Blackberry Review 2014
jtburton
9 years ago
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mrsg47
9 years agodrew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Blackberry Review
Comments (43)I really like this thread, as I am especially interested in blackberry flavor. Ouchita - planted as a large specimen in 2014. Vigorous, upright grower, throwing canes 10' in the air. It is also suckering like crazy, up to 10' feet away, which I view as a plus. Earliest fruit for me this year, mid June and is finishing now, with no more unripe berries left on the bush. I may be harvesting early, but I find this one quite sour. Chester - planted in 2014, only the roots survived an early frost. It recovered extremely well and is another vigorous grower. It has been tip-rooting and I have about four new plants out of that. The fruit is ripening in the last week of June and I expect to continue through the first few weeks of July, based on the unripe berries on the plant. These harvest sweet than Ouchita. Neither have much flavor beyond sweet / sour. I planted Black Satin and Apache this year on a hill in partial shade, we'll see how they do. Apache's first cane bore a lot of fruit this year, nothing outstanding in the flavor department....See More2014 ARS Roses in Review Survey - Your Input Needed!
Comments (3)Diane - I really appreciate this reminder you send every year and I learn to rely on it. I had about 30 roses I grow or have grown in this year's list. Not only is it great to get an automatic copy of the RIR survey results for your area each year, but there can be other perks of filling out this survey. Once years ago there were so many respondents from our region that there were random drawings of a gift certificate to people who responded from that region, which was a great unexpected perk. Regardless, we always wish there were better information about the roses we grow or want to grow from our own region, and this is the means by which this kind of information is gathered. Even if you only grow a few roses, be sure to check it out. Most of the roses are relatively new releases but not entirely, so do check it out! Cynthia...See MoreNew Recipe Review January 2014
Comments (4)I'll continue the Mexican food theme with braised pork tacos I recently made courtesy of Rachel Ray. I made it last week and Chris and I really enjoyed them. I am not usually a huge fan of her 30 minute meals but I searched for braised pork tacos and the recipe sounded good with 5 star reviews. Plus it's not a 30 minute meal. I prepared exactly as directed my only critique is I would have liked a little more heat but I like my food spicy and that can easily be fixed. Oh and I used green jalapenos instead of red chilies because that's what the grocery store had available. Maybe that was my heat problem. I was thinking of not making the pickled onions but I was very happy I did. They really balanced the flavor of the tacos and were super simple to make. INGREDIENTS 1 (4 to 5 pound) boneless pork shoulder Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 onions, cut into wedges, root end attached 4 large cloves garlic, crushed 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves, half a palmful 2 red chiles, thinly sliced 4 bay leaves 1 (12-ounce) bottle Mexican beer 2 cups chicken stock 4 oranges, juiced about 2 cups 1 chipotle pepper, seeded and finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce 2 limes, juiced 1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup sugar 2 small red onions, thinly sliced 1 cup drained sliced store-bought pickled jalapenos or banana pepper rings 1/4 head red cabbage, shredded 1 cup crumbled queso fresco or 2 cups shredded Monterey jack 16 corn or flour tortillas, charred over open flame and kept warm in tortilla warmer or towel DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper, to taste, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Pat the pork dry with a paper towel. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over high heat with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan. Put the pork in the pot and evenly brown the meat all over, it will take about 10 to 12 minutes; remove the pork to a plate and reserve. Turn heat down to medium-high, and add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pot, a couple of turns of the pan. Add the onions and garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, the oregano, 1 sliced chili pepper and 2 bay leaves and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the beer, scraping up the bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the chicken stock and orange juice. Add the reserved pork back to the pot (the liquid should come about 2/3 the way up the meat) and bring to a simmer. Cover and put the pork in the oven, turning the meat halfway through cooking, until the meat is very tender, about 2 1/2-3 hours. Remove the pork from the pot, to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat apart with 2 forks. Simmer the braising liquid over medium heat until reduced by half. Add the chipotle and adobo sauce and the lime juice. Add about 2/3 of the shredded meat and stir. Cool the remaining shredded pork and chill for another use. While the pork is cooking, prepare the pickled red onions: in a small saucepot, bring the white wine vinegar, sugar, teaspoon of salt, remaining chili pepper and bay leaves to a simmer over low heat. Put the sliced red onions in a small sealable container. Carefully pour the hot liquid over the onions, cover and give it a shake. You may need to lift the lid to release some of the pressure. Every now and then, give it a good shake. Refrigerate to cool. To serve, put the chipotle pulled pork on a platter and garnish with pickled onions and pickled jalapeno slices. Serve with shredded cabbage, crumbled cheese and tortillas for wrapping....See MoreMay 2014 New Recipe Review
Comments (6)I had a small boneless pork loin roast. Didn't feel like making a roast--the weather was great--so cut it into some thick chops and went looking for a new marinade recipe. The cinnamon in the recipe was a new wrinkle for me as I had never used cinnamon in a marinade before. Turned out quite good. Served some of the reduced sauce on the chops and drizzled a bit over plain white rice. Recipe Source: Allrecipes Grilled Pork Loin Chops Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons ketchup 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 (6 ounce) thick-cut boneless pork loin chops Directions: 1. Mix the garlic, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, ginger, onion powder, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Pour half the mixture into a large plastic zipper bag, and place the pork chops into the marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag, and seal the bag. Refrigerate 4 to 8 hours, turning occasionally. Refrigerate remaining marinade in the bowl. 2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate. 3. Remove the pork chops from the plastic bag, and shake excess droplets of liquid from the chops. Discard the marinade from the plastic bag. Grill chops on the preheated grill, basting with the reserved marinade until meat is browned, no longer pink inside, and shows good grill marks, 8 to 10 minutes per side. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chop should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). 4. Pour remaining reserved marinade into a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the marinade until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly; serve sauce with chops....See Morejtburton
9 years agojtburton
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9 years agoRedSun (Zone 6, NJ)
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9 years agoRedSun (Zone 6, NJ)
9 years agodrew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
9 years agoRedSun (Zone 6, NJ)
9 years agodrew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
9 years agoRedSun (Zone 6, NJ)
9 years agodrew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
9 years agoRedSun (Zone 6, NJ)
9 years agodrew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
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