Summer Feast in the Garden - July

This post "Summer Feast in the Garden - July" was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in the blog Tyra's Garden

Summer feast in the garden.

 When we now have reached the second part of July we have a lot of birthdays to celebrate in my family. I have my brother, my brother’s son, my sister and my youngest daughter so celebrate all within 3 days!  These pictures are from my daughter Missy M’s birthday.

This week in July is called "Fruntimmersveckan" in Swedish, translated to English it would be something like "Ladies' Week". It is called that because these six ladies has got their Name Day now during this week. Sara, Margareta, Johanna, Magdalena, Emma and Kristina 

Tyra in the garden - Photo: Johan Gadnert

The potager is now filled with vegetables just about ready and ripe. I think it is going to be a great tomato harvest this year, it is really looking good. I have about twenty different varieties of heirloom tomatoes to pick this year. Some are new but most of them are faithful and dependable tomato varieties that I've already tried out before. A new variety and already a favourite is 'Summer Cider' a yellow beef tomato. Very sweet and tasty. I got the seeds from one of my Facebook friends. Thank you Yvonne for sharing!

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 We decided to make a summer buffet with all the veggie goodies we could find.

 For sweet course a very traditional, typical Swedish Strawberry Cake.

  Missy M's Strawberry Cake - photo: Johan Gadnert

 A strawberry cake made of sponge cake, vanilla custard, whipped cream with cardamom and  loads of strawberries.

Collavery -  photo: Johan Gadnert

A nice vine from Aix-En-Provence to go with it all. Very fruity vine with a hint of red currant, orange, rasperry and grass. Just a bit of sweetness but still with a fresh and crisp taste.

Seed Savers Exchange

This post Seed Savers Exchange was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in the blog Tyra's Garden

Since 1975, Seed Savers Exchange members have passed on approximately one million samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners. Seed Savers Exchange are a non-profit organization of gardeners dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds.

 Time to start to dream about the growing season 2011. Are you interested in Heirloom Seeds? Then read about  the Seed Savers Exchange. I find this subject about heirloom seeds fascination and most interesting so I've joined. I so wished that we had something similar in Europe/ EU but I have not found anything yet. If you happen to know anything in the matter please let me know.  

This is what Seed Savers Exchange has to say about the organization:

"Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), member supported organization that saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage, forming a living legacy that can be passed down through generations.

Our mission is to save North America's diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity.

At the heart of Seed Savers Exchange are the dedicated members who have distributed hundreds of thousands of heirloom and open pollinated garden seeds since our founding 35 years ago. Those seeds now are widely used by seed companies, small farmers supplying local and regional markets, chefs and home gardeners and cooks, alike.

Seed Savers Exchange was founded in 1975 by Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy to honor this tradition of preserving and sharing. Their collection started when Diane's terminally-ill grandfather gave them the seeds of two garden plants, Grandpa Ott's morning glory and German Pink tomato. Grandpa Ott's parents brought the seeds from Bavaria when they immigrated to St. Lucas, Iowa in the 1870s.



Today, the 890-acre Heritage Farm, near Decorah, Iowa, is our home. We maintain many thousands of heirloom garden varieties, most having been brought to North America by members' ancestors who emigrated from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and other parts of the world.



Unlike Fort Knox, Heritage Farm is not surrounded by security fences and guards. Our perimeter is patrolled by bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, deer, raccoons and other wildlife. The farm is ringed by hiking trails that take visitors through majestic scenery, past our certified organic preservation gardens, historic orchard and ancient White Park Cattle." SSE

Here are two of my heirloom tomotoes I grew this season.

Azoychka from Russia and Goldman's Italian/American tomato. Goldman's heirloom tomato was one of the best this year. This high yield, delicious red tomato came all in slightly different forms and sizes, which I really liked. 

Do visit their homepage, it is a heaven for an Heirloom Enthusiast, trust me!

