Hi Kate,

WOW that was fast. You beat us.

We would like to thank all of our guests for coming and for the wonderful gifts they came bearing. We will treasure them.

Thank you very much Lisa (gmastiffs) for the mulberry cuttings. They came right on time for the BBQ.

Marcia and Felix - We missed you.

Here are some of the pictures for all of you who could not come.

Cuttings from Lisa. Again thank you Lisa.

Veggies used from our garden for salads at the BBQ.

Some of the food served.

Our wonderful guests.

And me at the grill.

Cannot wait for the next one.

Willy

*me, still grumbling about having to miss this!!!*
(I'm going to snivel and whine for days!!)

It looks like you all had a wonderful time, and I thank you so much for sharing the photos, Kate & Willy! I see a LOT of familiar faces there and so wish I could have been among the group! Especially after seeing that FANTASTIC spread you guys had! WOW!

But lucky me, I was visited this afternoon by a BBQ Fairy, who brought me baked beans, fresh tomatoes (oh, thank you, Tom!) and homemade wine!!! Thanks, Kathy! So nice of you to think of me over here in my abject misery!

I'm really glad you all had fun, and I can't wait for the next one, wherever it is!

Willy, your homegrown produce is amazing!! (And where are the pictures of the Official GardenWeb Spoons and Squeezebox Ensemble?????)

*going away now to mope and moan some more...and to drink some of my homemade wine, of course!!! That should make me feel better!*

Marcia

Looks like you guys had alot of fun :-) We love the kitchen.

It was great fun. Thanks Willie and Sylvia and Cheryl! The food was awesome and the company even better. The Deland contingent of the party had some adventures on the way home, too. We stopped by Biosphere after leaving Willie's and then when we were almost home, had a flat tire on I-4. All is well and it can get added to the list Gardenweb adventures.

I am sorry I wasn't able to attend. Looks like you guys had a lot of fun and the food looks fabulous. I truly would have loved to have come. Other gardeners inspire me to try to grow even more.

Willy it is nice to put a face to the name. Your pic's of your produce is always amazing to me. I may try beets myself. Can you eat them raw?

Looks like you all had a great time! There is nothing better than getting a bunch of gardeners together over good food. It is fun to see familiar faces again and to put faces to new names. I am inspired to throw a get together here at my place once the garden is back in shape!

Thanks for sharing!
nova

I am no longer a GW swap/meet/B-B-Q virgin !
This was my first one and I must say - WIlly , Silvia and Cheryl set the bar high for the next one . The food and hospitality was first class .
I had a blast and was so impressed with everyone's generosity and kindness .
Florida GWebbers are the best !
The DeLand group is lucky to be alive .
We had a BLOW -OUT at top speed on I-4 .
Thanks to ill-man's excellent driving skills , we avoided a disaster and limped to the side .
Castorp applied his tire changing skills but the jack blew out all it's fluid on their nice clothes .
Good thing gardencpa had her trusty cell phone and AAA card handy !
The team efforts of these three saved the day !!
And no plant was harmed in the making of this adventure .

I'm glad everyone's ok. I had a great time. Willy, Sivlvi, and Cheryl: Thankyou! The food was great and the company was awesome! Would anyone be willing to share some recipies? I especially liked the spelt salad, the beet and potato salad, the spicy humus, and the diacon salad. Yummmmmmmmm

great time, fellow gardeners! thanks, tomncath, for bringing the tomato cuttings. what a great idea! biosphere was a little worse for the freezes, but as always had plants that are hard to find elsewhere. lovely veg gardens, willy/sylvia/cheryl! you guys are an excellent example of a little self-sufficiency and horticultural beauty amidst suburbia.

and, as always, it was never about the food or the plants (which were great), but about hanging out with fellow gardeners and expanding our circles outward.

(oh, katkin, raw beets are fab: slice or grate them finely (i use a mandolin). dress well with olive oil and lemon juice (or wine vinegar), salt, pepper and a big dollop of horseradish. let it sit for a while to meld and soften. serve. mmmmmmmmmmmmm.)

Ohmygosh!!! A BLOW-OUT??? At top speed??? That's pretty darn scary, I must say. So glad you were all okay, and that no plants were harmed in the making of that adventure!

I still wish I had gone...but maybe I would have let KATHY take me home! Hahaha.

