every morning I would go out and cut off what was ready and I learned a lot about how okra turns into lumber if it's not harvested and used or frozen in short order. The sweet potato vines are dying back now, so it's time to dig some up and see how that turned out.

[becky3086]

I have cabbage, broccoli, a few green onions and will have some garlic (as soon as I get it planted tomorrow). In the process of converting my little garden over to raised beds so not much right now but hopefully more later).

[Ruthmary]

It is so good to see Monkeybird and others enjoying eating the food they have grown in their own gardens. I think that it doesn't matter how big or small your garden is, what matters is that you can produce somethingand that you are learning while you are doing it.

LizardKing, could you share some tested okra recipes, please? It is not a common vegetable here in Australia and not many people like it. It grows as easily as tomatoes in my garden, but my husband won't eat it? You're right about it turning to lumber if it is not harvested at the right time.

[LizardKing]

My first attempt with okra was to put some oil in a cast iron pan, slice it thin and just fry it. This didn't produce anything memorable so then I added some spices and finally settled on a little cayenne, some paprika and a little cumin to give it some flavor. Then I added diced tomatoes, onion and just a bit of wine or chicken broth. After that, anything in the fridge is fair game to throw in the pot and then dish this over pasta, rice, beans to act as a carrier for the meatless gumbo. Hint - instant mashed potatoes doesn't work too good. It's not bad eaten as is, but it has to be hot and doesn't seem to reheat very good.

[Ruthmary]

Thanks, LizardKing. That is unlike any okra recipe I've tried. Sounds good. I'll have to wait a while before I try it because I haven't planted my seeds yet, but will in the next week or so.

[monkeybird]

Perfect Okra recipe

1. slice okra and 1/4" size slices
2. wash
3. dredge in mixture of equal parts flour and cornmeal
4. lay out on flat surface to DRY
5. dredge again in mixture
6. fry in hot peanut oil
7. eat immediately!!

PREFECT EVERY TIME.

[LizardKing]

Sounds good MB, I guess I'll have to plant some peanuts now so I can press them for oil. I have a feeling that with okra, step 7 is kind of critical.