I started pulling a few of my spring-planted leeks this past weekend. I've only had leeks once before, so at this point, I'm still learning to appreciate the mild and sweet onion flavor of this vegetable.
I've also picked some baby beets, watermelon radishes and daikon radishes. The field mice are particularly active this time of year. Already, I've lost about 50% of my winter carrots and 90% of my beets and radishes. I don't remember it being this bad last year.
Boy I have missed my Japanese turnips. They are so mild and delicious. To me, they taste a lot like cauliflower but are much easier to grow and quicker to mature. I wish I had planted more this fall.
Out of four Napa cabbages planted, I ended up harvesting two. One was dispatched by a cut worm early on and another was devoured by slugs. Also, the broccoli plants are offering plenty of side shoots now that the main heads are gone.
The rhubarb chard is tasting really good now that the weather has grown colder.
Finally, I'm trying to take advantage of all of the herbs in my garden before they disappear for the winter. Fall sage is one of my favorite things. I love making an herb butter with it and some thyme and spreading the mixture all over a chicken I'm about to roast. The basil is gone at the point - The night chill got to it before I had a chance to make pesto.
Total harvest this past week: 6.33 lb
Your harvests look amazing! I love the look of those radishes! I don't like radishes because they are so peppery, but if those taste like cauliflower, I must try it! Yum.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a cauliflower fan, but I do love the turnips. They are so fast and easy to grow too. I think they have earned a place in my garden every year. I just have to learn to plant more too.
ReplyDeleteI only wish I had Chinese cabbage this year. Since the fall crops had to go into where I pulled out my tomatoes they got planted very late. So only the really early maturing ones got planted. I've got lots of baby boc choy and tatsoi, but no Chinese cabbage.
Everything looks great! It appears that at least you were able to get some fall veggies going before you took your "metamorphosis" - sadly I did not, I'm just now finishing up my plantings. Once I started growing leeks, I found I used them in everything, sliced in long skinny strips stacked on salads, rings in soup, stir fries, they are yummy and so beautiful to look at. Roast chicken with sage butter sounds SO good this time of year - hope Marc has another fire going to enjoy it by!
ReplyDeleteThe turnips, broccoli, and the chinese cabbage are really picture perfect. I grew a patch of turnips this year (earlier) and the humans did not get to enjoy any of them, as my husband discovered the chickens really liked them... and proceeded to feed them to them over the course of a few weeks - and we go ZERO harvested, weighed, or eaten by humans. I am going to grow a bigger patch next year - so that both the chickens and US can have some too.
ReplyDeleteI also do not like cauliflower, I'll have to try the turnips, I'm intrigued.
ReplyDeleteThomas, where did you source your alpine Yellow Wonder seeds? I want to try them but want a trusted source--some of these sites look a bit hokey. Thanks, Anna
That reminds me I have to haul out the ole dehydrator and get the last of my herbs before the snows fly.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - I got my yellow wonder strawberry seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds. They germinated very well for me.
ReplyDeleteAnother amazing harvest. I sure wish I could grow radishes like that, ours always either bolt or turn out wormy. Very nice veggies.:)
ReplyDelete..awesome Japanese turnips!
ReplyDeleteGreat that you are still getting good harvest from your garden.
Thomas, your garden just keeps on giving. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteExcellent Thomas! Nice of the critters to leave you a couple napa cabbages, the one in the photo looks perfect.
ReplyDeleteThomas, with your garden and kitchen skills combined, I believe your family is the heart healthiest on the Eastern Seaboard. Eat your greens indeed!
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice harvest for the week! I'm sorry to hear about the losses to mice - that can be *so* frustrating.
ReplyDelete