Garden-Florida

Last fall, after Tropical Storm Fay left my back yard flooded with 14 inches of rain, I decided it was time for some serious re-landscaping. This would begin by raising the soil in some areas and working for better drainage and runoff in others.

I shredded a substantial amount of plant trimmings to compost. Among the items shredded were the roots and stems of the sweet potato plants just harvested.

With one distraction after another last spring I didn’t get around to redoing the back yard. So the big pile of compost just kept getting bigger. Then one day I noticed a sweet potato plant growing in the center of the pile. I guess one shred of root established and sprouted. I decided to leave it alone and see what happened.

Over the summer the plant thrived and grew enormous. Now, finally ready to redo the area, I uprooted the plant last Thursday. The photo doesn’t give a good perspective on the size of the tubers. This is because they grew so long. I am not sure why. The photo was taken immediately after I dug them up. This was from that one plant, which had been completely ignored all summer, left to grow with absolutely no help from anyone.

Sweet Potatoes From The Compost Pile

The fresh sweet potatoes looked so good I went ahead and baked them Friday. The texture and flavor was absolutely perfect. Since we were having a neighborhood garage sale yesterday I reserved a cup of cooked, mashed sweet potatoes for Sweet Potato & Pecan cookies.

Sweet Potato & Pecan Cookies

¾ c butter
¾ c light brown sugar
½ c sugar
1 egg
1 c sweet potato, cooked & mashed
1 ½ c flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¾ c quick cooking oatmeal
1 c pecans
1 c golden raisins

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in egg and cooked, mashed sweet potato. Mix in dry ingredients and then sir in pecans and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls. Bake at 350 degrees 14-16 minutes.

This made about 52 cookies and were they ever delicious!

The more I grow sweet potatoes, the more I am impressed. They grow in a wide variety of soils and once established need very little attention. I have some more plants to dig up soon that came up from last year’s bed. Again, no help from me. I think they actually look better than the ones I started from slips. I am beginning to think that if you grow these thins once, you will have them always. They are just that easy to root.

What did I learn for this experience?

I should have trusted my sense of smell and touch. I finally cut the mango this evening because even though there was still quite a lot of green on the skin, the aroma was becoming overpowering. The fruit was very soft. There was no green inside and some of the fruit was almost overripe. Next time I’ll slice when aroma and softness tell me it’s time, regardless of the color of the peel.

As you can probably tell from the photo the fruit was very juicy. The texture and flavor were excellent.

According to the description at Pine Island Nursery.

‘Mallika’ is a “condo mango” native to India. It has become a favorite here at PIN due to its superb flavor, unparalleled disease resistance, and small but extremely productive habit. There is a catch however. The fruit must be picked mature green for optimum flavor, and they are traditionally ripened in camel dung while on the way to market in India. They can also be packed in a cardboard box and kept at room temperature if camel dung is difficult to come by in your part of the world. Ripening typically takes ten to fourteen days. The season is from June to July.

This is my first year growing Mallika, and the plant is still fairly small. As is my habit, I prefer to encourage newly-planted fruit tress to put their energy into growth for the first couple of years. So, I only allowed one fruit to grow to maturity.

More than likely I could have picked the fruit a couple of weeks sooner, but wanted to make sure it had filled out as much as possible. The fruit was still green when picked; mostly green, swollen and heavy. Since I don’t have access to camel dung, I stored in a paper bag on my kitchen counter. Nine days later the fruit has developed a fragrant, mango aroma, has grown soft, but still a little green. I monitor progress every day. I think it should be ready to slice in a couple of days.

The main reason I wanted Mallika was the due to the need to pick mature-green. Seemed like an excellent choice for a mango to send to my sisters.

Speaking of mangoes, last week I overheard a guy at Publix telling how a thief stole all the mangoes from his tree. I didn’t hear all the details, or how he knew who took the fruit. He went to see the guy and the thief said, “Want to buy some mangoes?”

The man responded, “Why would I buy mangoes that came off my own tree?”

I didn’t hear how the story ended because you can only spend so much time eavesdropping in a crowded produce section.

But it occurs to me that if Mallika tastes as good as it already smells, the picking-mature-green requirement could act as a potential deterrent to thieves. And it is a variety that can be maintained at only ten feet.

Watch for an update in a few days. Mmmm! Can’t wait!

Book Review: The Essential Wild Food Survival Guide
by Linda Runyon

The Essential Wild Food Survival Guide

Linda Runyon. Wild Food Company 2009, Paperback, 320 pages, $14.95

An excellent reference guide to the most commonly found wild edibles across the US

The number of wild edibles described in this guide is fairly limited; however, the author does an excellent job of detailing the plants covered. A recipe section is also included – Crabgrass Muffins, anyone? The author also includes information about preserving wild foods, and a section on poisonous look-alikes.

Since the book includes plants from every region of the country, you’ll find a little something for everyone. Here in Florida it is highly unlikely I will be making Tumbleweed Soup or cooking with Queen Anne’s Lace. On the other hand, I do have a healthy crop of crabgrass for most of the year, and I might try the Blackberry Bramble Tea.

Wherever you live, it makes sense to become familiar with the wild edibles on your property and around the neighborhood.

For those of us interested in edible landscaping, it is worth remembering that some edibles plant themselves in our garden beds and lawns.

While this book would serve as an excellent introduction to wild edibles, it also contains enough unique content to become an instant favorite for those who have studied edibles for a long time. I highly recommend this book.

This is the first year I’ve grown longan.

This is a highly-prized fruit in Asia, and appears to grow quite well in my Florida garden. So far.

When ripe the small fruit are slightly larger than my white Muscadine grapes. They have a thin, hard husk that peels easily revealing a whitish, translucent flesh around a large pit.

longan peeled, fruit and pit

How to describe the taste?

The fruit is sweet and jucy. I can’t think of another fruit to compare the flavor. It is pleasant and mild, but not really like anything else. My first thought was a little bland, but I think what I meant was not at all tangy.

I’m not sure how large the tree will grow, but have given it plenty of room with plenty of sun.

Like most of my fruit trees, I fertilize with citrus fertilizer.

Will try to get some better pics of the ripe fruit today.