Late October Harvest

Where did this month go? October is coming to a close and I have yet to get my hoops up. The temperature actually got down to 32 degrees F a few nights ago. We're expecting warmer weather this week so I'm hopeful that I'll be able to winterize the garden next weekend before the first killing frost arrives.

Today I picked the first ripe Meyer lemons of the season. Last year, my potted tree produced 9 HUGE lemons. This year, there are 20 medium-sized lemons. These weighed in at just under 2 pounds - enough for a batch of marmalade.


My fall broccoli is still producing plenty of side shoots. I actually really enjoy the young leaves that accompany them.

In other news, the field mice have taken down the last of my rhubarb chard, which is so unbelievably frustrating! I've killed 3 of them this past week alone. Sometimes I wish I had a garden cat to accompany the gnome.

This week's numbers were pretty light (by choice). I've stopped weighing my tomatoes.

Turnips- 0.26 lb
Broccoli - 0.40 lb
Artichoke - 0.20 lb
Chilies - 0.35 lb
Lemons - 1.93 lb

Total harvest this week - 3.14 lb

Fall Harvests

I thought I'd do a quick post on some of the things that I've been harvesting lately:


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

First Fall Harvest

I love this time of year. Yes, the days are shorter, but the leaves are brighter, the air is crisp and I get to write this post seated next to the warmth of a glowing fire. It's a time to savor the remains of summer and get reacquainted with the tender greens of fall.

The jewel of this week's harvest happens to be this crown of broccoli. The variety is called 'Bonanza'. I picked it this afternoon and we had it for dinner. It was absolutely delicious - mild, sweet and much tastier than the 'Piracicaba' I grew this spring.


One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to go out into the garden with a pair of scissors and cut a mix of greens to stir-fry. We're talking about farm to fork in a matter of minutes. Here, I have a bowl of baby bok choy, choy sum and white stem chard. My favorite way to prepare them is as follows: I get a pan VERY hot, then add about a tablespoon of butter. When the butter is melted, I add the greens followed by a splash of soy sauce and smooth chili paste. With the burner on medium-high and after a few tosses, the greens are done - the process taking about a minute. Simple and delicious.


I usually don't like to post the same picture twice, but in this case, it was unavoidable. My ancient laptop crashed the other day and I ended up losing all of my unpublished photos. I'm just glad that I have all of my favorite photos stored on Flickr (though I should probably find a way to export them all onto a backup drive).

I hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather as much as I am!

This week's numbers:

Asian greens - 0.48 lb
Tomatoes - 14.41 lb
Eggplant - 0.56 lb
Snow peas - 0.13 lb
Broccoli - 0.43 lb

Total harvest this week - 16.01 lb
Total so far this year - 621.90 lb

Celebrating the Fall Equinox

Fall is officially upon us. This evening I celebrated by doing a little dance around my broccoli plants, which seem to be crowning nicely. I think I'll able to harvest the one pictured above very soon. Once the main crown is picked, the plant will then produce side shoots.


I also mustered up enough energy to pick some tomatoes and a small bunch of Asian greens. After dinner, I went out to look upon the Harvest moon for a bit and thought about all of the farmers who have done so throughout the ages.

This Week's Harvest - From Fall to Winter

Carrot (Nantes) harvest.

As I collected the last of November's harvest this past weekend, I began to realize that the next few weeks will serve as a kind of transitional period - my fall garden is slowly developing into a winter garden. Saturday was a particularly windy day. The northeasterly wind brought with it a rather ominous chill unlike what we've encountered so far this fall. For sure, I will have to add another layer of protection inside my mini-hoop houses sometime soon, maybe even this week.

Some Rouge D'Hiver lettuce grown in a pot. The slug responsible for the slight damage was found and quickly dispatched.

As I did a bit of work in the garden today, I wondered, when would be an appropriate time to start referring to your garden as a winter one? The obvious choice would be around the time of the winter solstice (December 21-22). However, this seems rather late to me (maybe because our winters tend to start early here in New England). I think the first of December would make much more sense since I hope to be well into spring garden planning/planting mode by March.

