Just in case you are wondering, there was no garden club meeting last week, BUT THERE IS THIS WEEK Sept 5th.

All my tomato plants now have fruit...they sure have been slow in coming...

I may have found a cure for them squirrelly tree ratz getting on my bird feeder...non-petroleum Vaseline might do the trick....

I saw a video being passed around on Facebook where a bird feeder pole was greased and they tried and tried to no avail...funny how the smallest things can fix a problem sometimes...with my mind, the simpler the better...

(rotfl- "rolling on the floor laughing") imagining those idiot squirrels flying off the top of a greased up bird feeder roof. they already are full of antics on a good day!

I froze some of the banana squash...I'm going to make something with it to bring to the meeting...here's a hint, it will either be savory or sweet...any ideas, what would you make with baked, unseasoned banana squash?...pie, lasagna, ravioli's with a burnt butter sage sauce, ice cream maybe?

Ravioli with a squash filling sounds interesting, but so does lasagna and pie?

I have several more I am watching. Probably need to bring 2 in but too darned hot to get excited about anything. However, if I don't harvest tonight or tomorrow, I know I am losing a good bit out there.

Got to get a bite now. Just thinking about those items above. LOL

Banana Squash Bread............. Savory of course...Something to soak up Pork/Ham drippings....... That's my vote......After the ravioli ..

I am on a bean kick now.... It all started when I saw a Tri Tip at Kroger and had to make Santa Maria Barbecue ......Went through the first one and it was so good I got on line and ordered authentic beans from Lompoc.... Am eating the second batch now waiting for the postman.......

What does this have to do with gardening ? The Pinquito beans are grown only in Lompoc, California........ I will save some over the Winter and try to grow them next year. Perhaps I can think of a way to use the beans and the Tri Tip to create a Tennessee dish. Thinking...Thinking....... Sure would be good with that Red Dent Cornbread wouldn't it..................

All right guys, some times you cooks speak your own language. You know I had to go find out about Tri Tip, Santa Maria Barbecue and Pinquinto beans.

When you said Lompoc my mind went to Vietnam, Laos or Thailand, certainly not California, But I found it above LA (Los Angeles, not Lower Alabama).

Here is something on Pinquinto beans: http://santamariavalleybbq.com/2012/10/01/here-comes-the-santa-maria-pinquito-be... Looks like several seed houses, including eBay have them for sale.

Of course, doing it Palindrome's way of eating some and saving a few is probably the most delicious way to do it.

Here is Mark's bog about growing Floriani Red Flint Corn: http://lonsorganicgarden.com/growing-floriani-red-flint/ He promises the recipe in his next post if you did not get the recipe that night.

Beans are good heart food almost any legume would be..."Savory Banana Squash Bread" (no bananas of course) might just be the ticket...I'm thinking it to be like pop overs for prime rib style or just a good ole' loaf of bread with some home-made butter...

but Ya never know!...

Pinquito beans and Tri Tip sounds Baja California style empanadas, Smokey Salamander (spicy roasted chili) Beans and a side of Tostones (plantains)to me....

I so miss Cuban food since I left south Florida, but southern California would be nice for a mini vacation...after the garden dries up or course!

Banana Squash Popovers.... I like it....... A lot !

Also think Banana Squash would combine like Banana in quick bread......Add some nuts........They both sound good.

Santa Maria Barbecue is actually middle California.......Near San Luis Obispo........ The town that the people who live there voted the best place to live in America....Also one of the few places out there that is not totally gridlocked.......

The Pinquito beans came this morning. Maybe I will stop at Kroger and see if they have more Tri Tip......Guess it's going to be a Cowgirl week...........

See! I told you you chefs talk a different language. Smokey Salamander" "side of Tostones"

On a side note, I hate to rain on someone's Labor Day cookouts, but we sure needed this rain. I was expecting to bush hog in rain but it never happened.

That might have saved my sinuses, but I'll take it now, just as well.

Rain, rain, I'm loving it, my tomatoes get fresh non-chlorinated water for a change and I ain't gotta sit out there with the house pipe talking to tomatoes...I think it's suppose to continue another day or so...

however, it all's not grand for a rainy day, the power surged when they cut the grid at the show this morning and It blew my cable box in the den...or something blew it my TV's now wack. I felt that surge, I jumped and the lights went off.

