Even though it was raining outside yesterday, I still had to water the plants in the greenhouse. See that wall of green towards the back of the greenhouse?
That wall, is actually 2 green zebra tomato plants that have gotten totally out of control.
But look, the first green zebra tomato of the season! If you have never grown green zebras before, put them on your seed wish list for next year. They are totally delicious. Plus they look cool in a salad too, which is totally what you are going for if you live in suburbia. The cool factor. 😉
The tri-star strawberries I planted in gutters earlier this season are just beginning to set fruit again. Typically the strawberry plants will produce about twice as much fruit in early summer than in the fall.
But we’ll take what we can get.
Ahh Lemon. My sweet little Meyer lemon tree I planted in January is really starting to look like an actual lemon tree. The only thing is, there are only about a dozen or so fruits left on the tree. I hope all those little lemons can all hang on until January so I’ll be able to harvest them.
Lemon cucumber. Lucy LOVES these!
And last but not least, take a look at this Ancho chili pepper. Isn’t it lovely?  We have 4 of these growing in the greenhouse right now and I’m not sure what I am going to do with them. Well, actually I was thinking about stuffing them with cheese or meat for chiles rellenos like the packet suggested. But I’ve never made them before. What do you think?
Do you cook with chili peppers? Do you have any other suggestions?
~Mavis
myna lee says
did u prune the tomatoe plants regularly or just let them grow?
Dawn S says
We’ve used this recipe for Poblano peppers and it is really good, but spicy!
http://lifeasmom.com/2010/05/poblano-chile-enchiladas-and-an-ultimate-recipe-swap.html
Hope you’ll try it!
suzanne says
Stuff those peppers Mavis and share the recipe so I can too. I was going to dehydrate and powder mine for seasoning but I still have enough from last year.
Sara says
Stuff the peppers!!! That is such a delicious, and frugal, meal!!! I make it at least once a month and never get sick of it.
Catherine says
They’re actually not Ancho peppers until you dry them. Fresh, they’re usually called pasilla or poblano. 🙂 Stuffed with queso is great, but they’re traditionally battered and fried, so maybe not super healthy. Once stuffed and fried, they can be cut in strips for tacos or put whole into burritos or wrapped in tortillas and doused in sauce for enchiladas. I like to grill them (let them cool and peel the blackened skins off and remove the seeds and membrane) and put them on burgers with swiss and guacamole. I also like to saute them with bacon, corn, and zucchini finished with a splash of cream. So good. Poblanos are pretty mild, so you can sub them in anywhere you’d use green bell peppers as long as the recipe can tolerate a little kick.
Dianna says
I love your garden! The green zebras look like so much fun. Do they taste like a red tomato? I made this casserole with some chili peppers earlier this year (except I added way more peppers and didn’t use fancy cheese). It was really good and the kids liked it too.
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/casseroles/chiles-rellenos-casserole/
Veronica says
Before you stuff them, make sure you roast and peel them. I have made chili rellenos both ways (just to see if I could get away with being lazy) and the roasted/blackened and peeled ones tasted sooo much better (and were easier to cut). To roast them: place peppers on a broiler pan and broil about 4 inches away from flame until the skin is blackened and popping/blistering. Watch carefully! Turn them to make sure they blister on all sides. Once blistered, remove from broiler and place in a plastic zipper bag. Let sit until cool. Remove from bag and peel off skins. Discard skins (or compost them) and proceed with your recipe. You could do all the broiler steps with a grill too, but we don’t have one of those.
Abby's Mom says
Go for the chile rellenos! I love them and making them. One of the administrative assistants where I used to work grew them by the bushel and would bring in her extras. I will really miss them this year. Mine never looked as pretty as the restaurant, but they sure tasted good.
Marie says
Care to share about your greenhouse? Did you buy it online, Home Depot or another retail outlet? You keep it so nice and clean!
Mavis Butterfield says
I purchased it locally. It’s a Magnum Glass Greenhouse and you can find retailers in your area online. I LOVE it!
AM says
Mavis, what are you feeding Lemon? I’m in Eastern Canada and cannot find citrus fertilizer anywhere!
Mavis Butterfield says
Water. That’s it. Maybe I should be doing more?