My "salad plate" Dahlia

If you don't believe me, look at this picture of my neighbor's daughter and my dahlia. She literally looks like the little girl in the ads for Dinnerplate Dahlias.







It was over 6" across in diameter.

Coming Up Next...

Basil Basil and more Basil...
How to Make Pesto



Go to my Flickr to see all the photos from this week.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13075071@N02/sets/72157606110594902

What came first? The egg or the plant?

My husband laughs because this round, white eggplant really does look like an egg. I wonder if it will taste the same as the others.

Here are the little fingerling eggplants. These are great sauteed in a pan.



This was the fingerling eggplant from last week. It was far longer than a finger, so I cut it off to promote the growth of the others.



We grilled it with some chicken (no pun intended!) and marinated them in balsamic vinegar and garlic.

What? I can't hEAR you!

Who doesn't love sweet corn in the summer? The corn is my newest addition, so each day I look forward to their progress. Once they have set in, they are easy to grow and require no maintenance.

They are taller than me now and I'm 5'1/4" tall.



July 3rd - Suddenly these hairy top thingys popped out. Slowly, I began to see the shape of the corn swell a bit.



July 6th - We came back from the beach and now you begin to see the ear forming and sticking out. Kinda like when a pregnant chick goes from 4 months to 5 months.



July 7th - The tops were changing color and the ear began to develop further.



July 10th - Now we're just waiting for them to get nice and juicy. They should be ready to eat soon.



[click to enlarge photos]

A Busy Week

Lots happened in the garden this week. The rain and heat over the July 4th weekend really moved things along.

Cucumbers: From last week until now, we have had a total of 20 cucumbers! Each day I take some to work. I gave some away to neighbors. I've pickled some. They are awesome!





Of the 5 cucumber plants that I planted, only 3 came up and 1 of them is the one you see here. My neighbors have told me that the squirrels have gotten at theirs and didn't leave any survivors. Vines are usually easy to grow, but cucumbers require lots of water and heat, so in that sense they are finicky. Also, it seems the english cucumbers are better producers than the lemon or regular cucumbers.

Mom's Cucumber Salad

My mom makes this all the time. It's super easy. If you like a really strong flavor, let it sit overnight in the fridge. It can last up to a week. I prefer English cucumbers over regular ones because of the skin and texture of the cucumber.

Ingredients:

• cucumbers sliced 1/2"
• soy sauce
• minced garlic
• sesame oil
• vinegar
• chili peppers (or crushed flakes)

English Cucumbers

As I was watering today, I found these little guys. There are several of them about 8" long.





Here are a bunch of soon-to-be cucumbers. I can't wait!



I picked some for dinner and lunch tomorrow.



I'm going to try these recipes from Korean Cuisine. If there are more cucumbers than we can eat, I will start pickling them. The english cucumbers really keep their moisture when sliced, which is great for taking to work for lunch.