N&C Midwest: August 2016; Hot Stuff!

@landarch wrote:Thanks everyone...I had already crossed eggplant off my list for next year until I tasted this dish.  Neighbor has offered a quick cooking lesson for these two dishes...can't wait!

Great opportunity - so jealous.

Need to look into eggplant.  I wonder how many fruits per plant?

I grew both Black Beauty and Rosa Bianca.  I had about 1 fruit per plant with black beauty early...now those plants have about 3-4 fruits forming.  I was picking black beauties before the first Rosa Bianca fruit even formed...now about 4-5 Rosa Bianca fruits forming on each plant.

I was also considering growing Ping Tung...a long, skinny asian variety.

I do mine in grow bags...and I start seeds indoor the same time as peppers (8-10 weeks before last frost).

Keep us posted on how they taste, Landarch!  I have had eggplant from the store, and it has bordered on bitter sometimes, not sure what that is all about?

But I like eggplant Parmesan!  A lot!

My first trombone squash (Tromboncino Summer Squash).  I've been complaining for weeks that my gorgeous squash vines had only male flowers...then found this one secretly growing from a vine that wound it's way into the neighbor's shrubs...need to cook something up this evening.  I still have 5-6 eggplant and some carrots ready to go for my indian cooking lesson...hopefully soon.

Hiding in plain sight!  That's a beaut landarch!  What do they taste like?

@Scorpio Rising wrote:Keep us posted on how they taste, Landarch!  I have had eggplant from the store, and it has bordered on bitter sometimes, not sure what that is all about?

But I like eggplant Parmesan!  A lot!

Stores like to sell big eggplant, and sometimes that means it's more (or over) mature, and thus more bitter. I have two eggplants on my kitchen counter that I'm not sure I want to eat. I missed them (I don't know how they hide so well... it's not like my plants are that bushy...) and they aren't shiny anymore. They probably have mature, bitter, brown seeds inside. The best eggplant I had last year was on the young side of ripe, and it was delicious. I promptly decided to grow twice as much eggplant this year as last because of that eggplant.

I read about and tried this once.  Slice the eggplant for Eggplant Parmesan.  Layer in a colander, sprinkling each side liberally with salt.  Place colander in a large bowl, place a plate on top and weigh it down.  The bitter juice will seep out and collect in the bowl.  Rinse the slices and prepare the EP recipe.  It worked the one time I tried it.

I have Japanese Millionaire eggplant and they are a small "sweet" variety.

Interesting!  The ones I have tried were about a foot long....from Krogers.  I might try that until I decide if I want to grow some of my own.

Here are a few pics of putting my eggplant to use...Indian style (cooking lesson with neighbor)...

first sweat down some scallion and cumin seed in vegetable oil (eggplant chunks - skin on - are steaming in another pot)

then add various spices (curry mixture), cooked potato, and steamed eggplant and cook down for about 15 minutes, then add diced tomato and fresh cilantro (not pictured).  served with toasted nan...and tastes crazy good the second day.

I also have some Rosa Bianca eggplant coming...very slow.  I was picking large black beauty before the first Rosa fruit ever set.

BTW, I picked some large black beauty eggplant and when we sliced it for the curry dish, it was beautiful inside...bright white flesh, dark skin, and little to no seeds.  In previous years my eggplant looked like all seed...yuck.  My neighbor said as long as their firm they should be good...once they get soft, they can quickly become unusable.  I saw some gorgeous, really large eggplant at Whole Foods over the weekend, and when I went to feel one my thumb almost went through the skin...way too soft.

Anyway, I have about 4-5 more black beauty fruits forming and bees working new flowers really hard...hopefully will get to pick some more in the coming weeks.

Rosa Bianca

Landarch, Can you also post in the recipe section? Thanks

PS, Do the cumin seeds soften when sweated?

