Friday is all about books

Jacqueline Burton says:

I grew up with acres of tomotoes, but the most my little city balcony will delight me with now is a bit of mint and cilantro.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 5:25 am.

tj says:

...Hi DDJ!*waving*  Just had my first BLT of the season for dinner last nite with fresh, homegrown tomatoes from our garden - deeeelish! :o)

...Would love to have this book - thanks for the chance to win!

...Blessings :o)

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 5:28 am.

Lee Ann says:

Wow!  You are very generous!  Our garden is bursting at the seams with cucumbers, cymlings, tomatoes, beets, basil, and chard.  The zucchini hasn’t been very productive but maybe that’s a good thing.  I’ve got my fingers crossed that this cookbook will help me use up all the goodies.  Thanks for the chance to win!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 5:37 am.

Michelle says:

We love our backyard fruit!  Strawberries picked and eaten warm from the sun are my fav!  Figs, apricots, grapes, tangerines, pomelos, grapefruit, oranges… just made a lemon meringue pie from the lemon, Yum!  Love your daily email, and would love the book.  Thanks:0)

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 5:50 am.

Deb Shrider says:

My patio and balcony are home to my tomato plants - nothing tastes better than home grown tomatoes fresh off the vine.  Unfortunately, the local wildlife think so too, so it’s always race to see who gets to enjoy them first!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 5:51 am.

Patricia says:

Enjoy reading your daily notes.
I have been using the Victory Garden cookbook since forever. A new look at the garden’s gifts would be welcome.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 6:02 am.

Jan Brider says:

Love your dirtdujour and grew up on a farm in Indiana.  I now how have a cozy corner garden and it is square foot garden 10’ X 8 and I grow Tomatoes, peppers, carrots, Zucchini, radishes etc.
Love the harvest!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 6:06 am.

Ellen says:

I sympathize with Jacqueline - I had to give up on my container tomatoes and now only grow parsley and cilantro on my shady patio!

Thanks for the opportunity to win the book.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 6:07 am.

Donna Ross says:

Summer is BIG in our condo patio for tomatoes.  Our plants reach past our garage roof and there is a tangle of many wonderful varieties to choose from everyday - Sweet Baby Girl being my favorite.  I really need some food prep advise.  I would love to win a beautiful cook book.
Thanks

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 6:15 am.

Tina says:

I finally put in a raised garden. Wonderful heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and fregrant herbs.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 6:20 am.

sandy koepke says:

i’ve recently moved to the mountains (lake arrowhead) and my neighbor and i have planted a small garden together: tomatoes, squash, herbs, pumpkins. it’s a perfect way to get to know her…and to make friends with my neighbors when we harvest those pumpkins!  feels like my nebraska roots!

dirt du jour..the info and wit… is such a nice way to start the day!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 6:26 am.

Linda Genis says:

Fresh tomato sauce is one of my favorites from the garden.  This year I tried pickling peperoncinis for the first time.  Squash and green beans are blanched and frozen when I have too much.  The neighbors always appreciate home grown tomatoes.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 6:32 am.

Angela Kreutzer says:

The minute I read your column which informed me that one of the major tomato growers in the United States gets paid “for weight, (he) doesn’t get paid one red cent for taste”, I decided to grow my own tomatoes. That, and my cousin Jack has the most amazing tomatoes every year, I just had to best him!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 6:53 am.

Regina says:

Tried tomatoes-they died. But my rosemary and herbs are going well.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 6:57 am.

Judy Wong says:

The book looks great!  I’ve been browsing the library and book stores for more great ideas on how to maximize my garden use in my kitchen.  I’d love to hear more about this in your blogs and to hear about books you recommend!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 7:19 am.

Susan says:

It’s so much fun to be planning dinner at the last minute and find you have spinach and beans and ripe peaches all available just for the picking.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 7:24 am.

Mary Skeslock says:

I would love to win the book!  I could glance through it while eating “pizza on a stick” consisting of fresh basil and “Baby Girl” Cherry tomatoes from my garden…take a toothpick, insert into a cherry tomato, next a fresh piece of basil, and top it off with a small chunk of mozarella cheese…VOILA!!!  PIZZA ON A STICK!  Delicious!!!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 7:29 am.

