PlanterTomato Vegetable Gardening

Chocolate & Strawberries May Have Just Gotten Better, Or Perhaps Not

Two teams of researchers are reporting success in sequencing the genomes for the strawberry and cocoa. 

An international team of 70 researchers collaborated to sequence the genome of a woodland strawberry while a separate international team has successfully decoded the genome for Criollo, an expensive variety of cocoa used to make fine chocolate.  Both teams were funded by a mixture of academic, U.S. government and industry sources and their results are published in the journal Nature Genetics.

The research offers the potential to create new varieties of strawberry and cocoa that will be more disease resistant, weather tolerant, flavorful and nutritious, or so say the researchers. 

While I'm supportive of scientific research, and undecided about the benefits and risks of genetic modification of food, I'm definitely concerned about the practical implementation of such research.  If the history of the last 30 years is any guide, the most likely outcome of genetic tinkering is likely to be new varieties that are tailored to meet today's commercial requirements -- less perishable, easier to ship, visually more appealing --not varieties that are better tasting or are more nutritious. 

It will probably take five to ten years before strawberries modified based on this research appear on grocery store shelves, so it will be a long-time before we know how these discoveries play out in the marketplace.

Boston marrow pumpkin pie recipe & Boston Marrow Growing Instructions

Prior to Thanksgiving, I shared a recipe for pumpkin pie that is made with Butternut Squash.  I also mentioned that I would try the same recipe with Boston Marrow Squash.  Well the verdict is in.

An Outstanding Pumpkin Pie

This is a fabulous pie.  Flesh of the Boston Marrow squash is less sweet and less dense than that of Butternut squash.  In my opinion, this results to a much better pumpkin pie that is lighter and lacks the cloying sweetness of other pie recipes.  The recipe is available at the AllRecipes.com web site.  Just substitute Boston Marrow for Butternut in the ingredients.

By the way, this pie is so easy to make it's ridiculous.  Essentially, you just cut the squash into cubes and simmer it in a saucepan of water for 15 minutes. 

 

Then mix the pumpkin, condensed milk, brown sugar, corn starch and seasonings in a blender until you have a puree.  Bake for 50 minutes and cool.  If you like whipped cream, feel free to gild the lily. 

 

About The Boston Marrow

Accoring to the folks at Slow Food, the Boston Marrow is probably ancient in origin and has a well documented history of at least 200 years:

"The squash originated in the upstate New York area and its legend as a Native American vegetable gifted to European-descended gardeners links it to traditional American history. The seeds were later passed on to Salem, Massachusetts in 1831, where the Boston (or “Autumnal”) Marrow Squash was then popularized by Mr. J. M. Ives." -Slow Food, Arc of Taste

Boston Marrow Squash generally grow in the range of 10-20 pounds.  I harvested 3 squash in this range and one 28 pound monster shown below.  I cut this squash into cubes and we used 8 pounds to make pumpkin soup for guests to Thanksgiving dinner.  I used a small amount to make pumpkin pies and I am looking forward to testing some other recipes made with this marvelous squash such as pumpkin ravioli and pumpkin bread.

Growing & Harvesting Information

• Plant Boston Marrow seeds in full sun at least 3-4 weeks after your last frost date. 
• The vines will grow to about 15 feet, so you do need to give this squash room to grow.  
• Water regularly.
• It takes 100-120 days till the squash matures.  You'll know the squash is ready for harvest when the skin is a deep orange and the stem has begun to turn brown.
• Store Boston Marrow in a cool place for 2 weeks to allow it to cure.
• Like other squash, Boston Marrow are susceptible to cucumber beetle, vine borers and powdery mildew.  

You can buy seeds for Boston Marrow at Baker Creek Seeds or Seed Savers Exchange.

Have a happy holiday from PlanterTomato.

New Tomatoes For 2011 Part III

In my two prior postings, I covered the new tomatoes offered this year by Johnny's Selected Seed & Baker Creek.  In this third and final posting on the topic, I'll point out some of the more interesting new tomatoes from Territorial Seed, Burpee, Seeds of Change and Tomato Growers Supply Company.  I also provide you with a complete list of new tomatoes from each of the catalogs covered in these three postings.

Here's what caught my eye in each of the aforementioned catalogs:

Cosmonaut Volkov (Territorial Seed) - This determinate heirloom tomato plant set 2-3 sized red fruit with a balanced sweet/tangy taste.  This heirloom from the Ukraine will produce tomatoes in 72 days.

