Growing Dill

[eggsncheese]

I work with Triscuit and we have an amazing Grilled Lemon-Dill Fish recipe available on our website. It takes only 5 minutes to prepare and makes 4 servings. Let me know what you think!
Prep time: 5 min

Total time: 18 min

Makes: 4 servings
What you need

* 1/2 cup KRAFT Light Mayo Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
* 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
* 1 tsp. dill weed
* 1 lb. firm-textured fish fillets (cod, catfish or salmon)

Make it

* PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Mix mayo, lemon zest, lemon juice and dill.

* PLACE fish on greased grill grate. Brush with half of the mayo mixture.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Special Extra
For more lemon flavor, increase lemon juice to 2 Tbsp.
Use Your Broiler
Preheat broiler. Place fish on rack of broiler pan; brush with half of the mayo mixture. Broil, 2 to 4 inches from heat source, 5 min.; turn over. Brush with the remaining mayo mixture. Broil an additional 5 to 8 min. or until fish flakes easily with fork.
Substitute
Prepare as directed, using KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
http://www.kraftbrands.com/homefarmi...dill-fish.aspx

Speaking of dill, does anyone grow their own at home?

[BasilRock]

I just joined today, and I Just wanted to let you know that I grow dill. I Live in Illinois and I planted it about 5 years ago in my small garden and it comes up every year. I think it re-seeds itself. It is really nice to have. You can cut it during the summer and then let some of the plants go to seed by itself. I love it. I make fresh dill pickles and I use it for fish and salads. Hope you can try it. Beverly

[CM]

Hi Beverly and Welcome!

I love to grow herbs. It's almost time here in Massachusetts to plant veggies and herbs and I can't wait because nothing adds more flavor to meals (and especially sauces and salads) than freshly picked herbs. I'd have planted already, but the garden can't be tilled yet because of all the rain we've had.

Dill doesn't reseed itself here, but I plant it every year. Around here most of the sage varieties are perennial, thyme, parsley (sometimes makes it through) and onions survive the winter, and I've got some old fashioned potato onions and shallots that come back every year. Mustard, broccoli, cabbage and leeks are still there, and I have a variety of Russian tomatoes that are purplish-red-brown and are the best tasting little tomatoes that reseed themselves all over the garden year after year. Chives all over, too; even in the driveway! And I've planted different kinds of peppermints and spearmint, chocolate and apple mint that return year after year. Horseradish and rhubarb and saltwort keep returning, too.

Whenever I'm making soup in the Spring, I go outside with a bowl and see what kinds of greens and herbs I can find to toss into the soup. I'm sure this adds lots of extra vitamins and minerals, too!

I love fresh dill in pickles, salads, with chives in sour cream for baked potatoes and with salmon. Have you ever tried the dwarf dill? You can pick it a little earlier than the tall ones.

But you're lucky about the dill - I have to replant that every year. It must be that the birds eat the seeds!

Have you ever tried the dwarf kinds?

[BasilRock]

I have not tried the dwarf dill, I do not know what saltwort is, and here, my sage, which I plant in the middle of my garden about 8 yrs ago is like a ornamental bush. It is beautiful and I have to keep cutting it back because it gets so big. It is great, I dry and share a lot of the leaves in the fall. My niece lives in Melrose, MA. and I just got off the phone w/her. They are wanting me to come there to live. I really like it up there. I just have to sell me house. I also have never tried the Russian tomatoes. They sound great. I always do the heirloom tomatoes because they have so much more flavor. Where can I get seeds for the Russian tomatoes? Two regular lge ones that I love are Beef Master and Mr Strippy. They have so much flavor. I also do a lot of the red, orange and yellow bell peppers then roast and freeze them for the winter. Sounds like we both like to cook and garden. I also grow basil year round on my window sill and I have had a Rosemary plant also for about 7 years that I have been taking cuttings from and now have started a couple of new ones. You said you plant cabbage, how about brussel sprouts? I have a great way to cook them. Have a great Holiday if you celebrate.
Beverly

[eggsncheese]

Welcome to the site BasilRock,
I like that dill does fairly well in most growing conditions. I also like how it tastes when used on fish, lamb, or potatoes because of its lemony flavor. If you are planning on growing more, on our site you can find interactive step-by-step tools on how to start your own home farm. Plus there are also fact sheets on a wide variety of vegetable and herb crops to help you learn about the crops you may want to include in your home farm. www.triscuit.com/homefarming.

@CM
You should consider windowsill or indoor gardening. That way you won’t have a problem with birds eating the seeds.

[BasilRock]

Thanks for the heads-up on the triscuit/homefarming. I just went on and joined. I am sure it will help me. You should go in and read the posts. I just answered one regarding a lady talking about her heirloom tomatoe Mr Strippy and another thought that she had named her plant. I have never laughed so hard. Have a great day and sucessful gardening.

