After these months of fresh from the plant salad makings I don't think I can go back to stuff from Publix. I'm planning to try several things to see which we like best and will grow best in our area. From what I've read, Okinawa spinach has the best flavor (and only propagates from cuttings; sadly I have none). I'm going to copy my notes from my journal below; I have managed to locate some of these seeds so drop me a note if you would like a few of any to try. Winged Bean - The plant produces pea-like beans with four winged edges. Almost every part of this unique plant is tasty and edible. The fresh young pods are similar to green beans with a chewy texture and a slightly sweet taste. When cooked, the leaves taste like spinach and the flowers like mushrooms. The firm-fleshed roots have a nutty flavor. This remarkable bean could become one of the most important crops for underdeveloped countries, because it offers a high source of protein. Winged bean is a tropical plant and grows vigorously in warm climates. However, this plant does not produce beans well during the long day season, but will bear/produce lots of beans when a shorter day season arrives in late summer and fall. Therefore it is suggested to consider this day length situation in planning your planting/growing time for obtaining the best results. India Spinach Beet - a fast growing vegetable, native to Indian hot and raining summer weather. Leaves are smooth, tender and uniformly green. First cutting can be done in 25 to 30 days after sowing and subsequent cuttings can be harvested in 15-20 days. Instead of the cutting method, some people like to harvest by picking outter leaves for eating, while the plant continues to produce more new inner leaves. This vegetable is strongly resistant to heat and is one of the most popular greens during hot summer in India and Southern Asia. 'Spinach Beet' : Leaves and leaf stems - raw or cooked like spinach. A very good spinach substitute, the leaves are large and easily harvested, yields are high. Some people dislike the raw leaves since they can leave an unpleasant taste in the mouth. Flowering stem - cooked. A broccoli substitute. Looks a lot like chard I think. Also called perpetual spinach I think. Quoting from an Orlando Sentinel Article (May 6, 2000!): Okinawa spinach, quailgrass, mountain orach and Brazilian spinach are among the most attractive. Also, they will all grow as container plants. Spinach oleoraceae is the typical green spinach of Popeye fame. Many other plants have the same common name. They are potherbs that produce edible leaves which are boiled or cooked like spinach. Why not try them? Malabar spinach, featured at Epcot's Land Pavilion, has attracted a lot of interest. The plant grows as a heat-tolerant vine with red or green foliage. Leaves should be harvested frequently as mature leaves are tough. Young leaves and shoots taste like sweet corn and can be eaten fresh or cooked. New Zealand spinach is another hot-weather groundcover crop. It has potential as a heat-hardy hanging-basket plant. Seeds are often available commercially. The plants are drought-tolerant and grow in full sun or light shade. Plants grow from cuttings and re-seed easily in frost-free areas. Tender new shoots of New Zealand spinach can be used in a salad. For the best cooked flavor, boil the leaves twice, pour off the first water and add fresh water for the final cooking. Relatives of true spinach and beets include strawberry spinach and tree spinach. Strawberry spinach gets its name from the small strawberrylike fruit that can be eaten raw or cooked. Young leaves are eaten in soups and salads. It reseeds easily, as Hank Bruce puts it, ``with enthusiasm.'' Beware of where you plant it. Tree spinach grows to a height of 8 feet or more. Eaten cooked or raw, this is another easy-to-grow vegetable. Mountain spinach, Atriplex hortensis, known as garden orach, is another spinach relative. This attractive plant produces 4- to 6-foot-tall plants with leaves that may be red, green or white depending on the variety. Coastal gardeners may want to try this salt-tolerant green. Leaves are arrowhead-shaped and can be eaten raw or cooked. Keep flower spikes trimmed to promote tender growth. African spinach, Celosia argentea, is in the amaranth family. This African native is known as quailgrass in the United States. This plant is an annual that produces attractive flowers suitable for drying. The leaves are red and green and can be eaten fresh or cooked. Tender stems can be cooked like asparagus shoots. This heat lover grows well in pots or in the garden. Provide full sun and adequate moisture. Harvest often to maintain plants at 2 to 3 feet high. Brazilian spinach, Alternantheria sisso, as its name implies, is native to South America. This plant is another amaranth but grows as a groundcover growing to 10 to 12 inches high. It thrives in partial shade or full sun and prefers soil enriched with compost. Chinese spinach, Amaranth gangeticus, is another heat-loving annual. It is a popular addition to Asian diets. This plant grows quickly from seed. Grow it in full sun and provide uniform moisture for best flavor. A daisy relative, Okinawa spinach, Gynura crepiodes, has attractive succulent leaves that are dark green above and purple underneath. Leaves have a nutty taste. Eat the leaves fresh or lightly steam them to avoid a mushy product. The daisylike blooms attract butterflies. Bruce has found this one to be the most adapted to our Florida summers. If you are unable to locate seeds, contact Bruce at 352-383-2704 or by e-mail at hankbruce@mail2.LCIA.com He is eager to hear about your growing experiences. Diversify your garden, plant some uncommon vegetables and learn about other cultures. You may find we have a lot in common - we need to eat. Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization, or ECHO, is in North Fort Myers. The group shares information and seeds from a variety of crops being used and evaluated throughout the world. The group conducts classes and tours and links growers to research. For more information, visit ECHO on the Web at www.echonet.org or call 941-543-3246. Jim Stephens, vegetable specialist at the University of Florida, has produced a Manual of Minor Vegetables that includes growing tips on a variety of uncommon vegetables. Contact the Osceola County Extension Office at 407-846-4181 or e-mail us at oscmg@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu for ordering information. Okinawa Spinach is grown and sold locally by Simple Living Institute Pigeon Pea grows well here in the summer - small bush Mexican tarragon, Cuban oregano, African blue basil, fennel - these all should do well in the summer and possibly be perennial. One of these days I should try perilla Look at Asian greens and vegetables and look for names like "tropical"; or look for Taiwan named/developed plants; or Southern China, middle India. Hint! Look at other countries/cities around the world in our latitude. Senposai, Ching-Chiang Cabbage - Hybrid Tropic Wonder, Yu Choy Hybrid, - reportedly grew and tasted good in Houston ~dianne

