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Monday, May 13, 2019

Harvest Monday - May 13, 2019

The harvests are definitely in spring mode now with no roots and plenty of greens. First up is the winter sown Tronchuda Beira (sown 1/29 and set out 2/22). I wasn't sure if the timing would just push them to bolt before they produced very many leaves but so far they don't look inclined to bolt. I used those leaves in a soup with some of the last of the parsnips and rutabagas.

Tronchuda Beira

I experimented with an early spring sowing of some winter choy. This variety is supposed to be very cold tolerant and should develop a yellow heart but the spring weather was too warm to make the center leaves turn yellow. I harvested these two heads just as they were starting to bolt. I used them in a stir fry with some snow peas and sweet onions. The spring weather did not have a detrimental effect on the flavor. Now I have a reason to look forward to winter, I want to see if it's cold enough here to make the hearts turn yellow and perhaps make them even more tasty.

Yellow Heart Winter Choy

Here's one of the last of the overwintered vegetables, the Italian Silver Rib chard was starting to bolt so I cut most of it down. This is still in the fridge awaiting some inspiration.

Italian Silver Rib Chard

The lettuces are sizing up now, especially the Three Heart Butterhead. Some of the Red Butter Romaine lettuces are getting a bit leggy so I've been cutting those small.

Three Heart Butterhead and Red Butter Romaine Lettuces

The snow peas are coming in quickly now. The disadvantage to growing a shorter variety like Oregon Sugar Pod II is that they have a shorter more intense harvest period. The tall growing Frieda Worlds snow peas that I grew last year had a nice long less intense harvest period. I would rather stretch out the harvest since I don't try to preserve the harvest and just want to eat them as they come in. But the disadvantage to growing the taller slower producing peas is that it's more difficult to protect the plants from the critters.

Oregon Sugar Pod II Snow Peas

Those are the latest harvests from my garden. Harvest Monday is hosted by Dave on his blog Our Happy Acres, head on over there to see what other garden bloggers have been harvesting lately.


7 comments:

  1. the leaves if that Winter Choy almost look like Tatsoi. I do wish the Tronchuda Beira was more tolerant of our cold winter weather. The ones I planted last fall did not like our cold and wet weather. Perhaps I need to put them in the greenhouse last time, as I love the leaves for soups. your leaves look like they would serve as wraps too.

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    1. I haven't grown Tatsoi so I don't know how similar it is. The stems are fleshy and the leaves are like napa cabbage. The flavor is very similar to napa cabbage.

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  2. Those are some nice looking greens. I hadn't heard of the Tronchuda or the Silver Rib chard...they definitely look promising. Nice haul of snow peas too.

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  3. Whenever I try to grow any of the choy family they end up full of holes courtesy of flea beetles.

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  4. The Three Heart Butterhead lettuce looks very nice. I'm especially fond of butter lettuces for some salads. Does it bolt readily?

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    1. No more so than any other butterhead lettuces that I've grown.

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  5. Such wonderful greens! I'm with you on the snow/sugar snap peas - a slower, more stretched out harvest is my preference too. I've never had any of the kales bolt on me, even though they are planted out in spring & our summers are usually quite hot. They just keep going until fall. It's great (as I only need one sowing), but I wouldn't mind saving some seed from them so will have to figure that out at some point.

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