What’s growing in your garden? Gardening is another favorite hobby of mine. It’s fun and relaxing.   I just purchase/start the plant then began the digging, pruning and maintaining the garden. I enjoy the view and use them in cooking. One of the best benefits of growing my own vegetables and herbs is that they are right at my fingertips, whenever I want or need them. These vegetables and herbs were planted May 9th, 2009.   Some of the plants were purchase when they were small and others such as Thai Basil and Asian Mint were started by soaking the stems (after I used the leaves) in water until their roots sprout and then transfer them to the ground.

So here is what growing in our 2009 Summer Garden.

1. Early Girl Tomatoes  – has not ripen yet.

2. Lemongrass – these has been there for about 3 years now. We cut them down every year and it grows back.

3. Jalapeños – just because I like to spice up my dish. Also I love pickle jalapenos with my instant noodle soup. I regret that I didn’t have a chance to plant some Bird’s Eye Chili this year.

4. Spearmint – we pull this one from the laundromat. LOL The first year we plant it, it did not grow as well. Perhaps because it was late in the year and frost has already developed. This year, it grew and spreading like crazy. I need to put them in it’s own container next year so it won’t spread. So far, I have used them a lot when making salad.

5. Asian Mint – sometime refer to as Vietnamese Mint/Coriander this one is very easy to grow. I started with the stem soaked in water and once a couple of leaves comes out I transfer it to the grown. Then after it grows a bit taller, you just cover the stems with more soil and new ones will start to develop. This herb can also grow like crazy if you don’t control it. I use it to flavor soups and salads.

6. Cherry Tomatoes – has not ripen yet. I don’t cook much with tomatoes only once in awhile when I make Vietnamese Sour Soup or Papaya Salad. However this year we are expecting a lot of tomatoes (from 5 plants)! I think I might make some tomatoes sauce or even freeze some and dry some. I’m not sure yet.

7. Japanese Eggplant – ok this one was not planned. Well sort of. I had purchase 2 Japanese eggplant plant already and the other container was a 6-pack which I thought was Japanese cucumbers. I couldn’t tell from the plant and someone must of stick the wrong info tab because it said Japanese cucumbers. We began planting and treating it as if it was a cucumber plant. We even start to build something for the vines to climb LOL . But it never happened. When the stems turned purple and fuzzy that’s when I new it was an eggplant LOL. Ops! So now we have like 8 eggplant plants. Too many! The only dishes I can think of using it in is Stir Fry Roasted Eggplant with Ground Pork. Even so I don’t know that many.

8. Italian Sweet Basil – the big leaves caught my attention and I just want some varieties in the garden. It smell good too! I don’t know why it has the word “sweet” in there because it sure doesn’t taste like sugar.

9. Thai Basil – very popular in Southeast Asian cooking. I use this A LOT! One of my favorite herbs. If I have to pick one herb to grow, it will be this one. Although it is cheap at the store I can’t seem to use them all at once and they turn bad quick. I don’t want to have to run out to the store just to get them. So having it in the garden is fresh and handy. A nice substitute to holy basil which I’m going to grab a pot from my Mother’s garden the next time I visit her.