Cherry Buzz (Territorial Seed) - This open pollinated cherry tomato produces the first fruit in just 55 days, making it a super early tomato.  And it continues to produce throughout the season.  If you are looking for a very early variety, this may be worth a try.  But Cherry Buzz isn't likely to be as good as other varieties that mature in +70 days, so I recommend growing it only in addition to other varieties in your garden.

Blush (Seeds of Change) - A hybrid 2" tomato that are reported to have a tropical flavor that may  remind you of pineapple.  This indeterminate variety produces in 75-80 days.    Not too bad when you consider the fact that it takes 2 years for a real pineapple to mature.

Brandywine Liam's (Tomato Growers Supply) - The Brandywine is one of my favorite tomatoes for taste but I have to say that I have found them to be a bit stingy as producers.  The Liam's Brandywine is reported to have higer production.  Definitely worth considering if you are a Brandywine fan.  This heirloom indeterminate tomato produces in 80 days.

Dagma's Perfection (Tomato Growers Supply) - A yellow/red bi-color tomato that has a slightly flattened shape to its 12 ounce fruits.  Dagma's perfection is reported to have a nuanced tropical flavor and matures in 72 days.

Mountain Magic (Burpee) - A hybrid tomato that produces small red fruits in 70-80 days.  This tomato's claim to fame is resistance to all three tomato nasties including early blight, late blight and cracking.  If you suffer from these challenges, then you might want to try this variety from Burpee.

Tumbling Tom Yellow (Burpee) - This is a determinate tomato with a very compact growth habit.  You can plant Tumbling Tom in a hanging basket or container since it only grows 6" wide.  If you grow tomatoes on an apartment terrace or in window boxes, this might be worth adding to your container garden.  This hybrid tomato produces fruit in 70-80 days.

Here is a complete list the new tomatoes offered by each of the catalog companies reviewed in these postings:

Burpee:

• Heritage Hybrid
• Orange Slice
• Pink Pounder
• Mountain Magic
• Tumbling Tom Yellow
• Sunny Boy
• Enchantment

Johnny's Selected Seeds

• Defiant
• Mountain Magic
• Five Star
• Granadero
• BHN-1021
• Massada
• BHN-968
• Montesino
• Sakura Honey
• Plum Regal

Seeds of Change

• Blush
• Cappriccio
• Coralina
• Borsalina

Territorial Seed Company

• Marbella
• Cosmonaut Volkov
• Valley Girl
• Cherry Buzz

Tomato Growers Supply

• Dagma's Perfection
• Sweet Treats FFT
• Brandywine Liam's
• Mountain Magic

Baker Creek Seeds

• Red Zebra
• Black Oxheart
• A Groppoli D'inverno
• Vorlon
  
• Black Early
• San Marzano Lungo #2
• Green Doctors
• Bonnys Best
• Japanese Plum
• Snow White
• Creme Brulee
• Hawaiian Pineapple
• Roman Candle
• North Dakota Earliana
• Rutgers Tomato
• Caspian Pink
• Blau Kazakhstan
• Fantome Du Laos
• Raspberry Lyanna
• Creme Sausage
• Csikos Botermo
• Bison
• Yellow Icicle
• Black Mammoth
• President Garfield
• Orange & Green Zebra
• Giraffe
• Copia
  
• Pearsons
• Basrawya
• Yazon
• Bali
• Black Elephant
• Ananas Noir
• Green Velvet
• Dr. Walters
• Black Giant
• Golova Negra
• Weissbehaarte
• Red House Freestanding
• Grandma Oliver's Green
• Tsar's Royal Gift
• Buckbee's New Fifty Day
• Grandfather Ashlock
• Chocolate Stripes
• Shah
• White Oxheart
• Poma Minoris Minora Lutea
• Costuluto Genevese
• Orange Icicle
• Amerikansky Sladsky
• Black Mauri
• Peppermint
  
• Rel Dos Tempores
• Belarusian Heart
• Hssiao Hiss Hung Shih
• Green Bell Pepper
• Black Icicle
• Cassidy's Folly
• Red Zebra
• White Zebra
  

New Tomatoes For 2011 - Part II

In my last posting, I let you know about some of the new tomatoes being offered by Baker Creek Seeds.  In this posting, I cover those sold by Johnny's Selected Seeds.

