North Florida Gardening

[PlainJane]

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And this is Copia Z Dziobkiem, from Poland.
Pretty, with some interesting swirling color and the unusual shape. Nice but not out of the ordinary flavor. One is ripe, the others are at earlier stages of color break.

[PlainJane]

And here’s my 2 seconds of fame: my tomatoes featured on the menu at Rue St Marc.

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https://ruesaintmarc.com/

[PlainJane]

I continue to be amazed by Girl Girl’s Weird Thing. It’s turning out to be one of the most productive plants in a pretty good season.

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[PlainJane]

Here is the second Hoy, fully ripe, with Maglia Rosa for scale.

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[MissS]

It sure looks like you are having some fun with your tomatoes this year. Not many of us are honored to have them published on a menu and served so beautifully.

[PlainJane]

@MissS, It’s a unique restaurant, for Jacksonville anyway, and I’m lucky to live fairly close. When I decided not to do a formal sit-down tomato tasting this year I had to come up with a plan for excess harvest. Sadly, the food banks I approached don’t accept fresh produce so I thought of a local restaurant. It’s worked out well and been lots of fun.

[karstopography]

@MissS, It’s a unique restaurant, for Jacksonville anyway, and I’m lucky to live fairly close. When I decided not to do a formal sit-down tomato tasting this year I had to come up with a plan for excess harvest. Sadly, the food banks I approached don’t accept fresh produce so I thought of a local restaurant. It’s worked out well and been lots of fun.

I was digging the menu, limted and focused on a few great ingredients/proteins/produce and not trying to be all things to all people. Saw the tomato pistou on the appetizers and now I have to make this for myself.

[PlainJane]

Oh, and their cocktails and wine selections are amazing.

[PlainJane]

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I finally harvested the last of the Lincoln leeks. They held up amazingly well in this hot dry weather.

[PlainJane]

Seeing results for my first foray into watermelon growing.

New Queen F1 (larger) and Mini Love, with a Maglia Rosa tomato for scale.

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Both are supposedly ‘low seed’ varieties so we’ll see.
They are more manageable for growing and storing than the big uns, that’s for sure.
My fear is that because it was so hot these last weeks that they’ll be bland from watering.

[MissS]

@PlainJane That is exciting! Let us know how they taste.

[PlainJane]

Kitchen counter still at full throttle.

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[GoDawgs]

Wow! You're loaded with 'maters! Lucky you. Your counter looks stuffed with those like my refrigerator is with beans.

[PlainJane]

I lost 2 good sized Eel River melons last week to some kind of worm so this morning when I saw the largest Haogen turning color I picked it and brought it into the house. Not taking any chances.
Also grabbed the other Mini Love watermelon as I don’t have a lot of experience growing them and was afraid it would split.

The Haogen smells wonderful.

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[GoDawgs]

That's the pits that you lost a few melons to some danged bug. I wonder if something bored in or if like peaches etc the egg is laid in the flower and the worm eventually bores its way out of the ripe fruit. Either way, I'd be ticked off too!

I got some of the Ha'Ogen seed in the swap this year and have a few growing out there. The plants are only about 8" tall so far. Have you tasted one yet?

[PlainJane]

@GoDawgs I’ll be diving into that melon very soon. The aroma is starting to permeate the kitchen.

[AKgardener]

Yah on your harvest looks great

[PlainJane]

Here’s Mini Love:

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Much sweeter than the New Queen F1 which was kind of bland.

[GoDawgs]

That's a cute little sucker! Sweet?

[Seven Bends]

Looks great, and hooray for watermelon seeds! I miss them in all the modern grocery store watermelons.