.: evil jungle prince :.

When I planted Korean pepper seeds in my garden some two years ago, I never guessed they'd be my most successful crop. They produce peppers throughout the year in bountiful quantities -- seen here is a single day's pickings. Being a lover of heat, these peppers find their way into just about everything, from Indian cooking to instant kimchi. And though the red ones aren't quite as tasty as the green, they make for a bold garnish with their vibrant, firey hue.

Seeing this photo, I can't help but think of Ito Jukuchu's Vegetable Nirvana, in which Jakuchu humorously and fantastically portrays throngs of grieving vegetables and fruits gathering around the Buddha for his final departure from this world. My version instead replaces Jakuchu's Sakyamuni-daikon with a flaming-red Korean gochu, seemingly confirming that Buddha nature (Bussho) is present even in the fruits of my simple garden.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Done growing, time to eat! My Hmong cucumber was clipped from the vine this evening when I noticed it was probably about as orange as it was going to get. Isn't the color outstanding? It was a little difficult deciding it was "time" but then I felt so full of anticipation about what it might taste like...

Although I couldn't find a single Hmong cucumber recipe online, I nice person emailed me back and suggested two recipes for Hmong cucumber: sliced as a fresh salad and sprinkled with a bit of fish sauce, and as a refreshing summer drink in which the seeds are scooped out and mixed with sugar and water. I have to try the latter but the former was quite delish. Following are some additional pictures for your enjoyment.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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!

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

This is my favorite season as everything is rapidly changing. From day to day, there is always something new to discover in my tiny garden.

This summer, I got my first crop of shishito peppers, which is a mild Japanese chili pepper. There are only a few of them but I'm still thrilled. With luck I'll be able to grow this plant as large as my jalapeno pepper plant and enjoy eating grilled shishitos topped with bonito flakes, as they are served at my local Japanese restaurant.

For the last few weeks, my guava tree has been producing a profusion of blossoms. This month, they are beginning to change into little fruits. It will be interesting to see how many fully mature. This is the tree's first full year in the ground and it has more than doubled in size. Last year, the tree had only been in the ground briefly when it produced only one fully mature guava. This time I think my chances for a bountiful crop are looking pretty good.

I purchased my dwarf key lime tree about three years ago. During the first year, while potted, it produced a copious amount of fruits for such a small tree. After being planted in the second year, it added a lot of growth but did not produce a single fruit! This year it is growing rapidly and produced a limited number of fruits, perhaps around ten or so. So far, this is a very unpredictable tree.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I planted a new pomegranate (Punica granatum) near my air conditioner to try and hide it from view, plus I have been keen on the idea of growing pomegranates as they are supposed to do so well in the desert. (They originate from Persia, so this seems natural.) After planting about six weeks ago, the plant has already doubled in size.

I dug up my lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and divided the rhizomes into three pieces. After replanting, it looks like I'm going to have a banner crop this year based on how quickly they are regenerating. I originally began my crop from just one lemongrass stalk purchased from the grocery store which had a little bit of root left on it...

My potted lychee tree (Litchi chinensis) is starting to develop some new leaves for the first time, after about a year of doing nothing. These aren't reputed to do especially well in California, so we'll see what happens.

I planted some goji berries (Chinese wolfberry/Lycium chinense) once the weather warmed and they are already sprouting.

My potted avocado tree (Persea americana) is producing fruit... amazing! Luckily the neighbors have two mature trees so the bees were apparently able to pollinate the tree successfully. Let's see if the birds stay away and allow these to mature.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 07:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I'm always yearning for the taste of Thai basil -- partially because I'm addicted to its basil-licorice-mint flavor combination, so unlike all other basils, and partially because it's impossible to buy locally and represents a rare culinary treat when I can get my paws on it.

This year I finally had some luck growing my own and here is the first batch!

It wasn't easy. Here in the desert, Most of my herbs will only grow in the winter -- it's during this season they will be cool at night and obtain spring-like weather (compared to the rest of the world) during the day. Most herbs thrive in this type of environment. Thai basil, on the other hand, will sprout but refuse to do anything but sit there, obstinately opposed to maturing fully. So cruel for the person who craves Thai basil and can't have it.

But this year we have had summer-like weather come on early in the year and my Thai basil has suddenly decided to come to life. Even in the full of heat of day, this herb thrives. Who wants some Thai food?

