I like the cardboard idea, cheap peat pots, but potting soil is usually too dense, need grower's mix which is basically peat and perlite. Promix and the like. I use the same stuff for cuttings as well. Also add a little root starter which is 5-15-5 and IBA hormone.
Seed should be soaked before sow, help's give them a wake up call.
Time to check on the yard garden. Farmer says his squash are going nuts, ready to flower, new potatoes are ready for eat'n. Time to visit.
Wild Rapberries are about done. Farm report out for Georgina.
Seed should be soaked before sow, help's give them a wake up call.
Time to check on the yard garden. Farmer says his squash are going nuts, ready to flower, new potatoes are ready for eat'n. Time to visit.
Wild Rapberries are about done. Farm report out for Georgina.
Well TBH, it's not often. Only at harvest time when there's a glut. We grow a lot of them around here as we have such ethnic diversity. Mostly you'll pay 4-10 bucks a pound and perhaps more if they are imported. Buck a pound means you have to sift through a couple hundred pounds of them for close to 10 minutes to get a bag like I did. Lot's of partly ripe ones in the harvest. I was looking for the colour as I know you lose some heat as they get that ripe but trust me, the sauce is plenty hot. About the same as Tabasco, a lot hotter than Louisiana style
Last edited:
Yes. Marinade was balkan yogurt, lemon juice, salt, ground coriander and cumin, garlic, ginger, sliced onion, turmeric, paprika for color, Kashmiri mirch (a red chili powder, not as hot as regular Indian chili powder), some regular Indian chili powder, some garam masala, I think that's about it. I had two chickens that I spatchcocked and skinned, made lots of cuts in the meat, and marinated in the above over night. I used some steel skewers to hold everything together. I made a very hot charcoal fire and grilled the chickens close to the fire about 5 minutes a side until they were starting to char a bit, then longer a bit further away, basting with the marinade whenever the meat looked like drying out and turning a few times.
Turned out very nice, meat was tender and juicy, a bit smoky, and mildly spiced (a bit surprising given the amount of chili in the marinade). It was a hit with our guests tonight, we also served lamb korma (cooked with yogurt, saffron, and cashews) and curried veggies, with some rice cooked in chicken stock and some aromatic spices ( cinnamon, cloves, cardamom). For accompaniments a cucumber raita and onion sambal. Store-bought frozen parathas warmed on the charcoal grill. Lemon meringue pie for dessert.
Turned out very nice, meat was tender and juicy, a bit smoky, and mildly spiced (a bit surprising given the amount of chili in the marinade). It was a hit with our guests tonight, we also served lamb korma (cooked with yogurt, saffron, and cashews) and curried veggies, with some rice cooked in chicken stock and some aromatic spices ( cinnamon, cloves, cardamom). For accompaniments a cucumber raita and onion sambal. Store-bought frozen parathas warmed on the charcoal grill. Lemon meringue pie for dessert.
I cheat and buy the PC or Pataks brand in the jar, but you have to soak over night. take all the skins off as you want it to absorb into the meat. I am sure the home made is superior plus you can alter your recipe to your liking. Try the butter chicken too, yummy stuff. Usual stuff on the plate at the Indian food restaurant. They also had a spinach and yogurt mixture that went well together. Always some goat meat and green beans mixtures, all good stuff.
Last edited:
I think I just have to plan on having a winter grow room at home. The bell peppers seem to just disappear once they get large enough to eat. I have two dogs that can roam the fenced in yard but eventually they come inside and the squirrels and raccoons visit.
Yes, as I recall (I did a lot of cooking in the last 36 hours and things kind of run together) I toasted about 2tbsp coriander seeds + 1tbsp cumin seeds plus a few (5-6) dried red chillis + a small piece of cinnamon, and ground them all up together as a sort of "base masala" to add yo the yogurt. Oh I also added a bit of oil to the marinade, I used Indian sesame oil, it has a more "raw" taste than Japanese or Chinese sesame oil.
As an experiment I soaked a couple of tbsp of "American saffron", which is not saffron and has no flavor, in a bit of hoiling water to see if it could add some red color. It did extract some color and I put a bit in the marinade, but I didn't want to add a lot of water so mostly scrapped the idea. I also ran out of paprika, forgot that I have some good Hungarian paprika in the freezer, so the marinade was not as red as I wanted.
Mostly.
Could probably get 90% of the flavor with half the ingredients. If it was just me I would skip the paprika and use a lot more chili to get the color and flavor, but there were some delicate palates to accommodate. Also, don't forget for this dish all the flavor is in the marinade, it is not simmering in a sauce, if you want onion you are not going to fry them so better put them in the marinade.The basic marinade would be:
yogurt
lemon or lime juice
salt
curry powder *
chili powder or paste (just grind up those nice red finger chilis of yours)
garlic-ginger paste from a jar
That gets you to 90%. I think charcoal adds a lot, but you could cook it on the gas grill or hot oven too. Just remember it is supposed to cook in a clay oven at about 900F.
