The Farm..Cooking, Gardening & Much More

[barefootgardener]

Nero Di Toscana ..With five plants, I have an abundance of leaves.. I chopped some into small pieces and put in freezer bags to throw into soups, stews or smoothies during the winter. My chickens and turkeys love the leaves also, so I make sure to grow plenty for all of us!

Ginny

[barefootgardener]

The lemon grass and sage are doing splendid. I have a few lemon grass plants growing in pot's, and will move them inside when the weather turns colder. I like to use lemon grass leaves in my herbal teas, chicken soup and stir fry's.. To use just peel away the tough outer leave layers and trim the bottom base of the pale lower section. Bruise the flat side of the stem to release the flavors..You can use the dried stalks to flavor many dishes and to use inside the cavity of chicken when roasting or fish when steaming, baking or grilling.

Ginny

[barefootgardener]

Black Futsu Winter Squash.. I love the deep green color of the ribbed squash. It turns darker as it matures. This is my first year growing this variety, and so far the vines are long, producing very well and are healthy.

Ginny

[barefootgardener]

Tetsukabuto Winter Squash. Called the Japanese pumpkin. This variety is a cross between C. maxima x and C moschata. The description of it is a deep yellow flesh that is sweet, nutty, smooth and creamy, like custard. This is also my first year growing this winter squash. The vines and leaves are huge, and stretch up to 15 feet in my garden. So far it produced only two plants per vine in one hill, and no fruit on two other vines on a separate hill. It requires a pollinator.

Ginny

[barefootgardener]

The vines and leaves of Tetsukabuto winter squash..

[barefootgardener]

The Black Futsu vines and squash..

Ginny

[efisakov]

Ginny, I needed to go to the store and could not stop reading your thread. Now I will be driving through the traffic.

Everything looks great. Beautiful pictures. I will need that zucchini bread recipe.

Puffs are my faves. I stuff them with condensed sweetened milk (previously boiled for 3 hours in can) and put a slice of strawberry into an opening cut making it look like a tongue sticking out.

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Ginny, I needed to go to the store and could not stop reading your thread. Now I will be driving through the traffic.

Everything looks great. Beautiful pictures. I will need that zucchini bread recipe.

Puffs are my faves. I stuff them with condensed sweetened milk (previously boiled for 3 hours in can) and put a slice of strawberry into an opening cut making it look like a tongue sticking out.

Well Ella, I hope you do not, or did not, get stuck in traffic!! It was hard to stop posting pictures.. I was on a roll!! My allotted internet speed only last's so long and then it crawls at a slow pace to where I cannot load or post pictures, so I have a very small timeframe to do it all in..

So you usually end up with Dulce De Leche after boiling down sweetened condensed milk. I might have to fill try filling some of the cream puffs with some next time. I love caramel.. Mmm.. Thank you for putting the idea in my head Ella.. And the sliced strawberry for a tongue, lol.. I think my grandson would love that!! Now I have to make some more cream puffs soon!!

I will get you that zucchini bread recipe! I substitute 1/2 oat flour for white flour in that recipe also..

Ginny

[efisakov]

Thank you, Ginny. I bet that bread is very tasty.
We make pancakes with zucchini. Both my DH and our son love them.

[Old chef]

Originally Posted by barefootgardener

Nero Di Toscana ..With five plants, I have an abundance of leaves.. I chopped some into small pieces and put in freezer bags to throw into soups, stews or smoothies during the winter. My chickens and turkeys love the leaves also, so I make sure to grow plenty for all of us!

Ginny

May I make a suggestion
Cut the black kale thin and use a Parmesan cheese dressing similar to Caesar to a great healthy salad. I pout in julienne apples and top with toasted pistachio

Old chef

C

[greenthumbomaha]

What a wonderful talent you have Ginny. Actually many talents. A thunderstorm woke me up at 3am and I clicked on this thread and spent two hours reading it and oogiling over all the freshness and crispness of your garden. Such a beautiful area you live in. Made me hungry and going to fix breakfast now and hopefully go back and get some sleep. Egg beaters whites only here I come.

Thank you so much for sharing your passion for everything veggie. Also thanks for the Kale tip Old chef.

- Lisa

- Lisa

[nancyruhl]

So beautiful.

[nancyruhl]

Originally Posted by barefootgardener

Tetsukabuto Winter Squash. Called the Japanese pumpkin. This variety is a cross between C. maxima x and C moschata. The description of it is a deep yellow flesh that is sweet, nutty, smooth and creamy, like custard. This is also my first year growing this winter squash. The vines and leaves are huge, and stretch up to 15 feet in my garden. So far it produced only two plants per vine in one hill, and no fruit on two other vines on a separate hill. It requires a pollinator.

Ginny

I am also growing this squash this year at the community garden plot. It is doing very well there, and has many squash on the long vines. I am really looking forward to trying them in the fall.

[barefootgardener]

For Ella, or anyone else that would like my zucchini bread recipe,
I am a measure by memory kind of person, and just throw things in as I go, so , here you go:

Ginny's Zucchini Bread:
Makes 2 loaves

Bake @ 325 (depends on your oven) preheat

Grease and flour your loaf pans

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of flour + 1/3 cup (white)
1 1/2 cups oat flour
3/4 to 1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh baking soda
1 tsp. fresh baking powder
3 tsps. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground cloves (optional)

Mix above ingredients in bowl.

In separate bowl: Mix
3 eggs + 1 egg yolk, whisk together
1/4 cup real melted butter
1 cup walnut oil (or 1 cup vegetable oil)
To this add:
2 cups brown sugar
3 tsp. Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste (you can sub 3 tsp. pure vanilla)
4 cups grated zucchini (small to medium size is best) DO NOT DRAIN
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and pour in prepared pans. Bake @ 325 for 45 to 65 minutes, depending on temp of your oven. Check/test for doneness with a long toothpick or skewer..Insert at top... You want to have some moist particles of the bread sticking to the toothpick, but you don't want dough.

Cool in pans for 20 minutes Then flip out on cooling rack to finish cooling..

Notes: The butter and extra egg yolk give the zucchini bread extra richness and flavor. The Madagascar vanilla bean paste also gives it a nice vanilla boost, although it is optional and you can use real vanilla or extra imitation. What ever suits you and what you have in your cupboard.

IMPORTANT: Please do not drain the grated zucchini. The liquid helps to keep the bread very moist.. Trust me..

How I make oat flour: I take 1 to 2 cups of old fashioned oats and blend in my high speed ninja or blender until it turns into oat flour. Easy peasy and simple.


Optional Crumb Topping:
1 cup oats, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Mix and sprinkle on top of zucchini bread before baking. I press down slightly..

Enjoy!!

Ginny

[barefootgardener]

Thank you for the lovely comments everyone..

Nancy, is this the first time you are growing the Tetsuka Squash? It sounds like a good one and I am glad you have lot's of them on your vines! Keep me posted on how you like it after you harvest!
Greenthumb, I hope you were able to go back to sleep after the storm.. I am glad you enjoyed the pictures and reading..

Ella, zucchini pancakes sound wonderful! Recipe please!!
Old Chef, Thank you for the suggestion. The parmesan dressing sounds lovely. I will have to give it a try!! I love to use young kale leaves in salad..

Thank you Worth.. I have to head on over to your thread and see what you got cooking now!!

Ginny