The Garden Thread - July, 2025

July, 1, 2025 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

F.F. Here is a good source of information on PawPaws. Peterson PawPaw trees

[FamiliarFace]

Very cool! Thank you! There’s a place that sells pawpaws about 2 hours away from me. I’ll check it out.

[Liz]

Sourdough Pull Apart Cheese Bread
Cheesy garlic bread can also be made w/ a round Italian loaf for a stunning party appetizer.

Ing Homemade sourdough bread is best, but a fresh loaf of sourdough or Italian bread from the store is delicious. Salted or unsalted butter works great. Garlic powder gives the butter a rich, deep flavor, but freshly minced garlic can be used with delicious results. We chose freshly grated parm and shredded mozzarella cheese, but you can use your favorites. We used chopped parsley, but rosemary or thyme would be equally good; experiment with different herbs.

Step-by-step Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the loaf diagonally into 1-inch slices, making sure not to cut all the way through to the bottom. Then, turn the loaf a quarter turn and slice again to create a diamond grid pattern. Place the loaf on a piece of foil on a baking sheet. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the garlic powder. Use a pastry brush to coat the inside of the bread slices with the melted garlic butter, stuffing the cracks with shredded cheese and chopped parsley. Wrap the loaf in foil and place it on a baking sheet. Bake covered in foil 375 deg for 30 min, uncover top, and bake an additional 10 min so cheeses will melt. Best enjoyed hot, so serve right away with a side of marinara, pesto, or pizza sauce for dipping.

Best part. You can assemble the pull-apart cheese bread a day ahead of time and store it covered in the fridge until you're ready to bake.

Chef Tips Use a sharp, serrated knife when slicing crusty artisan-style loaves for best results. Avoid pre-shredded cheese as it contains a coating that keeps the shreds separated and causes melted cheese to clump. Shred your own cheese for best results.

[Qiviut]

I like “tidy” & try to plan an orderly garden & keep it that way. :-)

Some years ago, I made circular tomato cages out of the wire used to reinforce concrete & I have used them on pepper plants. From my experience, I prefer to stake them up individually. This is the first time I’ve tied them up .... as the saying goes, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’!

I got these Jalafuegos at Walmart in 4-packs for about $2.50 each. They are the best looking jalapeños I’ve ever bought from any source. They were blooming almost immediately at about 6”. The fill dirt in the raised beds is not ideal - screened topsoil with more clay than I’d like. I amended with sand & added compost, but it will take a couple of years with compost added each year before it’s really ‘good stuff’. The jalapeños don’t seem to mind the iffy soil at all.

[MomwithHope]

Got mine there. :).

[FamiliarFace]

Which variety do you have?

[MomwithHope]

OMG its been more than 15 years. I don’t think it was even off his website but his varieties have been sold elsewhere in the past. I have no clue. Their used to be a pawpaw facebook group. I learned a lot there. Like the biggest thing is to prune the center stalk so the tree will branch out and you will get pickable fruit, lots. Otherwise those trees will shoot up. I grow to pick and eat, not to have them unreachable and have them fall and encourage raccoons. I’ll try and post a few pictures tomorrow. Busy today.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That bread has all my favorite things! :)

When my kids were young, they loved to make ‘Monkey Bread.’ Easy and fun for kids to help with.

Their fave for ‘Movie Night’ (and their favorite MESS to make while eating it) was the, ‘Pizza Monkey Bread.’

21 Monkey Bread Ideas Here:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/ways-to-make-monkey-bread/

I like anything ‘Herb & Butter’ or the Pizza style or the traditional Cinnamon and chopped nuts Monkey Breads.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Saturday Morning Ping!

And, guess what? After a short 48 hours of dry, it's raining again. But we're making the most of it around here...

[left that other site]

Spa Day?

I'm In!

[SaveFerris]

GEEAT PICTURE!! 🖼️

[linMcHlp]

A friend would melt butter, add a bit of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg . . . pour over slices of bread and toast in the oven. We called it “Cinnamon Bread.” (sp?) That simple, and a fairly quick way to satisfy.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Yeah - Good Luck keeping most dogs OUT of the water! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Sounds like ‘French Toast’ sans the egg batter. Yum, either way!

[FamiliarFace]

Ok thank you. I think this is down the road for me a bit, but I’m thinking making the back side of the meditation garden might be a spot? Like you said though, I want the fruit for me, not raccoons.

[Liz]

Mmmmmmm........ Pizza Monkey Bread is a winner. Thanks for the link.

[FamiliarFace]

Ok, all, I’m looking for more info.

I opened the fridge vegetable drawer to pull out some shallots from the grocery store. One has clearly sprouted, at least an inch of more of beautiful green sprouts. Can I plant this in the fall and hope to get some shallots next spring? Just plant for the sprouts? Ideas and suggestions welcomed!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Throw it in the dirt, see what happens. Or mince and use the greens as a garnish (or as you would Chives) and chop up and use the Shallot now, if it’s not gone to mush.

Shallots don’t need refrigeration. They like 65 degrees and dry - usually a basket on the kitchen countertop is just fine. The humidity in the fridge is not their friend! Same goes for onions and garlic.

I store sweet and Vadalia and red onions and shallots/garlic in an open basket on a shelf in my pantry. Taters (sweet and baking) are stored that way too, in their own basket.

[FamiliarFace]

You pointed out something that I should’ve known already, that shallots don’t require refrigeration. I don’t keep my other onions there. I’m not sure why I’ve been putting the shallots in there.

Thanks for the suggestions on what to do with this fella.

[SunkenCiv]

Paws for the cause.