Johnny's offers a very large selection of tomatoes and excellent growing information.  For 2011, they are selling 10 new varieties in their catalog - all are hybrids and most are sold based on resistance to particular diseases.  Here are three that may be of interest to you.

Defiant - This is a red mid-season tomato that is a Johnny's exclusive.  It's claim to fame is resistance to late blight in particular and some resistance to early blight.  Defiant is a mid-sized determinate tomato that takes 70 days to mature.

Massada - This may be of interest to you if you grow your tomatoes in a greenhouse.  Massada is a medium sized red tomato that is broadly resistant to diseases.  This indeterminate variety was developed for use in greenhouses and tunnels and Johnny's claims it taste better than other greenhouse varieties.  72 days to maturity.

Five Star Grape - a fast maturing red grape tomato that Johnny's claims has a firm texture and excellent sweet flavor.  This determinate takes just 60 days to mature. Last year, I grew an early variety called Oregon Spring.  The variety produced a large quantity of tomatoes of undistinguished flavor.  I'm looking for an early variety to replace Oregon Spring in 2011 and may give Five Star Grape a shot.

Bloggers Choice Awards

If you are a fan of the PlanterTomato blog, please cast your vote for it in the Bloggers Choice Award -- "Best Hobby Blog" category. 

Voting only takes a second.  Sadly,  you will need to create an ID and password to vote, but the whole process should still just take a minute or two and your vote would be appreciated.

New Tomatoes For 2011- Part I

As we close the year, the new seed catalogs are rolling in.  In this and the next several postings, I'll cover the new tomato offerings for 2011.  In this first of the series, I'll cover the new tomato varieties offered by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Last year, I did an extensive review of the top seed catalogs in a series of posting entitled, "Seed Catalogs: Weapons of Mass Distraction."  Baker Creek was a top performer in the 2010 ratings and was the hands down winner for the largest selection of tomatoes and other vegetables as well.

This year the company is selling over 200 varieties of tomatoes and 72 of them are new.  I won't cover all 72 in this posting, but I will highlight five new varieties that caught my interest.  Some of these may make it into my garden in the Spring. 

Green Doctors - named after two Ph.D's (Amy Goldman & Carolyn Male) who have both published books on tomatoes, Green Doctors is a kiwi-green colored cherry tomato.  Green Doctors is a determinate variety that takes 85 days to mature.

Chocolate Stripes - An unusually colored and beautiful looking tomato that Baker Creek claims placed very high in their internal tastings.  Orange and green on the outside, this tomato is reddish brown on the inside.  An indeterminate variety that takes 80 days to mature.

Orange Icicle - A bright oranage tomato from the Ukraine.  Baker Creek raves about this paste tomato that is good for salsa, ketchup and also to eat fresh.  It is reported to have a sweet, rich flavor with citrus overtones.  Baker Creek is also selling Yellow, Pink and Black Icicle tomatoes, each of which is new this year.  Indeterminate and 75 days to maturity.

Weissbehaarte -  Last year I tried a variety of white cherry tomato called Snoberry.  It was my first time growing a white tomato  and it turned out to be my favorite new variety of 2010.  I liked snowberry so much, that when I saw this white tomato in Baker Creeks catalog, I decided to add it to my list of things to try in 2011.  Weissbehaarte is a rare German heirloom variety that produces 2 oz white tomatoes that are juicy and sweet.  Indeterminate 75 days to maturity. 

Black Elephant - A purple black tomato that's so darn ugly that I couldn't resist sharing it with you.  Baker Creek claims it has taste going for it.  I suppose it would need to have good flavor because its mishapped, cracked and, in general, a nasty looking tomato.  Black Elephant comes to us by way of Russia. (Chernobyl from the looks of it)  This tomato is not on my personal list, but if you decide to give it a try, let me know what you think.  Indeterminate and 80 days to maturity.

 

The Scourge of Scurvy: Belle Isle Upland Cress

Belle Isle Cress is not just for the starving and scurvy plagued.  Here's another cool loving salad green to consider for your winter garden.

Readers of this blog know that I like the peppery taste of watercress, so I was intrigued to learn about another salad green called Upland Cress that is reputed to have a similar flavor, but more delicate foliage.

