Monday Harvest – Sept 17th 2012

Its so much nicer to be in the garden now that the weather is a little milder.  It isn’t really that much warmer yet than it was last month – just a couple of degrees, but somehow it feels considerably more pleasant.  The plants seem to think so too as many are putting on new growth.  Harvest wise though I’m still focusing on winter crops – the broccoli continues although it has slowed considerably, and the cavolo nero is starting to send up flower heads so they are being harvested as well.

The parsley is still abundant, despite it sending up its flower heads.  The coriander is happiest here during late winter/early Spring – in a few weeks it will probably start bolting too.

 

I have started harvesting my green garlic – this is some I never actually got round to planting out – it’s been sitting in herb pots since Autumn, but no longer – it is now sitting happily in my tummy after being used to flavour some wontons.

Also in the basket were:

  • Watercress – more of that below.
  • A couple of those round carrots – I forget the variety and can’t seem to locate the seed packet, regardless though I seem to have more success with them than the longer sorts.
  • Some lettuce – my lettuces are all growing happily at the moment, except for a couple that have bolted, and as a result I am eating a lot of salad.
  • Some mint – my mint is loving Spring.  What with that and the parsley I just wish I had some tomatoes to use in tabouleh.
  • Easter Egg radishes which I have photographed again below.

Lastly I have the leafy component of today’s lunch – a salad of watercress, pear & parmesan.  I am producing enough watercress for a salad every couple of days – not bad for a self seeded plant.  If only everything was that easy…

As always this post forms part of Daphne’s wonderful Harvest Mondays – head over and see what everyone has produced this week.

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46 Responses to Monday Harvest – Sept 17th 2012

  1. Norma Chang says:

    So strange to read that your weather is getting warmer (you are heading into spring) when ours is getting colder (we are heading into winter).

  2. kitsapFG says:

    I love that at least twice a year we kind of synchronize harvests with one another – you are in your spring and we are in our fall – much of the crops are the same. 😀

    Your watercress looks so tender and beautiful. I bet it is delicious.

    • Liz says:

      It is really good at the moment. And I agree it is nice to synchronize harvests. Having lived in the UK for so long I always look for the date in which their weather mirrors ours with one of us warming up and the other cooling down.

  3. L says:

    You always have such beautiful green harvests and they look stunning in your harvesting basket. I like your little rounded carrots.

  4. A nice varied harvest. The round carrots are probably “parisienne” as the round ones tend to be of French origin.

    • Liz says:

      The French origin sounds right but I don’t think it was Parisienne, although my memory may be playing tricks – I will find the seed packet eventually I’m sure.

  5. bumblelush says:

    Funny, I was thinking how the weather for being in the garden is more pleasant here too–but because it’s cooling off as we head into autumn! Your early spring harvest looks great, and yes, if only everything were as easy to manage as your watercress.

  6. Wilderness says:

    I too find it strange that you are just starting your garden and mine is about to finish and it will be another 4 months before I start planting my seedling. Loved seeing all of yours in your previous post.

    • Liz says:

      Thanks – I struggle with the concept of it being day on the other side of the world while its night here. I know how it works but I still find the concept difficult. The seasons I find even more hard to comprehend so I know exactly what you mean.

  7. Mark Willis says:

    We just got back from a holiday in Turkey, where they use parsley in “industrial” quantities. You’d love it! I ate lots of figs too — figs with honey and feta is a combination as good as the pear, watercress and parmesan that you describe.

    • Liz says:

      I will definitely try the figs and feta combo when I have some. I am a huge fan of middle eastern food, for the parsley especially. The area of Melbourne where I live has quite large communities of Middle Eastern descent (Turkey and Lebanon in particular) so the eating locally is very good.

  8. Michelle says:

    Green garlic, yum! I so missed that this past spring and I miss having mature garlic from my garden this year. Rebuilding my garden beds precluded a garlic crop and the horrible year for garlic rust the year before put me off the idea of growing garlic anyway. This year the rust didn’t seem to be as bad on the rest of the alliums so I’m going to give it a go again.

    • Liz says:

      My heads weren’t paricularly big last year so I’m hoping this crop will be better. I’m still using last years crop in the kitchen as well as having green garlic from the garden – I will be very happy if my crop lasts and I don’t have to resort to the tasteless stuff they import from China.

  9. Shawn Ann says:

    Very nice. I bet you can’t wait to get past all the green of winter and into all that summer color, I know I usually feel that way! Your radishes add a nice hint of color to your harvest!

    • Liz says:

      I am looking forward to the colours of summer but funnily enough the two things I am really looking foward to at the moment are cucumbers and beans and both are green – silly eh?

  10. Rowena says:

    When I read tabouleh my mouth started watering….LOVE that dish! Such beautiful harvests you share. Whenever I look at the photos I get this sensation of healing from all the green(s) in your images.

  11. Jenny says:

    The radishes are very colorful and the greens are lovely.

  12. We’re having lots of salads at the moment – at last the tomatoes are turning red!

  13. You’re reminding me to add watercress to our list for next year, thanks! Wonderful time of the year for you, when you have the space to savor each thing as it reappears.

    • Liz says:

      I am enjoying the new crops, I will especially enjoy the broad beans which are flowering at the moment and I’m hoping will set pods really soon.

  14. Dave says:

    Your cool season veggies are still looking good to me. I’ve never grown watercress. I know it is good, just never tried growing it. It’s usually pricey here if you can find it, so that’s another reason to try growing it.

  15. Sarah says:

    Watercress, pear and parmesan sounds like a good combination. We have a grand total of two pears on our tree this year – might save one for a salad!

  16. zentMRS says:

    I love that time of year when it is really finally warm enough to enjoy being in the garden. We just planted our fall broccoli – I hope the little seedlings survive the crushing heat we’ve had the last week or so.

  17. GrafixMuse says:

    The watercrest looks lovely. I am going to try growing some next spring. I should try growing the parisian carrots too. I don’t have luck with the long kind.

    • Liz says:

      I don’t have much success with the long kind either hence my foray into stubbiness. I really recommend trying watercress I find it really trouble free and productive.

  18. Daphne says:

    Those radish really are picture perfect Your watercress looks good too. I’ve never grown it myself.

  19. Andrea says:

    Love those little round carrots …….enjoying the warmer temps up here too although overcast and raining again today. With so much rain over the last couple of months we really should have bupper crops once the roots get down into the subsoil .
    Still haven’t tried green garlic so thanks for the reminder, do you use the whole plant like spring onions?

  20. Barbie says:

    Lovely harvests. With all the new seedlings I bet you are scrambling for places now!!!

  21. Bee Girl says:

    Because of you I have planted Easter Egg Radishes and am anxiously awaiting their maturity. I do hope they do as well as yours because every time I see your pictures of them, I can *almost* taste them! 😉

  22. mac says:

    Beautiful harvest as always, I tried growing watercress twice but fail, glad yours are growing well.

  23. Greenearth says:

    Great vegetables.

    I have a $150 Bunnings Giveaway on my blog A Green Earth and I welcome you and your readers to enter.

  24. Diana says:

    Our coriander and lettuce happily flowering though I wish it will not be this soon.
    Nice assorted herbs.

    • Liz says:

      My lettuce is flowering and some of the coriander’s starting to bolt but most of it is still sending up leaves rather than flwoer stalks.

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