Venessa says:

I love my raised bed for growing vegies in San Diego.  Fresh lettuce each day and my tomatoes are almost ready.  Although the farmers market in Little Italy on Saturday morning is phenomenal walking outside and picking fresh vegies for the evenings meal can’t be beat.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 7:33 am.

Laura says:

We enjoy fresh veggies from the garden at our church. We have a program called “open table” where anyone is allowed to come in and have dinner. We all bring vegetarian items. Last night we had home grown green beens in a mix with bok choy and soy sauce and home grown tomatoes in a mix on flatbread. We also grow strawberries and the person next to the church grows corn.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 7:43 am.

Kathie Burns says:

Strawberries and blueberries on our morning cereal, accompanied by grapefruit; fresh tomatoes, onions, herbs for use with dinner, what more can you ask for ?  More recipes to make with what I find in my garden.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 8:13 am.

Daisy says:

This year since I am home, I have been growing more veges and herbs in my raised beds I put in last year. Nothing beats going to the garden, and finding something to use while making a meal. That is my ultimate reward for all the work I put into the garden. Would love to see what the book has to offer, using up produce from the garden. Thanks.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 8:20 am.

kathy says:

I would love to receive this book!
My neighbors and I have gardens - so this time of year we have a BBQ/Potluck get-together to share & enjoy our homegrown goodies!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 8:36 am.

Julie says:

I have a secret garden right outside my laundryroom door. It’s small and compact but brimming with tomatoes, zucchini and peppers this time of year. Picking homegrown vegies each day is such a delight!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 9:01 am.

Jane says:

I grew up in Southern California but have lived in Ireland for years now, gardening in a cool wet environment and ambiguous seasons. So every year is completely different; one year I am coming down with peas, sugar snaps and broad beans, the next year I have a major glut of outdoor tomatoes and bolted spinach, so there is a strong element of luck when deciding what to plant each year and when to actually put it outside (hail stones in June, drought in March and April). I would love a book for cooking in all eventualities!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 9:16 am.

Jeannette Ward says:

I’m relatively new to growing my own garden.  I attend a garden class once a week.  I have 7 fruit trees and 3 raised beds.  I tend to learn by trial and error and sometimes I feel sorry for my plants.  For instance, I had no idea how much chard I could from 4 plants.  I couldn’t begin to eat it all.  Me and bell peppers do not get along for some reason.  They don’t seem to like me and refuse to grow :o(.  I also have herbs in pots on my patio along with 2 blueberry plants.  We’ll see how they do.  The book would really help me to know what recipes are best for what I grow per season.  Thanks for your website.  Jeannette…....

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 9:27 am.

Julie Gallagher says:

I desperately want my own “real” kitchen garden with raised beds and veggies. Right now we have potted herbs (thyme, basil, chives), rosemary and various fruit trees including oranges, lemons and plums (the plums are IN).  If family is not excluded, I would love this book! Love you Auntie!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 9:44 am.

Laura says:

My garden is producing so well this year. I’ve been harvesting berries for weeks and have made several pies. There is nothing like a summer garden!!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 9:45 am.

Gardenerd says:

It started when I became concerned about where my food comes from.  Now I’m addicted to growing heirloom varieties and about 80% of the produce we eat comes from the garden. Right now the counter is covered with squash, potatoes, tomatoes and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye). We’re eating so well!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 10:01 am.

Ruel says:

Lots of tomatoes in the back yard right now, including Pink Belgium ‘maters which are bulking up like crazy! Would be awesome to have a good cookbook on hand…

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 10:19 am.

Susan Fortune says:

There’s nothing that says summer like an heirloom tomato still warm from the sun. SUNGOLD is the best ever! Perennial African Blue Basil is a must to go with the tomatoes—if they make it into the house.  Walking onions are always a hit with garden visitors. Italian Trombone Squash, or Climbing Zucchini is over the fence & running away.  Both the plant & the squash are HUGE but the fruit stays tender. I enjoy the exotics such as Poha, Dragon Fruit, goji and allspice.  This year will be the first to harvest finger limes.  You bring the champagne for the vesicles to dance in!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 10:19 am.

Dorothy says:

In’04, we got rid of the front lawn. In ‘08 we started replacing some of the perenials with edibles like dwarf meyer lemon,herbs,nectaplum, apricot, pomegranite, guavas, and cherry trees.. This coming fall we plan on expanding the edibles in the front with artichoke plants and edible greens. Loving my side yard garden with homegrown tomatoes,fresh basil, beets, beans and more.  I hope this year I finally keep the garden going year round! Hey, I’m in the OC, no excuses.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 10:32 am.

