All posts filed under: Tomatoes

Baleful Bounty – A whole lotta somethin’ going on…

Published by platefodder

Whether it’s been the ungodly heat, the unpredictable rainy spells, bugs, fungi, bugs, vermin in the bales or bugs… I know – I said that 3 times.. But, I’m really trying to grow organically – and the bugs are carrying  the garden away… Passive insecticides and things made out of marigolds just isn’t doing the job. Anyway –  I’ve lost 2 tomato plants. I should restate that… I lost two tomato plants AFTER they were full of green tomatoes. Which meant I had to harvest a 1/2 bushel of green tomatoes. In the narrow scheme of things, it doesn’t exactly sound like such a bad thing… except this week they all started to ripen – concurrently. On top of that, the 2 remaining healthy plants are also kicking out the red globes eight to the bar. I’m awash in maters… and unfortunately… okra… This is 1/2 (half) of the okra I got from the Okra Man I’ve told you guys about the Okra Man before. Out on a drive with Jane today, we headed towards Ellijay …

The Picnic

Published by platefodder

Even in the mountains, there’s no escaping the heat. Nights have barely broken 78 degrees and the daytime temps here at Turtle Creek are a consistent, sweltering, egg frying on the pavement – 98 degrees. It’s almost enough to make a person lose their religion. But this morning, we woke to an amazing thing, 68 degrees… in August! the air was down right cool and breezy. It felt like a day to to relax and… do…  absolutely… nothing. I just wanted to get out, drive and bask in the near spring weather. I decided to get myself and mom out of our convalescing rut, go on a picnic and enjoy the brief repast from the insufferable heat. Actually, I just roasted a fresh hen yesterday, and cooked up a passel of homeless vegetables that showed up on our doorstep. (Neighbors and friends have begun the Cob and Run Marathon – leaving their excess garden produce on your porch when you aren’t home)… So the picnic wasn’t a huge undertaking to get things ready. So I …

Week at the Beach – Something fishy going on…

Published by platefodder

You can have your flat flounders, your haddock, your  fancy smancy sea bass… it’s just fish to me. Nothing.. and I mean nothing beats Red Snapper. The texture of the skin… the near-steak quality of the flesh… the way that slightly fatty skin crisps up like char-broiled fishy chips when its grilled… The perfectly pristine bits of  white nirvana when you flake the the meat with your fork… that salty virgin sea aroma of the snapper itself…  flounder can’t do that…. When we were kids, my dad used to occasionally go on deep sea fishing trips in Florida. When he’d come home, there would be a cooler Filled with those beautiful, bright clear-eyed, crimson kissed fish. I used to wonder why he never took us fishing with him… until I was much older and priced my own fishing trip…. Sheesh! I would  have to hock my car… and my TV…. and all my pots and pans… and the neighbor’s dog… I’m happy to pay the $9.00 a pound at the Asian Market. Red Snapper is …