Monday 18 February 2013

Harvesting the first of the PSB

This is the high point of the gardening year for me - time to harvest those long-awaited first tender shoots of Purple Sprouting Broccoli.


PSB is a vegetable that doesn't store very well once cut, so it never seems very nice when you buy it in a shop. This is probably what makes home-grown PSB so rewarding, despite the fact that it takes an absolute age to grow (approximately 10 months).

Today's harvest was not big, but it will be much appreciated.


This is the central head and the first few side-shoots from one of my three "Rudolph" plants. Cutting the whole central head like this will force the plant to put its energy into side-shoots now.


Jane is going to use this broccoli in a dish that involves pasta, walnuts and Dolcelatte cheese. Sounds good to me!


I'm entering this post to Daphne's Harvest Monday - an ideal way to show off one's harvest to like-minded gardeners all around the world.

23 comments:

  1. Oh dear we have had a disaster with our PSB - more of that on my blog later

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  2. That dish sounds good to me too. I've got some Rudolph seeds to sow this year.

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  3. As a new follower to your blog and a grow your own enthusiast (inexperienced mind you) I just love your garden allotment and how wonderful it's in your own backyard. I am a purple sprouting addict and have posted a few recipes in the past on my blog. Can I make a recommendation (even though your wife's recipe does sound delicious)? We have ours with anchovies chilli and garlic and it is divine. Simply fry off the garlic and chilli in a good few glugs of olive oil, stir in 6 anchovy fillets, the stir through cooked pasta and the purple sprouting. It's amazing!! Unless you don't like chilli and garlic of course :-)
    Anyway, I will be following your great blog from now on and hoping to learn lots :-)
    Sophie

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    1. Hi Sophie, and welcome! It's always nice to get a new Follower. I like the sound of your PSB recipe except for the anchovies. I love chillies and garlic, but I don't eat any fish or seafood. I know that some people say that anchovies just taste salty, but they're wrong. I can identify a dish with anchovy in it at 100 paces!

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  4. Those are way too pretty to eat. I think you ought to put them in a vase.

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  5. You've timed this crop just right Mark! I must try to do this next year as I am missing having something to harvest.

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  6. You should be very proud of this crop Mark. I only recently learned it takes almost ten months for it to reach maturity and where we live, I don't think it can be grown over the winter. Such a shame. Yours looks perfectly perfect. Enjoy that meal.

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  7. Also love PSB,have an extra area now at the end of our raised beds so hope to grow some this year,shame we will have to wait until next year to eat some fresh,enjoy!

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  8. Oh I can hear your smile from here Mark...happy days when the PSB is harvested! Enjoy :D

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  9. That is such a pretty vegetable too. I really must grow these once in a while - if nothing else to enjoy how pretty they look in the garden!

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  10. Looks great and the recipe for dinner sounds great now how did it taste?

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  11. Well done Mark, that looks fab. I think mine is a couple of weeks off yet.

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  12. Your broccoli looks amazing! I always liked those purple varieties :)

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  13. Jane's pasta dish sounds delicious. I read somewhere that walnuts are excellent nutrition wise as is broccoli so it should be a winner.

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  14. Oh and I thought I should mention - quite a few of your comments on my blog ended up being put into my spam folder by my anti spam plugin. Weird eh?

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  15. Yay for PSB. They look good and Jane's dish sounds lovely.

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  16. The PSB is so pretty! Too bad I have trouble growing broccoli.

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  17. Very nice. I always like purple and green together.

    Do they turn green when you cook then, like purple beans?

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  18. Wonderful harvest. I have veg envy as mine isn't ready yet! The recipe sounds fab too, my favourite veggie, can't wait.

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  19. Wow Mark, they look fantastic!

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  20. Beautiful purple broccolI! I was too busy to get any started last fall so doing without now ;-( maybe next time

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  21. Your photos are making very excited about trying this variety in my garden this year - beautiful!

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