Clockwise from top: young pea shoots and pods, flowering Chinese kale, Easter-Egg radishes, baby Red Detroit beets.

It's not uncommon to feel as you through you're "scavenging" or "salvaging" rather than "harvesting" this time of year, which is partly what I did this weekend. In addition to the carrots and lettuce that I harvested, I pulled some baby-sized beets that I had growing in one of my carrot beds. Since I hadn't bothered to thin them so they never developed proper bulbs. Nonetheless, I'm sure they will be tasty. I also picked the remaining young pods and shoots (both were a bit frost damaged) before pulling up my pea plants. I had a surprisingly decent radish harvest as well this weekend. They were completely unblemished and the best tasting so far this fall - with only a hint of spiciness and none of the bitterness, which is just how I like them. I'm happy I decided to giving this late sowing a try. Finally, I picked some flowering Chinese kale that I had growing under one of my quick hoops.


As I was harvesting my Chinese kale, I realized that I had not discussed them at all up until this point. At first glance, they look almost identical to the Chinese broccoli that I had growing earlier this fall. However, the leaves on this veggie are a bit larger, meatier, and more round. I added these to a Chicken soup I made on Saturday and it tasted pretty good.

If you'd like to see what others are harvesting or would like to show off yours, visit Harvest Mondays at Daphne's Dandelions.

This Week's Harvest - Spinach and Carrots

In addition to the usual lettuce (I gave this batch to my neighbor), I harvested a good amount of spinach this past weekend (the first of the season). My fall spinach has been affected by slugs, but to a lesser extent than the brassicas. I am very happy with the variety I'm growing this year ("Space F1"). I've found it in the early morning covered with frost only to bounce back a couple hours later without the slightest hint of damage. If anything, lately it seems as though they prefer the unprotected environment outside of the hoop houses.

I've also started harvesting my fall carrots (Nantes). I pick a few each day to snack on raw. They measure between 4 to 5 inches long and are delightfully sweet tasting. It's amazing how different they are from packaged store-bought carrots, which seem almost unnaturally orange and relatively bland. Jonathan loves my homegrown carrots. Whenever we go outside, he will head straight for the vegetable garden and ask for a carrot. I love watching Jonathan as he grips a carrot by its stems and munches on the root while he goes about his play. One of the joys of being a gardener/parent.

The spinach was washed, spun dry and destined for Saturday night's dinner. From garden to fork in a matter of a couple hours. Does it get any better than that?

Pasta Shells Stuffed with Ricotta, Sweet Sausage and Homegrown Spinach

If you'd like to see what others are harvesting or would like to show off your own, visit Harvest Mondays at Daphne's Dandelions.

This Week's Harvest

YES! I bit the bullet this weekend and harvested 3 of my Meyer lemons. These are destined to become marmalade (which I will get into in another post). I am very pleased with how my little tree has performed thus far. I now have about a dozen tiny new lemons from flowers that bloomed a couple of weeks ago. Though I'm expecting at least half of them to fall off the tree in the coming weeks, I'm hoping that some will make it through the winter and continue to grow.

Just to give you a sense of how big these lemons are, this particular lemon was 4 inches tall. Collectively, these 3 lemons weighed 1.7 pounds. That's quite a feat for a small tree to accomplish. The remaining 6 lemons that I'm expecting to harvest this year are slightly smaller than these 3. I think they will be ready in a couple of weeks.


On the veggie front, I harvested all of my tatsoi, some young pea pods, and more lettuce mix.


I'm beginning to realize that in order for me to have a successful garden this time of year, I have to have a strategy in place to deal with slugs, which seem to be the only major pest in the garden right now. It's amazing how they can seem like a minor annoyance one day and then become a major problem a week later. I must have lost about 40 percent of my tatsoi harvest to these buggers. They are doing a number on my Red Russian kale and spinach as well. They don't seem to be bothering the lettuce. I will have to make a trip to the garden center to pick up some Sluggo.

