Gardening Work & Prep
 Our Best planting time for early spring greens,radishes,leaf lettuce & cole crops {Cabbage Broccoli,Cauliflower}is rapidly approching, the wet seasonality lends a hand to reduce watering & prolific growth with insect activity at a minimum lends to plentiful and healthy harvests. " Gardening Regions for Texas " "Gardening Regions For Texas Refer to the USDA Hardiness Zone Map to compare the temperature extremes in your area to those of the Texas zones when making planting decisions. For control purposes, weeds can be divided into three types: broadleaf weeds, grass weeds and sedges. Within each type, weeds may have one of three basic life cycles: summer annual, winter annual or perennial. Types Broadleaf Weeds Broadleaf weeds are generally easiest to identify. Broadleaf weeds (like dandelions and clover) are distinctive from and are not botanically closely related to grasses and sedges. Broadleaf weeds have leaves that are broad, and are generally produced in pairs or multiples. Leaves are detached from the main stem by a sub-stem or petiole. Leaves may be simple (having one leaflet, like dandelion) or compound (having more than one leaflet, like clover). Veins within the leaf give a netted appearance in most cases. Grass Weeds Grass weeds (like crabgrass) are botanically related to lawn grasses. They have a similar appearance and growth habit. Leaves of grasses are not detached from the main stem. Leaves of grasses are narrow, with a blade-like appearance. Leaves are produced one at a time in two vertical rows. Veins within leaves run parallel. Stems are usually round or flat. Grass weeds are often very difficult to control once established in the lawn. Thus, grass weeds are generally best controlled with preventative or preemergence herbicides. Preemergence herbicides need to be applied prior to germination, as they act by preventing establishment. Sedges Sedges (like nutsedge) are not grasses, but have leaves that are similar in appearance and are thus often mistaken for grasses. Since herbicides used to control grass weeds are generally not effective on sedges, it is important to distinguish between the two types. Sedges have two key identifying characteristics: leaves arranged in three vertical rows and a triangular stem. Stems of grasses are commonly round or flat with leaves in two vertical rows. Life Cycles Summer Annuals Summer annuals complete their life cycle within 12 months. Summer annuals generally germinate in the spring, grow or develop during the summer, produce seed and die by the fall or after the first hard frost. Winter Annuals Winter annuals complete their life cycle in 12 months but generally overlap two calendar years. Winter annuals germinate in late summer to early fall and begin to develop. Winter annuals are dormant or semi-dormant throughout the winter, and flower the following spring. Winter annuals mature and die in late spring or early summer. Summer and winter annuals reproduce and spread by prolific seed production, serving as a ready source of infestation and establishment when conditions are favorable. Perennials Perennials live for more than two years and may regenerate indefinitely. A simple perennial, like dandelion, may germinate from seed, but produces a tap root that, when severed, can produce a new plant. A complex perennial can spread by seed in addition to creeping above-or below-ground vegetative structures capable of initiating a new plant. Perennial weeds are often the most difficult to control. You are usually trying to control an established plant that has already produced considerable vegetative reproductive structures which may require repeat control measures. Removal of the above-ground shoot growth does little towards long-term control. Long-term control usually requires herbicide treatments that act on the above- and below-ground structures. Your choice of a best management strategy, including appropriate herbicides, is dependent on weed type and life cycle. The “Weed Id Database” provides pictures to help with identification. This section separates weeds common in Texas lawns according to type and life cycle. Identifying weeds can be rather difficult. It depends on several items: the maturity of the weed, the place it is found, and the time of year it emerges. New Yard & Garden Weed ID Library Database Spring Vegetable Planting Guide 
Fruit,Nut and Citrus database"Vegetable Varieties For Travis County"
Tomato Growing Tips: Tomatoes are a challenge that is always well-worth the efforts at least, I keep telling myself that. Prepare the soil well and add lots of organic compost and minerals if available. {Rock Phosphate is a great little helper and it will not burn the plant}. Ever thought of putting a small fish in the hole if you bury it deep enough? works great! And it is a source of nitrogen for lots of growth. Set plants out around March 1st throught the 15th. Plant sideways to bury the stem most of the way up; it will form roots there. You can wrap a piece of cardboard around them to prevent cutworms. Don't put the cardboard tightly around the stem it will bruise easily; just surround the little plant with a collar about two or three inches in diameter, with about an inch or two underground and the same above. Water well. I like to put a large 1 gallon metal can around the young plant to help hold in water during the summer,it is very convienent and available from most any restaurant if you ask. Fertilize biweekly ,again when the plant sets fruit. You will need to put the tomatoes in a large sturdy cage. The little wimpy cages commonly sold at home improvement centers are not the sturdiest and are easily bent with a heavy fruit load. Think big and clunky and tall.{Concrete wire mesh works well and is cheap enough and 5 or 6 feet tall}.The home made cages made from tall galvanized fence wire usually last for years and years. You can also buy a great square cage now at some retailers that will fold up for storage during the winter if storage is a problem. Be sure to leave room around your cages between plants for you to walk to harvest the fruit. Say about 4 or 5 feet apart for row spacing when you plant, (Yes, tomatoes are fruit, though legally they are vegetables.) Spray every two weeks with any of these great products: ,Superthrive,Medina Seaweed Extract,Miracle Grow,with maybe a little liquid iron,or any other organic liquid spray just be spareing as you dont want to overdo it or you will giant plants with little or no fruit set and possible leaf curl from the fertilyzers. Garrett Juice might help control or eradicate the spider mite population and also increase disease prevention. The best advice I can give you is to plant tomatoes in a different place every year to reduce or prevent "Nematodes". This is the surest road