Hi Everybody!! Road Trip Tonight!!
Welcome to all my old friends that began the Blog with me and to all the newcomers just finding us. We are basically a group of Nature Lovers from around the World coming together on Social Network Internet Communities for the purpose of friendship and sharing experiences of Our Earth and Universe. We seem to have the common goal of protecting and caring for the Nature around us.
I am trying to present a format of new digital content for each page in the form of mini-trips. A few photos, a few facts, and a few You Tube Videos. It is my intention to stimulate your curiosity about the different subject pages. Links are provided so you can go to original site to see more of the information than what I post here daily.
You can always come here for free. You do what you want to do, when you want to do it! No tests ever! No Grades. No Stress!!
Now. let's continue our World Tour with a Road Trip in Texas. We are going to see my best friend Linda at Bluebonnet Herb Farms. She has invited me out to the Vegetable Garden to pick some fresh veggies!!! This is going to be Fun! Enjoy the photostudy of her Garden!
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebonnet_(plant)
Bluebonnet (plant)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bluebonnet is a name given to any number of species of the genus Lupinus predominantly found in southwestern United States and is collectively the state flower of Texas. The shape of the petals of the flower resembles the bonnet worn by pioneer women to shield themselves from the sun.[citation needed]. Species often called Bluebonnets include:
- Lupinus texensis, Texas Bluebonnet or Texas Lupine
- Lupinus havardii, Big Bend Bluebonnet or Chisos Bluebonnet
- Lupinus argenteus, Silvery Lupine
- Lupinus concinnus, Bajada Lupine
- Lupinus plattensis, Nebraska Lupine
- Lupinus subcarnosus, Sandyland Bluebonnet or Buffalo Clover
On March 7, 1901, Lupinus subcarnosus became the only species of bluebonnet recognized as the state flower of Texas"[1], however Lupinus texensis emerged as the favorite of most Texans. So, in 1971, the Texas Legislaturemade any similar species of Lupinus that could be found in Texas the state flower".[2] Their deep blue blossoms can be seen from March through May in most areas of Texas
The Vegetable Garden!
Vegetable Gardening Ideas
Learn How to Vegetable Garden
When I was a kid, my dad had a great big vegetable garden in the back yard. He worked it religiously, growing copious amounts of cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, eggplants, corn, dill, mint and lavender. On Sunday’s in the Fall our kitchen would turn into a factory of salt, vinegar, steam, bottles, and boxes. Our basement cupboards were full of preserved food and onions and garlic hung to dry in his office. Dad preserved as much of his bounty as possible. I grew up thinking that living without a vegetable garden was simply not possible.
If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week. That’s not gallons, but barrels.
Cucumber
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cultivation
History
Cucumbers originated in India.[3][4] where a great many varieties of cucumber have been observed.[4] It has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years, and was probably introduced to other parts of Europe by the Greeks or Romans. Records of cucumber cultivation appear inFrance in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century.Earliest cultivation
The cucumber is listed among the foods of ancient Ur, and the legend of Gilgamesh describes people eating cucumbers. Some sources also state it was produced in ancient Thrace, and it is certainly part of modern cuisine in Bulgaria and Turkey, parts of which make up that ancient state. From India, it spread to Greece (where it was called "σίκυον", síkyon) and Italy (where the Romans were especially fond of the crop), and later into China.
According to Pliny the Elder (The Natural History, Book XIX, Chapter 23), the Ancient Greeks grew cucumbers, and there were different varieties in Italy, Africa, and modern-day Serbia.
Pickling
Main article: Pickled cucumber
Cucumbers can be pickled for flavor and longer shelf-life. Although any cucumber can be pickled, commercial pickles are made from cucumbers specially bred for uniformity of length-to-diameter ratio and lack of voids in the flesh. Those cucumbers intended forpickling, called picklers, grow to about 7 centimeters (2.8 in) to 10 centimeters (3.9 in) long and 2.5 centimeters (0.98 in) wide. As compared to slicers, picklers tend to be shorter, thicker, less regularly shaped, and have bumpy skin with tiny white or black-dotted spines. They are never waxed. Color can vary from creamy yellow to pale or dark green. Pickling cucumbers are sometimes sold fresh as “Kirby” or “Liberty” cucumbers. The pickling process removes or degrades much of the nutrient content, especially that of vitamin C. Pickled cucumbers are soaked in brine or a combination of vinegar and brine, although not vinegar alone, often along with various spices. Pickled cucumbers are called "pickles" in the US or "gherkins" or "wallies" in the UK, the latter name being more common in the north of England, where it refers to the large vinegar-pickled cucumbers commonly sold in fish and chip shops. (Although the gherkin is of the same species as the cucumber, it is of a completely different cultivar.)
