Huerto Urbano Tijuanense 2016

[Worth1]

You got me I wore them in the Marines.
They went from your socks up your legs and to the bottom of your shirt which we called a blouse your pants were trousers.
Now you know why Marines look so up tight, they are.

Worth

[greenthumbomaha]

Its been 100 with a heat index of 115 all week here in zone 5 and I'm inside almost all day. I've spent the last several hours reading and looking up some of the plants you started since this intense heat may be my new summer norm. You have such impressive system growing in confined space, fertilizing and watering. I'm learning so much. I can barely keep my plants alive in the heat in slightly larger containers, let alone thrive like yours.

I'm really interested in reading more threads about some of the varieties that Valdimir shared with you. One question that's been in the back of my mind is how would the soviet flavor profile be described. Is it stand alone in sauces? Salsas?

- Lisa

Originally Posted by Gerardo

Leningradskij Skorospelyi

Another two from this staircase plant with wind and hail injuries. A lot of the early ones I tried are so-so, Leningradskij is surprisingly good, and I must say that in general terms, the Soviet flavor profile really works for my taste buds.

Attachment 58110

[efisakov]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Its been 100 with a heat index of 115 all week here in zone 5 and I'm inside almost all day. I've spent the last several hours reading and looking up some of the plants you started since this intense heat may be my new summer norm. You have such impressive system growing in confined space, fertilizing and watering. I'm learning so much. I can barely keep my plants alive in the heat in slightly larger containers, let alone thrive like yours.

I'm really interested in reading more threads about some of the varieties that Valdimir shared with you. One question that's been in the back of my mind is how would the soviet flavor profile be described. Is it stand alone in sauces? Salsas?

- Lisa

Dear Lisa, I am not sure anyone can answer this question.
Even Vladimir.

I can tell you that in "soviet time" salsa was not even a word many were familiar with.
We use adjika. It was originated from Georgia, now a country, but was a part of USSR at a time.

Spicy fermented peppers with other veggies and spices.
BTW, cilantro is used in Georgia a lot. It is called "kindzi" or "kindza".

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Dear Lisa, I am not sure anyone can answer this question.
Even Vladimir.

I can tell you that in "soviet time" salsa was not even a word many were familiar with.
We use adjika. It was originated from Georgia, now a country, but was a part of USSR at a time.

Spicy fermented peppers with other veggies and spices.
BTW, cilantro is used in Georgia a lot. It is called "kindzi" or "kindza".

I know I sound like a broken record here but sauce and salsa are interchangeable, they mean the same thing.
Cilantro and therefore coriander was unknown in the Americas until the Spanish brought it over.
As far as I know salsa was relativity unknown in most of the US until the craze took off some time ago.
My mother could only find little tiny cans of hot peppers in Missouri and Oklahoma so we grew our own.
In the stores what use to be a tiny little space with a bottle of hot sauce it has now exploded into so many it is unreal.

[Cole_Robbie]

and therefore cumin

I think you mean coriander, which is cilantro seed.

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Dear Lisa, I am not sure anyone can answer this question.
Even Vladimir.

I can tell you that in "soviet time" salsa was not even a word many were familiar with.
We use adjika. It was originated from Georgia, now a country, but was a part of USSR at a time.

Spicy fermented peppers with other veggies and spices.
BTW, cilantro is used in Georgia a lot. It is called "kindzi" or "kindza".

Ella, I was asking because Geraldo mentioned his taste buds liked the line he was growing, and I didn't know if there was a particular "taste" he liked, i.e. sour, mild, sweet ,etc that he found in these varieties he was growing via Valdimir.

I didn't grow up knowing salsa either, and my grandparents on both sides were from Russia. I've been a little more brazen in sampling new foods thanks to Worth and new specialty stores opening in my area.

Worth, I'll be downloading a pic to post in your fermenting thread tonight.

- Lisa

[efisakov]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Ella, I was asking because Geraldo mentioned his taste buds liked the line he was growing, and I didn't know if there was a particular "taste" he liked, i.e. sour, mild, sweet ,etc that he found in these varieties he was growing via Valdimir.

I didn't grow up knowing salsa either, and my grandparents on both sides were from Russia. I've been a little more brazen in sampling new foods thanks to Worth and new specialty stores opening in my area.

Worth, I'll be downloading a pic to post in your fermenting thread tonight.

- Lisa

Lisa, it is grate to be more brazen. I know it took me sometimes to fill free-er.
What will others say...

