dirty hands

[coquille]

Today I started working the garden !!!
The weather was fine and my hands feel funny because of all the nettles, but it feels real good. I know it 's too early and tonight they predicted frost but I d'ont care
My trees are doing fine too.Tiny leaves are popping out, even my peach trees are happy.By accident I dug up a rubarb, I totally forgot I had it, it looked like a giant triffid !!! Couln 't resist myself and bought a huge amount of oregano plants , i love the stuff , and plenty thym, thy are sending the bill, my husband will kill me me thinks!!
How are you guys doing with the garden??

[phoebe]

Please forgive me for my weather but I've got 17 varieties of tomatoes in the ground and in 15 gal. containers, 5 types of peppers (this new board is just too much fun ), Eight Foot Sugar Snap Pea plants (Perhaps the snap peas think they're corn? ), and various lettuces and herbs.

[coquille]

I'm so jealous

But good for you. I'll have to wait another 3 months for my salade with:
10 different kinds of grape tomatoes!!!Beat that!!!

[phoebe]

Hee, hee ! I can't beat that. Which ones are you growing? I've just got three of what we call cherry tomatoes: Black Cherry, Sweet Chelsea, and Snow White (apparently that new "lemon chiffon" color doesn't show up so well Nicko). That last one was "Snow White."

[coquille]

I have no idee what they are called. I just bought seeds from tomato growers and i hope everything will turn out ok, but i'm really looking forward to it .
It 's just been a perfect garden day cause on the radio they said the weather was going to be terrible and it turned out to be great !! Makes me happy especially since it's my day off!
What are you planning on doing with all your tomatoes?? I have the best passata recipe if you want it..

Inez

[phoebe]

Hi Inez,
Yes, I definitely want it (but what's "passata"?).
I do a lot of "Mediterranean" style cooking with tomatoes, garlic, onions and olives: lots of cooked and uncooked pasta sauces, stews, baked with meats, etc. And of course, lots of salads. I love all the different colors and tastes of heirloom tomatoes.
And I'll be giving the extras away to friends. However, I just started growing tomatoes from seeds last year and found that the high germination rate I was getting also netted me tons of plants. So this year and last I gave away loads of plants. Those folks may not need my tomatoes.

[coquille]

Hi emily,
Passata is italian for moms home made tomato stew ( me thinks )
I have this recipe from my mother in law and it's great for everything. You can make loads of it, and then put it in jars and cook them till it's vacume,( i don't know the right word )It keeps up to 2 years!!!

1 big pan full of whole tomatoes ( 4 kilo )
splash of white wine
2 or 3 oinions skinned and cut in 4
2 to 6 cloves of garlic
a lot of basil about one big bunch,
5 big sprigs of rosemary
10 sprigs of thyme
a little salt - about1 theespoon
a lot of peper 11/2 tablespoon or more, what you like

Put everything together and simmer for 1 hour, be sure to stir otherwise the bottom will burn and them you will have to throw everything away!!!
Pass through a sive and store in jars

if you add sugar and vinager and cook it longer you have your home made ketchup