< Previous70 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 71 GARDEN VARIETY PURPLE PERSISTENCE Eggplant thrives in Texas’ hot and sunny climate story and photos by BARBARA CANETTI V egetable gardeners usually don’t like Gulf Coast summers. Too hot. Too humid. Sometimes too much rain. But there are certain plants that thrive in tropical climates and produce a bounty of beautiful harvests. Eggplants are among them and a favorite for summer gardens. These heat-loving plants flourish in the sun. They need at least six hours of sunlight a day to reach their most flavorful growth. And they do best in temperatures ranging from 70 to 90 degrees. The long, sunny growing season is perfect be- cause most eggplants need from 60 to 100 days to reach their full potential. If they’re harvested too early, the vegetable will be undersized and have less developed taste. Leave them on the plant too long and they become overripe and bitter. The best time to harvest eggplants in this area is when their glossy, deep purple skin bounces back when pressed lightly and doesn’t “dent.” Bobbie Ivey, a Galveston County Master Gardener, grows eggplants, as well as tomatoes, beans and squash in her garden. “Eggplants need almost as much space as tomatoes to grow,” Ivey said. “They also may need to be staked. Good, healthy transplants are recommended as well.” Ivey prefers the Early Midnight variety because it’s smaller than the Black Beauty and works better for her family size. “It also seems to set fruit earlier and grow better than the other varieties that I have grown,” she said. Eggplants are in the same family as tomatoes and potatoes, called nightshade. It was considered by the early Spaniards to be an aphrodisiac, which hasn’t been proven to be true. But it’s a nutritious vegetable and high in fiber, iron and potassium. Although most people recognize the plump, pur- ple-skinned varieties, such as Black Bell, Black Magic, Epic, (Above) Don Wilkerson, who has been living and gardening in Galveston since 2008, inspects the leaves on an eggplant. Eggplants are susceptible to pests and diseases; however, with proper care, these problems usually can be prevented. (Opposite) Early Midnight eggplants have less seeds and an earlier harvest than most varieties.Classic and Black Beauty, there also is a smaller, round variety called Kermits, the skinny, long Jap- anese pickling eggplants and also Asian varieties Ichiban and Tycoon. “I like all the variety of recipes that use eggplant,” Ivey said. “It also seems to tolerate the heat better than some of the other spring vegetables and can be harvested into the summer.” Eggplants prefer well-drained soil with added compost of organic matter or peat moss to help the soil retain moisture and nutrients. Don’t over water the plants and be sure to let plants dry out between waterings. Plants can be fertilized once they’re established. Eggplants can be planted in the ground or in containers — one plant per pot — and with a slow-release fertilizer when the white/lavender-col- ored blooms begin to appear. And don’t delay in harvesting the fruit. Home- grown eggplants might not reach the large super- market size and waiting to harvest could result in seedy, tasteless fruit. Instead, clip the fruit from the plant when the skin is shiny and bright — even if they’re undersized. Fresh eggplants should be cooked within a few days of harvesting and can be grilled, fried, stuffed, baked, roasted, sautéed or stir-fried. It can be mashed or grated for several dishes, or covered in mozzarella cheese and tomatoes for an eggplant Parmesan. 72 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 GARDEN VARIETY (Clockwise from top) Master Gardener Ann Anderson with Early Midnight eggplants; eggplants are attractive edibles. When producing fruit, the egg- plant opens star-shaped lavender flowers; Japanese eggplants are recognized by their long, slender body with a deep purple to almost black shade. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 73 July 14 - August 12 2317 Mechanic Street • Galveston • islandetc.org for tickets presents Book by Bob Martin & Chad Beguelins Music by Andrew Sklar Lyrics by Chad Beguelins74 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 SATURDAY JULY 15 | 6 9PM PRESENTED BY Antiques on 23rd 513 23rd St. antiqueson23rd.weebly.com District Rags 212 22nd St. districtragsboutique.com Eatcetera 408 25th St. velvetcheftx.com Eatcetera at the Whistle Stop Cafe 123 25th St. @Galveston Railroad Museum MOD 2126 Postoffice St. modcoffeehouse.com MarMo Market at MarMo Plaza 2121 Market St. marmoplaza.com Tsunami Exotic Tequila Emporium 2314 Strand yagascafe.com/tsunami Zipp E-Bikes 2311 Mechanic St. zippebikes.com Affaire d’ Art Gallery 2227 Postoffice affairedart.com The Shoppes on Postoffice Curated by From The HeART Gallery 2201 Postoffice 2201postoffice.com Bienville Social 323 23rd bienvillesocial.com Galveston Fishing Company 2509 Market mac-elliot-media.myshopify.com G.Lee Gallery 2217 Strand, Suite 107-B gleegallery.net Elizabeth Punches Studio & Gallery 410 23rd St. elizabethpunches.com QQ ArtSpace 3622 85th St. qqartspace.com Galveston Arts Center 2127 Strand galvestonartscenter.org Galveston Art League Gallery 2117A Postoffice galvestonartleague.com Galveston Artist Residency 2521 Ships Mechanic Row galvestonartistresidency.org René Wiley Gallery 2128 Postoffice St. renewileygallery.com The Proletariat Gallery & Public House 2221 Market St. #100 proletariatgallery.com The Pink Foyer 2315 Mechanic thepinkfoyer.com OTHER WALLS GALLERIES & ARTIST STUDIOS NONPROFIT ARTS SPACES scan for map and more info *participating spaces as of 5/24/23 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 75 GALVESTON 222 Kempner 409-763-4641 GALVESTON - WEST END 13680 FM 3005 409-737-1488 TEXAS CITY 905 Logan 409-948-1771 SANTA FE 13227 FM 1764 409-925-3800 FRIENDSWOOD 281-819-4280 LEAGUE CITY 281-332-3521 Imagine your home, totally organized! Custom Closets Garage Cabinets Home Offices Wall Beds Wall Organizers Pantries Laundries Wall Units Hobby Rooms Garage Flooring Media Centers and more... Call for a free in home design consultation and estimate 409-904-0787 www.closetsbydesign.com CM Follow us Terms and Conditions: 40% off any order of $1000 or more or 30% off any order of $700 or more on any complete custom closet, garage, or home office unit. Take an additional 1 5 % off on any complete system order. Not valid with any other offer. Free installation with any complete unit order of $850 or more. With incoming order, at time of purchase only. Expires 7/30/23 . Offer not valid in all regions. 40 % Off Plus Free Installation 1 5 % O ff PLUS TAKE AN EXTRA SPECIAL FINANCING FOR 1 2 MONTHS With approved credit. Call or ask your Designer for details. Not available in all areas. Locally Owned and Operated!76 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 HOOKED SOME LIKE IT HOT Summer swelter means riotous angling action story and photos by CAPT. NATE SKINNER B elieve it or not, every summer, I look forward to sweltering weather. That’s right, bring on 100-degree temperatures and no wind. Here’s why. When it gets hot and dead calm, magical things happen along the upper Texas coast. With each passing year, it seems consistent summertime doldrums show up later and later. I remember about 20 years ago, by mid- to late May, and for sure by June 1, you could count on consistent weather. Nowadays, it’s as if our weather has shifted and the longest stretches of calm, barring tropical activity, of course, don’t begin until July. But July is here. It may be hotter than a Fourth of July firecracker, but so is the rod-bending action. Get ready to lather on the sunscreen and explore options that surely will produce memories. OPEN WATER REDFISH The number of redfish schooling along upper coast estuaries on hot, calm summer days probably would surprise most folks. Anglers miss stretches of open water chock full of reds all the time because they don’t know the signs. There are three distinct keys to finding schools of redfish in open water — slicks, mud boils and white terns hovering over and picking at the water’s surface. Slicks appear as a smooth sheen, similar to an oil slick, on the wa- ter’s surface. They’re created by fish regurgitating while chowing down on prey such as shad, mullet, other baitfish and shrimp. Fresh slicks are a sure sign fish are feeding. A fresh slick will appear small and round, about the size of your dinner table up to the size of your living room. As they form, they grow and become elongated by current and wind. A school of reds will be found upwind of the freshest or smallest slick you can find. In my opinion, there needs to be at least three recently formed slicks in a stretch of water to make it worth targeting. Schools of red- fish almost always feed into the wind, so look for the newest slicks to appear upwind of older ones. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 77 When it gets hot and dead calm, magical things happen on the upper Texas coast.78 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 HOOKED Following a line through the slicks will keep you moving in the direction of the school. Cast a little upwind of the newest slick, and get ready to get bit. Mud boils — clouds of dirty water among a set of slicks — are formed by a school of reds in a feeding frenzy below the surface. The school gener- ally isn’t too far from freshly formed mud boils. When white terns are hovering over a stretch of open water and occasionally picking at the surface, and their flight path seems as if it’s following something below the water, there’s a good chance the birds are chasing a school of reds. Get within casting distance of them and you’re in the zone. My favorite places for chasing open-water schools of redfish include East Galveston Bay and Sabine Lake. During hot days, when the surfaces of these estuaries are like glass, hordes of redfish sometimes surface by the hundreds, turning the water into a boiling, chaotic orange scene. While chasing schools of redfish, the best lures are those allowing you to cast as far as possible in all direc- tions. Lure action doesn’t matter as much as getting your bait in front of the fish. Heavy jig heads rigged with soft plastics are a good choice. SABINE JETTY MAGIC When calm winds and hot tem- peratures prevail, the Sabine jetties are the place to catch both redfish and speckled trout. Redfish tend to hunker down among the granite rocks, while trout generally stage along the edges of them. The best areas along the Sabine jetties are stretches where the water flows through and over the rocks. I like to throw Rat-L-Traps, SB57 squarebill crankbaits and ATV square- bill crankbaits, all made by Bill Lewis, when fishing these hotspots. You can throw these baits directly into the rocks, and they will deflect off the chunks of granite as you re- trieve them, drawing strikes. If you’re not banging rocks with your lure, you’re not going to get bit. EAST MATTY’S TOPWATER ACTION The open waters of East Matagorda Bay are littered with oyster shell reefs, and the surface action for quality speckled trout here becomes pretty special during balmy, calm conditions. (Clockwise from top) During the heat of the summer, the Sabine jetties are the place to be; stretch- es of open water in East Galveston Bay and Sabine Lake are full of schools of reds during the dog days of summer, like this one caught by 5-year-old Waylon Gene Skinner; weather windows that safely allow for bay boats to venture offshore will become more frequent this month, allowing inshore anglers to chase species such as kingfish. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuLY 2023 79 We've helped families make their dream of home ownership a reality for over 25 years as Galveston County's local, family-owned title company. Trust the experts on your next real estate transaction! www.SouthLandTitle.net 409.744.0727-6710StewartRd.,Ste200,Galveston,TX77551 The trick is to focus on areas with col- or changes in water clarity, as well as stretches of water loaded with baitfish. Making long drifts across the middle of East Matty and working topwaters along the surface often will render explosive strikes from specks. I’ve enjoyed some of the best topwa- ter action ever in this estuary during the heat of the summer. PRISTINE FLATS OF THE SAN LUIS PASS You can’t ignore the shallow flats along the mouth of the San Luis Pass as summertime hotspots. Sandbars there often are teeming with gamefish, especially during an incoming tide. Both redfish and trout will be feeding on mullet along the edges of sandbars, as well as the deeper guts that separate them. The Pass is truly a wade-fisherman’s paradise, offering acres of shallow, clean water to ex- plore. Whether you like to chuck sur- face plugs or soft plastics, there will be plenty of fish to keep you busy. OFFSHORE OPTIONS FOR THE MOSQUITO FLEET Weather windows that safely allow for bay boats to sneak out offshore will become more and more preva- lent now that July has arrived. From buoys, to rigs, weed lines and floating debris, there’s plenty of structure to target out past the Galveston jetties for anglers longing to chase cobia, kingfish, snapper and mahi mahi. It’s all about picking a dead-calm day, loading the boat with fuel and gear and getting after it. The grueling heat will be the tallest hurdle anglers face over the next two months. Make sure to pack plenty of water and to dress appropriately. When you’re cool and comfortable, you can stay focused on catching fish. The dog days of summer have arrived. Take advantage of the optimal conditions and the premier angling opportunities they bring. Next >