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

and therefore cumin

I think you mean coriander, which is cilantro seed.

You are right I got mixed up changed.

Worth

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Lisa, it is grate to be more brazen. I know it took me sometimes to fill free-er.
What will others say...

Tastes change over time too. I disliked hot sauce until I had a few drops on eggs last year.

[carolyn137]

I'm really interested in reading more threads about some of the varieties that Valdimir shared with you. One question that's been in the back of my mind is how would the soviet flavor profile be described. Is it stand alone in sauces? Salsas?

%%%%%

If you mean the Spanish ones, I sent those to Gerardo, ones that Vladimir sent to me.

If you mean his latest project,Vladimir's,I can't speak to that and nor can he since this is the first summer for that project.

About Russian varieties.I've grown lots of them and I think it depends on whether you are talking about ones that have been bred in Russia or ones that are truly heirloom varieties and just saying that some of the ones that have been bred are darn good as well.



I'm looking at the long list of varieties that Andrey in Belarus sent me eariler this year and next to most is written CV, which stands for commercial variety. Of the 17 varieties sent all but 4 have CV noted,2 Russian CV and 2 Polish CV.

Now this is the kind of letter I love to receive,along with some seeds.

my words now....Roxy at the diner got seeds from an old man who lived next door and gave her several fruits. He called it "that Russian tomato"

All the person who sent me the letter said was all he knows is that they are large,late and good.

And he wants to know if I know what variety it might be.

Not a chance of that and I've asked him to some how contact the old man and see what additional info he can give as to his name,where from in Russia,etc. To be grown out next summer.

Carolyn

[efisakov]

Dear, Carolyn,
I will share my grandma, my mom, my aunts experience in seeds sharing (in Ukraine and Russia). People that grow tomatoes always look at the neighbors gardens and if they like what they see/taste they ask for seeds of these varieties or leftover seedlings next year. They do not ask about the names of varieties, just write descriptions: color, size, type, taste, and/or who they got them from. Most people still seed tomatoes in a small flat wooden box and separate seedlings at planting time. If they brake some it is ok, they have more than needed. That is why almost everyone have leftover seedlings and they share them.

Of course there are people like Andrey, who know exactly what they are growing. But most of them do not, unfortunately. BTW, when I sent seeds to my mom with the names written in each bag, she still calls them seeds from Ella and by color.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Dear, Carolyn,
I will share my grandma, my mom, my aunts experience in seeds sharing (in Ukraine and Russia). People that grow tomatoes always look at the neighbors gardens and if they like what they see/taste they ask for seeds of these varieties or leftover seedlings next year. They do not ask about the names of varieties, just write descriptions: color, size, type, taste, and/or who they got them from. Most people still seed tomatoes in a small flat wooden box and separate seedlings at planting time. If they brake some it is ok, they have more than needed. That is why almost everyone have leftover seedlings and they share them.

Of course there are people like Andrey, who know exactly what they are growing. But most of them do not, unfortunately. BTW, when I sent seeds to my mom with the names written in each bag, she still calls them seeds from Ella and by color.

Ella,I do know how that works very well.
In another thread I put up a list of ones that Valerian sent me and he named them all,in English.

1. Garden Red Pride - indet, midseason, red beefsteak, 12 - 15 oz, productive and tasty, No chemicals used excepting copper sulfur, at least in the last 15 years I have it in my garden
2. Michaela's Pink - indet, midseason, pink beefsteak, 12-15oz. I have it from Michaela, my primary school colleague. It is over 20 year old in Michaela's garden
3. Moms'Heart - my oldest heirloom, over 40 years old in the garden, inherited from my mother - indet, midseason, dark red heart, about 4-6oz, very tasty. No chemicals used excepting copper sulfur, at least in the last 40 years
4. Pink Delice - indet, midseason, pink heart, 5-8oz. I have it from one of my neighbor. I grow it for 13-16 years, but it has a longer history in the area. No chemicals used excepting copper sulfur, at least in the last 25 years

There were initial problems with the Michaela one but that's been solved.

And then there's Tude from Romania who sent me what we called Arad's Pink Heart, and she sent me enough seeds to distribute and is now looking for others that have been grown by relatives here and there,I think this summer for grow out.

And then there was the unknown one from Italy that was posted here as well and I offered to help name it.

In the past I've received seeds for quite a few varieties that had no names and I always preferred that the person with the seeds name it if they could.

