Weekly Garden Thread - Dec. 30-Jan. 5, 2024 [Potpourri Edition - Post a Soup Recipe]

December 30, 2023 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.

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[F450-V10]

I really, really enjoyed using a dehydrator. I had 40’s era pear and apple trees with superior flavor in my yard. Broke my heart to have to sell the place, and I didn’t take any grafts. Everyone should get to taste a really good pear, almost on par with a good apple.

[Pollard]

I’ve got a picky autistic son and those boxed potatoes are a life saver. I keep telling myself I’m going to make my sister’s Delmonico Potatoes recipe which is a similar dish but the boxed stuff is so much easier. So easy I have my son make it.

[MayflowerMadam]

I’m going online to see if you can by the dehydrated potatoes in larger quantities than the small Betty Crocker boxes. I expect you can, but maybe without the sauce packets. Still ... they could come in very handy.

[MomwithHope]

Nice, I used to know the breeds better as I was involved with 4H for about 26 years or so. There was a reddish breed that was supposed to be the best pork and I only saw a couple of those at our fair over the year.

[MomwithHope]

I have kept two cases of these in my pantry and rotate them out. Small containers but great dehydrated potatoes. Many uses. https://www.amazon.com/Idaho-Spuds-Potato-Gluten-Hashbrowns/dp/B079H5B8DQ/ref=asc_df_B079H5B8DQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312065523358&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1793847636607329605&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017451&hvtargid=pla-491914159190&psc=1&mcid=8faf15a442ee32d4bd79cb6d171e33ec&gclid=Cj0KCQiAv8SsBhC7ARIsALIkVT0oN-rKSoqrztF4GQQRzaro64CShHSvSIBeCZo3i_C8Qh9_DCUDj_QaAvoCEALw_wcB

[MayflowerMadam]

Thank you!

[Qiviut]

There was a reddish breed that was supposed to be the best pork and I only saw a couple of those at our fair over the year.

*******************

The only ‘red’ hog on the list below is the Duroc & I have definitely heard of that breed ... just saw a Duroc ‘cross’ on Dr. Pol :-)

From link:

What are the best pig breeds to raise for meat? You can raise any breed of pig for meat. However, there are a few breeds that excel in terms of quality meat production and mothering abilities. The eight best pig breeds to raise for meat are the:

Yorkshire Pigs
Duroc Pigs
Berkshire Pigs
Meishan Pigs
Landrace Pigs
Chester White Pigs
Hampshire Pigs
Pietrain Pigs

https://savvyfarmlife.com/meat-pig-breeds/

From other sources, getting it down to 3, those mentioned are Hampshire, Berkshire & Duroc.

[MomwithHope]

I might have a really old bookmark.

[Qiviut]

Since I’m posting about pigs & others are posting about potatoes, here’s a casserole recipe I have saved ... haven’t made it yet, but it’s on the list to make ‘soon’. I had a potato ham casserole I made years ago & loved it ... can’t find it (doggone it). This looks like a good substitute:

Ham, Cheese, and Potato Casserole
https://leitesculinaria.com/223178/recipes-ham-cheese-potato-casserole.html

“This ham, cheese, and potato casserole is our new definition of decadent comfort food. Layers of cooked ham, thinly sliced potatoes, shallots, and gooey cheese are baked in a rich cream sauce until crispy and golden.”

*******************

What’s better than bacon .... maybe candied bacon? LOL Since I was getting Butcher Boxes (a gift ... I can’t personally afford it), this recipe came up when I was looking around on their site.

Candied Bacon
https://justcook.butcherbox.com/candied-bacon/

“We’re not sure there’s anything better than crispy, savory bacon. But these days, candied bacon makes a strong contender for the brunch, bar and Bloody-Mary-topping favorite. This simple recipe from Chef Yankel features ButcherBox bacon, maple syrup, sriracha, and brown sugar.”

[Pollard]

Looking at the 6 qt instant pot and thinking about trying to fit the ham bone, plus all other ingredients for navy bean n ham soup and it's just not big enough and the only other thing I have is a 16 qt pressure canner which is too big. Solution: Make ham stock and then make the navy been n ham soup with some of the stock.

(from The Pioneer Woman) The holiday is over. You finished the glazed ham and you’ve made every leftover ham recipe that you can handle. What’s left… is the bone.

How to make ham stock

Ingredients

• 1 ham bone or hock
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
• 2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
• 4 sprigs parsley
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf (optional)

Directions

1) Combine the ham bone or hock, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, peppercorns and bay leaf in a 6- to 8-quart pot. Cover with 3 quarts of cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any foamy bubbles from the surface. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 3 hours. (You just want to see a few bubbles rise to the surface here and there.)

2) Strain the stock through a ne-mesh strainer, then store in jars. The stock can be refrigerated for up to one week or stored in the freezer for up to three months.

Instant Pot times for this vary greatly, 30 min, 60 min, 60 min, 2 hrs. Maybe pressure cook for 30 and then swap to the slow cooker setting for a few hours.

---

Gave the USDA Home Preservation site a look to see about canning stock. I knew it could be done but didn't know or forgot that they don't use any veggies in their stock canning recipe. Simply sawed or cracked bones.

I have a hammer!

Might not be a bad way to go considering all the typical stock veggies are already ingredients to the soup I'm making.(onions, carrots, celery) I'll at least pre-cut the stock type veggies and throw the trimmings in the stock.

One problem I'm having lately is finding common veggies in the produce dept of my closest grocery store. Fresh green beans? Nope, only frozen or canned. Whole carrots? Nope, only pre-peeled and cut, or frozen or canned. That means no carrot trimmings for stock. They did finally start carrying bananas again.

Going to have to start shopping a different store which is on my way home from work and with my new position being Mon-Fri, 8-4:30, I don't mind stopping at a store on the way home.

[Augie]

What kind of heater should we have put in?

I'm in zone 6b. 8'x12' greenhouse.

I use a cheap 1500w electric radiant heater. It doesn't keep the greenhouse "warm", but it's enough to take the edge off of bitter nights.

We had fresh lettuce and spinach last winter in spite of some extended periods of very cold weather.

That said, if you want to keep your greenhouse "warm" you'll want to install some sort of gas heat like you see in larger commercial greenhouses.

[PeterPrinciple]

That said, if you want to keep your greenhouse “warm” you’ll want to install some sort of gas heat like you see in larger commercial greenhouses.

---

Go to the local heating and cooling guy and ask for a used operating high efficiency furnace that was going to be thrown away. He will most likely give you one if you haul it away.

[Augie]

It was a cool and damp week here in Central Missouri, with a bit of snowfall Thursday night and into Friday. Nothing going on in the garden right now. Just waiting for better weather so I can move some dirt and get started constructing the new raised beds.

We had a nice visit with the kids and grandkids Friday and Saturday. After foundering ourselves on prime rib of beef and spiral-sliced ham, we got to watch Mizzou bring home another Cotton Bowl trophy and send THE Ohio State foosball team back to where they came from with a big red L tattooed on their foreheads.

Most of the mess has been cleaned up already so Mrs. Augie and I are relaxing a bit today before we hit the town tonight in celebration of our 32nd wedding anniversary. We're not part of the hoop it up til midnight crowd so we'll get downtown around 4:00pm, meet up with our friends, find a nice place to eat, then be home by 8:00 so we can get to bed before we turn into pumpkins.

[Pollard]

https://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/Potatoes_c_22.html
https://rainydayfoods.com/potato-slices-sp.html
https://www.americanspice.com/potatoes-dehydrated-sliced/

According to Rainy Day, 8 lbs is 5 gallons.

The Idahoan Family Size of Scalloped I have is 7.34 oz which includes the sauce packet I assume.

The sauce packet is actually quite heavy, easily 1/3 of the 7.34 oz which leaves the taters at about 4 oz

4 oz x 4 = 16 oz aka 1 lb
1 lb x the 8 lbs per 5gal bucket would be 32 Family Size Idahoan boxes worth (for $60 for the bucket). $1.89 for box worth.

Harmony House is $100 for 10 lbs. Great American Spice is $65 for 10 lbs.(40 of the 4 oz box qty) $1.65 for the equivalent of potatoes in the Family Sized Scalloped.

None of the above prices include shipping.

Walmart is $3.13 for the Idahoan Family Sized Scalloped.

Harmony House’s $100 for 10 lbs is $10/lb which is what I’ll be paying for NY Strip next time I go shopping.

Be better off buying a dehydrator and growing a bunch of potatoes. Like apple slices, they need to be soaked in ascorbic acid solution right after slicing to prevent browning. Then dehydrate and they’re good through the winter. Probably end up at 50 cents for that family sized box worth of tater slices.

Emergency Essentials has #10 cans of freeze dried diced potatoes, $25 and it’s 14 oz.

All the bulk/prepping food places sell powdered cheese and/or cheese sauce mix. Varying amounts of milk would make it Scalloped, Delmonico, Au Gratin.

The bulk/prepping foods are no longer a deal.

My sister’s recipe (it’s kinda like soup - thick, cheesy potato soup)

Delmonico Potatoes

2 Tbsp butter;
2 Tbsp cornstarch,
2 c milk,
1 small package of velvetta cut into slices.

Melt butter, remove from heat, slowly stir in cornstarch, return to heat, stir in milk, add a few slices of velveeta at a time stirring continuously. Save a few out to top the casserole with.

Add resulting sauce to 2 cans of drained sliced potatoes in 2 qt casserole, top with remaining slices of velveeta, bake at at 350 for 1/2 hour or until browned to your liking.

I don’t know what size a “small package” of velveeta was 30 years ago when I got this recipe. It’s bound to have shrunk since then.

I would think real cheese would work too but you’d probably have to increase the milk.

[MayflowerMadam]

All good info. Thank you.

Potatoes are my weakness!

[Pollard]

Someone gave us a gallon of dehydrated shredded potatoes. So easy. Soak in a certain amount of warm water for 10 minutes, toss in a frying pan with butter and fry up for breakfast. I would shove them off to one side and do an egg over easy in the same pan.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Diana’s Pantry Staples Corn Chowder

I was hungry for some Corn Chowder, so I came up with this recipe based upon what was on hand in my pantry and fridge.

3 stalks Celery, chopped w/leaves
1 Onion, chopped
1 Carrot, shredded

In your soup pot, saute the above in your choice of oil, butter or both

4 strips Bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional, but good!)

Add to the pot:

Two cans whole potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 12 oz. can of Evaporated Milk
2 cans Creamed Corn
2 Cups Water
1 tsp. Vegeta seasoning (or 1 or 2 chicken or veggie cubes)
S & P

Add the crumbled bacon back in and heat everything through.

You can add other veggies you may have on hand. Saute with the first three if fresh, or add them in when you add the liquids if they’re already cooked.

When you re-heat it in days following, just add some everyday milk to thin it a little; it seems to get thicker after it’s refrigerated.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

yldstrk, If you are overwintering pool plants, like water lilies, are you putting them in something like a tub or child’s pool in your greenhouse? Do you have a photo?

[Pollard]

Chowda?

Pulled out the old 350th anniversary(1982) recipe book from the church in the town I grew up in on the SE coast of Massachusetts.

Typed as found.

New England Clam Chowder

1 qt. clams (from Duxbury if possible)
1/4 lb salt pork
4 potatoes
2 onions
1 qt. milk
1/4 lb. butter
plenty of common crackers
salt and pepper
1 kernel of garlic (if you like garlic)
1 jar cream (if you want a very rich chowder)

Cut the up pork into small pieces and fry it out. Strain the fat and saute the chopped onions gently until they are golden yellow. Fried onions won’t give people indigestion unless they are brown or black. Heat the clams in their own juice until the edges turn up (this will take only a couple of minutes). Dice and parboil the potatoes. When the clams are cool enough, squeeze the dark part from their little bellies. The necks are of no value except to the clams, and might as well be removed. (Personally, I eat clams as are but you never know with company).

Pour everything together and add the milk and butter. Split 1/2 dozen common crackers and float on the top, with a spot of butter on each. Spear the garlic on a toothpick and float, too. The toothpick will locate it when you want to take it out.

[yldstrk]

We had a geranium, a hibiscus and some random other stuff.