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 06:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Before I made my way to San Francisco last week, I stopped over in Sacramento to visit my mother and help spiffy up her garden. Now that she's getting older, taking the proverbial machete to the vines which quickly dominate the other garden plants has become more and more of a challenge. Not too many years ago, I used to dread such chores. Fortunately, however, at this stage in my life I love gardening. How things change.

As I worked my way through the garden this time, I began noticing my mother's penchant for the color purple. From purple passion flowers to purple tulips, her garden is ruled by this majestic hue. Armed with my new camera, I began snapping photos.

Mom's blood orange tree produced only one orange this year due to the excessive rains in Northern California this past month. I find these fruits so beguiling because they are full of surprises. On the outside is a normal orange. But cutting into the flesh, the orange immediately bleeds a purple-red juice. So unexpected. We purchased this tree about two years ago and I plan on adopting it once mom retires, unless of course she pulls rank and takes it for herself.

I'm always amazed by how green Northern California is when I fly up there. Looking around, it's the first thing that hits me. So unlike the desert, the plants thrive everywhere whether cultivated or otherwise. It even smells green. These flowers are no exception; despite being totally waterlogged by a month of rain, they still managed to eek out an existence.

Well I am back in the desert now. To my amazement, all of my garden plans look about twice the size they were when I left -- pictures soon!

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 06:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

It has been deliciously warm today, with mid-afternoon temperatures in the mid-80s and no wind at all. For the first time this year, I opened all the doors of the house, welcoming in not only the fresh air but the sounds of singing birds, all seemingly as happy as I am about the warm temperatures.

My garden is likewise coming alive now. While the herbs were the first to really spring to life, they are now being following by the cacti, agaves, and chili pepper plants.

Last year my Korean gochu chili pepper plant (고추) fruited for the first time. It produced about 20 gochus, long and crispy. Taste-wise they are a rough equivalent of shishito peppers, with barely any heat noticeable to the tongue. I made kimchi with those that were harvested. I was curious though to see how long it would take the remaining peppers to turn that incredible lipstick-red color, so I left a few on the vine. To my surprise, it took three months of winter for them to achieve this.

The hue of this red just gives me goosebumps. Glad I have the camera to capture it!

Today I noticed that the plant is also producing its first new crop of gochus. Can't wait to try some new ways of preparing them, besides kimchi. Perhaps lightly grilled with some bonito flakes on top?

My aloe vera plant is also breaking out in color. A few days ago it shot out this long, flowering shoot. It's no wonder there are so many hummingbirds around, as they absolutely love when the agaves begin to flower -- the buds are ready-made them. (By the way, the broad leaves in the background belong my new avocado tree. It is also flowering so I'm crossing my fingers for at least an avocado or two this summer.)

My aloe plant actually came with the house when I bought it, so to speak. Though very little of the former owner's flora/landscaping exists now, this plant was found growing from beneath a wall that separates my house from the neighbor's property. It was oddly healthy for where I found it, so I placed it into a container where it has been growing happily for the past four years.

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Now that it is finally starting to warm up a little here in the desert, my herbs are showing their appreciation by maturing vigorously. Although I planted a number of them this year, these two are the first to offer themselves sacrificially to my cooking altar. They are obviously the bravest of all the seeds I sowed.

Kkaennip ( 깻잎 or 들깨] ) remains my favorite herb -- yet another secret that the Koreans having been hiding from us Yanks for far too long. Its taste is similar to basil but more minty, and yet the overall taste is quite subdued. These are delicious chopped fresh on naengmyun and I can't wait to prepare my first dish of the year. (Last year I also made kimchi pizza using kkaennip in place of basil and felt it turned out smashingly.) As there seems to be some question whether or not kkaennip is the same herb as shiso (perilla), I'm going to refer to this herb by its Korean name from now on.

While I was visiting my mother this year and roaming around her favorite nursery, my eyes stumbled on a packet of mitsuba ( 三葉通草 ) seeds (Japanese trefoil). I planted them for the sake of experimentation and have been impressed how vigorously they are growing in our desert winter climate. I still don't have much idea of how I can culinarily utilize them outside of miso soup, but I'm looking forward to trying this herb out.

Anyone have any experience with or in advice on the use of mitsuba?

Posted by Evil Jungle Prince at 03:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)