I played it safe and harvested all of my crop of tatsoi. While cleaning them in my kitchen sink, I found 6 or so slugs clinging to the leaves as I was cleaning them in my kitchen sink. I will admit it was gratifying to run them through my garbage disposal. :)


Finally, my fall carrots (Nantes) are finally starting to fatten up. I'm guessing that they will ready to harvest in a week or two. I had sown these carrots in early August. It has taken much longer than I had expected for them to reach this size. However, I am very pleased that they have made it to this point, are showing no signs of pest damage and are tasting pretty good. Hopefully, they will really sweeten up as they mature and we get a few more frosts.

If you'd like to see what others are harvesting or would like to join in on the fun, visit Harvest Mondays at Daphne's Dandelions.

This Week's Harvest

The fall harvest is becoming a bit repetitive these days. I'm already looking forward to next summer, when I can harvest my first cucumber, heirloom tomatoes and french melons. Today, I harvested the last of my turnips and radishes, along with the usual rounds of lettuce and Asian greens. The only thing new this week are a handful of peas. My fall peas have been a bust this year. I don't think I'll bother growing them next fall.

I wish there was something a little more exciting to note this week, aside from the fact that the slugs are doing major damage to the rest of my white stem pak choi. They don't seem worth eating now. I should have harvested all of them last weekend when I had the chance. Slugs seem to be the only major pest this time of year, aside from the random caterpillar. I will have to make a mental note to do something about that next year.

If you'd like to see what other folks are harvested this time of year, or would like show off your own, visited Harvest Mondays and Daphne's Dandelions.

This Week's Harvest

I started harvesting the all lettuce mix last week. The veggies I have growing under cover have taken off. The added heat and protection of the mini hoop houses have done wonders to speed up growth. The spinach (to the right of the lettuce) seems perfectly happy.


The wild arugula has matured well before the expected maturity date stated on the seed packet. I am very happy with how it has performed. The seed of this particular variety (Sylvetta) is the size of a grain of sugar. It's amazing that all of the ingredients for life can fit inside such a small package.


I started harvesting my second sowing of Hakurei turnips this past weekend. This batch is proving to be the best one yet since I was diligent about thinning this time. Most of the ones I pulled were close to their ideal harvest size (golf ball). I have one harvest remaining and will be sad when it is over. I highly recommend this tasty vegetable for the fall and spring garden.


The white stemmed pak choi has seen better days. The cold weather of early October followed by of the Indian summer we've been experiencing this past week have caused the crop to bolt prematurely. These are supposed to grow to several times their current size before doing so. I hope they are still edible.


I harvested most of my remaining Easter egg radishes. All of these went to my mother-in-law and next-door neighber. Radishes (though I'm not a huge fan of their taste) are very fun, quick and easy to grow.


Hakurei turnips have an amazing pearly white color. I also pulled up a few Nantes carrots to see how far along they are. I think they need at least a couple of more weeks in the garden before they will be ready to harvest. My fall carrots are taking MUCH longer to grow then I had expected and as was stated on the seed packet. I'm blaming it on the fact that my garden only gets partial sun. As the leaves from the giant maple in my backyard fall to the ground, my garden is getting more and more light. I wouldn't be surprised if my winter garden gets more hours of direct sunlight than my summer one.

If you'd like to see what other people are harvesting or mention your own, visit Harvest Mondays over at Daphne's Dandelions.

This Week's Harvest

Clockwise from upper left: Red Detroit beets, pak choi, flowering brassica and oak leaf lettuce.


Anticipating more frost and possible snow, I harvested most of my beets last week. Half were medium sized and the rest were baby beets. Despite wishing that they had more time to get bigger, I was really happy with how they tasted.


New this week - I picked the first of my flowering brassica. I probably should have waited a little longer but since the weather has been so unpredictable lately, I didn't want to risk losing them to a hard frost. The ideal time to pick them is when the first buds just begin to open. The larger leaves are a bit tough but the main stalk and buds are very sweet and tender...almost like asparagus. I will most likely grow this in place of fall broccoli as it is much less susceptible to pests and faster to mature.


