Weekly Gardening Thread - July 27 - August 2, 2019

July 27, 2019 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

[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.

If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located.

This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.

It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. Planting, Harvest to Table Recipes, Preserving, Good Living - there is no telling where it will go and... that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!

Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our New & Improved Ping List.

NOTE: This is a once a week Ping List. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time!

[Liz]

Recipe courtesy of Lawry's the Prime Rib in Las Vegas. Gourmet magazines and restaurant surveys
name Lawry's as the best place for prime ribs; accompanied by whipped cream horseradish on the side.

Lawry's Prime Rib / Horseradish Cream.

ING 4-rib Standing Rib Roast Lawry's Seasoned Salt bag (5 lb bag.) rock salt cup; whipping cream
2 tb prepared horseradish, well-drained or 4 tb finely grated horseradish root, dash Tabasco.

METHOD Sprinkle fatty cap of roast w/ Seasoned Salt. In heavy roaster, spread rock salt evenly over bottom;
position on wire roasting rack w/ roast fatty side up. Make sure no salt touches beef. Insert meat thermometer in thickest part,
making sure it does not touch bone. Roast 350° 130°F for rare, 140° for med or 20- 25 min per pound. Remove to counter;
let stand 20 min before carving w/ sharp carving knife; slice across grain. Makes-8 servings.

Lawry's Horseradish Whipped Cream

Whip cream to stiff peaks. Fold in 1/4 tsp Seasoned Salt, horseradish, dash Tabasco. Makes 6 servings

[tubebender]

I’LL BE RIGHT OVER!!!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Work your magic, Liz! Fruit or Vegetable Cheesecake Recipes, Please!

[Liz]

Cheesecake recipes coming right up, Di----
but first, a sweet ending to Lawry's spectacular prime rib (above).

Lawry's English Trifle / their own recipe / Serves 12

ING 1 recipe Vanilla Pudding Sauce, cooled (recipe is at right) 1 cup heavy cream, whipped (will yield almost 2 cups) 2 tablespoons red raspberry preserves 1 (10 inch) round sponge or white cake 1/4 cup dark Puerto Rican rum, optional 1/4 cup dry sherry 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries and/or strawberries Fresh raspberries and/or strawberries for garnish

PREP Gently fold 1 cup whipped cream into cooled Vanilla Pudding Sauce.Coat the inside of a deep 10-inch glass bowl with raspberry preserves to within 1 inch of the top. Slice cake horizontally into fourths.

ASSEMBLY Place top slice, crust side up, in bottom of the bowl, curving edges of the cake upward. Sprinkle 2 tb combined rum and sherry over cake slices. Spread 1/3 of the chilled pudding mixture over the cake. Sprinkle 1/3 of raspberries and/or strawberries over the pudding.

Repeat the procedure twice. Cover with remaining cake layer, crust side down. Sprinkle with the remaining rum-sherry mixture. Pipe whipped cream rosettes at edges and in the center. Top with fresh raspber­ries and/or strawberries. Chill for at least 8 hours before serving.

Vanilla Pudding Sauce 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk 1 (3-inch) piece vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg, well beaten 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

DIRECTIONS In a heavy saucepan, blend sugar, cornstarch and salt; add milk and vanilla bean; blend well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly; continue cooking 2 minutes. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into the beaten egg, return to the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and remove vanilla bean; add but­ter and stir to blend. Chill thoroughly, covering top with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

[Liz]

Brownie Chocolate Chip Cheesecake / 16 servings
Yes, brownies and cheesecake in one magnificent recipe.

ING 3-8 oz pkgs cr/cheese, 2/3 cup veg/oil 14 oz can Sweet/Cond/Milk, 5 lge eggs, divided
1/2 cup mini choc/chips, 18.4 oz pkg Fudge Brownie Mix •2 tsp vanilla •1/4 cup water

BROWNIE Prepare mix as per pkg using oil, water and 2 eggs. Spread evenly in sprayed springform.
BAKE set as per pkg 350 deg.