Okay Michelle..you are simply amazing with the goodies you come up with! Those parasols look like the tart molds I pour candle wax into... yes? scalloped metal tart molds? Gluten Free Tempura Batter from 125 Best Gluten Free Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt 1 c potato starch 2 t GF baking powder 1/2 t salt 1/8 t cayenne~*~ 3/4 milk 1 T veg oil 1 egg 1/2 c sweet rice flour 1 lb large shrimp 1 lb large scallops 1 sweet potato sliced 1/8" 2 small zuchini, cut into 1/4" slices 4 oz button mushrooms 4 green onions, cut into 1" pieces In a large bowl combine potato starch, baking powder, salt and cayenne, mix well and set aside. In a seperate bowl, beat milk, oil and egg. Slowly add in dry ingredients. (*This will settle so you'll need to stir here and there as you use it.) Dredge seafood and vegetables in sweet rice flour. Dip a few pieces at a time into prepared batter to generously coat. Deep-fry until golden. Drain on Paper Towels. *my observation. I used just under a pound of cod filet cut into 2 bite pieces and one whole large sweet onion..there was still about 1/2 c batter left..So it is quite generous. ~*~Use paprika if you don't want cayenne (I didn't notice any heat from the cayenne though.) Either one helps with browning. White fish fillets or any vegetable combination works.

So many great looking meals! Ann_t, how on earth you can’t love your salads I don’t know! They always look delicious. How wonderful to have so many lovely tomatoes. I get you aren’t a salad eater, but… my goodness! Petalique, I was hoping someone would post a pizza – I’m so hungry for pizza. Your tomato and zucchini looks incredibly tasty – don’t you love how great those ‘whatever we’ve got’ pizzas always come out?! Always a pleasant surprise! Artemis_ma, you never fail to surprise me; I’d never have thought to stuff a pepper with potatoes, let alone Indian spices – sounds and looks so good. I need to be more adventurous : ) Jasdip, your pasta and tomato meal looks the best to me and has my mouth watering : ) Something about that combination just tastes so good. I’ve not made that this summer… yet! I like that you used asparagus. Your pot roast is making me pretty hungry too – we love a good well-done, melt in your mouth roast. Only thing I don’t like is how the onions always melt down to nothing and I find myself searching for more in the DO! Neely, I don’t even know where to start – that steak sandwich looks delish, your soup/stew is wonderful (you always have such nice chunky veg!). I know what you mean about sometimes just needing vegetables! But you do know what caught my attention! Your fromage frais with the poached egg on toast! Looks marvelous! Nancyofnc, I do that too! (put labels on food for parties). Your tea sandwiches turned out so pretty – and I can almost taste the marmalade/ricotta! Those tomato ‘bugs’ are adorable and I bet they were a hit too! ETA: Sleevendog, for some reason your posts never show up for a while for me! Wanted to say that tomato pic... oh my gosh. That's all I can say! Speechless! Also, thanks for the help with sous vide - that black and blue steak salad below took me zero time to put together because the steak was already done except for searing - following your example : ) Thursday I wanted to grill, so gorgonzola burgers 3-bean bake, and grilled corn. That’s not a lettuce tree growing out of the burger, just an odd camera angle! Friday was busy, so poofed ribs – Ann_T’s recipe – so good! Made more Tunnel Bar-b-que sauce but didn’t thin it as much with Stubb’s and found it was more to our liking with that kick. Made DH some country baby kale (you know, cooked to death with bacon, vinegar, chicken stock). Saturday I needed veg, so black and blue salad hit the spot for both of us. Yes, that’s my plate. Yes, I eat that much : ) Sunday we had Mesquite Salmon with herbed mayo/mustard seed sauce, roasted cherry tomatoes (from my neighbor’s garden) with shallots and basil, and rice.

Don't celebrate - used to, some, when the kids were young. Don't remember whether I did for them after we parted, when they were 9 and 6, probably something to reassure them that Dad still loved them. Just dug out the fourth last chocolate mound, one of the box of cookies that my neighbours gave me for Christmas, cut it into about six thin slices that I've been enjoying while reading your stories. What's that? It isn't Val Day yet? Oh, well - that chocolate (those slices) sure tasted good! Think I may be able to leave at least one alone till next Thursday? ole joyful