When Mark sees the pictures of all the yummy food you guys had, he will smack me across the head for choosing last week to have my tooth emergency.

Still waiting for the pics of the Ensemble. *tapping foot, here*

Marcia

Hi DeLand friends

I am so relieved that that you had the problem solved with the tire and you guys are fine and safe.

We are still thinking about the great time we had. We have to do this more often.

Christine, we got up this morning and had "fresh juice" what a treat! You are a Master of the jams too, that calamondin is to dye for.

And Katy I remember the homemade wine, we are so lucky to have sample such treats!

Michael's farro salad, great!
And Tom and Cathy and their wonderful tomatoes and salad. Wow!

Miranda, I am going to get the recipes together and post them for you. I am so glad you liked them.

Mary and Kate, we will treasure your homemade gifts for ever.

Christine, thanks a lot for the great gifts for the garden.
And Bill your roses are going to a special place in my house

Katkin, we hope that next time you can come. Like Michael said, beets are good raw, especially fresh from the garden.

trinigemini- Thanks

nova- We hoped to attend a get together at your place and meet you.

Willy & Silvia

Willy, Sylvia, and Cheryl, thanks so much for throwing the party. I had a great time. You have a beautiful home and garden.

I got lots of ideas looking at your garden--especially the the way you all are growing tomatoes. The raised beds are gorgeous. I love the way you have the pretty borage growing here and there amongst the greens. And I had no idea it was possible to grow cabbages here. Sylvia, please share your results with those more exotic varieties of tomatoes you're growing, and take some pictures for us when those wildflowers bloom around the tomatoes (I love that idea!) I really, really enjoyed the garden.

It was great seeing all of you again, and meeting many of you for the first time. The food was delicious--all the different salads, the dips, the rosemary puffs, the brie, Ill's spelt and Tom's tomato salad, Kathy's wines, the trifle, I enjoyed it all.

Thanks to Ill for driving and taking us to Biosphere afterward. I'd been wanting to there for a long time. I found three plants I've been looking for I don't know how long.

Thanks again to you all.

Bill

Marcia,Look at all those beautiful smiles!
All you guys look like you had a most wonderful time.
How I wish I had been there But my Sylvia had extreme dental work done and is still recovering. She's my driver
since I'm not able.
The vegetables,WOW! The women,WOW!LOL. But the foodlooks so
yummmmy! I need your hugs,guys. How I wish I had gotten them. I love you all!
Felix

(((((Felix))))) There, that hug will have to hold you until we can get together! Consider it a 'mental hug'!

Kate

I'm sending you hugs, too, Felix!!! You and I got ROBBED this time around, but that's Life, right? Sometimes things work out like you hope, and sometimes...not so much so!

Please tell Sylvia I've been thinking about her. Especially when I was down for the count with my throbbing toothache. The pain was awful, and I know hers has been really bad. I'm better today, and I sure hope she is too!

Yes, they all look like they are having such a good time...not stuck at home with a swollen jaw, sucking down smashed beanie weenies and orange Nehi! Urk! But NEXT TIME, mi amigo...you and I will be in the pictures, too, along with Sylvia and Mark, and all our friends!!!

Marcia

OMG, Mary, Michael, Christine, Bill & gang! That's soooo scary! I'm so thankful everyone is alright. Way to go Michael on your defensive driving skills. You're our hero!

Willy and Silvia, THANK YOU so much for the hospitality. Steve and I had such a nice time and your veggie garden is amazing! It's given me thought to what I should be doing with my garden.

Cheryl, PLLLLLEEEEAAASE post the recipe for those little rosemary roll thingies, they were SO good!

And Tomncath, the tomatoes are sublime!! I'm going to have one, cut in quarters, with a little salt for lunch! Now THAT'S what a tomato should taste like! The rest are going into a big pot of Crockpot Lasagna today (Weight Watchers recipe).

Kate & Bill, Willy and Silvia...a martini party is a MUST!

Thank you again everyone for all the fun, food, and wonderful friendship!

(p.s. my pics came out terrible!) :-(

Bill
I will take pictures of all the tomatoes and how they are doing. I am going to change the two beds and put beans and corn there. I will leave the borage since the butterflies love it.

Felix
I was so looking forward to see meet you, maybe we can go and visit you. Michael and Bill talked about it. Let us know. You were in our minds, we missed you and Marcia.

Kate
I heard about the martini party. Sounds great!

