Rfalconcam Forum

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112569465 (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112569465)

From NPR.  The audio is worth listening to as there is a wonderful whoosh as a peregrine makes a high speed, pass enroute to the falconer's shoulder.

Paul

think i can get one of the local kestrels or coopers hawks to guard my heritage tomato plant, Mr. Stripey, against squirrels?

I'd camp out to watch that.

Glad to hear Mr. Stripey is still going strong. :)
The squirrels have been digging out my container plants, and planting  walnuts in the pots!! :crying:

squirrel tupperware?

I've had good luck with sprinkling black pepper around the plants.  Don't let the pepper touch the plant,  because it burns the leaves in some plants, and you have to reapply every couple of days or after it rains, but I've had good luck.  I bought one of those big containers of ground black pepper at a warehouse club. 

I fought squirrels for several years, and finally gave up.  My squirrels were picking them before they were even big enough to make proper fried green tomatoes.  I never got a ripe tomato in spite of an abundance of small tomatoes!  I tried numerous things people suggested, though I didn't try black pepper around the plants.  I did buy some of the "pepper wax" you're supposed to spray directly on the fruits; it's very hot chili pepper in a waxy binder that helps it stay on the fruit.  My squirrels ancestors must have come from down south where the chili pepper is native, 'cause it didn't seem to phase them.  Now I just grow herbs...

Patti's and my squirrels? must have the same ancestors. they love Red Pepper!

Growin’ ‘maters in the hot sun
I fought the squirrels and the squirrels won (twice)
I planted ‘maters but I got none
I fought the squirrels and the squirrels won (twice)

I left my garden and it feels so bad
Guess my race is run
The best tomaters that I ever had
I fought the squirrels and the squirrels won
I fought the squirrels and the squirrels won

Growin’ ‘maters in the hot sun
I fought the squirrels and the squirrels won (twice)
I lost my ‘maters and I lost my fun
I fought the squirrels and the squirrels won (twice)


Paul

I love that song and love your lyrics....LOL  :police:

Great "song" Paul  :)

great song Paul!

but I didn't give up!  what's happening here is that when a squirrel gnaws part of a Mr. Stripey, I fry up the rest. I'm also proactively picking the big ones green and developing a real taste for it. They're frying up like eggplant, to which they are related but you'd never know under non-wartime conditions. Tobacco and deadly nightshade and potatoes are also related...I'm wondering if I can perform any more alchemy. I might try if I don't die of squirrel cooties (yes, I cut off the squirrelled bits, yes, I wash them, and yes I fry them well).

‘maters - love it!  :laugh:

Love it Paul!  and I LOVE Maters!   :hysterical:

Dale, I don't know how you're preparing your fried green tomatoes; most of the time when I've had them in restaurants they're breaded with flour.  However, our tradition here it to use course ground corn meal (the wimpy stuff you get at the grocery will do, but a nicely crafted milled cornmeal is even better).  We really prefer the corn meal to flour.  We tried it (and prefer it) with eggplant parmesan as well. 

Patti, I'm a more primitive and impatient chef. Granted, I'm usually POd at squirrels when making them. I just slice them thinly and fry them on oil, with salt and pepper, sometimes powdered chipotle pepper rather than black. When both sides are browned, I add a bit of water and cover them to steam. They're amazing, and, as I said, remarkably like eggplant. Maybe it's the very low-acid Mr. Stripey tomato, but prepared like that, they are not in the least sour!  But I love corn meal in general, and bet that if I were less enraged during the process of cooking, I'd use that as well.