September 2023 – Notes From The Garden
Tuesday 19th – I ordered three new varieties of tomato from SeedEnvy to expand the selection for next year’s growing season. Cosmos, Brad’s Atomic Grapes and Anana’s Noire.
Also watched a great video by chef, and now vegetable grower Gaz Oakley. In the video Gaz shared a few preserving and fermentation techniques, making dill pickles, blackberry BBQ sauce, dried tomatoes, fermented tomatoes, kimchi, and prunes.
The full recipes can be found on Gaz’s website: Blackberry BBQ Sauce, Lacto Fermented Tomatoes, and Greens Kimchi.
Sunday 24th – Watched a GroVeg video where Ben introduces an interesting plant called an Oyster Leaf Plant (Mertensia Maritima) where the leaves are supposed to taste like Oysters, hence the name.
Something else to try growing.
Wednesday 27th – I received delivery of my Oyster Leaf Plant seeds today. The first instruction is to place the seeds in the fridge for two weeks prior to sowing. So, on the 10th October they should be ready to sow in pots.
Saturday 30th – We use a lot of garlic. Therefore growing my own makes sense. My local garden centres didn’t have any for sale, so bought a few bulbs from our greengrocer. I have no idea what variety they are or if they will be appropriate for growing my own. I planted 5 rows of 4 cloves in a small raised bed, and a couple of spares in a pot. Watered, then mulched with grass clippings.
I watched Gaz Oakley’s superb video “Never Buying Garlic or Getting SICK again” for some garlic inspiration. How to grow it, how to make a medicinal drink called Fire Cider and how to make the ultimate Garlic Bread.
Also while searching garlic on YouTube I stumbled upon this simple idea “How to Roast Garlic with Frankie Celenza – YouTube.”
I also learned about an pickling garlic and an Iranian fermented garlic called Torshi Seer.
Torshi seer, also known as “seer torshi” or “garlic pickles,” is a popular type of pickled garlic found in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. “Torshi” is a term used for various types of pickled vegetables in Persian cuisine, and “seer” means garlic. Therefore, torshi seer specifically refers to pickled garlic cloves.
Torshi seer is often served as a condiment or side dish alongside main courses in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. The pickled garlic can add a burst of flavour and tanginess to dishes and is a favourite accompaniment to grilled meats, rice dishes, sandwiches, and more.