Dill
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fresh and dried dill leaves (sometimes called "dill weed" to distinguish it from dill seed) are used as herbs, mainly in Finland, Sweden, the Baltic, in Russia, and in central Asia.
Like caraway, its fernlike leaves are aromatic and are used to flavor many foods, such asgravlax (cured salmon), borscht and other soups, and pickles (where the dill flower is sometimes used). Dill is best when used fresh, as it loses its flavor rapidly if dried; however,freeze-dried dill leaves preserve their flavor relatively well for a few months.
Dill seed is used as a spice, with a flavor somewhat similar to caraway, but also resembling that of fresh or dried dill weed. Dill seeds were traditionally used to soothe the stomach after meals.[4] Dill oil can be extracted from the leaves, stems and seeds of the plant.
Dill is the eponymous ingredient in dill pickles: cucumbers preserved in salty brine and/or vinegar.
In Arabic, dill seed, called ain jaradeh (cricket eye), is used as a spice in cold dishes such as fattoush and pickles.
In Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, dill is called shibint and is used mostly in fish dishes.
In Lao cuisine and parts of northern Thailand, dill is known in English as Laotian coriander[5]and Lao cilantro(Lao: ຜັກຊີ, Thai: ผักชีลาว). In the Lao language, it is called phak see, and inThai, it is known as phak chee Lao.[6] In Lao cuisine, the herb is typically used in mok pa(steamed fish in banana leaf) and several coconut milk-based curries that contain fish orprawns.
In Romania dill (mărar) is used on a national scale as an ingredient for soups such asborscht, pickles and other dishes; it is often mixed with salted cheese and used as a filling for the langos. Another popular dish with dill as a base ingredient is the dill sauce.
In Vietnam, the use of dill in cooking is regional, specifically northern Vietnamese cuisine.
In Iran, dill is known as shevid and is sometimes used with rice and called shevid-polo. It is also used in Iranian aash recipes, and is also called sheved in Persian.
In India, dill is known as shepu in Marathi, savaa in Hindi or soa in Punjabi. In Telugu, it is called soya and soya-kura (for herb greens). It is also called sapsige soppu (ಸಪ್ಸಿಗೆ ಸೊಪ್ಪು) in Kannada. In Tamil it is known as sada kuppi(சதகுப்பி). In Malayalam, it is ചതകുപ്പ(chathakuppa )or ശതകുപ്പ(sathakuppa). In Sanskrit, this herb is called shatapushpa. In Gujrati, it is known as hariz. In India, dill is prepared in the manner of yellow moong dal as a main-course dish. It is considered to have very good antigas properties,so it is used as mukhwas, or an after-meal digestive. It is also traditionally given to mothers immediately after childbirth.
In Manipur, dill locally known as pakhon is an essential ingredient of chagem pomba – a traditional Manipuri dish with fermented soybean and rice.
In Serbia, dill is known as mirodjija and is used as an addition to soups, potato salads and French fries.
In Canada, dill is a favourite herb to accompany poached salmon.
In Santa Maria, Azores, dill (endro) is the most important ingredient of the traditional Holy Ghost soup (sopas do Espírito Santo). Dill is found practically anywhere in Santa Maria, and curiously rare in the other Azorean Islands.
In Anglo-Saxon England, as prescribed in Leechdoms, Wortcunning, and Starcraft of Early England (also called Læceboc) (many of whose recipes were borrowed from Greek medicinal texts), dill was used in many medicines, including medicines against jaundice, headache, boils, lack of appetite, stomach problems, nausea, liver problems, and much more
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Bell pepper
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Production
| Country | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 China | 12,031,031 | 12,530,180 | 13,031,000 | 14,033,000 |
 Mexico | 1,431,258 | 1,617,264 | 1,681,277 | 1,690,000 |
 Indonesia | 1,100,514 | 1,058,023 | 1,100,000 | 1,100,000 |
 Turkey | 1,700,000 | 1,829,000 | 1,842,175 | 1,090,921 |
 Spain | 1,077,025 | 1,063,501 | 1,074,100 | 1,065,000 |
 United States | 978,890 | 959,070 | 998,210 | 855,870 |
 Nigeria | 720,000 | 721,000 | 721,500 | 723,000 |
 Egypt | 467,433 | 460,000 | 470,000 | 475,000 |
 Korea, South | 410,281 | 395,293 | 352,966 | 345,000 |
 Netherlands | 318,000 | 345,000 | 318,000 | 340,000 |
 Romania | 237,240 | 203,751 | 279,126 | 280,000 |
 Ghana | 270,000 | 270,000 | 277,000 | 279,000 |
 Italy | 362,430 | 362,994 | 345,152 | 252,194 |
 Tunisia | 255,000 | 256,000 | 256,000 | 250,000 |
 Algeria | 265,307 | 248,614 | 275,888 | 233,000 |
 Hungary | 126,133 | 113,371 | 206,419 | 207,000 |
 Morocco | 182,340 | 190,480 | 235,570 | 192,000 |
 Serbia* | 159,741 | 167,477 | 177,255 | 150,257 |
 Japan | 153,400 | 154,000 | 146,900 | 150,000 |
 Israel | 129,100 | 134,700 | 150,677 | 136,000 |
| World | 24,587,124 | 25,261,259 | 26,252,907 | 26,056,900 |
- Note: Serbia before 2006 incl. Montenegro
What is Red Leaf Lettuce?