to success. Also, get your plants from a local nursery. They will have the varieties that grow best in your location. I would buy a mixture of "determinate" tomatoes {bear all at once}, and "indeterminate" tomatoes that never stop producing fruit until frost. The "Heat Resistant Hybrids" are great in the texas summer sun and are more resistant to blossom drop. You might also try a fall tomato garden. You can start with new plants, but you really have to baby them through the heat of summer or shade them with shade cloth, because you have to plant them in July or August it is the hotest and dryest part of the year averaging over 100+ degree's daily and watering is a chore. Drip irrigation is the best setup for this seasonal heat with a "Shade" canopy to prevent sun scald and splitting of the fruit. There is another way to renew your plants. Bend down a long stem from your old plant and cover it with soft soil where it touches the ground. Weight it down with a rock. Water this area and watch to see if roots form. Many times the tomato will put out new branches above this buried part and give you fall tomatoes from this. Just cut down the old plant behind it. I would not detach the new part from the old, as the root system may still be dependent on the old plant to survive. This works reasonably well. Many complain that birds eat their tomatoes. I recommend netting to protect them if you want the vine ripened flavor or picking them just as they begin to ripen to prevent the birds or deer from getting to your hard-earned rewards. " Tomato Tricks " has more comphrehensive disease & insect control information for the avid tomato grower. Good luck! |  |
Strawberry Growing Info
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| Texas Hill Country Strawberries can grow in any size garden—even container gardens—are big enough for strawberries. You must ready to deal with ants with as they like organic berries also for the sugar!!! SELECTING AND STORING FRESH STRAWBERRIES When picking, be sure the cap remains on the strawberry by pinching the stem of the berry between the thumb and forefinger. This procedure will prevent damage to both the fruit and the strawberry plant. When selecting berries look for the ones that are firm, yet fully ripe. These are the best for all your needs - freezing, preserving, or eating just the way they are. When storing in the refrigerator, do not remove the caps or wash the berries until you are ready to use them. When caps are removed before use, the berries lose some of their moisture. Washing early tends to bruise them and the berries lose their freshness. Arrange berries in a shallow container and keep at 35 degrees for best results. They will lose their flavor after a few days and are best when prepared and eaten in the same day. When preparing (for whatever use) place the berries in a strainer and rinse with cool water. To remove the caps, give the caps a gentle twist or use the point of a sharp knife trying not to remove any of the berry. When measuring:
Featured Recipes for the upmcoming 2009 Strawberry season. Enjoy!  Strawberry Creme Cake Cake:
Filling and Frosting:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Combine cake mix, nectar, eggs, and oil in large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on cooling racks for 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling rack and cool completely. Thinly slice enough strawberries to yield 1 1/4 cups. Using a serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half, forming 4 layers in total. Place 1 cake layer, cut side down, on a serving platter. Spread 1/3 cup jam over top of cake layer. Arrange 1/4 cup of sliced strawberries in a single layer atop jam. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Repeat layering with jam and sliced strawberries. Top with third cake layer, cut side down. Repeat layering with jam and sliced strawberries. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread frosting evenly over top and sides of cake to coat completely. Arrange remaining 1/2 cup sliced strawberries and 1 whole strawberry decoratively atop cake. Refrigerate cake for 40 minutes. Serve cake with remaining whole strawberries. Strawberry Shortcake made with Fresh Strawberry Bread
Macerated Strawberries:
Sweetened Whipped Cream, recipe follows Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and set aside. Place the strawberries in a blender or food processor, and puree on high speed. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, and oil. Add the strawberries and whisk until well blended. Into a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Fold into the strawberry mixture, blending until moistened. Fold in the nuts, being careful not to overmix. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let sit for 10 minutes, then turn onto the wire rack to cool completely. For the Macerated Strawberries: In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir. Cover and let soak in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Using a large serrated knife, cut the cooled shortcake in half horizontally. Place the bottom half, cut side up on a decorative cake plate. Spread half of the macerated strawberries across the cake and top with the other cake half. Spread the whipped cream across the top piece and top with the remaining strawberries. Serve immediately. Sweetened Whipped Cream:
Very Strawberry Shortcake
Totally-from-Scratch Biscuits, recipe follows
recipe follows Position rack in center of oven and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Macerate the strawberries by combining the strawberries, 1/2 cup of the sugar, water, and orange zest in a large bowl. Stir well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the strawberries have softened and given up their juices and mixture is chilled, about 1 hour. While the strawberries are chilling, make the Totally-from-Scratch Biscuits. When the biscuits are done, using oven mitts or pot holders, remove them from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool. The shortcakes can be served warm or at room temperature. To assemble the shortcakes: Using a knife or fork, split the biscuits in half horizontally and place the bottom halves on each of 8 plates. Spoon 1/2 cup of the macerated strawberries on each bottom half. Top each serving with 3 tablespoons of Real Whipped Cream. Lean a biscuit top against each bottom and serve. These are Good !!! Totally From Scratch Biscuits:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Sift the self-rising flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a medium mixing bowl. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the cold butter into the flour until there are no butter pieces larger than a pea. Add the heavy cream to the flour mixture and, using your hands or a rubber spatula, stir just until the cream and flour come together to form a dough. Do not overmix! Sprinkle some of the all-purpose flour on a flat surface and place the dough on top of the flour. Using your hands, press the dough into a 1/2-inch thick disk about 8 inches in diameter. Using a 3-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut the dough into circles. Be sure to press straight downward when cutting the dough – a twisting motion will prevent the dough from rising. You will need to re-form the scraps of dough in order to make 8 biscuits. Do this by gathering the scrap pieces together and pressing, re-form into a 1/2-inch thick disk, then cut as many additional biscuits as possible from the re-formed dough. Place the biscuits on a small baking sheet and use a pastry brush to brush the tops with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the sugar. Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the biscuits from the oven and allow to cool briefly and serve while still warm. Real Whipped Cream:
Place a mixing bowl and the beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer or refrigerator until well chilled, about 15 minutes. Combine the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract in the mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on low speed, begin beating the cream, gradually increasing the speed to high as cream thickens. (Do this slowly, or the cream will splatter all over!) Beat until the cream forms soft peaks. Test to see if it is ready by turning off the mixer and lifting the beaters out of the cream – if the cream makes soft peaks that topple over slightly, then it's done. Be careful not to overwhip, or the cream will separate and begin to taste like butter. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Yield: about 1 cup STRAWBERRY PUDDING CAKE
Tear cake into little pieces and cover bottom of 5 dessert dishes. Mix pudding according to directions on box; pour over cake. Spread fresh strawberries over pudding mixture. Top with Cool Whip. Refrigerate if not served immediately. NOTE: A 7 x 9 inch dish may be used instead of the dessert dishes. STRAWBERRY SUNDAE SALAD
Salad greens Combine in electric blender container 1 cup sliced strawberries, 2 Tablespoons orange juice and sugar. Cover and process until pureed. Mix cottage cheese with remaining 2 Tablespoons orange juice, orange peel and granola cereal. Arrange salad greens on 4 individual serving plates, topping each with ½ cup cottage cheese mixture and remaining sliced strawberries. Serve with pureed strawberry sauce and sprinkle with additional granola cereal, if desired. Yield: 4 servings. FRESH STRAWBERRY SAUCE
In a food processor, combine strawberries, sugar, lemon or lime juice and vanilla. Puree, then chill. Serve sauce over custard, ice cream or pound cake. Yield: 2 cups. STRAWBERRY CREAM PIE
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled, rinsed and patted dry In a large bowl, combine the vanilla pudding mix, sour cream, milk, and orange rind. Add the whipped topping and beat with a wire whisk for 1 minute or until well blended. Spoon half the mixture into the pie crust. Press the strawberries, stem-side down, into the mixture, then top with the remaining mixture. Freeze the pie for about 1 hour or refrigerate for 3 hours before serving. Garnish with additional whipped topping and/or strawberries. Yield: 6 to 8 STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE DELIGHT
Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy. Fold in strawberries and whipped cream. Turn into 5-6 cup mold. Freeze at least 8 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes; unmold. Garnish with mint or strawberries. Yield: 10 (1/2-cup) servings FRESH STRAWBERRY PIE
Wash berries and hull. Put one half of berries in sauce pan and crush. Mix sugar and cornstarch; add to crushed berries along with lemon juice. Cook on medium heat until mixture thickens. Cool. Cut remaining berries into halves and mix with the cooked mixture. Add a few drops of red food coloring to the cooked mixture before adding the uncooked berries. Pour mixture into baked pie shell. Chill before serving. Serve topped with whipped cream. CREAMY FRUIT DIP
Combine milk and pudding according to package directions. Fold in whipped topping. Chill thoroughly, and serve with fresh strawberries. Yield: 4 cups of dip. STRAWBERRY TOWERS
With a 3 inch round scalloped cookie cutter, cut out 18 pastry rounds. Place on ungreased baking sheet and prick with a fork. Bake the rounds in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes ( or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet and cool. Wash strawberries. Reserve 6 berries for garnish. Hull remaining berries and slice. Place in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar. Let berries stand for 20 minutes. About an hour before serving time, make strawberry towers by alternating pastry rounds and sweetened sliced strawberries to make 6 towers with 3 pastry rounds each, finishing with strawberries on top. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Just before serving, top strawberry towers with whipped topping and garnish with reserved whole berries. Makes 6 servings. STRAWBERRY TART
Carefully spread cream cheese in crust. Arrange berries pointed end up in single layer over cheese. Chill. Heat jelly until smooth and of glaze consistency; spoon over berries. Serve at once or refrigerate. Makes 8 servings. SPARKLING STRAWBERRIES
In a wide shallow bowl arrange strawberries. Sprinkle sugar over strawberries, orange juice, and ginger ale. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, turning berries occasionally. If there are leftovers, cover and store in refrigerator. Makes 6 one cup servings. Strawberry Cultivation Practices & Varietal Data Plump, juicy and sweet strawberries are the one fruit every gardener can grow. Wherever you garden—town, country or even on top of a city high-rise—you can harvest a basketful of big, tasty strawberries this spring. Why bother growing your own strawberries? If you've eaten grocery store berries recently, you know why. Commercial strawberries have been bred to withstand shipping, not for taste or tenderness—they're mostly juiceless and have a hard inner white core. Worse, they're treated with fungicides and doused with more pesticides than nearly any other fruit. Convinced? OK, here's how to raise your own this season. Pick a Spot Strawberries needs are very simple. Plant them where: They get at least 6 hours of sun daily. More sun is even better for them. The soil drains well. Soggy soil makes for fruit and roots that rot. If your garden tends to hold water, mix 6 inches of compost into the soil to create a raised bed. Choose a Berry Strawberries come in two basic types: Junebearers and everbearers. Everbearers (also called "day-neutral" types) fruit all season long or, at a minimum, in the spring and fall. Everbearers offer a quick harvest, bearing fruit less than 3 months after planting. The harvest, however, is comparatively smaller Junebearers (also called "short-day" types) produce all their berries at once, though not necessarily in June. They may ripen in early spring or as late as midsummer, depending on the variety and the climate. They bear fruit for 2 to 4 weeks. Junebearers offer greater variety selection and a higher yield. If you plan to make jam or pie, you want all the berries at once, so go with Junebearers. Five Super Strawberries 'Earliglow': Early, Junebearing type. Tolerates cold. 