CHEESECAKE BEAT cr/cheese fluffy. Gradually beat in sweet/cond/milk.
Add eggs, vanilla; mix well. Stir in mini/choc/chips. Pour over brownie.

REDUCE oven to 300°F. Bake 50 min til set. FINAL Cool. Chill thoroughly. Remove springform sides.

SERVE topped with whipped cream, garnished w/ mini chocolate chips.

[Liz]

A lighter "cheesecake" but so beautiful no one will never know its light on calories.

NO-BAKE STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE

PREP Soak env plain gelatin in 4 tb water. Heat 1/4 c milk or cream; add/dissolve in soaked gelatin.

Puree 2 c fresh strawberries, cup Greek yogurt, 2 tb honey. Add gelatin/milk. Fold in 1/4 cup whipped h/cream.

FINAL Chill 6-24 hours in 6" springform (or use a lined 6" cake pan). At service, mound w/ assorted berries.

SERVE wedges garnished w/ berries, bit of berry sauce, a mint leave, and a curl of whipped cream on the side.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

*APPLAUSE*

[Liz]

Glad you liked he recipe.....its a keeper.

[Liz]

Savory cheesecake served w/ cucumber sauce, a go-to party dish.
Nice do-ahead----may be baked day before and held refrigerated.

Vegetable Cheesecake / Dill Cucumber Sauce

ING 1-1/3 cups dry bread crumbs 1/3 cup butter, melted 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup sour cream 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon white pepper 3/4 cup shredded carrots 3/4 cup diced green pepper 3/4 cup diced sweet red pepper

Directions Combine bread crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. springform pan. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, beat on low speed just until combined. Add sour cream, flour, onion, salt and pepper; beat just until combined. Pour 1 cup into crust; sprinkle with carrots. Continue layering with 1 cup cream cheese mixture, red pepper, then remaining cream cheese mixture. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate over night. Remove sides of pan. Garnish as picured. Serve chilled or warm with cucumber dill sauce. NOTE:

To serve warm, remove to counter an hour before serving. Let Set 30 minutes, then reheat at 300 deg 20-25 minutes til warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

CUCUMBER DILL SAUCE: 1 cup plain yogurt 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup finely chopped unpeeled cucumber
1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon dill weed. Combine sauce ingredients; refrigerate.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

With THAT one, you’d better warn your guests what they’re getting beforehand, LOL!

I can just see the expressions on their unsuspecting faces!

[tubebender]

https://www.lawrysonline.com

[Ellendra]

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake:

2 8oz packages Cream Cheese
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla (or 1/2 tsp Vanilla and 1/2 tsp other flavor extract)
1 carton Cool Whip, or 1/2 cup Whipping Cream, whipped until stiff

Blend the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla. Fold in the cool whip or whipped cream. Pour into a pre-made pie crust, and chill 2 hours or overnight.

I sometimes make a Pina Colada Cheesecake by using the above recipe with coconut extract, and creating a wide well in the center of the cheese filling. In a medium saucepan combine:

1 Egg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp Flour

When smooth, add 1 can crushed pineapple. Cook over low heat until thick. Let cool 30 minutes or more. Spoon this into the well of the cheesecake, and chill again. Any leftover pineapple sauce goes really well in yogurt or over ice cream.

This method of thickening works with most fruits, but with red or purple fruits it ends up looking weird. Best used with yellow or orange fruits, such as apples or peaches. Really juicy fruits might need double the egg and flour.

Thickening with egg and flour instead of cornstarch really brings out the flavor of the fruit. Cornstarch actually dulls some of those flavors. Try them side-by-side and you’ll see what I mean.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Sounds good, Ellendra! I love a Pineapple Cheesecake Looky what I stumbled across, this morning:

My Mom makes the classic no-bake Cheesecake with a can of Cherry Pie Filling on top. Quick and easy.

