Still enjoying the Olympics, still tired from too little sleep and still having too much paid work to do to spend much time blogging. Oh well, at least I’m harvesting the occasional green leaf. Today it was lettuce and mint, both to go into salads served with chicken kebabs. Yes I have decided to ignore the fact that it’s still winter and start BBQing again.
The salads also needed a lot of parsley:
Earlier in the week I also harvested lettuce, that time with parsley and coriander.
Also green but featuring in a stir fry rather than a salad was this broccoli.
I’m really enjoying my broccoli this year and wish I’d planted more of it and fewer cauliflowers. Maybe it’s time to stick to the easier crops… Like parsley, chervil, green garlic and chard, all of which went into an omlette I had for lunch yesterday. I do enjoy a nice green omlette I have to say (with or without ham – he, he, he get it? If not please ignore me I spend far too much time reading children’s books and Dr Seuss is a favourite…)
More white than green was this watermelon radish, which disappointingly was more white than red inside.
White and red was a feature of this potato harvest though – I needed a few more for mash to serve with a sausage braise. These are Dutch Cream and Cranberry Red potatoes.
And that was pretty representative of this week’s harvests. If you are looking for more harvestwise than a splash of white amongst your green then head over to Daphne’s Dandelions and I reckon you’ll probably find every colour of the rainbow.
I enjoy seeing your harvests especially since they reflect a different season than mine! Everything looks so green and cool and reminds me how much I’m missing those fresh salads!
Its funny how the garden doesn’t always produce the things you want to eat at the times you want to eat them. I can never get tomatoes and coriander to grow at the same time and yet I want to eat salsa regularly.
Despite it all, you still managed to harvest, take photos and write a post.
Ah yes, but I should really have been working and now have guilt! Ah the problems of spreading oneself too thinly….
Lush looking harvest you’ve got there, Liz, especially considering it’s supposed to be winter! We haven’t figured it out yet, but the watermelon radishes seem to need particular conditions to mature and develop their characteristic color…
I’m suspecting warmth – given these are growing in winter and the people I have seen grow them successfully tend to live in warm climates but that is pure uneducated speculation. I will try growing them in Spring and summer to test the theory though.
Your mint and parsley look a lot more vibrant than mine and green omelette? One of the best kinds especially when using produce from your own garden. I save the ham (meh, prosciutto for us) to go on a store-bought melon.
Oooo prosciutoo and melon – I want some now!
A nice green harvest, not bad for “winter”. And I do like green eggs and ham. I would eat them in a box. I would eat them with a fox.
Or in a boat, or with a goat? I have to say I do draw the line at eating them with a mouse though.
I quit growing cauliflower long ago. Too fussy a grower and we really like broccoli much better. Your greens and potatoes look very tasty.
My problem is that I love cauliflower, I use it a lot and so I feel that I should grow it but perhaps I should just find a nice professional to do it for me instead.
Liz, maybe in the Winter you should do what I do – write more about food and what / how you cook, rather than about what’s in your garden? (That’s not meant as a criticism, BTW!)
I’m intrigued – why? ARe my lettuces not riveting reading???? Well perhaps you’re right…but my main problem with writing about food in winter is photographing it – I hate flash photography (unless its done really well – and expensively….) and I cook mainly in the evenings when the daylight has gone to your end of the world.
Green is not bad! It’s one color I have little of right now, except for herbs. It’s too hot for my parsley to do much right now, but it should take off when it cools off.
Actually I do really like green, its my 2nd favourite colour after tomato red naturally and you’re right in summer I do miss having the abundance of leaves that I have right now.
Barbecuing in the winter is wonderful! And your mint and lettuce salad sounds so refreshing.
You’re right of course – not only does it keep you warm but you can daydream about warmer days….like I’m doing right now as the rain lashes against the window…
I can’t wait until my lettuce gets big enough to pick. I really ought to sow successions, but some years it just doesn’t happen.
Lettuce is the one thing I do diligently sow every month as I can’t stand the idea of buying it – all that stuff they put on to keep it fresh – ick!
You never stop gathering full baskets of delicious home grown stuff do you?
That is the intent, or illusion, I have to admit I probably could have got more out of my garden this winter with a bit more thought and/or planning but I am still harvesting reasonable quantities of veg.