'Surecrop': Midseason, Junebearing type. Excellent in all conditions. 'Chandler': Midseason, Junebearing type. Best choice for Florida, California and other warm climates. 'Shuksan': Late, Junebearing. Right for the Pacific Northwest. 'Ozark Beauty': Everbearing. Grows well in Northeast and Midwest. When to Plant Exactly when you plant strawberries depends on your winter climate. Where temperatures drop below 10 degrees F, plant strawberries in spring as soon as you can work the ground. Where winters are milder, you can plant in either spring or fall. In Texas,Florida, the Gulf Coast and parts of California, plant in late summer or fall. Depending on the weather, you'll get a crop in winter or early spring. In these warm climes, strawberries are grown as annuals because the plants need a cold dormancy period (a few weeks of temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees F) between seasons. Runners and Daughters Strawberry plants multiply rapidly, sending out long stems along the ground called "runners." Along the runners' length, daughter plants emerge, root and send out their own runners. If you have a large plot in which to grow strawberries, you can let the runners and daughters create new rows—this is known as the "matted-row system." As the daughter plants fill in the rows, the yields will gradually increase. When growing in smaller plots or containers, pinch off all the runners. The yields will be high initially, as the plants direct their energy into producing fruit rather than runners. Growers refer to this approach as the "hill system." No matter what you do about the runners, pinch off any flowers that appear during the first 4 to 6 weeks to direct the plants' energy into building strong roots. Doing this with Junebearers means you won't have fruit the first season—don't worry, the following year's harvest more than compensates. If you are in a part of the country where you can plant in fall, you don't have to remove the flowers. The plants will naturally concentrate their energy on putting down roots in the winter, and the flowers will appear the following spring when the weather warms. Mulch and Fertilize Strawberries have shallow roots that need protection. Mulching keeps the roots cool and moist in summer and shielded during winter freezes. Use an organic mulch such as straw, pine needles, dried grass clippings or shredded leaves. Plastic mulch will survive for many seasons and help in improving insect visability to prevent ants from damaging fruit before damage can occur. You can cover the plants loosely over the winter. In spring, when the new leaves begin to unfold, pull the mulch off the crowns and tuck it around the plants. During the growing season, cover the soil between plants with mulch to keep weeds from sprouting up. Once the strawberry plants start to grow and spread, getting at weeds becomes difficult. You can provide all the nutrients the plants need by spreading a 1-inch layer of compost around them each spring. If you don't have enough compost, you can feed strawberries with an organic fertilizer such as cottonseed meal or soybean meal. Don't overfeed strawberries or they'll produce more leaves and runners, and less fruit. Pest Protection Slugs and birds are the two most common strawberry pests. Control slugs by surrounding the plants with diatomaceous earth, finely ground fossilized remains of algae, which has sharp edges to cut slugs soft flesh. You can also trap slugs or surround the bed with a copper barrier, which slugs cannot cross. Robins, blue jays and other winged bandits may pilfer your harvest before you get to it. To prevent this, suspend fine-mesh netting or row covers on stakes—make it high enough so that birds can't perch on the netting and peck at the fruit through the net. Also, tuck in the edges under the soil so that birds, squirrels, chipmunks and other critters can get at the fruit. |
New Peach Recipes
Peach Recipes Grilled Strawberry and Peach Shortcake This recipe adds a twist to backyard parties and takes advantage of the fresh fruit that starts to come in during early summer. It is fun to get your guests skewering food, and they will enjoy being part of the show. Have all the fixings and the skewers ready to go. After dinner, set it all out on a table. Have the grill ready to go — cleaned then oiled with walnut oil — and preheated. Your guests can grill their choice of fruit while grilling a slice of cake. This recipe will serve eight. Have a couple of spatulas and several sets of tongs near the grill for the convenience of your guests. For the set-up Walnut oil or vegetable oil for seasoning the grill grate
Advanced prep: (Can be done several hours in advance and refrigerated until time to use) Rinse strawberries. Cut each peach in half and remove pits. Place peach halves cut side down on a plate coated with balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Cover peach plate with cling wrap. Refrigerate until dessert time. Mix the sugar and cinnamon and cover. Dessert Assembly When it's time to serve, transfer the sugar mixture to a flat dish so that guests can coat their fruit with the sugar mixture before grilling. Set up the fruit and cake on a table outside near the grill. Skewer the strawberries. Place peach halves on the grill top side down and grill for three minutes, turn over and grill for three on the other side. Grill strawberry skewers for one minute on a side. Place cake slices on the grill long enough to heat and get grill marks (about one minute per side). Top each slice of cake with a peach half and strawberries then top with mascarpone cream (recipe below). Mascarpone Cream
With an electric mixer, mix the mascarpone and the liqueur. Add the confectioner's sugar, scraping the sides to mix well. Gradually add the cream and whip to soft peaks. This may be prepared several hours in advance. During dessert prep, keep chilled by placing the bowl over ice. Santa Fe Peach and Mango Cobbler This Southwest variation is great with a Peach Chipotle topping Can be done outside on the Grill !!!