[CM]

I have not tried the dwarf dill, I do not know what saltwort is,

Saltwort is an interesting Japanese herb that is high in vitamins and minerals and has a very salty taste so it can be dehydrated and sprinkled on veggies as salt. It can also be boiled when young, and served like asparagus. You can get seeds for it at Johnny's Selected Seeds.. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to grow it on a large scale, but it grows wild around here and comes up on its own every year, which is why I mentioned it.

my sage, which I plant in the middle of my garden about 8 yrs ago is like a ornamental bush. It is beautiful and I have to keep cutting it back because it gets so big.

I'm envious! I love to use fresh sage with chicken and pork - there's no comparison with the dried form for flavor. But it's a struggle for the sage to make it through the Winter here as we're just on the border zone of hardiness. It really depends on how the Winter went.

I also have never tried the Russian tomatoes. They sound great. I always do the heirloom tomatoes because they have so much more flavor. Where can I get seeds for the Russian tomatoes?

They're called Black Russian or Black Cherry - they're midway between a cherry tomato and a patio tomato in size. You can get them from Thompson and Morgan's Seeds. They're very hardy, disease resistant and prolific and I think they're one of the best tomatoes I've tasted. The problem with them is that they are a very late variety (like many of the heirloom types) and so you have to start them early in the season so they'll have a chance to ripen. The ones that come up on their own in the garden ripen in late September/early November, but the more sun they get the faster they'll start to get some color. There is also a larger version called "Krim", and Harris Seeds has a purple tomato called Cherokee Purple.

Two regular lge ones that I love are Beef Master and Mr Strippy.

Beef master is tasty for slicing and I grow those at one end of the garden but the majority of the ones I pick to grow are midseason smooth tomatoes like Jet Star, Celebrity and Super Fantasic because they don't have cracks and are good for canning.

I also do a lot of the red, orange and yellow bell peppers then roast and freeze them for the winter.

Try putting the roasted peppers in olive oil with whole garlic cloves!

I also grow basil year round on my window sill

Have you tried the new lemon and lime flavored basils? I love to grow all sorts of different kinds of basil, but Genovese is still my favorite. The lemon basil really does have a citrusy tang. I left my rosemary tree out on the deck this Winter because I thought it might be a mild Winter like last year but it didn't make it so I'll have to start again. I sometimes start rosemary from seed but you need to use very fresh seeds and it takes about 3 weeks for it to germinate even using heat mats and plant lights. But it's worth it if you want a bunch of plants. Unfortunately, it's not hardy here.

You said you plant cabbage, how about brussel sprouts?

I've grown Brussels sprouts but it gets a little hot for them in July, maybe I'll try a few in a shady spot this year. I've put cabbage in the ground in fall that has overwintered, so maybe that would be another option.

There are many new varieties of miniature Japanese vegetables that have a very fast harvest time (around 40 days or less) that I'll be growing this year. Last year I grew baby bok choi (joi choi) and mizuna, and frisee and baby salad greens mixes. Rainbow Swiss chard, beet greens and escarole are other favorites. I grow some of the baby greens in whiskey barrels, too, with strawberries hanging over the edges for decorations, and dotted with onions and leeks for height.

Have a great Holiday if you celebrate.
Beverly

Thanks, I did! Hope you enjoyed your holiday, too.

[CM]

@CM
You should consider windowsill or indoor gardening. That way you won’t have a problem with birds eating the seeds.

I do keep some container plants on the deck with mini vegetables and herbs, and some by the barbecue for easy picking to toss onto the flame. I start seedlings under a plant light in early spring.

I bought one of those hydroponic gardens last year but I never got a chance to set it up. I was going to put basil, parsley, oregano and microtom or tiny tim tomatoes. Has anybody tried one of those setups?

[eggsncheese]

You are welcome BasilRock,
Make sure watch the instructional videos from grandmaster Paul James. He’s our resident expert who provides detailed instructional videos on topics such as Thinning Your Vegetable Crops to Soil-Tilling Methods. By the way, I did read the post about Mr. Stripley =). Good stuff; I found the confusion to be humorous myself.

@Cm,
I like your idea on keeping some container vegetables and herbs by the barbecue grill! I really don’t know much about hydroponic gardens, so unfortunately I can’t help you with that. However, it seems like you have a beautiful collection of crops. Will you please add your home farm to our interactive map to share with others? Thanks.

[BasilRock]

Hi CM, just got back into the site, Thanks for the idea's I will try a few. Regarding the Rosemary, what I do is cut some branches from the original plant, put the stem in rooting powder and stick it in soil. Most of the time it takes very well. I usually do a few at time because some stems take and some don't. Most do. As for my sage plant, we get really cold winters here. Sometimes it is 15-20 below zero, and we usually have a good 2 months of really cold temps, and it still thrives. Can't say the same for any other herbs. I do a lot of the different chards also, but usually not a lot of lettuce, as the birds like to eat it up before its time to pick for myself. I know I could cover it, but you know how that goes.
Anyhow, now that the weather is getting better I am getting ready to plant. I did start a few things inside, but I have to wait at least another month before going out with anything.
Thanks again, Beverly