There are a number of varieties of Upland Cress and the plant goes by many names including: Bank Cress, Belle Isle Cress, Herb of St. Barbara, Normandy Cress, Spring Cress, and Treacle Mustard.  Confusing, eh!

I purchased seeds for Belle Isle Cress from Wild Garden Seed.  According to their web site, the plant has been eaten since colonial times to ward off scurvy and was taken back to Europe by 17th century Portuguese sailors.  Apparently, these unfortunate sea lads became shipwrecked on Belle Isle after a harsh Nor'Easter and survived by eating the cress.

Sadly, Wild Garden Seeds does not mention where Belle Isle is located.  An internet search turns up a "Belle Isle" in several places, the most prominent of which is Belle Isle, Florida.  But none of these locations seems like the probable location of a Nor'Easter.    I presume a sailor marooned in Florida would have had more to eat than just cress, even if it meant dodging alligators and cotton mouth pit vipers.

How To Grow Belle Isle Cress

This cress grows well in moist soil in full sun but will tolerate partial shade as well.    Belle Isle cress likes cool weather so plant it in the Spring and harvest before hot weather sets in as warmer weather causes the plant to become quite bitter.  The cress takes 50 days to reach full maturity, but you can harvest the shoots earlier than that if you wish.

I live in Northern California where the temperatures rarely go below freezing so I'm able to plant this cress in the Fall and harvest in the Fall and Winter.  I currently have it growing hydroponically in my greenhouse and it's thriving.

Belle Isle Cress is high in both vitamin A and C.  So if you are a Portuguese Seadog you can grow it on deck in containers and fend off potential bouts of scurvy.  By the way, if you know where Belle Isle is located, please enlighten me.

 

How To Grow & Cook Salsify

"Salsify, what's salsify?"  I hear you saying.  Well it's easy to grow and tastes very different than other vegetables.  Learn more about this unusual vegetable in this post.

This spring, I decided to grow a root vegetable called Salsify.  Two things caught my attention...

• One, It can be left in the ground during the winter and dug up as needed, making it a good item for my Winter garden.
• Two, it was reported to taste like oysters.  Yes, you read correctly, oysters!  Since my wife, Sharon, and I both love Oysters, I knew we had to try this vegetable. 

This weekend I dug up two large Salsify roots and prepared them by sauteing them in butter.  Wow! I can see why this plant takes it's nickname, oyster plant, from those glorious bivalves that are served on the half-shell in fancy seafood restaurants. They really do taste like Oysters.  But, don't worry if you don't normally like oysters,  you might still like salsify because the taste is very mild.

Growing Salsify:

Salsify is a member of the sunflower family and takes 120-150 days to mature.  Just plant seeds 1/2 inch deep and 2 inches apart.  Salsify will germinate in 1-3 weeks depending on the temperature. As it grows, it looks like a kind of grass.  You can plant salsify in the spring and harvest in the Fall/Winter as I did, or you can plant in the Fall and harvest in the Spring.

I grew a variety of salsify called Mammoth Sandwich Island.  You can purchase seeds from Victory Seeds, Baker Creek and other sources.

Cooking:

To prep the vegetable for cooking, just peel the outer skin and drop into water that has been acidulated with lemon juice (This keeps the root form turning brown).  Like other root vegetables, Salsify can be oven roasted, used in stews or sauteed. 

We choose to make our first meal of salsify by slicing the salsify as thin as possible with a knife and then sauteing in butter over a medium heat.  It took about 10 minutes to cook the salsify when prepared this way and we did nothing more than add salt and pepper.

Sharon and I both were enthusiastic about our first experience with Salsify and plan to prepare it in other ways this Winter.  And we do plan to grow it again next year!

   

How To Keep Your Chickens Laying Eggs In Winter

If you keep chickens, you know that egg production declines in Winter.  Here's a tip on how to keep the girls laying eggs all Winter long.

Chickens need 16 hours of sunlight for good egg production.  During the Winter months, they lack this light and so egg production takes a nosedive. 

The remedy is to increase the amount of light your hens receive by placing a light in your coop and providing the additional "sunshine" that Mother Nature isn't.  Apparently, a 40 watt bulb running from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM is all you need.

Credit where credit is due...I learned this tip from the folks at Love Apple Farm of Santa Cruz California.  Thanks Guys!