In a bowl, combine fruit, jalapeno, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Stir to coat and let set for 1 hour. Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat. In a bowl, blend together 1/4 cup of butter and sweet corn cake mix with a fork until crumbly. Set aside. Place remaining 1/4 cup butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof skillet) and set on hot grill. When butter has melted, add fruit mixture. Stir to combine. Sprinkle the corn cake mixture to cover thefruit. Cover grill and cook 20 minutes or until mixture is bubbling and caramelized around the edges of the pan. Remove from grill and let cool. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped topping. INDOOR: Prepare fruit mixture as directed. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray; set aside. Prepare corn topping mixture as directed. Spoon fruit mixture into prepared ramekins and sprinkle with corn topping mixture. Bake for 45 minutes or until mixture is bubbling. Serve as directed.  Super Fast & Easy Peach Cobbler
Peel and slice peaches. Mix in sugar, lemon juice and flour. Pour mixture into a 9 by 13-inch pan. Cut pie crust to fit over peaches, using extra pieces to make designs such as leaves and stars. Sprinkle sugar over crust and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Wicked Peach Cobbler Basic Piecrust for Double crust Pie:
For the Peach cobbler:
For the Pie crust: Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the shortening and cut it in with a fork or pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized bits. Stirring with a fork, gradually add enough of the water until the mixture clumps together. Gather up the dough and press into a flat disc, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour. For the Peach Cobbler: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out the dough to a large square that is 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 6 circles. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out 6 circles and keep cold. Butter 6 (4-ounce) ramekins. Place the smaller rounds of dough into the ramekins and press down into the bottom and sides. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely. In a medium bowl, toss the peaches, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Fold in the butter. Divide the peach mixture between the 6 ramekins. Cover the peach mixture with the larger rounds of dough, letting the dough come down the sides of the ramekins. Pinch the dough firmly onto the top edge of the dish. Cut a few slits in the top of the dough. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and place back in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cobbler from the oven and sprinkle with cinnamon  Bourbon Peach Cobbler
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl add the peaches, bourbon, 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix well to coat the peaches evenly; set aside. Prepare the dumplings: Into a bowl sift together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter into small pieces. Add it to the flour mixture and cut it in with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Pour in the cream and mix just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable. In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add the peaches and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls over the warm peaches. There can be gaps, the dough will puff up and spread out as it bakes. Brush the top with some heavy cream and sprinkle with some sugar; put it into the oven on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is browned and the fruit is bubbling. Peach-Blackberry Cobbler
Topping, recipe follows Topping:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the peaches, cornstarch or flour, brown sugar, lemon juice and salt, tossing gently. Carefully fold in the blackberries and transfer the mixture to an 8-cup baking dish. Set aside. Topping: In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or hand mixer or your fingertips), mix the flour, salt, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and mace or nutmeg. Add the butter and mix until coarse and crumbly. Add 3/4 cup of milk and mix just until combined. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to smooth it out. Form into a ball and roll out into the shape and size of the baking dish, about 1/2-inch thick. Place the dough on top of the prepared fruit. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining tablespoon of milk and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Place the cobbler on a sheet-pan to catch any juices that may boil over. Bake until the top is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Brandied Peach Custard Pie
Custard:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. For the peaches: Over high heat, in a saute pan, heat the butter. When the butter is hot add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the peaches and saute for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the sugar starts to turn dark amber in color. Incorporate the brandy into the peach mixture. Carefully ignite the brandy and flambe the peaches. Remove from heat and allow to cool, about 10 minutes. For the custard: In a mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients together until fully incorporated. In an unbaked pie crust, spoon the brandied peaches over the pie crust. Place the crust in the oven and pour the custard into the shells. This prevents spilling the custard in the oven. Bake for 1 hour or until the custard sets. Place foil around the crust for the first 30 minutes and then remove. This keeps the crust from getting too brown. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes. Place a slice of the pie on the plate and garnish with powder sugar, whipped cream, and fresh mint. SWEET PIE CRUST Pie Crust:
For the crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and work it through with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and work it in with your hands until you have a smooth ball of dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. This recipe will make two pie crusts. For the individual crust: Divide the dough into fourths. Roll out the dough on the floured surface into a circle about 5 inches in diameter and 1/8-thick. For the whole pie crust: Roll out the dough on the floured surface into a circle about 14 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Gently fold the circles of dough in half and then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing it, and unfold into a 9-inch pie pan. Yield: 2 pie crusts PEACH ICE CREAM
EASY FRESH PEACH PIE
PEACHY DELIGHT
FRESH PEACH TARTS
Fresh Peach Lush First layer:
Mix above ingredients and spread in 13 x 9 pan. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Cool completely. Second layer:
Mix and spread over cooled crust. Third layer:
Combine peaches, cornstarch and sugar. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes - until thick. Remove from heat and add flavoring. Cool completely and spread over second layer. Top dessert with 8 oz. Cool Whip. Low-Fat Peach Poundcake
Peaches 'N Cream Pie
Stewed peaches
About 20 minutes before serving: In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat sugar, 3/4 cup water and cloves to boiling. Add peaches; return to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Makes 6 serving. SPANISH PEACHES
EARLY IN DAY: Peal and halve peaches, capturing approximately 1/2 cup juice. In small saucepan over medium heat, heat reserved 1/2 cup syrup, sugar and lime juice for 5 minutes. Stir in sherry. Meanwhile, place peach halves, flat side down, in dish; pour syrup over them and sprinkle with lime peel. Refrigerate until serving time. Makes 8 or 9 servings. PEACH CREAM KUCHEN (Germany)
Sift the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Transfer to a lightly greased 9x9x2 baking pan and press crumbs firmly against the bottom and sides. Arrange well-drained peach slices evenly over the bottom. Stir half cup of sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the fruit. Bake is a quick oven 400° for 15 minutes. Beat the egg yolks, blend in the sour cream. Spoon over the partially baked kuchen and continue baking for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or thoroughly chilled. Servings: 8 to 9. PEACH ICE CREAM
PEACHY-PINEAPPLE SMOOTHIE
Process first 3 ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Add ice cream; process until smooth. Then serve. PARTY PEACH MELBA
Wash and peel fresh peaches, cook until tender in syrup of water and sugar. If canned peaches are used, place 1 peach half in 6 individual dessert dishes. Stud peach halves with almonds. Spoon raspberries over peaches, chill. Whip ice cream with electric beater at medium speed or with wooden spoon until it reaches pouring consistency. Blend in flavoring, pour over peaches. DEEP DISH FRESH PEACH PIE
Combine peaches, sugar, salt, and tapioca. Turn into a casserole and dot with butter. Cover with pastry strips rolled to 1/8" thick, cutting gashes in pastry if a full topping is used. Bake at 425° 30-40 minutes. Serves 6 QUICK PEACH COBBLER
Place margarine in baking dish and melt in oven. Heat peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup water in saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and milk together in mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Remove baking dish from oven when the margarine has melted. Add flour mixture, then peach mixture. Bake 20 to 30 minutes at 375ş. Crust will rise to the top and brown PEACH SORBET Feel free to use either fresh or fro/en sliced peaches in this sorbet.
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring often; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool; cover and chill. Process peach slices and lemon juice in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Combine sugar mixture, peach mixture, orange juice, and almond extract; pour into freezer container of a 4-quart hand-turned or electric freezer. Freeze according to manufacturers instructions. Pack freezer with additional ice and rock salt, and let stand 1 hour before serving. Yield: 7 cups. FRESH PEACH PIE
Dilute orange juice with 2 cups water, add sugar and cornstarch. Cook until thickened and bubbling. Add almond flavoring. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Slice fresh peeled peaches into pre-baked pie shell. Cover with filling and let stand for about 1 hour. Cover with whipped cream and serve. Garnish top with sliced peaches if desired. Serves 5 PEACH BUTTER ( Sugar free)
Place all ingredients (except almond extract) in large non-aluminum kettle. Cook over low heat until thick, stirring frequently & skimming if necessary. When suitable thickness, then taste. Add extract if desired. Pour into sterile 1/2 pt. or pint jars, cap with sterile lids. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes after water returns to boiling. Makes 6-7 cups. Nutritional Value: 2 Tablespoons contains 20 calories - 3 Tablespoons=1/2 diabetic fruit exchange Peach Refrigerator Jam (microwave)
Combine first 5 ingredients in a 5 quart casserole. Microwave, uncovered at HIGH for 5 minutes;stir well. Microwave, uncovered, at HIGH for 15-17 minutes, or until mixture reaches a full rolling boil. Stir in pectin, skim off foam with spoon. Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Cover with metal lids, and screw on bands. Let stand at room temperature until cool. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks. Yields 7 half pints. Newest Grilled Desserts Section Coconut-Grilled Pineapple
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. Peel, slice, and core the pineapple. Shake the coconut milk well before opening the can. Pour it into a wide, shallow bowl. Place the sugar and cinnamon in another wide, shallow bowl and stir with a fork to mix. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Dip each pineapple slice first in coconut milk, then in the sugar mixture, shaking off the excess between each dipping. Arrange the slices on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. If a crosshatch of grill marks is desired, rotate each slice 60 degrees after 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the pineapple slices to plates or a platter for serving and garnish with mint sprigs. Or, serve in bowls over ice cream, if desired. The pineapple can be served either hot or cold. |  |
Growing Green Beans In Travis county ,Austin Tx
Beans & Peas
General Information:
Soil Preparation:
Fertilization:
Planting & Growing:
Vine Training Pole Beans:
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Green beans & peas are a popular, warm season, home-grow crop. Growing best in loose deeply dug soil with plenty of compost, full sunlight, and adequate moisture. Beans & peas come in many types & varieties. Beans & peas will not produce well in a dry soil. They require constant even moisture especially pole beans during the first 30 days of growth. If not, the beans will be tough and stringy — if they produce at all. Pole beans produce best when trellised. I prefer using Bamboo cane apposed to wire or fencing. The metal trellis' gets to hot in the sun, and blister the vines somewhat. Poles allow much easier harvesting as well. Bush beans & most peas are less labor intensive, but produce less. It is back-breaking chore to harvest bush types in my opinion. Many gardeners like bush beans, but I'm not one of them. Beans harvested on bush types are almost always muddy hanging so close to the soil. I have found them to be much less productive as well. Their flavor is comparable to their pole cousins.
