Fruit/Veg of the day

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Olive
« Reply #30 on: September 29, 2015, 04:45:21 AM »
Olive picking time is approaching once more. In our village it is traditional not to begin picking until after the Festival of the patron saint, in this case St Luke the Apostle, whose name day is 18 October. So that's a job that will be waiting for us when we return from this year's MGS AGM on the island of Ischia, Italy.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Acca
« Reply #31 on: September 30, 2015, 04:39:52 AM »
Back to something a little more out of the ordinary, Acca sellowiana (Pineapple guava). Not an ideal fruit for us to grow as we cannot offer it the best conditions. It needs more water than we can give it for the fruit to swell and a period of colder weather than we experience for them to ripen properly. However the stunning flowers are a bonus well worth having.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Pecan
« Reply #32 on: October 01, 2015, 04:32:23 AM »
Not ready yet but it won't be too long before they begin to split open. I believe the one we have is a variety known as Mohawk.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Avocado
« Reply #33 on: October 02, 2015, 04:56:45 AM »
Apologies for the quality of the photo. The tree was grown from a stone and rarely produces fruit but has become so large that it provides some quite substantial shade, so much so that I've made a small seating area under it.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Sideritis
« Reply #34 on: October 03, 2015, 07:28:17 AM »
OK! I admit it, I'm stretching the boundaries here. This is Sideritis perfoliata traditionally used here, and I believe in Crete, to make 'mountain tea'.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Sugar cane
« Reply #35 on: October 04, 2015, 06:16:32 AM »
This is my current, rather pathetic, specimen of Saccharum officinarum. Since coming here to live permanently we have tried to keep a sugar cane plant growing as a reminder of part of the history of the village. Sugar cane was brought to Cyprus from the Holy Land by the crusaders. Our village (Kolossi) was the headquarters of the Commanderie of Kolossi created by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem (Knights Hospitallers). Vast areas of the surrounding land was given over to growing sugar cane and in the 13th century a Mill and Factory was built to process the sugar ready for shipping to northern Europe. The second photo shows the mill with the top of the later Castle (built 1454).
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Lemon grass
« Reply #36 on: October 05, 2015, 09:34:40 AM »
Another sorry-looking specimen I'm afraid. This time of Cymbopogon citratus. They don't seem to do too well with us, probably not getting enough water.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Guava
« Reply #37 on: October 06, 2015, 07:27:25 AM »
Back to the more conventional fruit. A tree that appeals to 3, possibly 4, of the 5 senses. It's aesthetically pleasing with attractive bark and beautiful flowers. The ripe fruit smell as good as they taste. As for the 4th sense, the feel of the smooth, fresh bark is not unpleasant.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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JTh

  • Hero Member
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Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Persimmon
« Reply #38 on: October 06, 2015, 08:52:44 AM »
My neighbours have left, but they have a persimmon tree with ripe fruit, I didn't very feel guilty when I tasted a couple of them, they were very sweet.


P9300334 Persimmon-Diospyros kaki .jpg
by Jorun Tharaldsen, on Flickr
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Herbal twosome
« Reply #39 on: October 07, 2015, 04:56:12 AM »
Pots of Mint and Chives close to the kitchen door area.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Malabar spinach
« Reply #40 on: October 08, 2015, 04:52:38 AM »
Ok, going out on a limb again!   
Basella rubra can apparently be used very much like conventional spinach. It can be eaten raw in salads but is more often steamed or used in soups, stews, stir-fries, etc. I have to admit that we have not tried it as yet but my wife has declared that one day it's going into a stir-fry, so watch this space! :P
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Ginger
« Reply #41 on: October 09, 2015, 05:15:49 AM »
Ginger, easy to grow and great used fresh.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Lemon
« Reply #42 on: October 10, 2015, 09:38:02 AM »
Just because they're pretty common is no excuse to ignore this or any other of the citrus. :D
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day - Bitter orange
« Reply #43 on: October 11, 2015, 02:33:47 PM »
We don't use the fruit but keep the tree for springtime scent and because my wife's late mother used to collect the flowers to make 'glyko'.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Caroline

  • Full Member
Re: Fruit/Veg of the day -Loquat
« Reply #44 on: October 12, 2015, 12:18:57 AM »
This loquat Eriobotrya japonica sprang up uninvited not far from the house.  I have never tried the fruit, and don't plan to unless someone can persuade me that I am really missing out on a treat.  The wood pigeons gorge themselves at a time when there isn't much else for them to eat, and I figure their need is greater than mine :)
I am establishing a garden on Waiheke Island, 35 minutes out of Auckland. The site is windy, the clay soil dries out quickly in summer and is like plasticine in winter, but it is still very rewarding. Water is an issue, as we depend on tanks. I'm looking forward to sharing ideas. Caroline