Monday Harvest – Nov 26th 2012

I’m feeling a bit summery today, the weather has warmed up in past week or two and the crops are looking a bit more summer like.  All except for the last of the broad beans that is.  I have really enjoyed having broad beans this year.  I wish I’d planted more but then there’s always next year.  This lot went into a side dish for dinner this evening.

The rest of my harvests were more summery though.  I  harvested the first of my zucchinis, and if the little ones are anything to go by there are many more to come.  This one went onto the bbq to served with some lime and turmeric marinated barramundi (an Australian fish).

 Another first of the season were some pickling cucumbers.  I have to admit this is the first time I’ve grown specific pickling cucumbers.  I’m not entirely sure whether I’ve harvested these too early or too late, but I think the only thing to do is pickle them and find out.

As usual I have to include at least one herb picture.  At the moment I am harvesting thyme, oregano, tarragon, dill, the occasional basil leaf and the mint you see pictured here along with some rocket.  I’m still harvesting heaps of lettuce too but it seems to have escaped the camera lens this week.

Both the mint and the rocket went into a rice salad.

My least impressive harvest of this week must surely be the first of the softneck garlic.  Completely underwhelming.  Not sure what I need to change for next year but this lot really isn’t great is it?

And that brings to a close this weeks harvests.  For more hop across to Daphne’s Dandelions.

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31 Responses to Monday Harvest – Nov 26th 2012

  1. Louise says:

    They are the cutest cucumbers I have ever seen!

  2. Each year we learn to do something differently. As for courgettes/zucchini I’m sure you’ll end up with a barrowload

  3. Don’t you love the first of the crop? The veggies we’re picking now are mud-encrusted and I really miss the fresh green we see on the courgette. That BBQ meal must have been delicious… a proper taste of summer.

    • Liz says:

      It is lovely getting new seasons crops – I am watching my tomatoes form at the moment, and my chillies flower and frankly I can’t wait.

  4. Nina says:

    Great looking stuff you have there! Your garlic, though you may be disappointed, is way better than mine, with many the size of my thumbnail. Sigh. The ones in the raised bed are marginally better.

    What rocket is that that you are growing, Liz? The one I have is more rounded and not nearly as serrated as that. I’d really like to grow the one you have. There’s nothing wrong with the taste of mine but I prefer the look of yours.

    I picked the last of the broad beans and put the plants through the mulcher and then put them back on the bed. The chooks are doing a good job of turning them into the soil.

    • Liz says:

      The rocket is wild rocket (or ‘Highway’ which is pretty much identical). I got the seed originally from New Gippsland. It seeds it now, although I do sow from time to time in order to put it in a useful position.

  5. I have planted broad beans for the first time this year. I was able to find some red flowered plants through Seed Savers Exchange. I can’t wait to see the flowers on them.
    I don’t really know how to cook them, but figure I will look around online for recipes when (if?) the time comes.

    Your cucumbers look lovely. I love the little ones like that for fresh eating as well as for pickles.

  6. Daphne says:

    Last year my broad beans were infested by aphids. I’m hoping I can keep them at bay next year. And I love pickling cukes. I actually eat them fresh as much as I pickle them. I like their skins better then the regular cukes.

  7. Leanne says:

    Oh I feel your disappointment with the garlic, they are in the bed for such a long time. I have found garlic likes to be well fed and I often give mine worm wee and sheep pop tea as they grow.
    Love Leanne

  8. Sarah says:

    I like the look of those little cucumbers – was going to ask if they could be eaten fresh, but they seem to be recommended in other comments!

    • Liz says:

      I tried one after the comments. It is probably variety (and possibly time of the year dependant) but mine were a bit bitter for my taste. I reckon that woudl go once pickled and they’d taste really good.

  9. Diana says:

    Wow you already have cukes and zucchinies in November. Very impressive. Whenever I look at your harvest I can sense mine will come soon, now we have a completely different climate.

    • Liz says:

      I’ve really enjoyed being able to see an Adelaide garden – it gave me ideas for pushing the boundaries here a bit. Also looking forward to seeing a Malaysian one though – will be fascinating.

  10. Bee Girl says:

    Beautiful green harvests!

    Not sure what’s up with your garlic…have you tasted it? There were several of us locally last summer whose garlic was small and under-whelming to look at but the taste was strong and delicious!

  11. Norma Chang says:

    Glad to read about your summery weather, it is currently snowing in my neck of the woods. Last year many of my garlic were small but this year they are much larger, not sure why. Could it be the weather?

    • Liz says:

      I did wonder about the weather and I think it probably did play a big part, having said that it was cooler this winter than it has been previously so it can’t have been just that.

  12. Lovely to see the light in your photographs changing along with the harvests! What happened to the garlic, it looks like their wrappers didn’t properly develop?

    • Liz says:

      The wrappers were OK, although some were a little rotted. My best guess is that our climate is a little too warm for garlic to do really well.

  13. Andrea says:

    Don’t you just love the first of the summer crops……………….Zucchini already ! looking forward to following your summer crops and recipes. We had a good fall of rain(thank goodness) which has given all my veg seedlings a boost and i have noticed my first zucchini flower….Yeepee!!!

    • Liz says:

      The rain was lovely wasn’t it? And more forecast for this weekend. Hasn’t today been hot though? Ridiculous climatic variations at the moment.

      • Danielle says:

        Please feel free to send some of your heat my way. We’ve had miserable weather in Perth this Spring!

        What type of zucchini is that, Liz? It looks fantastic! This year is my first attempt at growing zucchini (and scallop squash). Hopefully I’ll end up with a decent crop!

  14. Now I’m wishing my broad beans hadn’t been so early, I’d love to still be harvesting them! I’m living on spinach at the moment in between seasons which is great, but some beans to add variety would be nice! By comparison to my garlic I think yours looks perfectly fine 😉

    • Liz says:

      I’m very excited as I harvested some much better garlic today. I’ll post on it in the next week or so. Still haven’t cracked what works though – perhaps I’ll get some more ideas though.

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