It's been ages since I last posted a garden update, which is overdue now that it's summer and many of my tropicals and desert species are really going gangbusters. So without further ado...
Cucumis sativus 'Hmong Red'
This is my first cucumber crop ever and this whopper measures approximately 9" long at present -- it looks something like a loaf of bread. This variety of cucumber was brought over to the States by Hmong immigrants from northern Thailand. It will be ripe when it turns a rusty-orange color. Anybody have a good Asian cucumber recipes?
Benincasa hispida 'Winter Melon'
I'm also growing fuzzy melon, or winter melon. This one is much larger now and I'm just about ready to harvest the first one. I know that Chinese people make a sweet cake out of this, and a tasty soup, but anybody have any other good winter melon recipes?
Plumeria alba var White Frangipani
Of course one can't eat plumerias but they sure are pretty, aren't they? This marks the first time they've bloomed in my garden, and what a smell. The scent is particularly strong in evening.
Citrus x hystrix (kaffir lime)
My kaffir lime tree, now about 4 feet tall, is recovering well from last winter's big freeze and gaining lots of height. At this point I'm only selectively using leaves so that it has a good chance of becoming a strong, robust tree.
Capsicum annuum (Shishito/ しし唐)
This year I got my first shishito peppers -- so delicious lightly grilled in just a little oil. This plant is not producing a lot of peppers but I'm thankful for what I've gotten so far.
Passiflora edulis (passionfruit)
This passionfruit vine was started from seed about two years ago. It's been thriving in a pot, but this year I planted it against a sunny wall (in the ground) and it's really gone crazy. No flowers or passionfruits yet but... looking every day...
Psidium - Pink Guava
The guava tree which got frozen last year has come back even more vibrantly than before. It's got baby guavas all over now -- hopefully they will not victimized by the insects which burrow into them as in previous years... this year I've tried spraying them as a preventive measure.
Capsicum - Greek Florines
Finally, a new crop of peppers: Greek florines. These are the large, red type which are grilled and preserved in olive oil for use on sandwiches and as appetizers. They're just now starting to blossom... fingers crossed for luck. I would be happy with just one Greek pepper this season!
Comments
my fav way to eat winter melon:
http://jugalbandi.info/2007/05/o-is-for-olan/
Posted by: bee | June 3, 2007 02:50 PM
Oh, drool, great tip Bee, thanks!
Posted by: Evil Jonny | June 3, 2007 02:57 PM
Wow! What a spread! Can you make kimchi from cucumber?
You have a guava in your yard? This is just amazing! And thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Gini | June 3, 2007 02:57 PM
Hi Gini: I could definitely make an instant kimchi from the cucumber but since it's my first Hmong cucumber, I'm hoping I can find a Hmong or regional recipe. Hopefully one will show up soon because it's just about ready to harvest -- as of today it's turned completely yellow so I'm sure I'll be picking it only a few days... Oh, regarding the guava... yes it's an unusual tree for the California desert but strangely enough it absolutely flourishes here. The only problem is keeping the insects away from the fruit!
Posted by: Evil Jonny | June 3, 2007 03:03 PM
Hey Jonny ! Your first cucumber doesn't look really yummi like that, but I'm sure that you'll find a great way to transform it into something tasty (and orange)..! Thanks you for sharing the recipe, even if I'm not sure to find such a vegetable in Atlanta. And don't hesitate to visit my weblog to improve your french (even if the best way to learn is TALKING) ! :)
Posted by: lapinblanc | June 3, 2007 03:34 PM
Hey Lapin: despite your cruel crack at my cucumber (which I am so very proud of), I thank you for placing enough trust in me to transform it into something unique! Let's see what happens -- stay tuned.
Posted by: Evil Jonny | June 3, 2007 04:11 PM
Beautiful pictures to share. Tks. Viji
Posted by: viji | June 4, 2007 05:33 AM
What gorgeous garden pictures! I can't wait to see the ripened picture of that cucumber -- take a picture with something for some size reference so we can see just how big it really is!
Your shishitos look just like mine did! My seeds didn't want to take off this year so I didn't end up with any at all. I've just got to find a way to get the plant going and then bring it inside over the winter or something so I can have shishitos with you in the summertimes!
Everything's looking absolutely amazing. My garden seems so puny this year. :(
Posted by: Rose | June 5, 2007 05:04 AM
Viji: thank you, this year the garden has been particularly successful. Thanks for checking it out.
Rose: I will definitely take a post-picking pic. It's huge! I think shishitos are very finnicky but every year they're getting a little stronger. What did you grow this year?
Posted by: Evil Jonny | June 5, 2007 05:56 PM
bin voila moi qui comptait sur le lapin pour perfectionner mon anglais...encore des amateurs de concombre!!j'ai rien lu mais j'y reviendrai et je ferai meme l'effort d'écrire en presque vrai français (faut pas trop m'en demander quand meme)
au (coup de fil,donc j'ai perdu le fil!)fait c'est je jonny suisse ici? ;-)
Posted by: nigloo | June 5, 2007 10:54 PM
I love winter melon soup. For me, there is no other reason to stray from winter melon soup because I love it so much! But I have a question, it is about to officially be summer in a week, and you are harvesting winter melon? LOL! Get it? Winter melon in Summer? ha ha? I am impressed that you are growning such fruits.
Posted by: Lannae | June 13, 2007 08:14 PM
I love winter melon soup. For me, there is no other reason to stray from winter melon soup because I love it so much! But I have a question, it is about to officially be summer in a week, and you are harvesting winter melon? LOL! Get it? Winter melon in Summer? ha ha? I am impressed that you are growning such fruits.
Posted by: Lannae | June 13, 2007 08:16 PM