ID These Leaves 有啥不同？

Yuzu tree leaves---new growth
I just received this tree from
Nichols Garden and Nursery in Oregon.
I thought the leaves are interesting,
they look like kaffir lime leaves at a glance,
but they are quite different from each other.
The leaves are lighter green in color, they are
more narrow and longer in shape,
the figure 8 loop is smaller at the bottom,
and the most obvious difference is that the
tree trunk and stems have huge long thorns.
Wonder yuzu is a cross between kaffir lime
and grapefruit or cross with orange?

Kaffir lime leaves---new growth
Figure 8 shape, bronze color
wider and rounding leaves.
The stems have less and very short thorns,
while the tree trunk has no thorns at all.


看來日本柚子和泰國檸檬是親戚
都是香味重的桔類，8字形葉
會不會是泰國檸檬和柚子
或桔子交配的後代呢？

YL Bean Diseases 豆角生病了

就是銅銹病和 leaf miner 蟲蟲囉

沒藥可救，全部拔掉
討厭，這是第二批了
第一批是毛豆

I have been growing beans along with bitter melons
in the past 3 years without any health issues,
I thought I'll try something different this year;
these YL beans are grown in EB without bitter melons.
I don't know what causes the diseases to strike, but I'm glad
I did not plant them into the raised vegetable bed, otherwise
all other vegetables will be affected also. I don't know what's
with beans, this is the second batch I yanked out; I took out
the soy beans seedlings 2 months ago for the same problem.
Could it be the environment not favorable for beans to grow
at the new house? Come to think of it, I have less herbs and
flowers to attract beneficial insects to patrol the garden. Umm~~~

過去三年種的豆豆有跟苦瓜一起種，沒蟲蟲也沒生病，
今年改變遊戲方式，改種盆沒和苦瓜一起，
居然不賞臉病給我看！

Sweet and Sour Plums 甜酸李

These preserved plums are slightly on the tangy side,
the Chinese brown sugar is not as sweet as I thought.
Adjustment notes for the next batch:
1. Salt the plums first
2. Do not use vinegar
3. Use rock sugar instead of brown sugar

The gin infused plums tastes much better than
this sweet and sour version.
Maybe it's because of the vinegar
which makes the plums more tangy than I like.

有點酸，不夠甜
下次不能加醋
改用冰糖，黃糖不夠甜
還是糖酒浸那個比較好吃

Nanking Cherries 中文叫啥？

Anyone knows what this is in Chinese?
The plant is a shrub originally from China,
I forgot to take a picture of the plant.

這是中國種迷你小櫻桃
味酸甜，可做果醬或其他點心
不知中文叫啥
看官知道嗎？
請指教

Sugar Peas 甜豌豆

First harvest of the sugar peas
after taking 4 cuttings of the shoots.
It appears I may be able to pick the peas
at least one more time before
the heat stops its production.

Stir fry beef with mushrooms, snap peas, and noodles

飯桶請去廚房自己拿
同樣的小炒
這邊加了粗粉條, 那邊配飯

Kohlrabi Salad 涼拌菜頭

Just enough for a small salad
Simply dress in lime juice
pinch of salt and sugar
chopped cilantro
and garnish with seaweed sesame seeds

Base ball size root
This is the only large one
I can harvest at this time
Others are not ready to be picked

What's Growing in Mid May 這些長得不錯

Cilantro is doing well
Some dills are popping up among the cilantro.
A dill was grown to the left of the green onions last year,
the plant self seeds even after the seed heads were picked,
you only have to grew it once, and you'll have dills forever.
I let herbs grow where ever they pop up (except mints)
because their scents confuse the bad bugs,
and I have less enemies to deal with.

Brussels sprouts, garlic, lettuce

Japanese turnip

Brussels sprouts and collards

Heirloom lettuce from Seeds of Change
I like to grow salad greens in pot
it's cleaner, less bugs
and easier to harvest

Front: kohlrabi
Rear: spinach
I took a 3rd cutting from the spinach today,
it appears they have had it
and beginning to form flower stalks,
I wonder they would allow one more trim.

Sugar Pea Flowers

The shoots where picked weekly for 4 weeks,
but the texture is getting a little stringy lately,
I suppose they want to set seeds and quite for good.
The weather is warming up quickly,
these cool weather babes don't like it,
it's time to let them go to pods,
I'll get at least another one or two
meals out of them.

摘過四次嫩豆苗
天氣慢慢熱起來，豆苗也有點硬
該讓它們開花結豆豆了

Volunteer Columbine

Another beautiful and invasive plant,
it's either the wind or the birds
deposited the seeds in our backyard.
I'm going to enjoy the flowers for a while
and then the plant has to go.
Wild flowers and native plants are so beautiful
yet so invasive and annoying.

不請自來的野花
漂亮啊，欣賞一下就好了
還是要拔掉除根的
不然後園都是野花野草

Kohlrabi

First time try planting this veggie
I only have 5 plants
The problem with this vegetable
is that it takes up lots of space
for only one time harvest
whereas leafy and fruit veggies
provides continues harvest
over the entire season

這個中文是叫菜頭嗎？
第一次玩只種5棵
現在只有雞蛋大
涼拌菜頭好像不錯

Mexican Evening Primrose

So beautiful, so invasive,
hate to remove it,
but it must be destroyed
before the roots spread
and take over the front yard


早知是 aggressive plant
就不會種了
不能讓它結子
不能留根
拔~~拔~~拔
唉， 捨不得啊
好美的花花

Spanakopita 希臘菠菜派

Greek spinach pie fresh from the garden
How many ways can you cook spinach?

Today's spinach harvest is
double from the first cutting 7 days ago.
The leaves a bigger and more of them.
On the extreme right of the basket
is container grown 大白菜
it is begining to form buds,
I removed the central stalk
and some outer leaves to see how they behave.
It seems the weather is getting to warm for them
Ummm~~~I have more seeds started, now what?

菠菜長得很快啊
才一個禮拜又有收獲了
這次收割比上次多一倍
而且菜葉比上次大
還沒蟲蟲來光顧
嘿嘿

Spinach 菠菜

Spinach, tofu skin, and carrots
Blanch in boiling water for a minute or two
Season with salt, white pepper, and sesame oil

I like to harvest the leaves when they are small and tender
They are delicious without metallic after taste at baby stage

Bloomsdale Spinach---an all time winner
It has never failed me so far, it's a staple in our garden