Apple Genome Decoded

Earlier this year, an international team of scientist decoded the genome of the apple. It's big news for apple growers and apple lovers.  And while we're on the subject, presented here is the apple in popular culture.

The research is important because the apple is the most important fruit grown in temperate climates and because, until now, creating new varieties of apples was particularly difficult; unlike other fruits and vegetables where crossing two parents with advantageous traits (flavor, texture, disease resistance etc.) had a reasonably high success rate, apples have proven very difficult to cross with predictable results.  Unlocking their genetic code, opens the way toward more successful breeding programs.

Here are some of the key findings of the research:

• The apple has 17 chromosomes and 57,000 genes.  It is the most genetically complex plant known.
• Apples were domesticated 3,000-4,000 years ago.
• And the real news...unlocking the genetic code may help growers create new varieties of more nutritious, diesease resistent apples.

Below is a video news report on the topic:

 

The Apple In Popular Culture

New York is the "Big Apple."  According to About.com, the city got this nickname in the 1920's because there were a large number of horse racing tracks around the city that gave away large prizes.  One journalist, John Fitzgerald, began referring to these races as "around the big apple" and the rest is history.

The Beetles and Apple Records - founded by the Beetles in 1968, the Apple label produced Beetles albums till the group dissolved in 1974. The company is owned by the Beetles and their heirs to this day. 

Apple Inc.  -When Apple, Inc. the manufacturer of computers, cell phones and other nifty digital devices launched the iTunes store all hell broke loose.  Now Apple the device manufacturer and Apple records were both in the music business and this created a stink over trademark rights. Well both sides settled the issue recently, so you can now download Beetles songs to your iPod.

For Mom & Apple Pie - This expression supposedly is the stock answer given by soldiers when explaining why they were joining the war effort during World War II.  By this point, the apple had come to symbolize things that are typically American.

Adam & Eve -And then there was that little problem of the snake.  The tree of knowledge is generally depicted as an apple tree in Western art, but there is no consensus among scholars as to the actual type of  fruit tree mentioned in the bible.

 

A Designer Axe

Who buys a $350 designer axe? 

A few days ago, I got an email solicitation for a wood axe made by a company called Best Made.  The axe is sold in a beautiful wooden presentation box.  The kind of box one might expect to to be used for jewelry, perfume or some other luxury item. 

And this axe costs big coin; The "Pale Male" model will set you back $350.  That's probably five times more expensive than other brands of well made axes.

I did some searching on the web and found a blog posting by Graeme Cameron, one of the co-founders of Best Made, where he reveals something about his customers that's interesting.

"We just don’t believe that our product requires a heavy technical explanation for being as good as it is. It is far more than Steel and Hickory. Our customer base is generally not interested in grind angles on the bits or in hardness testing. They are interested in becoming part of a company that tells a story about a product, gains their trust by actually acknowledging them, offering a unique experience through the purchase and in the end delivers an outstanding quality axe. We are not interested in being technical here – we are interested in providing motivation to think about good citizenship. We are interested in sharing our “Inspiration” and watching how it builds a “Tribe” of people – people with a common thread…. and guess what… that thread is not the axe."

In other words, people who buy Best Made axes are not buying it as much for the axe itself, as for the statement it makes about them as owners of such a high quality and beautiful tool --it's a lifestyle purchase. 

You can see this same principle at work with the axe sling that is merchandised as a fashion statement and object of desire.

I wouldn't criticize anyone for buying a Best Made axe because it's expensive.  Let's face it, we all buy things for reasons that go far beyond their specific technical functions. 

For example, I own a Laguiole brand pocket knife made in France that I purchased for $150.  Like the Best Made Axe, this pocket knife is much more expensive than other good knives on the market.  But I really enjoy using it and carry it with me every time I go into the garden. 

I use my knife to harvest vegetables, cut cord, a do a variety of miscellaneous cutting tasks like opening packages, cutting down boxes etc etc.  It's a very versatile tool and one that almost anyone could use whether finely fashioned and pricey like my knife or more basic and cheap.

However, in my opinion, an axe is a horse of a different color.  Unlike a knife, the axe is a specialty item, and one that's likely to be dangerous in the hands of a novice.  Exactly the kind of people who are being targeted for the Best Made axe. The fact that Best Made also sells a first aid kit may be telling and a bit unsettling. 

Caveat Emptor.  For their sake, let's hope that owners of the Best Made axe keep it permanently in its presentation box.