Kathy
We are going to post all the recipes, we are getting them together.
The martini party....Good idea!

Tom and Cathy
It was so nice to see you, you must be still at your cousins that we haven't heard from you. I am eating the tomatoes as we speaking. Tom, you are the Tomato King!

Willy & Silvia

Brie en Croute with Caramel and Walnuts
Ingredients
1/2 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
 Flour, for dusting work surface
 1 (8-13oz-ounce) round brie cheese, halved crosswise
 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (or more if using larger brie round)
 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts (or more if using larger brie round)
 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
 Apple slices & assorted crackers or fresh baguette slices, for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unfold the puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out slightly to smooth out any folds.
Place the bottom half of the brie round, cut side up in the center of the pastry. Gently pack the sugar on top of the brie and arrange walnuts on top of the sugar. Top with the remaining brie half, (cut side down). Trim the puff pastry so that there is only a 2-inch border around the brie. Reserve excess pastry trimmings for decoration, if desired. Use excess to shape decorations with cookie cutters or knife by hand (examples: flowers, leaves, etc.)
Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the egg wash and fold the pastry around the brie. Place the brie, seam side down, onto the prepared baking sheet. Use desired shape cookie cutter to cut designs from the excess pastry, if desired. Place on top of the brie and brush again with the egg wash.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Allow brie to stand for 3 minutes before serving with apple slices and assorted crackers or fresh baguette slices.

Smoky Chipotle Hummus
Ingredients
 1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
 1/4 cup water (or more to desired consistency)
 1/8 cup tahini (sesame-seedpaste)
 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
 1 tablespoons olive oil
 1 tsp of sauce and/or chipotle peppers to taste (1 can of chipotle in adobo sauce)
 1 clove garlic
 3/4 teaspoon cumin
 1 drained roasted red pepper (from a jar roasted red bell peppers)
 3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
 1/4 teaspoon salt & ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Place the garbanzo beans, water, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, chipotle pepper, garlic, and cumin in the bowl of a food processor; blend until smooth. Add the red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Pulse the mixture until the ingredients are coarsely chopped into the hummus base. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and chill until ready to serve.

Parmesan Rosemary Pinwheels
Ingredients
 2 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
 1 cup cream cheese (1 block of cream cheese  allow to be at room temp. for 1 hr or more)
 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
 8 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Separate dough into 4 rectangles on greased cookie sheet. Press to seal. Mix cheeses and rosemary together. Spread mix onto dough (about 2 tbsp per rectangle). Start at short side, roll up each rectangle. Pinch edges to seal. Cut each roll into 4 slices using serrated bread knife.
Bake 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Potato, Beet, and Pickle Salad
Ingredients
 5-6 medium-size beets, tops discarded & scrubbed
 3 cups bite-size red-skinned potato chuncks
 Salt
 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
 1-1/2 cups diced dill pickles
 1 rib celery, finely chopped
 ¼ to ½ cup finely chopped red onion, to your taste
 ¼ cup mayonnaise
 ¼ cup sour cream
 1-1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
 1-1/2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
 1-1/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
 Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
 Put the beets in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, then continue to boil until the beets are tender at the center, 30-45 min. test with a pairing knife or cake tester. Drain. When cool enough to handle, rub off the skins and cut the beets into ½ inche dice. Transfer to a large bowl.
 While the beets cook, put the potatoes in a medium-size saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook unitl just tender, 8 to 12 min. Drain, then spread in a shallow casserole and splach with the vinegar. Let cool to room temperature.
 Add the pickles, celery, onion, and cooled potatoes (with any loose vinegar) to the beets. In a small bowl, blend together the remaining ingredients and pour this dressing over the vegetables. Toss well to coat evenly, seasong with the salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrpa and refrigerate if not serving right away.

Garden Daikon Salad
Ingredients
 1 daikon radish (12 to 14 oz)
 1 garlic clove
 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
 2 tsp sugar, or more to taste
 1 tsp salt, or more to taste
 2 tbsp rice vinegar, or more to taste
 2 tsp soy sauce
 1 tsp Asian (dark) sesame oil
 3 scallions, both white and green parts, trimmed and finely chopped
 1 thinly sliced carrot
 1 thinly sliced cucumber

Directions
 Peel the radish with a vegetable peeler and cut off the ends, then cut in quarters lengthwise and crosswise into mandoline thin slices.
 Combine the garlic, ginger, sugar, salt in a serving bowl and mash together with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, sesame seeds, daikon, carrot and cucumber. Let stand 30 min. or as long as 8 hrs (if 8 hrs, cover and refrigerate).
 Just before serving, correct the seasoning, adding salt, vinegar, or sugar as necessary, the salad should be highly seasoned.