Red leaf lettuce is a form of loose-leaf lettuce, very comparable to green leaf lettuce. It packs a high nutritional value, far superior to iceberg lettuce, into very few calories, about 15 per a 12-ounce (340.2 grams) serving. Additionally, red leaf lettuce is an excellent source of beta carotene, which may be indicated in reducing risk for developing cataracts.
Green and red leaf lettuces are essentially the same from a nutritional standpoint and in many other ways. Both types are of the daisy family, Asteraceae, and both belong to the genus and species L. sativa. Of the lettuces grown, the most nutritionally superior is Romaine lettuce, but both green and red leaf lettuce are excellent foods. They tend to have a mild taste, a nice crunch, and are excellent as used in a variety of dishes.
Red leaf lettuce has the advantage too, of adding some very appealing color to a salad. A salad made with green and red leaf lettuce is in many people’s opinions, very pretty. Sandwiches can be made that much more special with a few delicately layered red and green leafs. The name can be a little deceiving since red leaf lettuces are not completely red. Instead, the tops of the leaves exhibit some red or purple coloring that may extend a few inches into the leaf.
Garden strawberry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The garden strawberry, Fragaria × ananassa, is a hybrid species that is cultivated worldwide for its fruit, the (common) strawberry. The fruit (which is not a botanical berry, but an aggregate accessory fruit) is widely appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. It is consumed in large quantities, either fresh or in prepared foods such as preserves, fruit juice, pies, ice creams, and milkshakes. Artificial strawberryaroma is also widely used in many industrialized food products.
The garden strawberry was first bred in Brittany, France, in the 1750s via a cross of Fragaria virginiana from eastern North America and Fragaria chiloensis, which was brought from Chileby Amédée-François Frézier in 1714.[1]
Cultivars of Fragaria × ananassa have replaced, in commercial production, the woodland strawberry, which was the first strawberry species cultivated in the early 17th century.[2]
The strawberry is, in technical terms, an aggregate accessory fruit, meaning that the fleshy part is derived not from the plant's ovaries but from the "receptacle" that holds the ovaries.[3]Each apparent "seed" (achene) on the outside of the fruit is actually one of the ovaries of the flower, with a seed inside it.[3] In both culinary and botanical terms, the entire structure is considered a fruit
Uses
In addition to being consumed fresh, strawberries can be frozen, made into preserves, as well as dried and used in prepared foods, such as cereal bars. Strawberries are a popular addition to dairy products, as in strawberry-flavored milk, ice cream, milkshakes, smoothies, and yogurts. Strawberries and cream is a popular dessert, famously consumed at Wimbledon. Depending on area, strawberry pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, or strawberry shortcake are also popular. In Greece, strawberries are usually sprinkled with sugar and then dipped in Metaxa, a famous brandy, and served as a dessert.
Strawberry pigment extract can be used as a natural acid/base indicator due to the different color of the conjugate acid and conjugate base of the pigment.[24]
Strawberries contain fisetin, an antioxidant that has been studied in relation to Alzheimer's disease and to kidney failure resulting from diabetes
Here is the way to make Strawberry Jam! Yum!
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Zucchini
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The zucchini or courgette is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of thecucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green. A related hybrid, the golden zucchini, is a deep yellow or orange color.[1]
In a culinary context, the zucchini is treated as a vegetable, which means it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Botanically, however, the zucchini is an immature fruit, being the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower.
