It was so fun to host the Asian vegetables demo table as part of the DC State Fair at the Barracks Row Fall Festival. In the top photo, you see clockwise from the top: flowering chives, my cutting board which I used to show people how to prepare these vegetables for cooking, bitter melon peeking into the scene, the long speckled fuzzy melon, the Chinese long bean, kabocha pumpkin, and the little gourds I've been talking about recently. I did have some things to sample, like chrysanthemum tea and winter melon soup (you can see a big wedge of the giant winter melon on the right of the table in the photo with the green shirt guy). My little one, who ate all day long from the awesome assortment of artisan pie, cupcake, and ethnic food trucks, is sneaking some of the taro chips I had out for sampling in the photo above. She spent the day tagging along with her older sister and sister's friend, both of whom were very watchful and tolerant today!
Above, people are trying samples, checking out the veggies and the guy in the green is checking out the free seeds basket! Those went quick! The visitors were mostly city folk and had lots of container/balcony gardens. I directed them to the malabar spinach, which vines and does well in containers. People with community garden plots took home tatsoi (aka rosette bok choy or flat cabbage), to plant now for a fall/winter crop. Gardeners who took home other seeds have to wait till spring. Below, I have taro chips and the three brown taro roots underneath. These don't grow well in our zone but taro is everywhere these days (dim sum, bubble tea, pastries, etc.), so I thought I'd share. In the middle is lemongrass that I plan to root. I also demo'd how to actually use lemongrass. I love that stuff!!! On the right are luffa gourds. The shorter, fatter one is a smooth (aka sponge) luffa, at eating size. The two longer ones are angled luffas. The pom-pom'd thing is a sponge I made and gifted one year. It has a luffa sheet on one side and terrycloth on the other.
I'm very excited to try my hand growing that luffa gourd next year! I have just the place on my trellis arch tunnel to grow it.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for being out today, Wendy! It was a pleasure to have you. Can't wait for the next time!
Sounds like an awesome fair!! And so much more awesome-r that you were there with your wares! I learned so much just by reading your post!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an awesome fair!! And so much more awesome-r that you were there with your wares! I learned so much just by reading your post!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a awesome fair--made awesomer that you were there sharing your knowledge and wares!
ReplyDeleteGirl...what an honor to have the opportunity to share your passion and knowledge with others! The winter melon soup sounds delicious! Do you do this every year??? I said it before and I'll say it again, your girls are so lucky to have all of this exposure to good food and gardening! So Awesome! How do you like volunteering for the DC Master Gardener program??
ReplyDeletehello Wendy, you are so kind with your comments in my post, so i will do otherwise, LOL. This is a fun post and if i am near you i will help you there, i can show them how to grow the vegies. We have them too except your father's 'wulu'. Here is the unkind part, your photos here are so small that we can't see the details. I tried clicking it, but they are really very small. It is not my eyes which fail me, they are really small and smaller! Lol again.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a long time since I've been to a fair. You make it sound like a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteSomething nice to see, learn, eat and share... sounds good. Lovely fair!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like an amazing display, Wendy. I sure wish you could transport yourself to RI and share your knowledge!
ReplyDeleteSounds like it was a great day. The variety of Asian vegetables does astound and confound me. You know so much.
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