Arty Artichoke

This post was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in the blog Tyras Garden

Arty Artichoke

T.G.I its Friday and once again It is Blooming Friday

For this weeks theme Katarina our host choose 'USED' 

My used leaves of my artichoke dinner represents this week theme in Tyra's Garden. I always think my plate of artichokes looks the most beautiful when I'm just about to take them to the compost bin.

 I wish you all a great weekend./ Love Tyra

Antipasto from my Potager

Antipasto dal giardino – a simple appetizer straight from my potager.

Sometimes, quite often actually I take a little walk in the kitchen garden and pick a little of everything that is ripe and that feels just right for the occasion. Here I have an eggplant that I've glanced at for some time now, it together with some nice tomatoes are perfect for my little ‘antipasti dal giardino’.

I divide the tomatoes and aubergine into fairly large pieces/thick slices, put them all onto an oven tin pan. Pour over some nice olive oil and cook them in the oven and cook them until they are really well cooked. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on the top and cook au gratin for another minute or two just to give the cheese some color.

Serve the vegetables together with a tasty Italian dressing, perhaps add some walnuts or other nuts or seeds and last but not at least a well-made country bread with character.

Today is a big DAY here in Sweden it is Election Day and this time it is going to be sooo exciting. I went to vote early this morning and I plan to get to bed very late, Champagne or 'funeral feast'? That is the question, we will see what will happen later tonight.

Swedish?

 - Vill du hellre ha det på svenska så kika in till KÖKTRÄDGÅRDEN där tar vi allt helt på svenska.

Blooming Friday - White Dahlia in my Potager

White Dahlia in my Potager

It is now the last of 'Blooming Friday' of the month of November, ah...I'm so glad this month is finally over I'm not a huge fan of November it is sooo dark. Soon we enter Advent and that is wonderful period these four week before Christmas, so much happens. We can all light our Advent candels and feast on our Advent treats.

This is the blooming potager in July almost more flowers then vegetables, no just joking it is just that the flowers are taller. Find more interesting participants at our host Katarina

Now to something completely different it is about a new group on Facebook, it is called 'KÖKSTRÄDGÅRDEN' The Vegetable Garden and you are all very welcome but it is in Swedish so I guess it narrows down the members to us Scandinavians. Now I'll change to Swedish for those who prefere that.

Ny grupp på FACEBOOK! Är du intresserad av att odla din egen mat? Då är det här gruppen för dej. Skriv bara 'Köksträdgården' i Sök rutan när du är inloggad på Facebook så hittar du oss.

Välkommen in i köksträdgården!

"Från frö till tallrik. Intresserad av att odla din mat? Som medlem i 'Köksträdgården' kan du läsa och skriva om att odla din mat. Dela med dej om dina erfarenheter och din kunskap.Du kan gärna lägga in egna bilder och vara med att kommentera andras bilder ifrån köksträdgården."

I wish you all a wonderful first Sunday of Advent!

Happy Thanksgiving

Blackberry Flowers and Bouquet of Carrots

This post, 'Blackberry Flowers & Bouquet of Carrots' was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden.

Blooms and Harvest in Tyra's Garden - July

I don't think I have really looked properly at the flower of the Blackberry bush before but this morning I did and to my surprice I found that they in fact very beautiful.

and for this weeks Blooming Friday a bouquet of a slighty different kind...

a bouquet of carrots

Daucus carota, Yummie food for Peter Rabbit and hungry gardener. This year I grow both the ordinary yellow carrots and then I found a dark red variety as well. It is very pretty when you slice it into a mixed sallad because it is orange/yellow in the middle.

I wish you all a great weekend

Happy gardening!/ TYRA

A Beauty or A Beast?

This post, 'A Beauty or A Beast' was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com/

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A Beauty or A Beast?

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Well they say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder,

this TOMATO 'Cherokee Purple' grown from seed is of course kind of beautiful in my eyes... but I must admit as they said about Whoopi Goldberg in Color Purple.

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- You sure 'is' ugly!

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This tomato weighs a massive 506 gram and that is about 17,85 ounces!

I started out with this fellow in February, read about how it all started here

Potager 2009 - Seed Bank

Flowers of 'Cherokee Purple'


Heirloom seed from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

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Happy gardening folks!

