🐈
» Forums » Coffee Break » Gardeners' time
Page options
luce-neidert
Community Member

Gardening time

Here is my future tomato crop - right now, my darlings are enjoying the comfort of my officeIMG_20180504_203400 (2).jpg

102 REPLIES 102
renata101
Community Member

Luce, they're lovely.  

Thanks for reminding me that I need to get my basil bins primed and ready to plant. You can never have too much basil. 

 

Plus, I mananged to overwinter my rosemaryr this year without killing it!

Ooh Luce, I'm about to plant mine out. Is it too early? I bought a couple of canteloupe plants this year . . .


@Nichola L wrote:

Ooh Luce, I'm about to plant mine out. Is it too early? I bought a couple of canteloupe plants this year . . .


 Nicola, thanks for asking the Normandy garden specialist. I think the nights are still a bit too cool, unless you have a greenhouse to protect them.

 

This is an excellent advice an old gardener gave me: let them grow rather tall inside, then plant them, covering part of the stem in dirt. They will grow more roots, and therefore they will be more sturdy.

 

Have you started yours from seeds of have you bought them?


@Renata S wrote:

Luce, they're lovely.  

Thanks for reminding me that I need to get my basil bins primed and ready to plant. You can never have too much basil. 

 

Plus, I mananged to overwinter my rosemaryr this year without killing it!


 They are lovely indeed. I'm very proud of them. I have had a hard time growing basil. What is your method?


@Luce N wrote:

@Renata S wrote:

Luce, they're lovely.  

Thanks for reminding me that I need to get my basil bins primed and ready to plant. You can never have too much basil. 

 

Plus, I mananged to overwinter my rosemaryr this year without killing it!


 They are lovely indeed. I'm very proud of them. I have had a hard time growing basil. What is your method?


Method? I put the seed in the dirt in a pot inside. I transfer the pot out onto my balcony when it's warm enough. (Is that a method? LOL). If I forget to do this, I buy plants at the market.  I'm a very no-frills gardener with a short attention span. I don't grow much that's complicated. With houseplants I'm a little more involved. 

I think climate might be a bigger factor than method. I don't know what the climate is like in Normandy. Montreal has a good climate for basil for some strange reason (successful basil cultivation might be why there's a reasonably large Italian population here). It's hot here in the summer and often humid. Basil loves heat and can handle direct sun. I just put it out in a balcony box, water it daily and feed it once every week or two. I treat it the same way I treat the flowering annuals. 

Also, I'm close to a market that stocks really good seeds (and plants later in the season). That seems to to make a difference. The seeds seem to sprout faster if they're "fresh." Genovese basil works really well and also Red Rubin.  I've also grown Thai Basil.  All of them do fine in plastic or clay pots. You can plant them in deeper pots, but they don't really need to be than 15 cm (6 inches). That's as deep as my planter boxes are.  Also, sometimes with herbs, you don't want the soil to be too rich, so you can reuse soil that something else was planted in last year.

I hope that helps. Maybe you're being too precise?

I have mint that I bought two weeks ago.  Have already had to repot it and am enjoying far too many mint juleps. I also have purple Thai basil that has contributed to several pizzas and bruschettas already.  I do love living in a relatively hot, humid climate...

 


@Renata S wrote:

@Luce N wrote:

 They are lovely indeed. I'm very proud of them. I have had a hard time growing basil. What is your method?

Method? I put the seed in the dirt in a pot inside. I transfer the pot out onto my balcony when it's warm enough. (Is that a method? LOL). If I forget to do this, I buy plants at the market.  I'm a very no-frills gardener with a short attention span. I don't grow much that's complicated. With houseplants I'm a little more involved. 

I think climate might be a bigger factor than method. I don't know what the climate is like in Normandy. Montreal has a good climate for basil for some strange reason (successful basil cultivation might be why there's a reasonably large Italian population here). It's hot here in the summer and often humid. Basil loves heat and can handle direct sun. I just put it out in a balcony box, water it daily and feed it once every week or two. I treat it the same way I treat the flowering annuals. 


 Renata, you've convinced me, I'm nearly ready to start. Right in front of me are two packets that were sent to me as a present by the company I buy my seeds from. As you said compost might be a problem, I'm getting some dirt from my garden this afternoon, voilà!

IMG_20180506_124754.jpg

 

 

I'm ecstatic because the coriander seeds I planted on my terrace 2 weeks ago are finally sprouting. And the seeds were seeds I took from last year's coriander I had. 

 

The weather in Normandy is a bit like the weather in London or Paris. Grey, wet in winter, but rather pleasant in summer. Where I live, we are close enough to the coast to get a lot of breeze. How about Montreal, when it's not covered in snow?


@Luce N wrote:




I think climate might be a bigger factor than method. I don't know what the climate is like in Normandy. Montreal has a good climate for basil for some strange reason (successful basil cultivation might be why there's a reasonably large Italian population here). It's hot here in the summer and often humid. Basil loves heat and can handle direct sun. I just put it out in a balcony box, water it daily and feed it once every week or two. I treat it the same way I treat the flowering annuals. 

 Renata, you've convinced me, I'm nearly ready to start. Right in front of me are two packets that were sent to me as a present by the company I buy my seeds from. As you said compost might be a problem, I'm getting some dirt from my garden this afternoon, voilà!

IMG_20180506_124754.jpg

 

 

I'm ecstatic because the coriander seeds I planted on my terrace 2 weeks ago are finally sprouting. And the seeds were seeds I took from last year's coriander I had. 

 

The weather in Normandy is a bit like the weather in London or Paris. Grey, wet in winter, but rather pleasant in summer. Where I live, we are close enough to the coast to get a lot of breeze. How about Montreal, when it's not covered in snow?


 Infinintely breezy. Montreal weather has always seemed to me like something that's controlled by a dysfunctional government agency or a omniscient being on the verge of a nervous breakdown. It's kind of like mood swing central, but this keeps conversations flowing as there is something for just about everyone to complain about here weatherwise (too hot, too cold, not hot enough, and much too humid are some common complaints), so it's a great distraction from the politics and the medical services. Also, since it is a fairly cosmopolitain city, it is likely that everyone is complaining about something different. We do have loads of great summer arts and music festivals to experience (some of which are neither overheated nor rained on)! 

For our purposes (gardening), the Montreal climate is one I call build and blow. It gets hot,  the clouds gather, it gets really humid and sticky and horrible, you get spectacular thunderstorms and brief but torrential downpours, everything cools down, and then you do that all over again.  

I have no idea why basil would do well in this climate (or anything else for that matter). I think it's because evenings are generally warm.  That said, everyone has loads of gorgeous flowers on their balconies during the summer. Geraniums do really well. And I've seen magnolia trees blooming here in the spring, which I didn't think would survive the winters.

According to this government chart, we are in zone 5a to 5b. I hope this answers your question.  Give it a try with the regular dirt. 

https://gardenmaking.com/plant-hardiness-zones-changing/

bigbangking
Community Member

I keep wondering about plants. They grow just with some soils and water.

Do we have to put soils again/refertile when they fully grow?

My basil "sits" on the fishtank, stems through the feeding hole, roots in the water. It seems to love it!

 


@Rifat AL M wrote:

I keep wondering about plants. They grow just with some soils and water.

Do we have to put soils again/refertile when they fully grow?


 I have been calling myself the "compost queen" for many years, now. I compost the parts of fruit and vegetable I don't need (leaves, peel). I use the compost, for example, as soil for the plants I grow from seeds. The tomatoes of the photo are growing in home made compost. They love it and I have a lot of fun with gardening.

I also try to use "green fertilizer" in my garden plot, that is plants that grow very fasts and that you later bury in the ground after a while, so that they give some nutrient to the soil.

Do you have a garden?

Petra an Renatta, what do you use your basil for?

 

As I sort of failed when trying to grow basil, I buy some every year, right now it's inside, behind another window. I mostly use it in salads but I'm sure I could do more. I need inspiration.


@Luce N wrote:

Petra an Renatta, what do you use your basil for?

 

As I sort of failed when trying to grow basil, I buy some every year, right now it's inside, behind another window. I mostly use it in salads but I'm sure I could do more. I need inspiration.


 __________________

While Renata and Petra are thinking up their ideas: 

I put basil in my salad dressing and tomato sauce, tomato soup - everything tomato! Tomato salad with mozzarella (go expensive and buy buffalo mozzarella). It makes a mean pesto, which is basil (masses of it), pine nuts and olive oil mixed together (ground together), that goes onto pasta (fresh if you can be bothered to make it) and with fresh grated parmesan (you can get really nice parmesan at Lidls). I also make (or used to make) a great soup with basil - it's a Provençal recipe - I'll have to find it. It takes two days! (ETA: to make not to find - that might take longer)

 

Now I am feeling quite faint from hunger . . .


@Nichola L wrote:

@Luce N wrote:

Petra an Renatta, what do you use your basil for?

 

As I sort of failed when trying to grow basil, I buy some every year, right now it's inside, behind another window. I mostly use it in salads but I'm sure I could do more. I need inspiration.


 __________________

While Renata and Petra are thinking up their ideas: 

I put basil in my salad dressing and tomato sauce, tomato soup - everything tomato! Tomato salad with mozzarella (go expensive and buy buffalo mozzarella). It makes a mean pesto, which is basil (masses of it), pine nuts and olive oil mixed together (ground together), that goes onto pasta (fresh if you can be bothered to make it) and with fresh grated parmesan (you can get really nice parmesan at Lidls). I also make (or used to make) a great soup with basil - it's a Provençal recipe - I'll have to find it. It takes two days! (ETA: to make not to find - that might take longer)

 

Now I am feeling quite faint from hunger . . .


 

Faint from hunger? So am I after reading your post! I didn't expect someone "normal" to make their own pesto. Can you tell me more about it? Looking forward for your tomato soup recipe.


@Nichola L wrote:

@Luce N wrote:

Petra an Renatta, what do you use your basil for?

 

As I sort of failed when trying to grow basil, I buy some every year, right now it's inside, behind another window. I mostly use it in salads but I'm sure I could do more. I need inspiration.


 __________________

While Renata and Petra are thinking up their ideas: 

I put basil in my salad dressing and tomato sauce, tomato soup - everything tomato! Tomato salad with mozzarella (go expensive and buy buffalo mozzarella). It makes a mean pesto, which is basil (masses of it), pine nuts and olive oil mixed together (ground together), that goes onto pasta (fresh if you can be bothered to make it) and with fresh grated parmesan (you can get really nice parmesan at Lidls). I also make (or used to make) a great soup with basil - it's a Provençal recipe - I'll have to find it. It takes two days! (ETA: to make not to find - that might take longer)

 

Now I am feeling quite faint from hunger . . .


I feel faint with hunger as well.

I think most often I make pesto, but you can use pesto in just about anything. My friends do a pasta with pesto and sautéd garlic and vegetables (onions + bell peppers + mushrooms + sundried tomatoes, if you like them + anything else you think might be exciting).  Then you top that with fresh grated parmesan or romano (or asiago).

Another recipe that's nice with pesto is very informal portabello mushroom burgers (portabello mushrooms grilled with a cheese like emmental or gruyere)  served on crusty rolls. You can mix the pesto with some good mayonaise and put it on the rolls and serve with tomatoes and lettuce. Then just have that with a salad and a nice vinagrette. Basil is also great on pizzas (just throw the leaves on top).  I like pasta with seafood and basil as well.

There's a Thai basil + seafood on noodles dish that I'm able to get locally from a Thai place in town. So sometimes I try to make a home version. Thai basil also goes really well with eggplant and/or chicken. 

I used to do a nice fruit-infused blackberry vinegar with basil (you can find amazing blackberries on the Canadian West Coast if you are willing to risk yourself to thorn attacks--they're almost like port, very rich and dark).

You can also freeze pesto for fall and winter consumption, just leave the cheese out. I think some people just freeze the basil leaves whole or chopped as well.  



@Luce N wrote:

@Rifat AL M wrote:

I keep wondering about plants. They grow just with some soils and water.

Do we have to put soils again/refertile when they fully grow?


 I have been calling myself the "compost queen" for many years, now. I compost the parts of fruit and vegetable I don't need (leaves, peel). I use the compost, for example, as soil for the plants I grow from seeds. The tomatoes of the photo are growing in home made compost.


 Hi Luce,  Compost is fairly rich. That might be what's going wrong with your basil-growing efforts. I don't know for sure, but I've heard herbs do well in soils that aren't too nutrient rich. 

Something else I can recommend for the no-frills or early careeer gardener is nasturtiums. They're easy to grow and you get lots of colour.  They grow in the worst kinds of soil. And you like, you can also eat the flowers.  An acquired taste, I think, but they look really wonderful in salads.  

