Hi all, new to the forum. :) Hubby and I are gardening in Wheat Ridge. 2013's good, bad, and just plain weird... Yellow Cherry went steroidal on us, breaking down the biggest tomato cage we had. It had so many fruits on just one plant that I made tomato juice out of self-defense (it was delicious, btw). Golden Jubilee was a big disappointment. It ripened one fruit, which I never tasted because my visiting six-year-old niece was so enthralled with it that I gave it to her. The plant unfortunately never produced any more, but I'm hoping it was a good investment in the next generation of gardeners. Siletz had what I ended up calling "Teenage Mutant Ninja Tomatoes". It producedvery well, but the fruits were the weirdest thing I've ever seen. Almost all of them had what looked like stubby fingers growing from inside the fruit out through the blossom end. We later heard that there was a seed lot that had this strange mutation - evidently our packet was from that lot. (I had thought it was maybe our proximity to Rocky Flats!) They tasted fine, but were very weird-looking! Burgundy okra was a definite winner. I grew it out front in a rose bed we'd built that we didn't have the budget to plant entirely in roses. The okra flowers were pretty and occasioned lots of questions from neighbors who didn't know what it was, and we got enough okra pods to freeze a few bags. We haven't used it all up yet. Sugar Snap peas (the pole type) - another big winner. Nice fat, sweet pods and lots of them. We froze a bunch of these and are still enjoying them. Giant Marconi peppers - our first successful year with these. They really were giant! Good producer, too. Brassicas in general did rather poorly for us this year. Spring broccoli didn't produce till October, only one head of cabbage survived, and the cauliflower died the moment it was set out. Hard to tell with the potatoes. They got caught in that September deluge as we were starting to dry down the vines, and almost every spud split because of the sudden excessive moisture. They taste good, but look awful. That was our 2013...

A month or so ago, I made some BBQed chicken quarters. It was trouble from the beginning. I had foolishly purchased one of those big bags of chicken quarters. They were sold refrigerated, but I knew I wasn't going use them any time soon. When I got them home, I threw the entire bag in the freezer just as it was. When I went to use them, much to my "surprise" they were all stuck together in a big frozen blob. I should have thawed them in a dishpan of cold water, but I didn't feel like waiting. So, I got the "smart" idea to throw the whole bag in the microwave to defrost just enough to pull them apart. It was hard to cram that whole bag in the microwave! I got it in and somehow managed to get the door shut, the turntable didn't turn, but I didn't care. I started defrosting for a little bit, but it was cooking parts of the chicken, but not defrosting it. So, I took the whole blob over to the kithen sink and ran hot water on it just to get it the pieces separated. All this to say... it was a lot of work before I even STARTED cooking it! So, to have it end in disaster was that much worse! I finally made the chicken and had a piece of it. It was wonderful! Then I went to put the 3 or 4 leftover pieces away. My plastics were all full or dirty, so I put the chicken on a plate and wrapped it in foil... that's how my entire family always wrapped their leftovers.... I'd never done it until that day. I must have spun around too fast when I tuned to grab the 'fridge door handle because the chicken pieces all landed on the kitchen floor and I still had the plate and foil in my hand. I didn't even think to take the skin off (that's the best part anyway, what's the point of eating it w/o the skin) and try to salvage the rest. I was really looking forward to having the chicken for dinner that night and lunch the next day. Sadly, it all went in the garbage. When it happened, I just stood there frozen in shock for several seconds before I could even begin the clean up process. Then I used a the s, f, h, and d words! I also had a red accident. I had just made a big bowl full of cherry jello. I put it in the refrigerator to cool. As soon as I did, I realized I needed to get something else. I yanked the door open and the entire bowl flipped over. Since I had just made it, it was still in the liquid stage... It spattered on the clean dishes in the dish drainer, all over the cupboards and oven door, on my feet and ankles (it was hot too), and under the refrigerator. It wasn't a lot of work to make, but the clean up was awful! Lyra, I also shocked people who thought I was clean once! I was out to dinner with a (gay) church group. They often joked and said things that I didn't think should be said by "church people"... As a self-proclaimed prude, I was usually pretty quiet around them. Well, the oppotunity presented itself or me to insert my wicked humor, and I threw up a snide inuendo. Everyone at the table roared in laughter, including the minister! I was sitting across from the music director and he said, "My gracious Bobby. I'm proud of you. I've never heard you say anything 'like that' before. I didn't think you had it in you!"

Ann, try saving it to your Clippings. Look to the right of your last post (just above this). You will see the word Clippings in green letters. Under that it will say Clip This Post. For each recipe or comment you want to save, click on Clip This Post. Another way to do it is to highlight the entire thread, or the parts you want, right click with your mouse and then click on Copy. Start a new document in Word and paste the thread into that document, then save it to your computer. If you want me to do that for you and then email it to you, let me know.