I did notice the ragweed pollen on the news at 10.5 this week I think, I felt that too!

Smokey Salamander side of Tostones isn't that a Southern California country song?

I would not have wanted my TV off this weekend with the tart of college football. Ouch!

Almost all day was spent cleaning and reorganizing the greenhouse. I need to get rid of more house plants. My wife tries to sneak broken pieces past me but I keep rooting them.

Have a small umbrella tree started, need to divide more aloe, airplane plants, Boston ferns and some other hanging plant I need to identify. It is growing out of the bottom!

We will probably have several door prizes this next meeting. One will be the counter cost pot that Donna brought in, then a book or two and some house plants if anyone wants them.

I'm not green thumbed in the house at all...besides Earl (the girl-cat) eats them all...I need catnip!

For many years I could have supplied your catnip easily. I never purposely planted it and it had almost become a weed but this year Nada, zilch, gone.

I had one little plant come back where a big patch had been last year but our cats wiped it out. I have not seen any all year. I'll need to purposely go on a hunt during cooler days. NOT today :-)

I brought in 2 Cushaw and 4 Banana squash today. Each one needed to be carried separately and I will bring some to the garden meeting.

Probably end up giving them away as door prizes along with the compost counter-top collection container and maybe a book. How about a 432 book entitled "KISS Guide to Gardening" by Patricia Kite. http://books.google.com/books/about/KISS_Guide_to_Gardening.html?id=N7cJAAAACAAJ

Kiss as in "keep it simple" I presume, I almost killed the seeds of that last banana squash they got quite moldy while drying on me, I need one of those old fashion screen, in the sun, kind of setups for those sizes of seeds.

Think I'll read up on seed drying technics a little more, to find out how to totally destroy them like I do houseplants (being facetious here) my ora must kill indoor plants all the while talking to my tomatoes seems to lull them to grow.

Outdoor gardens I seem to do well. I really like this seed drying stuff though..any pointers?..should I just throw them outside on the carport to dry and gather them back in spring?

If I remember right, you said there were hundreds? Normally you would wash off whatever loose material you can, but you are past the original harvesting point so here is some followup info.

I would not try to save them all (unless you want to be the Johnny Appleseed of banana squash), just what fits on a cookie sheet and you can separate them enough to not be touching each other.

Throw out any that seem damaged, misshaped or off-color. Another way to test them would be to pour into water. If they float, they are probably not viable.

Then let them dry in a shady spot with good airflow. Usually within a week any fibrous material still attached will dry out and can be gently rubbed off. Then dry again for another week or two, occasionally turning like you are roasting them.

Then they should then be dry enough to store in a paper bag, in a cool dry area.

I'll save some here as well of both the Banana and Cushaw for distribution to our garden club. Either one has to have some room to sprawl, especially the banana.

I tried to grow them on a series of tomato cages, connected with poles but they became to heavy and pulled the cages down. Then they proceeded to grow through my sunflower patch and into an area I left unplanted. Good thing, they were going anyway.

I have been waiting to post another blog until tonight. When I do, I will include the newest picture of my mother-in-law versus the squash.

Chef........

Don't you have a feathered friend somewhere in your life to feed seeds to ? They like them fresh as long as they aren't unhealthy.

Steve.......

Isn't squash called that because one wants to " squash " them as they grow around and over everything.

My former father-in-law had a lovely squash growing up his wooden fence on the island of Monhegan that Jamie Wyeth painted and then offered back to him for 10K........ Worth so much more of course. Never forget how beautiful our summer vegetable gardens can be.

Was it similar to the Headlands of Monhegan? He had beat up pumpkins in that. :-)

I "squashed" a few vines this summer 'cause I could no find a place to put my foot down without stepping on something. Then I started cutting them, so I can understand the sentiment.

Those banana squash seeds are plump. I wonder what bird would take them on?

well I did notice when washing them they all floated...so I'm not too sure on this round...

maybe I can try again, there looking kinda rough...

I rewashed them and layered them between dry paper towels...they are looking somewhat better...I'll eventually get the hang of it.