A Seed Saver's Garden

[heirloomgal]

we often have apple cider vinegar on hand for cooking and canning recipes, it has a lot of flavor, and then we also have distilled vinegar that Mom uses a lot for washing stuff because she can't stand the smells of many laundry detergents or softeners. i do like rice vinegar in dishes from our favorite chinese restaurant but i've not cooked with it in a long time now.

I used ACV a lot in the past, mostly integrating it into dressings for the health impact, but it's one of the few things that DH actually says 'I don't like that' about, and he is not a picky eater whatsoever. So I've had to rule it out of the dressings. I always considered ACV vinegar more a medicine really; vinegars are so diverse. I experimented a lot with balsamic's too, but settled on rice vinegar because I consider it the mildest and least aggressive in potency.

 

[heirloomgal]

Now, use some of that same salad dressing cleverness for marinades, HeirloomGal.

It's 5:30AM and 56⁰f (13⁰C).

With our local environment's cool nights, I have wondered why we don't have tragically short seasons. Our growing season is shorter than Denver's, the WS says, but not usually something that makes me feel cheated. It's happened but not yearly, anyway .

The answer is likely the same as why the nights are so cool: clear skies. Contributing is the somewhat thinner atmosphere at this altitude along with low humidity. Nighttime — heat escapes. Daytime — sunlight is intense at ground level and heat builds. So, this afternoon is expected to be 90⁰f (32⁰C).

Yes. Most plants struggle but the season moves along. If daytime has clear sky and only reaches comfortable room temperature, there is a risk of frost. So, outdoors, we are jerked (jerky?) from chilly to broiled. DW wears a Huge Hat. Instead of my truckers hats, I probably should too.

Steve

How do beans do for you? That seems to be one of the species especially intolerant of relentless cool nights/temperatures in general?

 

[digitS']

How do beans do for you?

No real problem with green beans. Soybeans would be one exception. @Zeedman sent me about 5-6 varieties once. There was only a crop from 3 and 2 were so unproductive that I was pleased to come up with ONE. Then, I changed gardens with a new garden several miles from the first and much more exposed. And even that one fell into the unproductive performer category. I grew lima beans once and there was almost nothing off the vines. Adzuki was about the most abysmal failure. Although pods formed, the seeds were shriveled up nothings.

Fava beans might have worked for me but after watching them burn up in the sudden change in temperatures in June, I gave up on them.

NONE of the above are grown on farms here. This is, however, dry pea, lentil and chick pea country – along with the fields of alfalfa, lots of wheat, some canola and a few acres of sunflowers.

Steve

 

[Dahlia]

Back to cold nights again. That heat crashed. Going to 10C/52F tonight and not getting much warmer than that for night time lows in the next week. Bummer. If I learned anything this summer, it's how important warm nights are to heat loving vegetables. What can you do but hope.

That said, my tomatoes are tasting awful good on sandwiches these days, and the bowls of fresh salads are so darn scrumptious. I make salads with protein added so they're like a meal. There are a few icebergs left, and then that's it. Such a great lettuce type, all the 'not iceberg' varieties bolted awhile ago. Those head lettuces can really hang on, even in high heat and dryness. I've developed a few go-to diy dressings this summer after all the lettuce we're picking. I can't just do oil and lemon, or oil and vinegar. Not quite enough taste to me.

For anyone interested.

#1 -
Dark olive oil, rice vinegar (I like a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio, no other vinegar will do), 2 cloves of garlic grated on a rasp (important for flavor! chopped won't do) a little splash of maple syrup, salt - sometimes I add fresh basil, but then the taste is all about the basil

#2 -
Big handful of raw almonds, lots of olive oil, huge handful of cilantro, some parsley, a squeezed orange, some fresh squeezed lemon juice (not near as much as the orange juice though), splash of maple syrup, salt (DH's fave dressing)

#3 -
1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup mayo, huge handful fresh dill, a clove of garlic grated on a rasp, salt, makes a great homemade ranch

#4
peanut butter, garlic grated on a rasp, soya sauce, a splash of rice vinegar, a big splash of maple syrup, powdered ginger, salt and water to get it to the right consistency - sesame tahini is just as good if not better than the peanut butter version

I like to make all these in a little Ninja, because I like emulsified dressings. I don't like having to reshake the dressings every time I want to add it to my salad

And because I'm talking salads, and am in a foodie mindset right now, lol, here's what I've been adding to the iceberg salads which have been deelish - - -

Walnut halves toasted in the oven for 10 minutes, cooled and coarsely chopped (probably the best addition of all these)
Raw pumpkin seeds
Toasted sesame seeds
Hemp seeds
X-tra Firm Tofu marinated, cut in tiny cubes and baked in tamari sauce, cooled
Feta crumbled
Arugula
Bocconcini

My last salad thought to share is of a great house salad a local cafe used to offer. A friend worked there and forced this salad on me once, which I thought sounded awful, but since they brought it to me anyway I obliged eating it out of courtesy. It was amazing, and my friend was right that I would like it if only i gave it a try. The main ingredients were romaine & baby spinach, covered in sliced strawberries, which were covered in gently toasted sliced almonds, which were topped with crumbled feta and served with a Poppyseed Onion vinaigrette. One of the best salads I ever had. Looked like - - -
View attachment 67554

Sorry, bit of a salad rant. What can I say, I'm a salad freak.

I made your ranch dressing recipe #3 tonight and put it on my salad alongside some marinated grilled chicken breast. It was fabulous! I liked it more than my current homemade ranch dressing recipe! Thank you for sharing!

 

[flowerbug]

...settled on rice vinegar because I consider it the mildest and least aggressive in potency.

all makes sense to me. Mom doesn't like a strong vinegar flavor either so she doesn't use much of it any more for cooking but i douse my portions with some of it if there isn't enough. which is funny because i really don't like the hot sauces with a lot of vinegar flavor in them but i do like certain dishes with more rather than less. German potato salad isn't quite right without enough in it.

 

[digitS']

ACV ... one of the few things that DH actually says 'I don't like that' about, ... I experimented a lot with balsamic's too, but settled on rice vinegar because I consider it the mildest and least aggressive in potency.

There is some variety in ACV. Balsamic? No!! I don't understand what people like about it. There is likely variety in wine vinegars with some exploring. Rice, I agree, mild, I bet that is because we don't live in Asia .

Variety in savory sauces, also. It's why I like marinades. I grew up with beef, beef, and more beef. Did I mention beef?

Limiting it well but I'm still inclined that way . Okay 3 different vinegars, 3 different sauces, 3 different oils ... the math and possible combinations boggles my mind. Sprinkle some dry herbs ...

Steve

 

[Dahlia]

all makes sense to me. Mom doesn't like a strong vinegar flavor either so she doesn't use much of it any more for cooking but i douse my portions with some of it if there isn't enough. which is funny because i really don't like the hot sauces with a lot of vinegar flavor in them but i do like certain dishes with more rather than less. German potato salad isn't quite right without enough in it.

Greek Chicken Salad needs plenty of vinegar too!

 

[Pulsegleaner]

There is some variety in ACV. Balsamic? No!! I don't understand what people like about it. There is likely variety in wine vinegars with some exploring. Rice, I agree, mild, I bet that is because we don't live in Asia .

Variety in savory sauces, also. It's why I like marinades. I grew up with beef, beef, and more beef. Did I mention beef?

Limiting it well but I'm still inclined that way . Okay 3 different vinegars, 3 different sauces, 3 different oils ... the math and possible combinations boggles my mind. Sprinkle some dry herbs ...

Steve

My families "base" red vinegar is the one from American Vinegar works. NO ONE in the house likes balsamic, and I'm actually ALLERGIC to it (gives me INCREDIBLE gas diarrhea and cramps*.

They make a rice vinegar as well, though my mom prefers another brand to theirs (one of the store ones, don't remember which)

I also remember being very happy with cane vinegar (vinegar made by fermenting sugarcane juice, it's used in a lot of South East Asian cooking,) but there, it makes a bigger difference both where it comes from and how it's prepared (same as wine vinegar will vary based on the wine they use). Steens (from Louisiana, one of the easier ones to get) uses what is basically un-boiled down molasses (i.e, allow to ferment a bit and go brown) and it a little heavy. Some of the Asian ones can be really harsh. The best I found was from somewhere in Martinique but that was back when I was a child and I only found it once.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Okay, need a little help here.

This is my mystery mallow. Its' either a green roselle or a Kenaf plant. Going by the leaves, can anyone give me a clue which. It might make a difference in whether I bring it in in the fall.

In other news, managed to get some picks and fruits from the Kisco Spitter Apple tree (yes, this is as big as the fruit gets.

 

[ducks4you]

@heirloomgal , you must've "...put your gucci on", bc I had to go look at your recipes!!
DD, the "Chef" gave us the challenge to find MORE hamburger or alternate hamburger recipes, so I suggested teriyaki chicken salad, like I order at the Philo Tavern.
The problem is that plain old ranch is the only real dressing option. It's so...PLAIN...like tofu.
I am anxious to try your homemade ranch!!
Thanks for sharing!!!