Borage? BORAGE!!! Oh, boy, would I love to have some borage! Did you plant yours from seed, Willy/Silvia? I've never seen the plants for sale down here. It held up okay in the freeze, I take it? I think it is lovely...sort of romantic looking. (I know, I'm weird.)

I want to try it when I finish preparing my new bed. Or maybe in a container. Would it do well in a container, do you think?

Marcia

Thanks for the virtual hugs Kate and Marcia. Poor syl
is eating liquis only and she's getting crabby,HELP!
I have been doing all the cooking but is no fun if my
Syl can't eat it.
"King of tomato", that makes me sad that Tony of Orlando is losing the title :-( I sure miss my buddy not posting on
GW any more. We comunicate once in a while but...
Felix

I don't know where to begin so I'll start here. Sylvia, I knick-named you "Swilly" as Cathy and talked about what a great time we had during the drive back to St. Pete today ;-) You, Willy and Cheryl really know how to throw a party! We want to thank you all for throwing this get-together, it was so much fun. Everything was amazing, the home and gardens, the gracious hosts, the camaraderie with fellow GW'ers and last but certainly not least the wonderful eats!

Marcia and Felix, I'm sorry you couldn't be there, I was really looking forward to meeting both of you but I guess this just means we'll have to plan another get-together soon!

DeLand'ers - I'm so glad youre all safe and your "adventure" had a happy outcome, stuff like that is so scary.

The food was delicious--all the different salads, the dips, the rosemary puffs, the brie, Ill's spelt and Tom's tomato salad, Kathy's wines, the trifle, I enjoyed it all.

Bill covered this so well, the only thing I didn't get to find out was if Cheryl is as good a cook as Sylvia, I know first hand Willy's skills at the grill ;-)

Christine - I'm afraid most of the plants you gave me were hijacked by my cousin but rest assured they have found a good home :-( :-) I'll send your Jeannie Moragne within the next few weeks.

Lisa thanks for sending the wonderful cuttings, Im now the proud owner of an East Coast mulberry :-)

Kate, Sylvia and Willy thanks for posting the great pictures, dont know why I even bother bringing a camera anymore.

I'm glad everyone enjoyed the cuttings and the maters, wish I'd had some of the Brandy Boys and Beefmasters from a few weeks ago to bring over...most of what was left were the stragglers before I pulled out the Big Beefs and Jetsetter's.

If Ive forgotten anyone please forgive me, it was truly a fun day. Swilly, I cant wait to see updated pictures of your garden; its definitely a work of art!

Tom

Hey Felix, I'm sad too that Tony isn't posting anymore and I'll NEVER replace him as Tomato King. I'm pretty much a traditionalist and just about done experimenting, I've got my staple four indeterminates now thanks to Tony, just have to settle on four cherries once I see if any can grow through the heat and humidity of June and July.

Tom

Marcia
I always plant borage, wherever I live. The freeze didn't bother them, they are blooming now and saw a bumblebee today around it. They were planted from seeds, I think they will do fine in a container. I can send you some seeds if you want to, I have plenty.

Tom
You are so smart! From now on I will be Swilly.
This morning, I check the tomatoes and the Beefmaster and the Indian Stripe had a little fruit on it.
I am growing your Magda squash next.
Tom, Cheryl makes the best cakes and pies. She is been baking since she was 12.
When we will have our mulberries from Lisa, Cheryl can make us a mulberry pie. Something to look forward...

Swilly

Mmmmmm..... mulberry pie. We'll put that on the 'must have' list for the martini party. Hey, how about Mulberry Martinis?!? This could be something new!

Kate

Not Fair!!! Other than Willy and Kate & Her Hubby I still am not sure who is who!! I want to know my sweet garden buds faces when I see them!! Looks like you all had a fantastic time. The food OH MY GOD...THE FOOD!! It all looks delicious. Thanks for sharing your day with us. Just wish I could have been there.

OK. Here's some names for you Cindee!