*replaces turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala
Who needs google search when I have you folks for ideas
I like raised gardens, only small stuff though, soil warms faster, weeds are not as bad, easier to fence, water is contained, no run off.
You get lots of sun, try to direct some of that in doors, if not T5HO, LED is too much $ even today imo. Count lumens/W/$
Cedar poles and fences work too. I have rabbits, they can dig under fences, need to dig a foot below surface.
I like raised gardens, only small stuff though, soil warms faster, weeds are not as bad, easier to fence, water is contained, no run off.
You get lots of sun, try to direct some of that in doors, if not T5HO, LED is too much $ even today imo. Count lumens/W/$
The tandoori chicken is more impressive but the lamb korma is actually the more complex cook. Here is the Cole's version:
Make a masala by toasting coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, cardamon seeds, cloves, cinnamon in a dry pan then grind to a powder.
Slice one medium onion and set aside. Coarsely chop a medium onion and put in jar of blender. Add 3 peeled garlic cloves, 1tbsp chopped fresh ginger, and 6-8 dried red chilis with the seeds removed (or use fresh red chilis), and 1/3c cashews. Puree in blender with a bit of water (about 1/3c) to make a smooth paste, then add the masala and blend to mix. Now put 1/2tsp saffron strands in a small bowl and soak in 2 tbsp boiling water. Heat a tbsp ghee + 2 tbsp oil in a heavy pan, add the sliced onion, fry until onions are soft and golden. Add the contents of the blender plus 2tsp salt and fry until it is cooked, most of the water is gone and oil starts to separate from the mass. Rinse the blender with 1/4 c water and stir that in, and cook again until oil starts to separate. Add 1kg cubed lamb meat and stir over medium heat until all the meat is well coated with the spices, then stir in the saffron (first stir and crush the saffron strands against the side of the bowl) and 1/2c yogurt, reduce heat to low and cover and let simmer for 2 hours. Stir now and then to make sure it doesn't stick or scorch. It is ready when the lamb is tender and the gravy is thick. Add some chopped fresh coriander leaf when done. This dish is absolute heaven.
Make a masala by toasting coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, cardamon seeds, cloves, cinnamon in a dry pan then grind to a powder.
Slice one medium onion and set aside. Coarsely chop a medium onion and put in jar of blender. Add 3 peeled garlic cloves, 1tbsp chopped fresh ginger, and 6-8 dried red chilis with the seeds removed (or use fresh red chilis), and 1/3c cashews. Puree in blender with a bit of water (about 1/3c) to make a smooth paste, then add the masala and blend to mix. Now put 1/2tsp saffron strands in a small bowl and soak in 2 tbsp boiling water. Heat a tbsp ghee + 2 tbsp oil in a heavy pan, add the sliced onion, fry until onions are soft and golden. Add the contents of the blender plus 2tsp salt and fry until it is cooked, most of the water is gone and oil starts to separate from the mass. Rinse the blender with 1/4 c water and stir that in, and cook again until oil starts to separate. Add 1kg cubed lamb meat and stir over medium heat until all the meat is well coated with the spices, then stir in the saffron (first stir and crush the saffron strands against the side of the bowl) and 1/2c yogurt, reduce heat to low and cover and let simmer for 2 hours. Stir now and then to make sure it doesn't stick or scorch. It is ready when the lamb is tender and the gravy is thick. Add some chopped fresh coriander leaf when done. This dish is absolute heaven.
A wonderful accompaniment to Indian food is onion sambal, and dead simple to make. Thinly slice 2 onions, add juice of half a lemon, 1/2tsp chili powder* (or to taste, I use twice that), and 1/2tsp salt. Mix well and refrigerate for a couple of hours, the acid and salt will soften the onion and the flavors will combine nicely. It really adds a bit of "pop" to your plate!
To cool things down try cucumber raita. Peel and very thinly slice 2 cukes, put in a bowl and sprinkle with 2tsp salt, chill for an hour or so. Pour off the liquid and press out as much as possible. Mix a crushed small clove of garlic and 1/4tsp finely grated ginger with a cup of yogurt, stir in wilted cukes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Let it all sit in the fridge for an hour or so before serving. Takes the sting out of a hot curry.
*Indian chili powder is powdered hot chilis, nothing to do with Tex-Mex chili powder which is a blend of many spices and not very hot
To cool things down try cucumber raita. Peel and very thinly slice 2 cukes, put in a bowl and sprinkle with 2tsp salt, chill for an hour or so. Pour off the liquid and press out as much as possible. Mix a crushed small clove of garlic and 1/4tsp finely grated ginger with a cup of yogurt, stir in wilted cukes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Let it all sit in the fridge for an hour or so before serving. Takes the sting out of a hot curry.
*Indian chili powder is powdered hot chilis, nothing to do with Tex-Mex chili powder which is a blend of many spices and not very hot
Last edited: