# It Ain't Pretty!



## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

But I picked the rest of my taters today & found this guy.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

That's a beauty, RB

Nice one!

I got just what you need to go with those new spuds...buckets of green beans. 


Clean 'em, snap 'em and cook 'em in a big pot with lots of potatoes and some hog fat...man that's eating fit for a King. Just doesn't get any better.


p.s. gotta feel sorry for anyone who has never tried fresh green beans and new potatoes....culinary delight


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I'm a cow pea freak. Their getting close. My back up pea is cream pea. Don't get me wrong I like green beans. I'm having taters, salad, & venison round steak. And cold beer for supper.
My last picking of taters was ok but they had some pimples on them. Still good to eat but I'll eat them first. 28 inches of water, I'm surprised they didn't rot.
Maters are next but their water logged too. I'll take what I can get & be great full.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Meadowlark said:


> That's a beauty, RB
> 
> Nice one!
> 
> ...


 Lark..... I'm planting a bit more spuds and green beans than I did last year. I'd like to try how you fix the beans/spuds/hog fat. Any help with the methods and seasonings would be appreciated. Sounds good!

Last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights all had temps dropping into the 30s. The lowest was 34 degrees. Looks like clear sailing here in northern Minnesota now. Planted my Tomatoes 2 days ago, and the Peppers, Squash Cucumbers, etc., will go in today. Spuds went in before the frost warnings but they hadn't broke ground yet.

I've been holding back and repotting the Tomatoes and Peppers for so long, I had to pluck blossoms off of some of them.

Radishes, lettuce, and other cold plants have been coming along good. Broccoli and Brussel Sprout starts have been in the ground for about a week now.

Randy, That is a great looking spud. The plants from the melon seed that you mailed to me will be in the ground tomorrow. Thanks again!

The place that I bought my Walla Walla onion starts from last year, was out of stock. I had to settle for putting in onion sets, instead of starter plants, so I'll only have average sized onions this year. I'm hoping for some big Spuds and Tomatoes though.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Dick,

Really simple and with lots of "user" options...either with fat or without, with onion or without and ratio of potatoes to green beans is subject to personal taste (and in our case how much of each the garden produces). 

Start with the fat, bacon, ham, we've even used smoked turkey. Render it in a pan to just turning brown, add diced onions, then transfer to a big pot of water and add green beans, potatoes, salt and pepper.

Bring whole thing to a boil, then back off and slow cook on low heat until tender...at least an hour. 

Very easy....and its one of those dishes that just gets better with age. 


Delicious!!

Pictured is our "lite" version...i.e. fixed with no fat, just safflower oil.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

I'm going to try that with some of the Canadian Bacon that I cure and smoke. It's pretty low fat, but lots of flavor. Looking at that picture, I know that I will like it.


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## fishingtwo (Feb 23, 2009)

How do you determine when to dig the taters up? Mine have been flowering now for about a month and are still green. I usually wait till they start turning brown and dig them up. I am still a rookie tater grower.
This year I planted them in some leaf compost and have added some more compost as they have grown. This is the best looking crop I have grow so far.
Thanks
Them green beans and taters looks great.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

I'm not in Texas, but usually the small, red (new potatoes) like you see in Lark's dish are available while the plants are still blooming. If your's have been blooming for a month, there should be some slightly bigger ones mixed in there too. To get the ones like Rubberback has in the 1st post, usually the plant needs to die back completely
.


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## fishingtwo (Feb 23, 2009)

Dick Hanks said:


> I'm not in Texas, but usually the small, red (new potatoes) like you see in Lark's dish are available while the plants are still blooming. If your's have been blooming for a month, there should be some slightly bigger ones mixed in there too. To get the ones like Rubberback has in the 1st post, usually the plant needs to die back completely
> .


Thanks


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Dick Hanks said:


> I'm not in Texas, but usually the small, red (new potatoes) like you see in Lark's dish are available while the plants are still blooming. If your's have been blooming for a month, there should be some slightly bigger ones mixed in there too. To get the ones like Rubberback has in the 1st post, usually the plant needs to die back completely
> .


Correct! My plants were dead.. I got lucky getting any taters after all that rain.


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