Borage Flowers, tasting the first Ground Cherries, baby Green Peppers

The family made it out to the plot for a little bit yesterday to check on growth status.  Not much has changed as far as the beans and tomatoes are concerned. The green peppers are growing, though.  There were a few that are approx 2" across.  Not large as far as peppers are concerned, but considering I've had no luck with peppers in approx 4 years trying them, they're mammoth-sized.

 

Wifey and I are thrilled that the flowers are generally doing well.  Petunias are pretty good, marigolds are thriving, a few nasturtiums are starting to flower, mint encroaching from a neighboring plot is in flower, some basil has been allowed to flower, and the cosmos have exploded in color.  Also worth noting is that the borage plants finally have flowers on them.  Not all borage plants (only maybe a quarter of them) have flowers, but they're quite pretty.  All that's left to make an appearance are the dwarf sunflowers.  The garden yesterday was abuzz (literally) with the sounds of a few different kinds of bees, a few wasps (one with blueish-tinged wings), and two kinds of butterflies floating gracefully throughout.  Mission: Accomplished as far as attracting bees is concerned.  At least I've succeeded in that attempt this year.

One last thing we checked out before leaving was the ground cherries.  The cooler weather and decreased rainfall has done them well.  The primary three plants are spreading out a bit.  The fourth adjacent to a neighboring plot is finally spreading, too.  Many, many ground cherries on the vine.  A few finally yellowed and either had fallen into the box or were about to.  I picked them and even a couple that were still green to finally try this mysterious fruit.

Once the husk is peeled off, you come across tiny berries that have a diameter approximately one-half inch. The flavor of the Cossack Pineapple is an odd mixture of a lot of things.  I could see someone with a very developed palate having a field day with all the compound flavors.  It's really like nothing I've ever had in any one fruit or vegetable.  As others have remarked online, there is a slight hint of tomato.  The custard references are also very accurate.  There is another sweetness, though, that's hard to really identify.  Maybe that's the whole "pineapple" thing in the name.  Wifey also had a similarly mystified reaction to the experience.  Thankfully, there are quite a few more being grown so we can really try to figure out what this thing truly is!