Re: Guess the plant

Bring the pics on, both the hens and the plants, Paul. May I call you that?

BTW, forgot to say good luck with the tomatillos, never grew them. Are they self-pollenating ... they are in the greenhouse, aren't they?

Re: Guess the plant

Please call me Paul. The tomatillos are in the greenhouse but it has been warm enough to leave them out (I haven't because the weather can change quickly). I don't know if they are self pollinating or not, I know I will be making loads of gardening errors. But I do learn quick and tend not to repeat mistakes.

I will be posting pics of the hens soon. I expect that they will look pretty poor at first because they are ex-battery but I hope over the months you will see their feathers grow back and them flourishing.

Re: Guess the plant

Yes of course-it`s so easy when one knows the answer-my excuse is that I have not grown them for a while.

Tomatillos grow like thugs-bloody enormous plants so if in a greenhose stake them well and prune with shears-none of this fiddling around taking out side shoots.

Raw on their own they taste a bit odd but once into a salsa -yum

Re: Guess the plant

I've never made - nor tried - salsa. Read a article recently that it has now passed ketchup as the most popular condiment here in the States. What do you use it on?

Re: Guess the plant

It can be eaten with anything and recipes vary. It comes from Mexico but is now popular in many places.

Google for a few variations-think hot and a little sour tempered with fresh coriander(Cilantro to you)-or not so hot if you do not like chillies

Re: Guess the plant

I love chilis, have grown my own hot ones for years; also love cilantro; I do a lot of Asian cooking where both are important ingredients. Have you ever made Dan Dan noodles ... lots of cilantro there!

Re: Guess the plant

Can`t say I have made Dan Dan noodles-as I type this I`m taken back to my youngest years when there was just a bucket.

At about 4/5 we used to sing Dan Dan the lavatory man.

How odd to go from cooking to one`s earliest memories

Re: Guess the plant

The brain does make odd connections, doesn't it; but of course you know that.

Never heard that song...lyrics?

Dan Dan noodles is a cold spicy dish with crushed peanuts, cilantro and other goodies: sort of thing you would get from Chinese street food vendors; good light meal on a hot night. The Chinese restaurant I ate in for years while working didn't have it on the menu (peasant food), but would fix it if you were a regular and asked! Yummy! I learned to make it myself.

Re: Guess the plant

I remember that from the school playground, too!

Re: Guess the plant

I thought it was a pansy. Just shows you how expert I am.