This is Nicky:

And this is Buffy:

But I don't have a picture of the 3rd little cutie!

Thank you Willy, Sylvia, and Cheryl for having us over for a get together. It was wonderful to meet you and the others. It's always fun to be with other fellow gardeners. However, I was expecting to see Marcia and Felix---perhaps next time. I know you both feel badly about missing out.

Willy ~ If I gave you too much fresh squeezed orange juice, it does freeze well. I figured that you would like the calamondin marmalade. Can't buy anything like that! You have also inspired me to grow borage. That was a very attractive plant.

Tom---Would you like for me to send you any more 'Ice Punch' poinsettia cuttings? or I could root some more? I started the squash seeds today that you shared with me. Can't wait to see how they taste.

For those of you that I gave banana plants to the variety name is: Klu Nam Wa. Considered a semi-dwarf. I've posted pictures of them and they are not small.

I guess the next adventure time will be next month for the ECHO gardening event that Ill-Man posted. Perhaps more of us will get to meet then.

Christine

Kate
I am growing the figs for both of us. Now I am the proud owner of Christine's Celeste and Purple Fig. With my Brown Turkey and Alma, we are set. Fig city!

You took some great shots of the dogs. Now only you are a very articulate Lady, but a great photographer!

Nikki was exhausted after a hard day' play, everyone was playing ball with her, and the third one probably was sleeping, that is his favorite past time.

I would like to thank the Husbands too, you couldn't ask for better support. Kathy and Kate's DH, you rock!

Christine
You are such a generous soul! Thank you- Thank you.
Is the papaya your Red Lady?
And, the fresh squeezed orange juice...we already finished. It was that good!!!
We will freeze the juice from the other citrus.

Swilly

I forgot to mention Cathy. What a sweet wife you have Tom!
A real keeper.

And we forgot to exchange addresses, in case anybody wants seeds. I was so busy with the preparations that I didn't remember this.

All of you who saw anything in the garden and liked it. I have plenty of seeds that I can mail you. Please send me your address if you like any borage, cabbage,the exotic tomatoes,etc. Cristine, Marcia, Bill, Miranda, or anybody else. Michael if you would like the foreign seeds we talked about I have plenty of those too.

Swilly

Hey, Marcia, (and everybody else), I took this pic of Willie & Sylvia's borage. Isn't it gorgeous tucked in between the carrots and kale?

Oh, boy, it sure is, Bill!! I just LOVE that plant. I'm tellin' ya...it's purely romantic looking!! I just have to try it. It seems to me that I always read it didn't grow well below Zone 8, so I never tried it. And as I say, I never saw it in the stores, either. But that's so healthy and lush looking. Yep...it's a must try, for sure!!

Didn't I read somewhere you can candy the flowers? Or am I hallucinating again? Probably. *goes off singing The Age of Aquarius*

Marcia

Bill ~ Great picture of the borage. That plant really got my attention too. Yes, Sylvia, I would love to have some seeds. Is it just a winter plant?

The 'Red Lady' papaya is one that I started from seed last September. They are usually large enough for a 3 gal. pot by now but the cold snap lasting the whole month of November really set the plant back.

Christine

Christine
Thank you for the Red Lady. I am going to plant it today. I can't wait to have papayas like yours.
I used to grow borage in Phoenix around this time of the year with the tomatoes. It takes the cold and the freezes real well, I don't think it is going to take the heat and humidity. I will let you know...

And yes Marcia the flowers can be candied for cake decorations and such.

We would love to attend the event at Echo, but unfortunately Cheryl is going to be in Dallas for work so we don't have a babysitter for the dogs.

By the way, she said that she only regret that she didn't try the beans in your hot pot. She loves beans! I told her that I did and they were delicious.

Please send me your address to my email, so I can send you some borage seeds. We are planning to attend the Leu Gardens event, so hopefully we'll see you there.

Swilly (I like my new nickname)lol

I've been lurking here since day one of this fantastic get-together, envying the gardens and drooling over the fntastic food. (and yes, I printed out all the recipes!) Maybe I can make it next time.

I'd like to add a bit in answer Marcia's question about candied borage flowers. They are also used as is as garnish for salads and the young leaf added to cold drinks. Chop the young leaf finely and add to salads, soft cheese and sandwiches.
AND its suggested that you plant borage near strawberries as they stimulate each other's growth. WHUTTA PLANT!
cora