Monday Harvest – 6th May 2013

Our weather is divine at the moment.  Mild, sunny days – absolutely perfect for gardening.  I am getting a little worried about our lack of rain but hopefully some will arrive soon.  In the meantime I will enjoy my time outside watering.

I have really loved the Listada de Gandia eggplants this year.  I am hoping for a few more but if not I will enjoy eating this last one.

Bishops Cap Chillies & Eggplant

My chillies continue on, I made 8 jars of sambal this week from a mix of chillies, but mainly Bishops Cap which are amazingly prolific at the moment. The other varieties also producing well are: Birdseye and Tobago Seasoning.

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My harvests weren’t all red this week.  There was the occasional bit of green.  I’m harvesting a fair bit of celery at the moment, as well as basil.

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA   Basil

In addition to the things for my own kitchen I also harvested a few things for the local food swap this week.  It was the first time I’d gone, and having gone once I can see I will become a regular.  It was very relaxed with great coffee and cake on hand as well as lovely produce to take home.  I took curry leaves, kaffir lime leaves and some bishops caps chillies.

Bishops Cap, Curry Leaves, Kaffir Lime

I came back with kumquats, a few chillies to save seed from, some mint as mine is a bit ropey at the moment, a couple of limes and a pomegranate.  A lovely result.  I’ve already used most of it – the kumquats are candying.  The mint and pomegranate were used in a salad.  The chillies have been seeded and eaten and the limes are earmarked for guacamole.

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

My final featured harvest this week were the finger limes that I posted on on Saturday.  I tried some on avocado today and the combination was perfect.

Finger lime

They were my harvests, head over to Daphne’s to check out some more.

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23 Responses to Monday Harvest – 6th May 2013

  1. Louise says:

    It is amazing how wonderful a basket full of chillies looks. Beautiful eggplant too. I guess that pomegranate is yours? Mint and pomegranate are wonderful flavours together. How long did it take for your pomegranates to give you fruit?

  2. Daphne says:

    Those chilis are just so pretty.

  3. I think it’s cool that you can go to a local food swap and take things you have too much of to trade for things you would rather have.

  4. kitsapFG says:

    We have a local produce swap group here in my area too. Unfortunately they meet on Saturday mornings just when I am also committed to being at the Giving Garden work parties each week. I really would like to participate in them though as it is a great way to make better use of the garden bounty. Your chili peppers are gorgeous! The celery and basil look mighty fine too. 😀

  5. Wonderful harvest! Looking at pickings from all over the world always makes you long for what you don’t currently have… What are you going to do with all of the peppers?

    • Liz says:

      I make Sambal to use throughout the year. I find it really useful to add to my meals while still cooking mild dishes that my spice averse kids can eat.

  6. Shawn Ann says:

    Wow, neat stuff you got there. How great to get together with other gardeners and share your harvests! Good way to get more variety!

  7. That’s quite a haul of chillies. We’ve given up on the celery – the seedlings died!!

  8. What a bumper crop of chillies you have, and the finger limes brought me to a screeching halt. Now I’m going to have to look for them (if they have them here). Your photos are all very lovely to look at.

  9. Michelle says:

    How many Bishop’s Cap plants do you have? They seem to be amazingly prolific! I covet those finger limes. I may have to rethink my decision to not take a chance on growing one.

  10. Mac says:

    Lovely varied harvest. I’m in love with you Bishop’s Had chile, same question as Michelle, how many plants do you have? Are they all in ground or some in pots? Do you overwintered them or you start them new each year?

    • Liz says:

      I have 2 plants both in pots and I do overwinter them so they are now large and established. Both are in 40cam diameter pots. I did start a couple of new ones this year but they have yet to fruit. I’m glad I did because although my 2 fruited well the foliage is looking pretty sad.

  11. awesome harvests! My garden is a little slow but the last few months I haven’t been as active in the garden as I would have liked! You would have appreciated this mornings rain, hopefully it got to your side of the city! I so wish there was a food swap close by!

  12. Diana says:

    Oh Wow the bishop cap is so prolific.
    Thinking of sowing some more.
    Listada de Grandia is really a beautiful eggplant. Our eggplants has just started to bloom.
    Beautiful pickings.

  13. I love the idea of a produce shop. I’ve just swapped some purple sprouting broccoli for rhubarb with a friend and been very grateful for the gorgeous sunny weekend we’ve had in the Cotswolds which is helping my broad beans and squash along nicely – now I’ve seen your amazing harvest and am stunned by its exoticism! I have to admit that until we have a LOT more sun in England, other than herbs I wouldn’t have a lot more to swap just yet.

    • Liz says:

      Actually lots of people took herbs to our swap too. I think they are one thing its easy to have an excess of. Broad beans sound pretty good to me – I am something of a fan.

  14. Nick says:

    Are those habanero chiles? Quite a few!

  15. Ly says:

    Hi Liz

    Your harvests are so inspiring to read and look at. In your second last picture there are a few chillies that are orange colour. What is the name of that chilli? My husband and I have the exact same type and we’ve been looking for its name.

    • Liz says:

      I don’t know its name either. I picked up those chillies at our local food swap but the grower had left by the time I got there so there was no one to ask. I do think they are really pretty though. I will do a bit of research and see if I can come up with a name for you.

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