Monday Harvest – 21st Nov 2011

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Liz

I did a lot in the garden this week.  I planted out my capsicums & eggplants, I pulled out the broad beans, and I mulched and mulched and mulched.  I also got around to the occasional harvest.  We had broad beans and more broad beans – our final of the season (plus some very skinny leeks & a radish that’s still in the fridge):

  

The broad beans were once again used in pasta and also in the green garlic dish I made last Thursday.  Here is the green garlic and the mint I used:

  

This week I also used some celery and parsley as well as some thyme and bay for stock.

Although I only managed one shot, my most used produce this week was chard.  We had it in curry (again), as well as with salmon and in a a minestrone.  This was (I think) the bunch for the minestrone.

Finally I did manage to photograph a few of the many spring onions which this week were used in both noodles and in salads.

That is all I managed to capture in a week which culminated in a yesterday evening trip to Accident & Emergency, after my partner tripped on our 2 year olds trike and dislocated his shoulder.   Ouch!!!!

For (hopefully) few accidents but a range of exciting harvests head on over to Daphne’s Dandelions, its always fun.

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Posted in Spring Harvesting | Tagged | 23 Comments

Photo-Vember: When Potatoes take over….

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Liz

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Posted in Potatoes | Tagged | 12 Comments

Shallots

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Liz

Ever since I started writing this blog I have become much more aware of what is happening in the garden.  I think that this is a product of both; taking more photos and via that process examining the plants in more detail, but it is also that I’m thinking more about how they work so I can write about them.  One plant I have been particularly fascinated with are my shallots.  Interestingly my most viewed page is also about growing shallots (and onions) so apparently I’m not the only one in interested in these alliums.

I planted my shallots out in May after growing them on in pots first.  If you are planting shallots simply plant the bulb in the ground with its top poking out from the soil (as in the picture below).   They like lime but need little in the way of fertiliser.

Since I planted them they have slowly dividing, picking up the pace on this front since the weather got a bit warmer in September.

  

I find it fascinating how they have two or three baby shallots inside a skin and those babies get fatter and fatter eventually splitting the skin and shedding it much like a snake would.  I love how they form layer upon layer with the new growth coming from the centre.

They are really great to look at in the garden but I do hope they form bulbs soon though, my supply of crispy fried shallots is running low.

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Posted in Alliums - Onions, Leeks, Garlic, Summer Harvesting | Tagged | 21 Comments

Broad Beans with Green Garlic

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Liz

A couple of weeks ago Veggiegobbler posted about a lovely broad bean dish she had shared with friends for lunch.  Inspired by her culinary endeavours and by the green garlic I had impatiently pulled from my garden I came up with this broad bean dish.  Green garlic for anyone unfamiliar with it, is garlic that has not quite finished bulb development and still has a green stem.  The flavour is softer than older garlic and you can eat the whole thing stem and all without peeling it (except perhaps removing a couple of outer leaves).  Green garlic is one of the joys of growing your own garlic and is one of my favourite November things.  You can use green garlic in pretty much any dish you would normally add garlic to and is delicious both raw and cooked.  I particularly enjoy it in simple dishes like this one where you can really taste each ingredient.

Broad Beans with Green Garlic

  • 300g broad beans (shelled and cooked weight)
  • half a bulb of green garlic (from a 3cm diameter bulb) finely chopped
  • a small bunch of mint finely chopped
  • a tblspn extra virgin olive oil
  • 50g feta
  • Pepper

Shell the broad beans and boil until cooked.  Rinse with cold water.  Peel again to reveal the lovely green inner bean.  Mix the oil and the garlic.  Add the double peeled beans while they are still warm.  Mix.  Add the mint.  Crumble on the feta and gently mix through.  Season and serve.

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Posted in Alliums - Onions, Leeks, Garlic, Beans, Recipes, Spring Harvesting | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Photo-Vember: Colour identification training needed

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Liz

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Posted in Spring Harvesting | Tagged , | 5 Comments