Sow beans & peas in spring after all danger of frost has passed. For a fall crop sow 12 weeks before the first frost. I always recommend treating the seed with inoculants containing nitrogen-gathering bacteria. Consult your local gardening retailer for this product. A small package will treat up to 5 lbs. of seeds. This will insure larger yields of better quality. This procedure is only required once every five years as it remains in the soil. Wet & drain the seeds & place them with the contents of one small package of inoculant into a container & mix , allow to stand 1 hour before sowing. Use about ¼ lbs. of seed for a single 100 ft. row. Sow 2 rows per 36" wide bed for beans & peas on each side of the bed described above. Sow the seed about 2" apart and 1" deep. The fastest way to plant beans by hand is to lay the seeds on top of the soil the full length of the bed. Come back and push the seed into the soil to the depth of the first joint of your index finger or thumb, using your other hand to cover the seed as you move down the row. Water the bed gently without washing the seed out of the soil. Germination should occur within a week. Keep the soil moist by lightly watering until the beans emerge. Watering daily will help prevent the soil from crusting over allowing the seed to push through the surface easier. After the bean has germinated water deeply once a week unless the soil dries below 1½ inches deep. Otherwise water more frequently to retain adequate moisture. Thin the seedling to 3" and build your trellis within a week. When the seedling reaches 5" pull up an inch of loose soil from between the rows against the seedling to firmly support them in the soil forming shallow inside trenches to hold water. Then cover the entire 36" wide bed & the shallow trenches with 2" to 3" of leaves or straw. This will conserve moisture, attract worms, and reduce the growth of weeds in the beds. Any weeds that do germinate are easily removed by hand or light cultivation. Once the vines are established, weeds should not be a problem, they will not receive enough sunlight to grow. Build your trellis at this time if planting pole beans. If you use Bamboo cane to build your trellises build them like the picture at the top of this page. Use metal T posts for the upright supports, available at any building supply. Placing a center support horizontally and leaning the vertical 7 foot pole at a angle. Cut a point on the large ends of the cane and push into the soil along the inside edge of the rows. Do not damage the roots of the beans. Then fasten the vertical pole with twist ties, tie wraps or strapping tape. When it is time to water your beans, simply apply a moderate amount of water into the trench between the row you formed earlier. Do not apply water too quickly as you may wash out soil holding the water. The water will slowly soak deeply onto the root zone. Using this method, your plants will always have adequate moisture to perform well.Tinkers Garden
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Welcome! I have a secret to share with you. I have been an avid vegetable gardener for 30 + years. I have always thought from the beginning there was a better more productive way to produce vegetable in my garden. I have experimented with many unusual methods in the past. About 10 years ago, at age 45, I knew God had a better idea about growing vegetation. 
soil was moist, rich and loose like the potting soil we use for flowerpots. I could shove my hand at least a foot below the surface and pull out a handful of huge healthy earthworms. Right then and there I knew how to get rich, loose soil in my garden back home. Ever since then, gardening has never been the same for me. I was driven to duplicate the conditions I discovered that day. The key was the heavy cover of fallen leaves to feed the soil and attract the worms. With an abundance of earth worms tilling is not necessary. The worms do all the work and all they want is to be fed with our fallen leaves and compost. It takes years of dedication to attract worm in this number. But it's worth the effort. I now keep a heavy coat of leaves on my beds year round. When you can find 10 or more worm per square foot consider stopping tilling altogether. Don't make the mistake of butchering them by tilling. Use a 5 tine garden forks or broad fork for loosening the soil instead.