Screen Shot 2018-05-05 at 7.42.17 PM.png

I live on the plateau in South Africa - far from my Cape Town Mediterranean Climate roots...and getting to become a good gardener up here has taken me quite some time. The climate is totally different - summers are hot, humid - and thunderous. Been washed a way a time or two (well, not quite literally) and had an enormous old tree standing on the pavement break in half due to a lightning strike. That decimated the whole front garden! BUT....you redo...and its perking up again.

 

I too, am a lover of all things tomato and herb. My herbs tend to die during winter. You might thinking being relatively near one of the tropics ensures year-round warmth, wouldn't you? Nothing is further from the truth! Being quite high above sea levels, winters are darn cold! Sub-zero temperatures are not unheard of. Some of my plants get a 'winter blanket' to survive, while all autumn leaves get thrown between plants for mulch and to keep in some ground heat. Luckily I have tons of trees - and tons of leaves. Compost aint no problem here, baby!

 

BUT>>tomatoes!!! That is something I have tons of...all throughout the garden. All I do is, when I have any tomato salad leftovers, is to toss them in a bare patch somewhere and sure as nuts - a few tomato plants will start growing there. LOVE it. ONE thing I need to add to my soil though, besides the copious amounts of compost that I do just to get rid of it and make space for another batch, is Epsom salts. This is an OLD garden that I am revamping, and the soil is quite leached. My roses, which I know well (mamma was an avid rose gardener - and knew each rose by its name), tend to be my yardstick for what the soil needs. For rose lovers - when those beauties dont bloom like they should, try adding some epsom salts to the soil around them - about two tablespoons per rose bush every two weeks during the flowering season. HA! The difference is amazing!

 

My soft herbs like bazil I cannot plant in direct sunlight in summer. It is just too darn hot. They tend to thrive in the semi-shade, though, where they get lots of morning sun. 

 

Having said all this - and looking out the window - do I finish up that article - do I finish up painting the kitchen - or do I go outside and sweep up the leaves on the paths outside and go do some more mulching as the 'real' cold is just around the corner?

 

Decisions, decisons!

 

SOooo btw....busy on my first coffee...not taking responsibility for any typos and other errors in this post. I'm only coherent after coffee nr 2. It is early yet!

luce-neidert
Community Member

Last spring, Renata and Petra encouraged me to try to grow basil, and here it is: I've got some basil in 5 different spots. It's doing well, and delicious. Who else here enjoys gardening and has some photos to share?IMG_20180822_115047.jpg

 

IMG_20180822_115102.jpg

 

you put in into the right spot, too, because basil and tomatoes are "good neighbors" and promote each others growth. 


@Martina P wrote:

you put in into the right spot, too, because basil and tomatoes are "good neighbors" and promote each others growth. 


 That's what I've been told. Hope it's true, but I don't really know since I have never had basil in my garden before.

Looking fabulous! Well done!

And the taste! I wish you would come try some of my homegrown/homemade tomato sauce. Absolutely divine!

You can give us the recipe! 🙂

Luce! If you can send us the recipe, that would be awesome!

 


@Luce N wrote:

And the taste! I wish you would come try some of my homegrown/homemade tomato sauce. Absolutely divine!



 


~ Avery
Upwork


@Avery O wrote:

Luce! If you can send us the recipe, that would be awesome!

 


@Luce N wrote:

And the taste! I wish you would come try some of my homegrown/homemade tomato sauce. Absolutely divine. 

Maria and Avery, I'm afraid the secret to the recipe is simply my miraculously delicious tomatoes:

 

 . first, you need to chop some of my wonderful homegrown onions, and let them fry in olive oil. 

. meanwhile cut some tomatoes (homegrown too), add them to the onions. 

. add salt and pepper

. let it all simmer

. prepare some pasta in a separate pan. Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the tomatoes. 

. you can add grated cheese, but you don't need to.

I guess I should add basil, but I haven't tried yet.

 

As you can see, the secret is in the exceptional ingredients. Bon appétit!

 


 

Hi Luce,

 

I plant basil in the orchard, everywhere. Along with tomatoes, peppers, chilli peppers, strawberries and more.
I do it because it helps me keep several types of insects away and especially the aphid.
Also, the smell ... hmmm!
It also helps to plant "marigolds" and "tagetes" (carnation de moro or Damasquina)
In addition to giving a lot of color, they also help with the same as basil, and make more pollinators come.

I have basil, mint and rosemary in pots this summer and in spite of our devastating heat, they are all doing well.  Of course, I have to water them every single day unless it rains and sometimes even then.  Lots of homemade pizza and rosemary chicken.  Also one or two mint juleps!


@Mary W wrote:

I have basil, mint and rosemary in pots this summer and in spite of our devastating heat, they are all doing well.  Of course, I have to water them every single day unless it rains and sometimes even then.  Lots of homemade pizza and rosemary chicken.  Also one or two mint juleps!


 

So you too had a very hot summer? And in what part of the world are you?

 

I love the name "mint juleps", but never had any. How do you make them, please?

 

You might be the right person to ask: do you use basil in your homemade pizzas, and if so, how do you do so? I still don't know much about how to use basil. I use it it salads, but don't really know how to use it in cooked dishes. I'd love to have some advice, if you don't mind.

Luce - we chop the basil very fine and sprinkle it on the pizza before it goes into the oven.  I'm growing Thai/ purple basil which is quite sweet and delicious this way.

 

I'm on the Mississippi Gulf Coast = summer lasts from May until October, with high heat and humidity.  Awfully hard to keep container plants going.

 

Mint juleps - make a simple syrup of equal parts sugar and water.  Boil under the sugar is completely dissolved and cool.  Muddle some mint leaves in the bottom of a tall glass (I like aluminum for this for some reason) and wipe some around the lip of the glass.  Fill with bourbon, simple syrup and ice and garnish with a mint sprig.  Stir gently and enjoy!

 


@Mary W wrote:

Luce - we chop the basil very fine and sprinkle it on the pizza before it goes into the oven.  I'm growing Thai/ purple basil which is quite sweet and delicious this way.

 

I'm on the Mississippi Gulf Coast = summer lasts from May until October, with high heat and humidity.  Awfully hard to keep container plants going.

 

Mint juleps - make a simple syrup of equal parts sugar and water.  Boil under the sugar is completely dissolved and cool.  Muddle some mint leaves in the bottom of a tall glass (I like aluminum for this for some reason) and wipe some around the lip of the glass.  Fill with bourbon, simple syrup and ice and garnish with a mint sprig.  Stir gently and enjoy!

 


How about sea breathe, do you get any or are you too far from the coast? I know what you mean about high heat and humidity, I go to Florida once in a while, and although I like being hot, sometimes it does get a bit too much. But this summer was extravagantly hot here in France too. 

 

Thank you for the recipe for mint julep. I'm not big on alcohol, but if I get the chance, I'll try to have a sip or two next time I'm in Florida! 

Ooh - I've missed so much on this thread. Thank you all for hints and recipes. 

 

@Maria My apple trees and a damson and plum tree are beginning to look extremely sad. I'll have to wait until spring now, but if I plant all the things you suggest, near them, will that keep the bugs away? My cherry tree (very large) is also buggy. 


@Nichola L wrote:

Ooh - I've missed so much on this thread. Thank you all for hints and recipes. 

 

@Maria My apple trees and a damson and plum tree are beginning to look extremely sad. I'll have to wait until spring now, but if I plant all the things you suggest, near them, will that keep the bugs away? My cherry tree (very large) is also buggy. 


 So sad to hear that your fruit trees are in trouble. I guess it has to do with the unusual weather we've had? Do you listen to Alain Baraton on France Inter? He's great at giving advice on this type of issues. Here's the information on his program "La main verte", which is unfortunately programmed a bit early in the morning (7.45). I've just seen that you can also podcast his wonderful advice.

 

https://www.franceinter.fr/emissions/la-main-verte

 

 


Mary W wrote:

Luce - we chop the basil very fine and sprinkle it on the pizza before it goes into the oven.  I'm growing Thai/ purple basil which is quite sweet and delicious this way.

 

I'm on the Mississippi Gulf Coast = summer lasts from May until October, with high heat and humidity.  Awfully hard to keep container plants going.

 

Mint juleps - make a simple syrup of equal parts sugar and water.  Boil under the sugar is completely dissolved and cool.  Muddle some mint leaves in the bottom of a tall glass (I like aluminum for this for some reason) and wipe some around the lip of the glass.  Fill with bourbon, simple syrup and ice and garnish with a mint sprig.  Stir gently and enjoy!

