zucchini and blue corn - yellow watermellon

[Guest guest]

Judy I wonder if you have enough pollinators? I mean it is strange

you get flowers and no squash. I know that insect pollination is

needed to get cucumbers and melons, but you have those so you must

have some pollinators. Is the squash in a different area? Perhaps

try to plant some insect attracting flowers near the squash? (thyme,

borage, cilantro?).

 

The blue corn is an experiment, it is not the type suitable to eat

on the cob, so I harvested, ground up the kernels in a food

processor and it is now frozen masa waiting for tamales to be made.

It is indian corn, not sweet at all. Very beautiful to look at,

almost black! I kept that one pure but we have another patch with

corn that got hybridized (I figure) with only a very light tinge of

blue and those are just a little sweet with a much stronger corn

taste so we are anjoying them on the cob. Very interesting and

amazing plants.

Roseta

 

 

, " wwjd " <jtwigg wrote:

>

> oh Roseta your garden plants always sound so interesting.

Definitely a gourmet garden. I love hearing you talk about all the

things you grow in yours. Your blue corn must be a beautiful

things to prepare for meals.

> I'd take you up on that zucchini offer, if I lived out there.

You're so sweet. My squash and zucchini always flowers like crazy

but doesn't give me much and yet others gardens are prolific with

it. Now tomatoes, peppers, mellons, cucumbers, beans, sweet

potatoes, eggplants I can get lots from. I've got some volunteer

watermellon and honey dew mellon that are coming up, where I must

have buried some compost from those fruits. They are almost ready

to pick too, with more on the way.

>

> When I went to the produce stand this afternoon, they had lots of

yellow watermellon for $3/piece. I cut that up as soon as I got

home and we had it with dinner. I'll try your muffins tomorrow.

> Judy

> -

> rosetalleo

>

> Tuesday, August 05, 2008 5:00 PM

> Re: zucchini or squash muffins (no

dairy, no eggs, no oil)

>

>

> You are welcome Judy! Yes, walnuts or pecans can go in too of

> course and they are so good. Instead of going to the store, go

to

> my garden and pick the squash you need there! It is under the

blue

> corn and getting bigger by the minute.

>

> ---

> .

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I am curious as to why you say blue corn is an experiment. Do you mean it is

an experiment for

you to grow it? Blue corn has been grown in the United States for a long,

long time by native Americans

and others commercial growers in Colorado, for one place. I buy dried blue

corn in 50 lb. bags from a milling company in Cortez, Colorado.

Although the milling company changed hands right after I bought my last 50 lb.

bag a few months ago so since they

don't routinely sell to individuals, I don't know if I will ever be able to

get anymore.

 

I use it just like yellow or white cornmeal. The higher fat content the milk

or cream used in making foods with it,

the more blue the color of the finished product. And if you use skim

milk....your cornbread will be almost a

grey color. I have never grown any myself or eaten any fresh so don't know

what it would taste like fresh. Native

Americans grew corn in 4 colors to represent the spirit of the four

directions.....north, south, east and west....the colors are blue, yellow, white

and red.

Nancy C.

 

 

The blue corn is an experiment, it is not the type suitable to eat

on the cob, so I harvested, ground up the kernels in a food

processor and it is now frozen masa waiting for tamales to be made.

It is indian corn, not sweet at all. Very beautiful to look at,

almost black! I kept that one pure but we have another patch with

corn that got hybridized (I figure) with only a very light tinge of

blue and those are just a little sweet with a much stronger corn

taste so we are anjoying them on the cob. Very interesting and

amazing plants.

Roseta

[Guest guest]

Nancy, I did not give details as to the nature of the experiment, and

I am aware corn is very native. I think the seed I have is for Hopi

blue corn. I also purchased Inca purple corn but these seeds did not

sprout. I would be very interested in the red corn if you know of a

seed supplier.

 

I am interested in companion planting, so part of the experiment was

to see how well this works in our gardens, the indian trinity of corn,

beans and squash. The corn provides the shade for the squash and the

support for the beans to climb on. The squash supposedly acts as

living mulch for the corn, and the beans nitrogenate the soil which is

advantageous since corn is a heavy depleter.

 

The other part of the experiment was to see if we would like it fresh,

when to harvest for what, and how can I use it with my limited

equipment to make blue corn tamales. I mean limited since I do not

have a grain mill, this is why I used the food processor. My corn was

mature but the grain was not dried, so I could make a paste with the

processor. Hybridizing part of it was not the plan, but since it

happened this became part of the experiment as well (tasty part).

Native Americans practiced selective breeding and hybridization on

corn for many centuries, before any European knew corn existed.

Roseta

 

, " nancy curtis "

<nancihank wrote:

>

> I am curious as to why you say blue corn is an experiment. Do

you mean it is an experiment for

> you to grow it? Blue corn has been grown in the United States

for a long, long time by native Americans

> and others commercial growers in Colorado, for one place. I buy

dried blue corn in 50 lb. bags from a milling company in Cortez, Colorado.

> Although the milling company changed hands right after I bought my

last 50 lb. bag a few months ago so since they

> don't routinely sell to individuals, I don't know if I will ever

be able to get anymore.

>

> I use it just like yellow or white cornmeal. The higher fat

content the milk or cream used in making foods with it,

> the more blue the color of the finished product. And if you use

skim milk....your cornbread will be almost a

> grey color. I have never grown any myself or eaten any fresh so

don't know what it would taste like fresh. Native

> Americans grew corn in 4 colors to represent the spirit of the

four directions.....north, south, east and west....the colors are

blue, yellow, white and red.

> Nancy C.

>

>

> The blue corn is an experiment, it is not the type suitable to eat

> on the cob, so I harvested, ground up the kernels in a food

> processor and it is now frozen masa waiting for tamales to be made.

> It is indian corn, not sweet at all. Very beautiful to look at,

> almost black! I kept that one pure but we have another patch with

> corn that got hybridized (I figure) with only a very light tinge of

> blue and those are just a little sweet with a much stronger corn

> taste so we are anjoying them on the cob. Very interesting and

> amazing plants.

> Roseta

>