I no longer plant all my vegetable segregated in narrow single rows. I now plant in wide rows according to family groupings, and mix the family of plants all together . This seemed to confuse the the insects since the vegetables are no longer all lined up together in a row like a Luby's buffet. I figured if God decided to mix all his vegetation together, so would I. I discovered while combining certain plants I can invite predators to my garden who love my pests. The farther a pest has to travel to eat his meal of choice, the better chance he will become dinner himself. I have had great success using this method. For companion planting ideas see our lesson 
I collect leaves and any type of compostable materials I can get my hands on all year to mulch my rows and make ton's of free fertile compost. The sources of composting materials are endless: I collect horse manure, chicken manure, rice hulls, hay, peas shell, and peanut shells from the local farmers market, and refuse from my large garden. With over 5000 square feet of beds I need lots of mulch and compost. I place at least 2" to 3" throughout the entire garden, including the narrow walk paths. You must feed your soil if you expect it to feed you for long. At the end of a growing season 
most of it has decomposed and is turned under to replenish the soil. Then I rework the soil and cover with a heavy layer of mulch until the next planting season. I will deal with specific vegetable cultures individually on all the vegetables I grow, accessible from the vegetable selection menus.Common Bugs of Texas
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Garden Highlights-Q2/ 2010
Congrats to All residents for working hard outside and maintaining their yards and garden's within the subdivision this year.  " Hill Country Peach Trail " Texas A & M University Peach Tree Maintainance Facts Gardening Links: Natural Gardener Radio Schedule " Oak Hill's Original Bulk Organic Compost Yard " Natural Gardener". " Geo Growers "  " Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association "  " Texas Master Gardeners of Travis County "  "Austin Botanical Society"  " Wildseed Farms "   " Marburger Orchard & Strawberry Farm " Fredricksburg Texas" Marburger Orchard " Fredrickburg Tx. " Peach Picking Tips " When picking your own peaches try to pick a firm, ripe peach. A peach with a dark green background is normally too immature to obtain maximum sugar content. When selecting peaches, try to pick those which have a red or yellow color with very little dark green background. Soft peaches are for those who want them for immediate use. Remember soft peaches bruise very easily . We advise that you select the peach which suits you. If you are traveling or want the peaches to hold up several days, please purchase fresh firm peaches. Some varieties have better holding capabilities than others. Always feel free to ask what fruit characteristics you desire or need and your vendor will probably be able to help you pick just the right peaches. | |
Lawn & Vegetable Water & Drought Conservation Tips
Blooming gardens and lush lawns are a joy in the summertime, but they can also be huge water hogs. While every garden is a bit different, depending on your local microclimate, the site of your garden, and your soil composition, among other things, these tips will help every gardener save thousands of gallons of water. 1. Cut out the lawnNASA estimated that our nation's lawn use up to 238 gallons of water per person, per day. While that does include non-residential spaces, like community parks and the like, it still averages out to a whopping 1000 gallons per day for a family of four, so, while that humongous number might not be wasted on your back yard, the simple fact is, no lawn means much less water. Happily, there are several things you can do to make your yard pretty while scrapping the lawn; read on to learn more. Potential savings: Thousands upon thousands of gallons per year.
2. Go with native plantsChoosing native plants -- that is, plants that would naturally grow in your area — is a really easy way to save water. Here's the theory: Native plants have evolved to thrive given the precipitation and weather patterns of your backyard; if you live in a dry climate, they don't require much supplemental watering, and if you live in a damp climate, they won't explode with all the extra water. They "know" how to store water from spring rains so they can thrive in drier summers, and tend to have deep roots, to search out sources of a cool drink, deep down in the soil. And, even in the driest of summers, they just need a quick drink every now and then. Check out the Grow Native! project for more info on choosing native plants. Potential savings: If you replace a water-intensive 100 square foot garden with native plants, you can save more than 500 gallons a week.
3. Choose other water-conserving plantsEach individual tomato plant will transpire -- that is, "breathe" out moisture — 30 gallons of water, over its lifespan; a single corn stalk will transpire 55 gallons. Vegetables are 80 to 95 percent water, and some of that gets breathed back into the air by the plants. While it's a perfectly natural, and even healthy, process, carefully choosing your plants can save lots of water over a summer watering season. Potential savings: Over 500 gallons for just five tomato plants and seven stalks of corn.
4. XeriscapeDerived from the Greek word 'xeros,' meaning 'dry,' plus 'landscape,' Xeriscaping is catching on as the perfect marriage between pretty plants and water conservation. While it can include water-hoarding succulents like cacti, it certainly doesn't have to; the idea behind a Xeriscapes is to create gardens with a rational water use, to avoid any wasted water. Taking the native garden to the extreme, properly designed xeriscapes minimize water loss through evaporation and run-off. Each is a bit different, depending on your particular location, but there are even ways to include grass -- there are varieties of drought-tolerant turf grass, for example. Potential savings: 50 to 80 percent; that means if you're an average lawn-watering family of four, and 50 percent of your water gets used outside to begin with, you could cut your water consumption by 150 gallons a day.
5. Skip the sprinklerIf you've followed some (or all) of these tips, and still need a way to give your plants a drink, be sure to water wisely. Your best bet is to skip the sprinkler (see how that sprinkler in the picture above is spraying up in the sky? Not good.), and go with a drip irrigation system. They're about 90 percent efficient, compared to between 65 and 75 percent for sprinklers, meaning that 90 percent of the water gets to where your plants can use it. That extra 15 to 25 percent will really add up. Potential savings: A garden for a family of four can save up to another 150 gallons per day with a drip irrigation system.
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Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center
 "Native Plant Search Database" |  |
Ecological Impact of Lawns
 Latest Seasonal Assessment - Hot temperatures combined with below-normal rainfall have resulted in drought expansion across the western Gulf region while an exceptional drought continues in south Texas. Drought is forecast to persist across south Texas, but short- term improvement is likely in the lower Mississippi Valley. It should be noted that the arrival of El Niño could bring relief to the Texas drought later in the fall and winter. The southwest monsoon that typically peaks during August should result in improvement across eastern New Mexico. Improvement is also forecast for drought areas across southern Nebraska and Oklahoma where much needed rainfall and cooler temperatures are expected during the remainder of July. Some improvement is forecast across the upper Midwest. Although not depicted on the map, eastern Ohio should be closely monitored for drought development. Climatology favors persistence across California and Nevada. Persistence is also forecast across interior Washington and Montana. Improvement can be expected in southeast Alaska. Improvement has recently occurred along the eastern slopes of Hawaii’s Big Island, but drought persistence or development is forecast for the remainder of the Hawaiian Islands
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More Lawns than Irrigated Corn |
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