My favorite time to bbq is in winter. It’s not so hot and the grill keeps me warm in the cooler weather. Lovely harvests.
I think I’m with you on the bbqing in winter thing (although for me Spring and Autumn are probably just as good), especially when compared with summer when quite oftenit just becomes a sweat fest.
Your greens are certainly beautiful! I’ve been spending a lot of time watching the Olympics too. It does seem to take a big chunk out of one’s day, doesn’t it?!
Although I’ll miss all the inspiring performances I have to admit I will be a bit glad to have my life back, or at the very least a bit more time in the evenings…
Pretty impressive for a winter harvest! I haven’t come across watermelon radish before – looks interesting.
When it grows properly the inside is a beautiful red like a watermelon. Unfortunately mine aren’t producing much red on the inside at the moment but I’m hoping that if I leave them for a bit they will.
What lovely baskets of greens!
Um, is one not supposed to BBQ in the winter? No one told me… I just don’t light up in the pouring rain. LOL
And I have to admit that I don’t break my heart over fussy vegetables that won’t grow for me – I buy cauliflower and other prima donna veggies at the farmers market.
Yum yum yum, all your veggies so so fresh and delicious. So restorative for a sleep deprived Olympics fan!
Mine is undercover so I have been known to bbq even in a down pour – ah the benefits of a gas bbq. I like your attitude to fussy veg and I shall adopt it as my own!
Liz, I read somewhere that Cauliflower is not that easy to grow and not good value for a small space. I think I will quit Broccoli next winter and concerntrate on the Baby Broccoli (similiar to Broccollini but can’t get their seeds, I opted for F1 instead, abit pricey 50 seeds/package/$3). It had been very prolific despite receiving 3 hours sun/day. The plant size is medium compared to the normal Broccoli and the whole plant is editable, the side shoots are coming out so quick that I am harvesting weekly now (from 20 plants that i have).
I’m growing ‘Green Sprouting Calabrese’ broccoli this year and it produces lots of side heads that are very similar to broccolini. Its doing really well for me too. I got 100 seeds for $3.50 from New Gippsland seeds if you or anyone else is interested.
Lovely greens and cute white radish!
Ah, yes. Work. Sometimes I curse my work ethic! It leaves me little time for gardening OR blogging. Or anything much else, really.
Do you have issues with rust on your parsley, Liz? I do a little but I basically ignore it and it is as prolific as ever. I don’t have a clue what to do about it, anyway! I so wish I would have got broccoli in early, mine are still little stumpy seedlings.
The lettuce and dill are coming up in the ‘Bunnings Special’. Hopefully the tomatoes, eggplants and others won’t be too far behind. I’m glad I invested a few $$$s in it as it will give my seedlings a head start.
Did you get the photos of the mystery herb? Any clues?
I’m impressed with your spuds! I can’t wait until mine send up those first bits of green so I can cover them up again. I’m hoping the grow bags will work for me.
Did I tell you that I too bought a Bunnings Special – which remarkably stayed upright in the ridiculously strong wind last night. REgarding the rust – the quick answer is no I haven’t so I’m not familiar with any treatments there might be for it either. As for work – my work ethic used to be really good but as I type I’m procrastinating and not working on the stuff I should be.
You did mention the Bunnings Special and did it stay upright all by itself?!? Mine fell over with the flutter of my eyelashes (and I don’t have too many of those, any more!).
A practical bloke I know said to anchor it with tent pegs. I have now and it’s rock solid. It’s not up against a fence or wall, as I couldn’t find a good spot for it so it’s free standing. I’m usually fairly practical so I can’t believe I didn’t think to do that in the first place. Blokes are good for suggestions like that. 🙂
I have a bag of sand (excess from sandpit construction) on the bottom shelf to aid stability. Worked remarkably well. It isn’t against a wall but it is fairly sheltered as well.
I don’t know how you do it, you work and still have time for the garden, you are amazing.
Thanks Leanne, that’s very kind.
Oh… so beautiful your aromatic herbs!
Ciao
Thanks for both your kind words and for stopping by.
Just wanted to say there is nothing wrong with BBQing in the winter. Growing up we did it all the time. Well my dad did, I helped with the eating. (:
Helping with the eating is one of the most important bbqing tasks in my opinion, that and drinking the occasional beer.