Don't be a stranger my friend, do write something.

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LOLove Tyra

What happens when you don't eat your CABBAGE?

This post, 'What happens when you don't eat your cabbage? was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com/

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...well it blooms!

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I found this in my fridge a few days ago, a bit embarrassing! I mean it must have been growing in the root vegetable box for several days…Still I’m amazed over it and I think it looks great. I have saved it and when I looked at it today in the greenhouse it has now started to change colour into a pale green. I will take I new picture tomorrow and show you.

I have been so busy planting tomatoes into bigger pots today and that sure is heavy work, the new pots are 12 litres/3,17 gallons pots and I have planted at least 15 of those today. Mixing my own soil etc.... but I'm not complaining, I'm loving every minute of it. My body is tender and I think I have to take a soothing bath to heal the soreness in my back and legs. If I'm weak tonight the tomatoes are the opposite, they are very happy and soon I can move them into the greenhouse. Can you imagine my veranda with + 50 tomatoes, chilies and gherkins etc? It is soooo crowded! My non gardening husband will arrive from a business trip late tonight and he is not going to be happy, but he's use to it :-)

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The Greenhouse - April and the weather has been great for several weeks now!
The cabbage seedlings are coming on fine, these are the different cabbages what are going into my potager this year.


Brassica oleracea L. ' Bosworth' ( sprouts)
Brassica oleracea L. 'Georgia Southern' (collards)
Brassica oleraea v. capitata rubra 'Red Express'
Brassica oleracea var. acephala sabellica 'Pentland Brigs'
Brassica oleracea var. acephala sabellica 'Red Russian'
and at last the Brassica oleracea var. acephala sabellica ' Nero di Toscana'
and the 'N di T' is not at all tasty but I only grow because I think it is so beautiful.


It is beginning to get quite warm (ish) in the mornings now, consequently I can start to bring out my morning tea into the greenhouse and that is something I really enjoy. Life is good!

Here I'm attending some roses I bought the other day, bargains (of course) from my local store I just couldn't resist them :-) but the pots where much too small so they had to be repotted into larger pots, is that the correct word repotted?

Blooming Friday! This is my contribrutions to the Blooming Friday Flower Power Parade, meet more participant here at Katarina. Roses and Stuff.


Have a great weekend and enjoy the lovely days of spring!

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Happy gardening/ Tyra

From King Edward to Pommes duchesse

This post, 'From King Edward to Pommes Duchesse' was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com/

From dear friend King Edward to Pommes Duchesse, do pop over into The Greenhouse and read what is cookin' in this week ABC post about a 'Tater' King.

Det är ABC Wednesday och denna veckas bokstav är K, välkommen in till The Greenhouse och läs mer om min kära vän King Edward.

TYRA

"Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae"

This post, "Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae"was originally uploaded and written by Tyra at the blog Tyra's Garden http://waxholm.blogspot.com/

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Chicory not just a pretty flower

Just must visit M a s D u D i a b l e and read Laura Hudsons Plant profile of just Chicory & Endive

"I love the robust, complex flavours and the variety of textures and colours that this family of leafy plants offers the salad bowl. February has, in previous years, been the middle of our chicory & endive season. This year, with the tunnel out of action and the rains trashing the outdoor seedlings, I can only look at the pictures and dream of last years crop and make a mental note to sow plenty this year." Laura Hudson

"Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae"

A small history lesson. The chicory plant is one of the earliest cited in recorded literature. Horace mentions it in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: "Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae" ("As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance").
Lord Monboddo describes the plant in 1779 as the "chicoree", which the French cultivate as a pot herb. In the Napoleonic Era in France, chicory frequently appeared as either an adulterant in coffee or a coffee substitute; this practice also became common in the United States and the United Kingdom, e.g., in England during the Second World War and in Camp Coffee, a coffee and chicory essence which has been on sale since 1885.

Chicory is an ingredient in typical Roman recipes, generally fried with garlic and red pepper, with its bitter and spicy taste, often together with meat or potatoes

The chicory flower is often seen as inspiration for the Romantic concept of the Blue Flower. It was also believed to be able to open locked doors, according to European folklore.

