Thanks guys for all the input, it is really helpful. Silvia - I know it is just a community garden, but I enjoy making it look nice and it is something I willing to spend a little money on so I am planning to do a trellis along the back for staking. Silvia and Tom - I am intrigued by the paper bag idea you and Tom suggested. I have fairly unlimited access partially composted (I wouldn't call it completely composted) horse manure supplied by the park district. I added almost 30 wheelbarrows full to my first plot and didn't get any burn symptoms. Could I use some of this in the bags or would it have to be exclusively the normal mix of peat, perlite, fines etc? I am assuming that if I use plastic containers, I should stick to strictly the potting mix. Would there be any advantage to using containers vs. bags since I have the containers already? Also, Tom I tried to investigate as much as I could about your double bucket system before posting this. You use a reverse reservoir right with the outer bucket completely intact? How could I use a more simple set up? If I do sink the containers I should line underneath with newspaper right. I don't think there is any restrictions on containers, several people have earth boxes and other large containers on their plots. The whole thing seems pretty laissez-faire. I do visit the plot almost every day. I work as a tutor and am often driving through in addition to having a lot of extra flexible time during the day. I have been watering everyday for the past couple of weeks. However, this has mainly been to nurse the lettuce through the heat. Everything else can currently go 2 days or more (I think because of the added manure, peat, and perlite). In the past, I have only had to water the containerized super sweet 100s when they got over 5/6 feet. But, in either case, I plan to be out there pretty frequently. Amberroses - I have some of the cherries purchases already but am definitely looking into resistant varieties for the rest. Someone at the garden today suggested Beefmaster, Better Boy, Ofri?, and Charger. I think there was one other one, but I can't remember. He said these transplants are available at the earthbox store in Ellenton. I am including some before and after pics of my first plot started late January, partially so you can get an idea of the size and partially because I am just still so excited about it:) Once amended, the soil line is now about 2-3" above the sides.

Diane, Dawna & Randy: Thanks so much for sharing your greenhouse knowledge and experiences with me. OwieBrain: When that precious baby finally lets you get back onto the computer, will you tell me what you'll do differently when you build the permanent greenhouse after the house you're building is finished? Dawna: Well, wish I'd known about the greenhouse auction too! That's the breaks! Thanks for describing your greenhouse so well. From your description, I felt I could really picture it! You and Randy both made me realize that I needed to go wider than I was originally planning. And thanks a lot for telling me that peagravel is hard to walk on. I had no idea! And, there is no way on this earth I am going to tell my DH just how much time you spend in your greenhouse....even though I am sure I'll spend just as much in mine! I wouldn't want him to think of it as "gaining a greenhouse and losing a wife...." lol lol lol So, where are y'all going to build in the fall? In the same area where you are now? Randy, I think I'd give my left arm to have a greenhouse as large as yours...but then, I'm not planning to make a living with mine, so guess it wouldn't be necessary for it to be that large! I love that yours is expandable. Also, thanks a lot for the description of the heating system...it is an area that has baffled me the most. The Jet Flow system sounds amazing! And the advice on estimating costs is so helpful. Since we've built the mega-garage/barn and the new chicken coop lately, we've gotten pretty good at estimating what it will cost us...and we know it always costs more than you think it will! Last week I was reading a newspaper article about my favorite regional gardening expert--Texas horticulturalist, writer/publisher and radio show host Neil Sperry. In they article they mentioned two facts that amazed me: (1) after THIRTY YEARS he believes his home landscape is "coming along" and he just about has it the way he wants it. That reminded me that home landscaping is a long-term project and I need to be patient! (2) His greenhouse is 30' wide by 60'long! Can you imagine having all that space? I am sure I'll never have a greenhouse that big, but it is fun to think about it, isn't it? With a son in college and with us writing that college some big tuition and dorm payments every semester, my greenhouse may have to start out small to medium and grow over the years, after he finishes college and all that. I do think I will start out larger than I originally planned, though, as wider seems better. I am learning so much from this thread. Hope those of you who have greenhouses will continue to educate me! Thanks! Dawn