 


Mary ... I love a good mint julep too - and I like it really minty. So instead of plain simple syrup, I make a mint simple syrup, like this:

 

Combine equal parts water & sugar with lots of mint leaves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves and simmer for a minute or so. Remove from heat and let steep at least 30 minutes. Strain syrup into a glass jar, let cool and refridgerate. Use for mint juleps, iced tea, to flavor plain seltzer water or club soda, lemonade … you get the idea.

 

You can also make a basil simple syrup that's quite good with iced tea or lemonade. Or you can do a combination basil and mint syrup (ratio is half again more mint than basil).

 

Basil pairs well in a fresh fruit salad. If you know what granita is, you can make a mint granita with that syrup. Granita is akin to sherbet and Italian ice. It's a little work to make, but very refreshing in the summertime. Another use for mint syrup is in a cold summer melon soup.

 

And lots of mint is used to make that middle eastern classic - tabooli, which I make quite often.

 

ETA: Off topic, but once when my sister and I were on our way home from a day trip, we witnessed a deer running alongside the road, it's head completely encased in a wire tomato plant cage. Poor thing was looking rather panicky. It was bad for the deer, but pretty funny to witness. I wonder if that deer bothered any more tomato plants after that.

OMG.  I have NOTHING growing in my patio except some elephant ears and a very sad rose.  Couldn't get out to buy young plants this year and now the heat and humidity are upon us.  I sure would like some mint and basil but...

Mint Julep: 

  • 1 ounce simple syrup (if you've gone to the trouble of minting the syrup all the better, but not neccessary)
  • 2 cups crushed ice
  • 2 ounces bourbon (some people use rum, but those people are crazy)
  • fresh mint

Use a highball glass or silver Julep cup (I wish I had some, but I just use a regular glass), add simple syrup, 1 cup crushed ice, and some mint leaves to the bottom, muddle the mint with the ice (I just use the back of a spoon) to crush it a bit and release the oils in the leaves. Add the bourbon and a splash of water (I like using seltzer or sparkling mineral water because I like the bubbles). Add more ice to nearly fill the glass. Stir well and garnish with fresh mint.


@Maria T wrote:

Hi Luce,

 

I plant basil in the orchard, everywhere. Along with tomatoes, peppers, chilli peppers, strawberries and more.
I do it because it helps me keep several types of insects away and especially the aphid.
Also, the smell ... hmmm!
It also helps to plant "marigolds" and "tagetes" (carnation de moro or Damasquina)
In addition to giving a lot of color, they also help with the same as basil, and make more pollinators come.


 Hi Maria! 

 

So you're another gardener, that's cool! I too have flowers to protect the plants. Here, they're called "Oeuillet d'Inde", which means "Indian carnation". I love their color. Tomorrow, I'm adding a photo of the seed package for you to see what they're like.

@Luce
Of tagetes, I have several species.
A neighbor gave me a lot of seeds but they were mixed.
Until they have flowered, I have not known what they were 🙂

And, yes please, upload a photo to know which ones you have.


@Maria T wrote:

@Luce
Of tagetes, I have several species.
A neighbor gave me a lot of seeds but they were mixed.
Until they have flowered, I have not known what they were 🙂

And, yes please, upload a photo to know which ones you have.


 Here is the photo! Now, I'd love to see a photo of your flowers, they must be very colourful.IMG_20180826_204851.jpg

 

Oh Luce. Your basil looks lovely (and I'm dying for one of those tomatoes to go with it). I'm going to have to get mine from the market this year because I didn't get a chance to do the plants. Although my rosemary is doing very well after being overwintered (don't ask for instructions. I think ignoring it and forgetting to water it had a lot to do with its success). So I'm eyeing it up for future meals, along with the parsley the local squirrels don't seem to enjoy.

I think I recommend mohitos for mint consumption, if you're going to mix cocktails: 

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/mojito-242527

 

Naturally, Thai basil is also very good chopped and quicly sautéed into Thai recipes. One that I get as takeout is chicken and eggplant (aubergine). I haven't tried this recipe, but it seems like it's along the right lines (although serano peppers are a fusion element): https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012781-stir-fried-chicken-and-eggplant-with-asian-basil

Rosemary is amazing with chicken, and I like to put a lot of it into this soup recipe (not sure that Baris approves of this one because it's a bit of a North American mash-up of a Turkish dish):
https://garlicshoots.com/2010/12/13/turkish-lentil-and-spinach-soup/

Latest Articles
Learning Paths