Some of the ones I helped name might include

George Detsikas Italian Red
Crnkovic Yugoslavian
Chris Ukranian
German Red Strawberry
Neves Azorean Red
Large Pink Bulgarian
Milka's Red Bulgarian
Olena Ukranian
Sandul Moldovan
Omar's Lebanese

.....to name just a few.

Carolyn

[Gerardo]

1. Garters, portly. Translations are difficult, and we'll leave it at that.

2. A fair amount of the Soviet bloc seeds I've grown are from the MMMM, from C-R, and various other trades. Vlad was instrumental for some really good varieties from Spain, the best one being Zamorano. I will be saving plenty of seeds. He is winding down his Spain project, and if I'm not mistaken Vlad grew scores of Spanish varieties thanks to our generous tomato brethren from the Iberian Peninsula.

3. Soviet profile in the context of salsa. Crunchy, a bit of acid, manageable skin, deep flavor profile, versatile, prolific, robust and vigorous--all these apply to some of the gems I've found. I don't really make any "pico de gallo" unless I'm eating a specific dish that requires it, for the most part I put my tomatoes and peppers in the electric toaster oven, scorch them for 20 mins, blender/food processor/nutri-bullet and then add whole garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper. From here you can go in a few directions, smoked salt instead of regular, onion powder and oregano, vinegar, with cubes of panela cheese/aguacate, long strips of grilled peppers, etc.

4. There are sauces for cooking and for end users at the table.
I'd classify the cooking ones as sofrito, the table-use ones have fresh tomato cubes only as a gringo fiction. Generally speaking, sauces at Mexican restaurant tables (if they sell "Rolled Tacos w Guac" please understand YOU ARE NOT EATING MEXICAN FOOD) are hot pepper based, dark, a bit oily, and potent.
"Pico de gallo" is served in specific contexts only, for example when eating Carnitas de Puerco, or for fish tacos in Baja. The "salsa" you dip your chips in is quite abhorrent to most of us because it's basically chunky ketchup with a few peppers thrown in.
When I eat "mexican food" in the US I think of it as plastic vending machine food; if I order a taco my expectation is plastic with plastic and lettuce, and I'm never disappointed. Whereas if I formulate an image of a taco or chiles rellenos or chilaquiles or whatever, and then I receive something that's just a greasy disaster, I loose my appetite. Hard learned lessons from when I first moved to the US in my late teens. The only people I've met who long for this type of food are deportees.
Unfortunately, our cuisine in its US form is greasy and bowel purging. Down here it's a completely different story, with regional variation that many people find fascinating.

[Worth1]

And now you know why I make my own Mexican food and sauces.
It may not be ((Authentic)) but it is better than what I can get in Austin.
I think Texas may have a little more variation than California dont know but it was horrible in the 70's.


Worth

[Gerardo]

I've no doubt your food is authentic Worth.

Progress Report

Started at 10 am, ended at 6pm. Put up a canopy, the sun was tough. Oral electrolytes are my friends, and the grape flavored one taste pretty good, like kool aid that's missing sugar.

Evicted 13 plants from tube slots and placed them along the hospice care wall. These included Faworyt, Russian Soul, Marbonne, Rebel Yell, Rebelski, Big Cheef, Lucky Cross, Zamorano, Chapman. I removed them from the bags (most had gone full kratky, with 40 cm white hairs emanating from the peat moss in the net cup) and placed them in 5 gal containers with some manure on top. They will spend their final days in a low sun spot.

A few had long vines and had spread all over the place, with multiple 15+ ft stems. I'll wait for their final fruits to blush before culling. Most of these are from April.

I have about 30 tubes slots waiting for new tenants.

Expensive hybrid seed.
Initially I favored Rebelski due to its productivity and disease resistance. Upon further review, Marbonne gets the nod. They taste better, and are bigger. The heat pummels Rebelski, and I'm having a hard time dialing in its Magnesium intake. Marbonne is not a picky eater at all, and it puts out big ones.

Here's a few shots of recent additions for fall harvest.

Terhune, the original PL

terhune pl x2.jpg

3 Mikhalych

3 micalych.jpg

2 Mikhalych, 2 Daniel Burson

2 micalych 2 daniel burson.jpg

4 Daniels, 1 Byzkaya Roza

4 daniels 1 b roza.jpg

Cucumbers

cucumbers.jpg

strays.jpg
strays2.jpg