[Liz]

NO-BAKE NUTELLA GLAZED CHEESECAKE
Easy, rich and decadent, a beautiful, elegant and Cheesecake Recipe for special occasions

ING For the crust: 2 ½ cups Oreo cookie crumbs, about 26 Oreo Cookies 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake filling: 24 oz cream cheese, softened 2 cups Nutella 1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup heavy whipping cream
For the glaze: 1 cup Nutella ½ cup heavy cream
For garnish: Hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped, optional Ferrero Rocher,

INSTRUCTIONS To make crusts: Finely crush the cookies in a food processor, add melted butter and blend until it's all moistened Press crumb mixture onto the bottom of prepared 9-inch springform pan by lightly greasing the edges of the pan with cooking spray Place in the freezer while you make the filling

METHOD To make cheesecake filling: In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy, set aside In separate bowl whip heavy cream until soft peaks form add vanilla extract and continue mixing until stiff peaks form Add cream cheese mixture into beaten heavy cream and mix on low speed just to combine Add Nutella and mix on medium speed until well incorporated Spread Nutella cheesecake filling into the bottom of the Oreo crust Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or until set

METHOD To make Nutella glaze: In a small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer over medium-low heat Pour the warm cream over Nutella in a medium bowl and stir to combine Let the glaze to cool slightly then spread the Nutella glaze over the cheesecake When the glaze is set and cooled run a thin knife around the sides and remove the springform pan sides Put Ferrero Rocher candies around the top of the cheesecake and sprinkle chopped hazelnuts on the edge of the cheesecake, if desired

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Oh, NOW you’re talkin’! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Karl Foerster’s Story ~ Kristelle Falk

Karl Foerster grass has become a staple of our landscapes. Whether as a centerpiece in a garden, a privacy wall for your patio, or simply a plant for those tough areas, we all have come to appreciate this graceful grass. Getting 4 – 5 feet tall with beautiful, soft feathery plumes of sterile seeds, this plant is truly a must have. Did I mention it is hardy? Tough as nails the Karl Foerster grass is a Zone 3, able to take the beating of our painfully cold Manitoba winters. But now here is a little history lesson. Where did the grass originally come from? And how did it get its name? Let me take you on a journey back to the late 1800’s, Europe.

Karl Foerster, raised in Germany, son of a painter and an astronomer had a great love of plants. He owned his own perennial greenhouse based in Potsdam-Bornim where he would experiment in cross breeding and hardiness trials. He would often go out and find new plants and bring them back to his garden where he would test them for their hardiness. He loved perennials especially, striving for garden beauty for all seasons. One particular one caught his eye so much that he stopped the train he was on just so he could get off and dig it up. This plant was a tall graceful grass, hidden away on the side of the tracks. This would later be named ‘Karl Foerster’ in honour of the man who discovered it. Foerster was somewhat of a plant genius, having successfully crossed over 300 breeds of perennials from all over the world. His particular favorites were the clumping grasses (Thus the karl foerster grass), Phlox, and Delphinium. Karl Foerster was a man of courage and determination as well. Having survived with his greenhouse through the great depression and World War 2, even having the courage to hire his Jewish friends as staff despite the risks. Truly a great man. And also a great plant.

Karl Foerster reed grass is a classic. A plant no gardener can go wrong with. Long narrow blades with towering seed plumes that dress the dense form of the grass in soft purples, creams and gold. In winter it stands above the tidal waves of snow, gentling rustling in the wind, its sandy muted blades giving hope of the spring. The plant of the four seasons, just as the grasses discoverer had hoped.

Karl Foerster grasses love their sunshine with well-drained soil, and adequate moisture is the way to this grasses heart. Though it will tolerate some shade and heavy clay soils you will see fewer plumes and some limper foliage, but still a beautiful strong plant.

Karl Foerster, a man of strength, and determination, just like his prized discovery, the Karl Foerster reed grass.

https://www.mysteinbach.ca/blogs/9683/karl-foersters-story/

Diana here: I have quite a number of these and they are by far one of my favorite perennial grasses! I have a new spot that's going to become a focal point with Perennial Grasses and Karl will be the star! In this photo, 'Morning Light' is the grass in the background, also a favorite.

[Liz]

Stocking up on Nutella and Ferrero Rocher chocolates seems like a good idea.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Because Prepping IS a Real Thing, LOL! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]