Since I am on the subject of Neem this week I wanted to share my experience using Neem oil extract in the garden.

We have a 5 feet tall broccoli plant growing in mom’s kitchen garden.  It’s been giving us delicious mini sprouts year around. But this summer it’s been attacked by bugs, mostly aphids and tiny caterpillars.

There’s also a band of beetles that hang around too, but mom thinks it doesn’t harm her plant. They just hang around to make babies and fly off to greener pastures.

Because the plant looked so bad I had to do something to save them. And I wanted something natural and non-toxic. At first I tried the soap and water spray, mostly to kill off the aphids. It work somewhat but not the other pesky guys.

While shopping at Lowe’s, I saw Garden Safe brand Neem oil extract.  I didn’t even know they carried this stuff, so was definitely happy to give it a try.

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M found this fresh stalk of Brussels sprouts From Trader Joe’s.

I always thought it was cool to get them in stalks rather then in bags. No extra packaging wasted or needed either.

Brussels sprouts belong to the cabbage family. It’s a healthy vegetable that is high in vitamins A and C.

Interested in growing them? Check out these info and tips from the University of Illinois Gardening Extensive:

- Fall production is the most practical and rewarding in most parts of the country.

- Sprouts maturing in hot weather or under dry conditions are more likely to develop bitterness.

- In the proper season of the year, it can be grown with fair success in most areas of the country. In mild areas, or where there is deep snow cover, the sprouts may overwinter.

- Sprouts improve in quality and grow best during cool or even lightly frosty weather.”

I don’t plant to grow them anytime soon. But I do plan on cooking these. It would be best lightly steam or roasted with garlic and then drizzled with olive oil, Himalayan salt and ground black pepper.

When I think of Mexican peppers I usually think of Jalepeno peppers. But this weekend I decided to add some new choices to my pepper selection.

These are fresh Pasilla peppers. They have a nice dark green color and very thick outer skin, but the inside is juicy.

Pasilla peppers are referred to many other names too. The word pasilla is translated as “little raisins” in Spanish. Another common name is pablano peppers. And the dried version is call ancho and are used to make Mexican mole sauce.

These peppers has an interesting taste that many would describe as earthy. But I say it taste like a good green vegetable with some heat. It’s not as hot as jalepeno, but has enough heat to keep it interesting.

Pasilla peppers are great stuffed because they have thick skin and good amount of space to fill. I actually prefer stuffed pasilla over stuffed bell peppers. I also think they are good slightly steamed or grilled and added to sandwiches.

In Mexico, they like to coat it with whipped eggs and fried them.  Just like French toast but with a pepper.

Another new favorite Mexican pepper of mine is now Anaheim pepper.  In this photo they look almost like Jalepeno, but it’s really almost two times larger and has barely any heat.

They have light green skin and are long and narrow. They are great when added to omelets or salads. I also like them slightly steamed as they don’t lose their crunch.

I found these at the local grocery store. I would like to have tried these locally when they are in season. But I’m sure these were farmed in Mexico.

As with many vegetables and produce sold these days, it’s best to soak them in a mixture of vinegar and water before serving. Rinse and clean well.

Chayote (pronouced cha-yoh-teh) have become more common in the vegetable stalls here in California.

The name Chayote or chocho derived from Mexico (Spanish). In the southern U.S. states, they are commonly eaten and known as mirliton or vegetable pear.  Chayote are cultivated in California, Florida, and Louisiana.

The inside of a chayote looks like - the seed is the best part. It is very nutty and creamy. It’s always a treat to open up a chayote and find a huge seed in the middle.

I don’t know if it’s a fruit or vegetable. When seen hanging from the vine, it’s more like a fruit. It’s from the gourd family that also consist of melons, cucumbers and squash.

Some think chayote taste like a potato and can be bland. But I think it has an interesting flavor, like a mix of cucumber and zucchini squash. It is full of vitamin C and other nutrients.

Chayote can also be eaten raw. It’s slightly crunchy. Just shred and mix with a bit of salt, lemon juice, and chili peppers. Chayote can also be added to stir-fry, to retain it’s crisp taste, do not overcook. The list of cooking with chayote can include baking and pickling as well.

All parts of this plant can be eaten, from the leaves to the root. The leaves are also used to make tea.  But I’ve never tried eating anything beside the fruit. I like chayote so much, I just steam them and eat as it.

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I came across this seed company while I was shopping at Common Grounds in Palo Alto, Ca.  Seeds of Change is based out of New Mexico since 1989.  They specialize in non-GMOs, open pollinated organic seeds.  These are seeds that allow you to grow and save the seeds again with the guarantee that it’s the same as the parent seed.  Unlike commercial seed packets which are usually hybrids.  There are some pro and cons to this idea, but overall I think it’s a good idea if you plan on saving the seeds.

Photo from Seeds of Change.

There were so many selections of cucumber seeds, one that I liked was the Satsuki Madori Cucumber (about $3) pictured above.  The folks at Seeds of Change has described it as a very rare, Asian variety.  The fruit is long and slender with tender skin and few seeds.  They also say it’s extremely delicious and never bitter.  That sounds like a winner to me!

Next year I want to suggest this Japanese cucumber to my mom’s vegetables garden.  This year I suggested beets for her garden and it’s turned out to be one of her favorite.  Garden grown beet (or vegetables) is so much tastier then the grocery store variety.  I am sure many gardeners out there can agree.

Common Grounds is also a great place to find local honey and also helpful information on organic gardening.  The folks there are really nice and helpful.  They also provide a useful list of vegetable companions and their antagonists.  See the full list here.

I have included a few interesting information from Seeds of Change in this post, but you can read the rest here.  And if you are in the area (New Mexico), you can take a farm tour in late August and September.

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