Garden Goddess says:

I have been sooo busy the past couple of years that my garden has gone to pot…I’ve even gone so far as to buy new plants but haven’t made the time to clear out the old to put in the new… Perhaps a new garden cookbook will be that little push that gets me back into my 20 year garden routine? <grin> 

And by the way, what is a “cymlings”?

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 10:35 am.

YS says:

I recently completed my training as a master gardener. Would love to share this book as a resource for future trainees!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:01 am.

Ilene says:

Thanks for keeping our spirits lifted everyday with your uplifting & funny emails,

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:20 am.

Tasia Surch says:

Nothing is better tasting than the tomatoes, strawberries and peppers from my raised bed garden!  No pesticides, only organic growing methods so I can feel good about what we eat and take care of the earth at the same time!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:22 am.

Ann Summers says:

I’m up to my eyeballs in delicious Mariiposa plums -
an old-fashioned variety - deep red, mostly freestone, and oh so sweet.  So far it been plum chutney, plum crisp, plum-orange jam, eating them fresh and dripping, and giving away boxes to friends. What a bonanza it has been, and the bees have been getting their share, too!  Summer fruit season in So Cal is a great thing, but more recipes and ideas are always needed.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 11:59 am.

Lynne says:

I have only had one disastrous attempt at growing vegetables. The broccoli heads were so small they weren’t even a single person serve, the beans were sparse and I wasn’t sure when I was supposed to pick them so they went rather stringy. Other things simply failed to grow at all.
I have decided, due to finances, to have another crack at it, and have bought a book called Lasagne Gardening which teaches how to layer nutrients in the soil to build a deep, rich base in which to grow things. I’m really quite excited now.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 2:06 pm.

Lauren Ackert says:

Image my surprise when I found out that my room-mate liked to pickle. 
First came the jalapenos… 
Since then he has made plum wine, pomegranate vodka, and pickled cucumbers from stuff growing in our backyard.  I just put in a kaffir lime and a fig tree.  And plan to put in blueberry bushes next.  Image what the outcome could be…!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 2:12 pm.

Mary Mohr says:

Just finished making a tub of Italian tomato sauce with tomatoes and herbs from my garden.  I can’t give the tomatoes away fast enough—picking pounds daily with my crop I bought this sping at Tomatomania at San Diego Botanical Gardens.  I give them to my hiking buddies, book group, neighbors and leave them in my mail box for John, my mailman.  Such fun to share!

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 5:07 pm.

Heidi says:

There is nothing better than a fresh picked fruit or vegtable! I have started to can like mmy grandmother did in the past. I would love to have this cookbook to help me along

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 5:27 pm.

Annika says:

Is there anything better than to pick a just ripened fruit or crispy vegetable, brush off the soil, flick off the spiders, and put it into the basket of the daily harvest. I moved from Los Angeles to rural Riverside County three years ago and don’t regret it for a country minute. I’ve gone low-tech with the garden, letting nature take care of things in her own sweet time, and reap the bounty thanks to my patience. Nature in balance brings peace to our being. A cookbook that celebrates what nature is only too willing to give to us nurtures our essence, be it boiled, pickled, saute’d or just assembled. Cheers.

Posted on July 22, 2011 at 5:49 pm.

Janna says:

By season is a great way to organize a recipe book!
It’s kind of a joke on a Master Gardener friend of mine who just remodeled her kitchen,was “just for looks- don’t want to cook in it”.  Actualy, we have been talking about “discovering our inner foodies” and we wnt to do this with garden raised produce of course.  And anyone who grows their own knows about the “whole bunch at once” nature “love it” receipes for things that you grow.

This past year I have become enamoured with “Laura
MacIntosh’s Bringing It Home” show on ION TV that features guest chefs cooking with wine counry ingrediants, with a little gardening thrown in.  Would LOVE a cookbook with that kind of cooking (not so much into overly gourmet receipes, kind of a more basic “keep it real” kind of eater), but every single thing feature on that show makes me so hungry!

If by chance, you have grown too much, please share with your local food distribution pantry and “plant
an extra row” if you have the space.  I would love it Cindy, if you would again post the blog about the
food pantry finder website for those who missed it!

Posted on July 23, 2011 at 12:07 pm.