@landarch wrote:My first trombone squash (Tromboncino Summer Squash).  I've been complaining for weeks that my gorgeous squash vines had only male flowers...then found this one secretly growing from a vine that wound it's way into the neighbor's shrubs...need to cook something up this evening.  I still have 5-6 eggplant and some carrots ready to go for my indian cooking lesson...hopefully soon.

That's a beauty! Are you saving seeds?  
CC

I can try to save some seeds...not sure if they are clustered in the bulb in or not.  I cut this one up for a soup last night and saw no seeds in the neck end...bulb end still on the counter.  I have another forming on the vine just in case.

I first bought these seeds based on a local recommendation...local chefs are liking this squash for the taste and squash vine borers aren't supposed to bother it as much as a other squashes...and t's a vining squash so it can be grown vertical.

I'll type a better recipe step by step and with more spice detail and post in the recipe section...yes, the cumin seeds soften when sweating, it's the first spice to go in so it can cook down with the onions.  One cool thing about this recipe, my neighbor said with just a couple of spice/flavor substitutions it could become a thai or italian dish.

Yes, the seeds are only in the bulb end from what I've read. I wonder if the seeds will be 'ripe' in now. I know that this squash will later turn tan and become a winter squash. That may be when the seeds are best, I don't know. I'm trying to get one to keep growing long enough to turn tan.

Keep us updated on what you find please?

CC

Cape, so is this considered a winter type squash?

I made a squash and tomato bisque last night and cooked the mixture down for a long time before putting in a blender...the squash never really got soft or cooked down...any thoughts?  My soup was full of pulp...I may skip the squash tonight and just stick with tomato.

Oooo!  I see a tomato bisque in my future, so many happening at once!  Can you then freeze it?

A friend of mine says the bisque is so quick to make he only freezes the tomatos...not sure if a bisque can be frozen or not...since it contains cream the texture may be funky when thawed.

@landarch wrote:Cape, so is this considered a winter type squash?

From what I've read it's both a summer when picked while green/yellow, and then it's a winter when it goes to tan later on.  The usual rules apply: The winter one will store for a while but the summer one won't.

And NO SVB!!!  The best of all worlds with this squash IMO.  IF you can get it to germinate.

I just saved some seeds from the one a friend gave me.  It was a summer tromboncino so, even though the seeds look good, I'm thinking they probably aren't viable.  I'll 'test' them once they are dry and report back.

CC

@landarch wrote:A friend of mine says the bisque is so quick to make he only freezes the tomatos...not sure if a bisque can be frozen or not...since it contains cream the texture may be funky when thawed.

Gotcha.  Makes sense.  I have never frozen tomatoes, but this may be the year!  And peppers.....oh boy!

I found my trombone squash seeds at a local garden center...a pack from Renee's Garden....great luck with germination...100%.

@landarch wrote:I found my trombone squash seeds at a local garden center...a pack from Renee's Garden....great luck with germination...100%.

Great info! One of our area nurseries sells Renee's. I'll call them now.

CC

I don't know what it is about this time of year, but I really quit caring about the gardens.  And unfortunately it is really bad timing to do that because everything is literally coming on for harvest!  It is me, I hate the hot humid weather. When I get home I am exhausted and don't care, honestly.  

I just am bummed; I know there are a ton of veggies out there, and if I had a helper, that could be done.  It will be 2 weeks elapsed before I get out there.  And the mosquitos have taken a small chihuahua from the neighborhood....egads. 

Deep summer...not my fave.

OK.  I still am not a fan of this weather.  However, I also am discovering that I am much better at eating things that I can pick and eat.  Solid.  Stuff that needs prepped and cooked in recipes....not so much!  Live, garden, and learn.  

Your avatar reminded me that I stored the cantaloupe I picked yesterday (?) and the split butternut in the oven. The cleaning ladies were coming and I didn't want to put them in the frig (cold fruit hurts my teeth) and it was too hot outside, even just for an hour. Thank you!