Culinary uses
When used for food, zucchini are usually picked when under 20 cm (8 in.) in length, when theseeds are still soft and immature. Mature zucchini can be as much as three feet long, but the larger ones are often fibrous and with the flowers attached are a sign of a truly fresh and immature fruit, and are especially sought by many people.[citation needed]
Unlike cucumber, zucchini is usually served cooked. It can be prepared using a variety of cooking techniques, including steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed and baked, barbecued, fried, or incorporated in other recipes such as soufflés. It also can be baked into a bread[5] similar tobanana bread or incorporated into a cake mix. Its flowers can be eaten stuffed and are a delicacy when deep fried, as tempura.
The zucchini has a delicate flavor and requires little more than quick cooking with butter or olive oil, with or without fresh herbs.[6] The skin is left in place. Quick cooking of barely wet zucchini in oil or butter allows the fruit to partially boil and steam, with the juices concentrated in the final moments of frying when the water has gone, prior to serving. Zucchini can also be eaten raw, sliced or shredded in a cold salad, as well as lightly cooked in hot salads, as in Thai orVietnamese recipes. Mature (larger sized) zucchini, while not often eaten by themselves, are well suited for cooking in breads.
The florianese Zucchini is a special kind of Zucchini that is very much like a fruitbowl.[clarification needed]
Zucchini should be stored not longer than three days.[citation needed] They are prone to chilling damage which shows as sunken pits in the surface of the fruit, especially when brought up to room temperature after cool storage.
In 2005, a poll of 2,000 people revealed the zucchini to be Britain's 10th favorite culinary vegetable.[7]
In Mexico, the flower (known as flor de calabaza) is preferred over the fruit[citation needed] and is often cooked in soups or used as a filling for quesadillas.
In Italy, zucchini are served in a variety of ways, especially breaded and pan-fried. Some restaurants in Rome specialize in deep-frying the flowers, known as fiori di zucca.
In France zucchini is a key ingredient in ratatouille, a stew of summer fruits and vegetables prepared in olive oil and cooked for an extended time over low heat. The dish, originating near present-day Nice, is served as a side dish or on its own at lunch with bread. Zucchini are stuffed with meat with other fruits like tomatoes or bell peppers in a dish named courgette farcie (stuffed zucchini).
In Turkish cuisine, zucchini is the main ingredient in the popular dish mücver, or "zucchini pancakes", made from shredded zucchini, flour and eggs, lightly fried in olive oil and eaten with yogurt.
In the Levant, zucchini is stuffed with minced meat and rice plus herbs and spices and steamed. It is also used in various kinds of stew. Stews that have low salinity are favorable in such cooking. It can also be stuffed with a mixture of rice, meat and eaten with yogurt.
In Greece, zucchini is usually fried or boiled with other fruits (often green chili peppers and eggplants). It is served as an hors d'œuvre or as a main dish, especially during fasting seasons. Zucchini is also often stuffed with minced meat, rice and herbs and served withavgolemono sauce. In several parts of Greece, the flowers of the plant are stuffed with white cheese, usually feta or mizithra cheese, or with a mixture of rice, herbs and occasionally minced meat. Then they are deep-fried or baked with tomato sauce in the oven.
In Bulgaria, zucchini are fried and then served with a dip, made from yogurt, garlic and dill. Another popular dish is oven-baked zucchini—sliced or grated—covered with a mixture of eggs, yogurt, flour and dill.
In Egypt, zucchini are cooked with tomato sauce, garlic and onions.
In Spain, zucchini (calabacín in Spanish) is a core ingredient of pisto. Zucchini are also fried with egg and onions in olive oil to make a "Spanish" tortilla called "tortilla de calabacín".
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http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/zucchini-bread-recipe/index.html
- Recipe
- Ratings & Reviews(832)
- Videos(3)
3 Videos | Photo: Zucchini Bread Recipe- Total Time:
- 1 hr 10 min
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 0 min
- Yield:
- 2 loaves
- Level:
- Easy
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.
The next three videos show Creativity on the Vegetable Garden Theme. More ideas for You. I encourage You all to develop your creative side. Ideas are very special gifts! Use them!
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This one is really Extreme Creativity!!!Just Push Play>
This one is totally different! Just Push Play>
....this is brendasue signing off from Rainbow Creek.
See You next time!
Of course, one more Great Performance:
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O+O
Hallo brendasue !
ReplyDeleteDeine Blogs sind immer sehr abwechslungsreich und vor allen Dingen sehr interessant !
Ich danke Dir !
Viele liebe Grüße von Gisela aus Hamburg !!!!
Hallo Gisela! Thank You for your visit and comment. Happy You like!
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