You know, I think our traditional Thanksgiving meal is about as close as we get to indigenous food, right? The wild turkeys were here when the first Puritans arrived. The native Americans were raising corn and squash and beans, I think, and sunflowers as well, which was a major vegetable protein source for them via the seeds which are easy to preserve. Cranberries are native in some parts of the country, and so is wild rice. So, all those ingredients are more or less indigenous American foods. Maybe one problem is that our nation is so large geographicaly, so we do have more regionalized "America food" depending on what foods are readily available in each region instead of a well-known "American" cuisine. For example, if you grew up in Boston, you might argue that lobster and Boston baked beans are true American cuisine, but if you grew up in Georgia or South Carolina, maybe you'd insist it was barbeque, baked beans, cornbread and grits. I was thinking about what kind of native food a forager would find growing naturally here in Oklahoma....there's wild game, of course, and wild blackberries and wild grapes here in southern OK, and some of you probably have wild huckleberries or currants in some eastern parts of the state that we don't have here. Here in southern OK, we have the wild prickley pears (you can make jelly from them) and native pecans and walnuts, and persimmons. There's also several kinds of wild plums, and you can fish in the Red River for catfish. Dorothy, I think I am going to grow peanuts next year so we can make our own peanut butter without all the additives. I remember having a Mr. Peanut machine when I was a little kid....you put the peanuts in his hat and turned the handle and got peanut butter (a peanut paste probably would be a better description). It was simple, so it seems like it'd be simple to make homemade peanut butter in the food processor or blender. Carol, I love all those old Southern Living recipe books...they are my kind of cooking! Another great cookbook full of old-style southern cooking is Fannie Flagg's Original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook, which came out at about the same time that her book, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, was made into the movie of the same name. If my grandmother and southern aunts had written a cookbook of the foods they prepared their entire lives, it would have been very, very similar to Fannie Flagg's cookbook. Dawn

This is one of my favorites: Shrimp & Snap Pea Salad with Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette Serves 4 as a main course 1-1/2 pounds large shrimp (about 32-36 per pound) 2 cups snap peas (about 1/2 pound, trimmed) 3 green onions, trimmed and minced Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons white vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon honey (my "tweak") 3 - 5 dashes hot sauce Garnishes 1/2 cup diced mango 1/2 cup chopped roasted cashews lime wedges Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shrimp and cook 3 - 4 minutes, until they turn pink. Drain, run under cold water, peel and devein. Meanwhile, bring another pot of salted water to a boil, drop in snap peas and boil, uncovered, 2 - 3 minutes, until just tender and still bright green. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking. To make vinaigrette: Whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, ginger, honey, and hot sauce in a small bowl until well-combined. Put shrimp, snap peas, and green onions in a large bowl, add vinaigrette, and toss well. Divide the mixture among 4 plates and garnish each serving with the diced mango, chopped nuts, and lime wedges. Source: The Beach House Cookbook, copyright 2005 Lori Here is a link that might be useful: Showing newest posts for query salad. Show older posts Saturday, June 11, 2011 Rigatoni with Broccoli, Garlic & Breadcrumbs Whenever I visit New York City with my friends and family, we often visit our favorite Italian restaurant there - Carmine's. The mid-town Manhattan location is always busy, especially with the many Broadway patrons before and after shows. I've even had the opportunity to bump into some of Broadway's biggest stars (I once saw Patty Lupone!) The food is always wonderful and plentiful, just like most Italian homes, whether it's one of their wonderful salads, hot or cold appetizers, delicious meat dishes, or, of course, the many pasta dishes they offer. One of my daughter's favorites is their Rigatoni with Broccoli, Garlic & Olive Oil which comes sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs and grated Parmegiana-Reggiano. It's a delicious non-meat entree that will satisfy even the dedicated carnivores at your dinner table. Rigatoni with Broccoli, Garlic & Breadcrumbs Serves 4 3/4 to 1 pound broccoli florets 1 pound rigatoni 5 tablespoons olive oil 1⁄3 cup dried breadcrumbs 4 - 6 cloves thinly sliced garlic 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1⁄2 cup grated Parmigiana-Reggiano Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.Add the broccoli and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Set aside. Bring the water back to a boil and add the pasta.While the pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over low heat. Add the bread crumbs, stirring, until the crumbs are toasted a golden brown. Remove the breadcrumbs to a small bowl and set aside. Return the skillet to the heat and add the remaining olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes.Cook until fragrant, then stir in the broccoli. Stir to coat with the oil as the broccoli reheats, and taste for seasoning. If pasta is not yet done, keep the heat low to avoid burning the broccoli. Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the broccoli mixture.Cook over high heat for a minute or so to evaporate any water from the pasta, then stir in the bread crumbs and cheese and serve immediately. You might also like: Shrimp Tacos Gnocchi with Sage Butter Coconut Muffins LinkWithin Posted by Lori (All That Splatters) at 7:41 PM 7 comments Links to this post Labels: Pasta, Vegetables Saturday, May 21, 2011 Garlicky Chicken in Red Pepper Sauce This is another recipe I received in an email from Fine Cooking in their