Bzzzz June 22nd, 2010

About a month ago I shared a photo of my rustic mimosa tree trellis for the cucumbers. I fashioned the trellis from the trunks of mimosas from a few of the trees he had chopped down a couple of weeks before. I was hoping they would look just rustic once they were covered with the cucumber vines. I didn’t expect them to grow!

Unfortunately, they are. They are sprouting everywhere. They’re sunk about two feet into the soil and now covered with cucumber vines, so I’m not inclined to hoist them up mid-summer. But pulling them up is definitely on the to-do list for fall cleanup.

Trust me. Although mimosas are rather pretty trees with charming fan-shaped pink flowers, they are extremely invasive. We have a grove of them—and many more volunteers—to prove it.

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Bzzzz July 31st, 2008

This week is all about cucumbers. How about this Armenian Yardlong Cucumber? Yes, it is supposed to be this light yellow, almost white color. And this one is well on its way to being a yard long.

Unfortunately, my first Armenian Yardlong Cucumber was bitter.

Here’s a great way to enjoy the flavor of your garden fresh cucumbers–Asian Cucumber Salad. My favorite!

Ingredients

3 medium cucumbers, peeled, de-seeded, sliced lengthwise and in thin slices 1 tablespoon kosher salt 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted in a skillet until golden brown

Toss the cucumbers with the kosher salt and place in a colander in the sink. Place an ice-filled bag on the cucumbers to drain for 45 minutes to an hour. Whisk all the remaining ingredients, except the sesame seeds, until blended and the sugar is dissolved. Rinse the cucumbers and dry with paper towels. Toss the cucumbers and dressing. Top with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Posted In: Food and Recipes, Gardening

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