Let's Celebrate Together!



Read about the Thanksgiving Cactus.



COMSOG’S HAPPY HOLIDAY PARTY IS SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13TH!

Time: 6pm to 9ish – Location: Thalia Scanlan’s house at 444 Lambert’s Cove Rd. Bring your favorite finger foods, appetizers, desserts – whatever tasty treats you’d like to share! We’ll provide plentY of libations – hard and soft... hot and cold!!! Also – to add to the fun — bring a small wrapped gift $10 or under – for our “Chinese Auction” - or Grab-Bag. It’s always a great time to share the joys of the season while we take a small time-out from the greenhouse for family and fun!

Need help? Thalia’s home phone is 508-696-0305 or (M) 508-221-0414.

LET’S CELEBRATE TOGETHER!!!

Wednesday December 12th we will meet at Ken and Alba's house to send out membership information and renewal forms.

Our January meeting at the greenhouse will be a planning meeting.  Bring fund raising and planting ideas.

Lots of greens are growing in the greenhouse.  Do you have a favorite kale recipe?

A World of Heirloom Tomatoes

Read Thalia's interview with Catherine Walthers in Martha's Viineyard Magazine, A World of Heirloom Tomatoes.

Things have been busy all summer at COMSOG.  The flowers in the back garden are magnificent.  the worker bees have been collecting them and drying them for flower arranging this fall.  Chris Legge will be teaching us all.  Hopefully there will be a class at the Fall Festival in October. 
September 29th is the Living Local Festival and COMSOG will be participating.  If you would like to be a part of this please call Betsy Cabana.

Summer Bounty

The rains have blessed us with a beautiful display.  The back gardens are full of flowers.  Come pick a bouquet for $5.00.  Bring a coffee can for picking.
The tomatoes are doing fine this year.  Covering them with netting has kept away the deer and the crows.

Tomato, Cucumbers, Peppers, and Basil
As I checked off the vegetables at Comsog, it sounded like a recipe for gazpacho.  I flipped through my recipe file and found this recipe to share. 

Garden Gazpacho
6 large tomatoes
1 large cucumber ( I used 2 pickling cucumbers)
1 medium onion (I like red but there are some nice spring onions in the greenhouse.)
1 green pepper (You could use the Corno del Toro or Poblano)
1 jalapeno
3 cloves of garlic (I guess you will have to go to the store!)
1/3 cup herbs basil, parsley, cilantro or mix ( There are 3 kinds of basil.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Chunk the vegetable.  Puree the tomatoes, garlic and hot pepper.  Add cukes, onion and green pepper and along with the herbs, vinegar and olive oil. Pulse until vegetables are chopped to your liking. It is good to leave some texture.  Chill.

The Determinant Tomato

The terms determinant and indeterminant after the description of a tomato are confusing to most novice gardeners. After all we may have only seen that word, determinant, in math class when we studied matrices. Most of us will have forgotten what a matrix is and a determinant was found by a formula we briefly memorized and never again used. But the word is important to remember in tomato varieties.  A determinant tomato plant has a different growing habit that can be beneficial in our garden. First, it is usually a smaller plant. When the plant starts producing flowers, it stops growing and focuses on producing fruit. It also does not need pruning. These are great attributes for smaller gardens or tomatoes grown in a pot. The fruit all matures within a couple os weeks. This is great for canning or making sauce or anyone who will be leaving at the end of the summer! One of the most popular determinant tomatoes is Celebrity. Another is Rutgers

Spring Plant Sale

    Mother's Day is fast approaching and COMSOG is prepared with many hanging baskets and other surprises for the garden.   There are petunias and fushias ready to hang or geraniums, gazanias, and portulaca  to put in pots or the flower beds.  Gazania is especially carefree and suited to the soil on Martha's Vineyard.


But don't forget the vegetable gardens.  Comsog is known for  their many heirloom tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.  Cherokee purple is my new favorite tomato. Very dense and sweet, its shape is like a beefsteak tomato.


Come and see the Greenhouse, enjoy the colors and the fresh lettuce but don't forget Mom!

Spring Awakening

The Greenhouse is awakening after a warm, quiet winter.  The volunteers are busy and the greenhouse is full of color.  Many tomato plants have been started, as well as herbs and flowers.
"Soup on Wednesday" at the planting parties has been a great hit.  And we have also had many cakes and salads.  Plenty of fresh lettuce at Comsog!!

The Eggplant Soup  from Alba had rave reviews.

ROASTED EGGPLANT SOUP (Bon Appetit)

3 medium tomatoes, halved

1 large eggplant (1.5 lbs) halved lengthwise

1 small onion, halved

6 large cloves garlic, peeled

2 tblsp olive oil

2 tblsp fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried (maybe more)

4 cups (or more) chicken broth

I cup whipping cream (optional but good)

 

Preheat oven to 400.

Place Tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on large baking sheet.

Brush veggies with oil.  Roast until tender and brown in spots (about 45 min.)

Scoop eggplant from skin into heavy large saucepan: discard skin

Add remaining roasted veggies and thyme to saucepan.

Add chicken broth and boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook until onion is very tender—about 45 min. Cool slightly.

In batches, puree in blender until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper and thyme if needed.

Return to saucepan and stir in cream if you decide to use it. You can use less cream than is called for.   Simmer and thin with more stock if desired.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with a round of goat cheese on top.

 

Many varieties of eggplant have been started.  My favorite is Bambino, a small eggplant good for grilling and stir frying. 

Speaking of soup, now is a good time to make kale soup.  There is still plenty of kale at the greenhouse. 

There is also plenty of swiss chard.  Why not try Thalia's suggestions and use the large leaves to stuff like grape leaves.  I had steamed chard in my scambled eggs the other day.  Delish!