Monday Harvest – 3rd Sept 2012

Spring has arrived and so far it has been divine.  Sun, warmth and optimal growing conditions – could you ask for more?  Actually I wouldn’t mind a bit of time to spend in the garden.  I am working quite a lot at the moment and last Friday was my daughters 6th birthday.  We had the party on Saturday and as a result I spent most of Sunday recovering from entertaining 25 small children (although they would call themselves big kids….) and being nice to my partner as it was Father’s Day here.  I did have a bit of a play outdoors though and here are the fruits of my labours.

I had a couple of silver beet plants in a position I now want to use for mint.  Out they came:

I tidied up the chillies and removed the last of their fruits.

Ditto the mini capsicums.  I have been really pleased with this variety.  My dad bought a plant from chain store ‘which shall not be named’ last Spring and he harvested from it all Autumn.  I have been attempting to overwinter it as well as collecting seed which I am pleased to see have germinated.  I will be interested to see if it comes to to type.

If you have good eyes you will notice the tiny bit of cauliflower in the above photo.  This is why: –

 I probably should have picked it a few days before when the head was tighter but still I reckon it should taste good.  I have one left in the garden of this season’s crop.

The broccoli is still producing a decent number of shoots each week.

Also producing well are parsley and thyme which you can see here along with a bay leaf.  My bay tree needs potting up I think as its growth seems to have significantly of late.

Also on the herb front, spring has brought with it new growth on my sages.  Very timely as I roasted a chicken with a sage and onion stuffing for a Father’s Day.

Finally I continue to harvest mustard leaves.  Apart from making saag I’m not really sure what to do with them.  Any ideas?

In need of more harvests?  Head over to Daphne’s Dandelions for produce from across the globe.