Also new this week - Easter egg radishes. These are tasting crispier and much milder than the red altaglobe radishes I harvested a few weeks ago. I think it is mostly due to the colder weather.


From left: Hakurei turnips and Easter egg radishes.

Finally, as part of my fall cleanup. I harvested the few remaining flowers on my zucchini plants and then pulled them up. These were a bit of a let down this fall but I'm looking forward to starting them again in the spring.

If you'd like to post your own harvest or read about what other people are harvesting, head on over to Daphne's Dandelions.

This Week's Harvest

I harvested my first Red Detroit beets this week. They were very good, tasting pleasantly sweet and earthy. The beet greens looked nice and fresh as well, so different from the wilted and dull leaves you usually find at the supermarket. I plan on harvesting most of my beets this upcoming week so I will have to find a good recipe for all of these greens. Either that or I'll blanch them quickly and freeze.


I'm sad to say that our patch of Mesclun is nearing the end of its run. With the cooling weather, the mix has been tasting milder and delicious. We've been fortunate to get many cuts from it. Time to move on to the all lettuce mix, which is about ready to harvest.


I harvested some green beans and the first of my Hakurei turnips earlier in the week. Then yesterday, I pulled a good chunk of my turnips (about 30 or so) and shared some of them with my neighbor who commented that they were absolutely delicious and reminded her of Poland (where she was born and raised). I tasted a few raw and would describe them as having a very mild and sweet flavor. The texture is very crisp and fresh. They can be eaten raw in a salad or cooked like other turnips. I think I'll prepare them simply for dinner tonight - boiled or steamed and tossed with melted butter.


Hakurei turnips are best when harvested the size ofgolf balls. Wait any longer and their skins may crack.

If you'd like, check out and participate in Daphne's Harvest Mondays.

It's Good to be Home

I was glad to find that my zucchini was still growing when I got home yesterday. The weather feels as though it's getting a bit chilly and the temperature is only getting up to the high 50's tomorrow. I think I'll place some fabric row cover on my zucchini plants for the next couple of days to keep them more comfortable. Today, I noticed that there are now several tiny female flowers developing on all four of my plants. Hopefully, there is still enough time left before our first frost for them to mature.

Stir-fried Noodles with Shrimp, Homegrown Tatsoi and Beets

Last Friday, I mentioned that I harvested one of my beets, which had been assaulted by one of our wild four-legged friends. Last night, I decided to make some quick stir-fired noodles with homegrown tatsoi, beets and beet greens. The young beet tasted delicious, earthy and sweet like any good beet should. I am very excited to begin harvesting the rest of them soon.

This Week's Harvest

This past week, I harvest another big bowl of mesclun. It feels nice not having to buy lettuce from the supermarket. I also thinned my hakurei turnips and harvested a nice bunch of turnip greens. I've never had turnip greens before and will have to find a good recipe for them. The turnips themselves should be ready for harvest later on this week.


I also harvested the last of my tatsoi and pak choi sowed back in July. These were devoured by August pests and look pretty damaged but have tasted really good (trimmed up of course). In a couple of weeks, my late August sowing of pak choi and flowering brassica should be ready. I can't wait!


Finally, as posted earlier, I harvested the rest of my red altaglobe radishes. I gave most of them away and with the rest, I quick pickled. Recipe to follow.

Radish Harvest

I harvested most of my red altaglobe radishes last night and ended up with a big bouquet of this humble vegetable. My mother-in-law, who's a major radish lover, was kind enough to play bride while I snapped this picture. These small red radishes are best when harvested the size of large marbles, any bigger and they become pithy and hot. The ones I picked last weekend were on the larger side and tasted hot. These were milder.

I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of plain raw radishes and probably wouldn't snack on them whole like my mother-in-law does. Maybe sliced thin and dressed up in a salad would be better. Anyway, I sent her home with most of this haul and plan on quick-pickling the ones I kept.

I'm hoping to acquire a taste for radishes as they are very easy grow and quick to harvest. If not, I would probably grow them anyway and give most of them away. How do you like to eat YOUR radishes? I'd like to know what' I'm missing.