Here are some recipes from our family cookbook. You have my sympathy. I always get over zealous in planting eggplant. Then... They all seem to come at once and keep producing. I love eggplant, but after a while, I can't bear to look at them. Unfortunately, eggplant dishes don't seem to freeze very well. I know the challenge you're facing. You've got to use them up while they're still fresh. Good luck! Melintzanosalata (Roasted Eggplant Salad) Deliciously different! A perfect appetizer spread with crackers. 1 large eggplant 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed ¼ cup chopped parsley ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup wine vinegar or lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon) Salt and pepper to taste Place whole, washed eggplant in greased baking pan. Bake at 350° oven 60 minutes, until soft. Allow skin to turn black so as to give a smoky flavor to the salad. Allow eggplant to cool off a bit so you can handle it. Slice the eggplant down the middle and scoop out the pulp. Put the eggplant pulp on a cutting board and chop it up finely. Lightly sauté chopped onion and garlic in olive oil. In a bowl, combine the chopped eggplant, onion and garlic mixture with all the olive oil, and vinegar or lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with pita bread, flat bread, or whole wheat/sesame crackers (like Ak Mak). Briami (Baked Summer Vegetables) A variety of summer vegetables, baked in olive oil. A simple, tasty, and nutritious casserole. Use as a main dish or a delicious vegetable side dish. 1 pound summer squash (zucchini, crookneck, etc.) 1 pound eggplant 1 pound potatoes 2 onions 1 - 1½ pounds tomatoes (fresh or canned) ½ - 1 cup olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup chopped parsley ½ cup water, hot 2 green peppers (optional) 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional) 1 cup buttered breadcrumbs (optional) ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional) Scrub squash and cut off ends; cut in ¼ inch slices or in 1 inch chunks. Scrub eggplant and cut off ends; cut into ¼ inch slices. (Eggplant may be salted and set aside on paper towels to release moisture for at least 30 minutes. Rinse well before adding to casserole.) Wash and peel potatoes; cut in ¼ inch slices. Peel onions; cut in ¼ inch slices. Wash, peel and cut tomatoes into slices (roughly slice or chop canned whole tomatoes). If using peppers, wash, remove seeds and cut into strips. Beginning with sliced potatoes, layer all vegetables in a large casserole. Salt and pepper each layer of vegetables lightly (If eggplant slices have been pre-salted, do not salt eggplant layer.) Add olive oil and hot water. Cover and bake at 350° for 60 minutes. (If desired, sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese.) Uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Let stand uncovered 10-15 minutes before serving. For a complete vegetarian meal, serve with hearty bread slices and a fresh salad. May be served hot, warm, room temperature, or even cold. Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Casserole) A classic Greek dish, famous throughout the world, and a favorite at Greek restaurants and festivals. Delicious eggplant layered with a spicy tomato sauce and topped off with a Parmesan flavored egg custard. A feast for the eyes and the palate! Meat Sauce: 1 pound lean ground beef or lamb 2 large onions, finely chopped 2 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 - 6 ounce can.tomato paste ¾-1 cup water or broth (may substitute up to ½ cup wine for water or broth) 1/8-teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon Greek oregano Salt & pepper to taste Eggplant: 3 large eggplants Vegetable oil Flour (optional) Egg (optional) Cream Sauce: ½ cup flour ½ cup butter 2 cups warmed milk 4 eggs, beaten ¼ cup Parmesan cheese Dash nutmeg Salt to taste Meat Sauce Preparation: Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent; do not brown. In separate pan, brown ground beef or lamb; drain well. Add browned ground meat, tomato paste, water, broth, or wine, nutmeg, allspice cinnamon, and oregano to onion mixture. Simmer about 20 minutes over medium heat; sauce will not be juicy. Season to taste with salt and pepper (do not over salt). Cream Sauce Preparation: Melt butter and stir in flour. Cook over medium/low heat, stirring until mixture is well blended and bubbling. Off heat, add warmed milk slowly and stir continuously until sauce is well blended and thickened. Sauce will be quite thick. Season lightly with salt. Allow sauce to cool. Add beaten eggs to sauce; stir until all sauce is blended with eggs. Stir in ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and dash nutmeg. Eggplant Preparation: If desired, peel eggplant. Slice into 1/3-½ inch rounds. Sprinkle both sides of slices heavily with salt. Set aside on paper towels to release moisture for at least 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant slices and blot completely dry. Choose a browning method for eggplant: 1.Baked Brush eggplant slices with oil and bake in 425° oven, turning once, until both sides are golden brown (about 10 minutes per side); do not overcook. 2.Broiled Brush eggplant slices with oil and broil, turning once, until both sides are golden brown (about 5-7 minutes per side); do not overcook. 3.Fried Coat the eggplant pieces generously with flour (if desired, dip slices in egg wash and flour a second time); heat oil in a skillet and fry eggplant, turning once, until golden brown; do not overcook; drain well on paper towels. Moussaka Assembly: Brush bottom and sides of deep 13" x 9" baking dish with olive oil. Place ½ of eggplant slices onto bottom of pan; cut slices to fit so that the entire surface is completely covered with eggplant. Spoon meat mixture over eggplant. Top with remaining eggplant slices; cut slices to fit so that the entire surface is completely covered with eggplant. Pour cream sauce over all; spread evenly to completely cover all the eggplant. Bake at 350° for 60 minutes (the top should be set, slightly puffy, and nicely browned). Let rest for 15 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. Variations: Potato: Potatoes may be substituted for part or for all of the eggplant. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/3-½ inch thick slices and fry before assembling the casserole. Place potato layer on bottom of casserole. Summer Squash: Summer squash (zucchini, crookneck, pattypan, etc.) may be substituted for part or for all of the eggplant. Cut squash lengthwise into 1/3-½ inch thick slices and either fry, broil or bake before assembling the casserole. Do not overcook squash, and do not use overgrown squash with large seeds.