Root chicory (Cichorium intybus var. sativum) has been in cultivation in Europe as a coffee substitute for a long time. The roots are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive, especially in the Mediterranean region (where the plant is native), although its use as a coffee additive is also very popular in India, parts of Southeast Asia and the American South, particularly in New Orleans. wikipedia

I've got my own bank!

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Read more about this and my tomatoes 2009 in the Greenhouse of Tyra's Garden

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I wish you all a happy and sunny weekend

and to Australia a lot of heavy rain!

TYRA

It is Blooming Friday meet all the other participants here at Katarina

Philatelic NEWS for a veggie geek.

Harvest stamps from Sweden.

New Swedish stamps on my stones from Jaipur. Look what I found in the Post office yesterday! Absolutely perfect for a veggie geek like me. Now I can have 'my own' very personal stamps on my letters. Isn’t that just great?

Precis lagom till skördetiden ger posten ut dessa underbara små skönheterna. Jag blev så glad när jag såg dom, de blir ju alldeles perfekt för mina brev. Inte för att man skickar så många brev ny för tiden men när jag nu gör det slipper jag ha 'Gurra' på frimärket.

TYRA

Powerfood

The Brassica - true Powerfood. They are beautiful and so good for you. .

Brassica vegetables are highly regarded for their nutritional value. We should probably eat some Brassica each day. This is a huge vegetable family and they really do come in different shapes, structures and sizes. They provide high amounts of vitamin C and soluble fiber and contain multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties. Broccoli is a true power food..

Kålgrönsaker är högt uppskattad för sitt näringsvärde. Vi borde troligtvis äta Brassicas varje dag. Detta är en stor vegetabilisk familj och de kommer verkligen i en mängd olika former, strukturer och storlekar. De ger stora mängder av vitamin C och löslig fiber och innehåller flera näringsämnen med potenta anti-cancer egenskaper. Broccoli är en verklig power food.

These are my small seedlings from this spring, cute aren't they.

This week a harvest some seeds from last years Red russian. I saved a plant from last year and that plant bloomed with pretty small yellow flowers this summers and now it gave my new seeds....thank you.

more Brassica?...

Tyra

ps. Got to get out and continue with my Dahlias....

Dahlia 'Harvest' - tubers and seeds

It's late September and the frost can come any night now, that means that I have to dig up all my Dahlia plants, it’s so sad that indicates that the summer has definitely ended and the autumn takes giant leaps towards the winter. Time to dig in!

On with the Wellington boots and ‘armed’ with a garden fork and my favourite secateurs I spend the whole day digging. Tough work…

I store my Dahlia tubers upside down in cardboard boxes with a little damp vermiculite, perlite or peat/moss to cover the clumps. Storage place, frost free (+7 C.) in the garage.

The seeds I just store in a dry place, sometimes I makes these rather pretty seed sachets with the names written with calligraphy. Then during the winter I can look through the seed box with all the sachets and dream of spring and summer again.

Dahlias and Kale a beautiful combination, perfect harmony.

Det kanske blir frost i natt!

Det innebär att jag måste gräva upp alla mina Dahlia växter, det är så sorgligt det betyder att sommaren har definitivt slut och hösten tar jättekliv mot vintern. Dags att ta ett nappa tag - dig in! På med gummistövlarna och "beväpnad" med en trädgård gaffel och min favorit sekatörer är jag redo att spenderar hela dagen med gräva. Tufft arbete ... Jag lagrar mina Dahlia knölar upp och ned i pappkartonger med lite fuktig vermikulit, perlit eller torv att täcka klumpar med. Frost fritt (7 C.) i garaget. Fröna förvarar jag bara torrt, ibland gör jag jättesnygga utsäde påsar med namn skrivet med kalligrafi. Sen under vintern kan jag se genom min frösamlings box med alla påsar och drömmer om våren och sommaren igen.

Ha en riktigt fin höst dag - Have a nice day/

TYRA