Sunday 26 June 2011

Mixed Veg!

The title hardly does justice to the collection of produce I harvested yesterday. Just look at this lot:-


In this picture are: Cabbage, Chard, Lettuce, Endive, Broccoli, Beetroot, Broad Beans, Peas, Potatoes - and my first-ever Daikon. I'm very proud of this Daikon. It may not be a perfect example of its type, but it certainly has character.


I pulled up one of the Daikon really only to see how big they were. This one looked as if it might be quite big, but I certainly got a surprise when it came out of the earth!


I think it's a boy Daikon, but just check out those hips!

The other veg were (thankfully) a bit more conventional. This is a "Caramba" cabbage. Generically, this type of cabbage is known as the Sweetheart, and I can understand why. I tried eating a few bits of it raw, and it is lovely - crunchy and sweet! Ideal for making a coleslaw I would think.


We also ate the first home-grown Broad Beans of the year. Just like the peas the other day, the beans were very young and tender, but not very plentiful. I'm not going to harvest any more pods until they are a lot more mature.


Once again, I have included an "arty" photo in an attempt to "Big them up" as they say...


For me though, the pièce de résistance was the potatoes (again, the first of the year).


These were all from one pot - and I have 25 pots!  Aren't they clean, and scab-free? The bigger ones are about the size of a large hen's egg.

There, Lara, beat that if you can!

When cooked, these potatoes were incredibly light and insubstantial - almost buttery. Such a contrast to the rubbery and musty shop-bought ones we had the previous day.

As anticipated, most of these veg were eaten as accompaniments to a roast chicken, complete with Jane's incomparable gravy!


********************************************************************************
P.S. Following on from my post about the wooden planter we won... Several people pointed out that it would be a good thing in which to grow carrots (because it would put the carrots above the height at which Carrot Root Fly normally fly), so I have heeded this advice. I have moved my little plastic washing-up bowl of carrots off the garden table into the planter. Because the planter is so deep, I have stood the bowl on top of some bricks. I have also put into the planter a bush tomato plant and a purple sage, both of them in pots.

24 comments:

  1. That's a super cabbage Mark! Nice haul for the day! A bit envious of the potatoes...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good pickings Mark love the Daikon thingy what do they taste like?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm lovin' your boy daikon so much. My mother grew some in pots, I've still got to share the photographs and they are stumpy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A great harvest (wow)! Don't think I've ever eaten a daikon. Like the raised veg box, congrats on your prize!

    ReplyDelete
  5. A great and inspiring harvest every thing looked yummo
    Regards
    Rhonda

    ReplyDelete
  6. These really look great. I apparently need to grow more things in pots.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great looking harvest! And your potatoes..dreamy. Speaking of potatoes..will you swing by my blog and tell me when I should expect them to be done? I have hilled 2x and they are outgrowing the pot. No flowers yet, but they are budding. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ate the curiously-shaped Daikon yesterday. It was good. Peeled it and cut it into "Julienne" strips and ate it raw as a salad ingredient. It was delicious. Taste and texture much like a "traditional" radish.

    ReplyDelete
  9. We had our first broad beans too with potatoes from our potato bags.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a grand harvest. Your boy Daikon picture made me smile. Didn't even know there was a vegetable like that. I get to learn so much from your blog. All the veges seem really fresh and tasty, especially the cabbage and potatoes.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a great and varied harvest. The 'firsts' are always the tastiest. We're having our first spuds, first carrots and first mange tout for tea tonight. I've never heard of a daikon before, it's certainly a cheeky one.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nothing like a giggle in the garden!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great harvest and the artsy pic of the beans looks very nice! They are some great looking potatoes too!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very sexy daikon you have there Mark, looks like a model on a catwalk. Happy that you enjoy your daikon. You probably can sow another batch in autumn again since they grow fast and tolerant to cold. Flavour might be different with spring and fall sown daikon. Beautiful and varied harvest!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, that daikon...I must admit to being a bit envious as we never have had much luck with that type, or any other for that matter, of radish. Congrats on another fantastic harvest.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have never heard of the variety cabbge before but I'd love to try it out.

    Everything looks great! Portatos look awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yep, I definitely think that daikon is a boy! Oh, your harvests look good too!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Awesome harvest! I should try potatoes in pots next year,

    Andrea From howisitincali

    ReplyDelete
  19. Lovely harvests. You have a great variety.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your potatoes look lovely! I might have to try growing some next year considering they are one of our favorite veggies. My first go at growing them was a failure, but I shouldn't let the past haunt me!

    ReplyDelete
  21. That is a fine mix of items in your harvest basket this week. The Daikon radish certainly had um... "a character"!? The cabbage looks particularly fine. It appears you have managed to keep the slugs at bay from eating that tender and sweet center. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great harvest and those potatoes look just perfect.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking time to leave me a comment! Please note that Comment Moderation is enabled for older posts.