The main harvest was Tenderstem Broccoli and Turnips:
The broccoli was just beginning to show a bit of colour. Another two days and it would have been past it.
On my first day home (Thursday) I cut the main heads off four of my six plants:
The heads are quite substantial and each of them makes a decent serving for one person. Cutting them off will encourage the formation of several secondary shoots on each plant, so I have those to look forward to now.
I also pulled up four nice Turnips. I'm deliberately harvesting them young, because I want us to enoy them at their very best, and certainly before they go woody. If you harvest them at about the size of a golfball the skins have not hardened so they only need to be washed, not peeled.
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| Two "Purple Top Milan" and two "Atlantic" |
More exciting for me than broccoli and turnips though was this - my first Scotch Bonnet chillis of the season!
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| Small they may be, but I know they pack a big punch! |
In addition to the above, I have picked a lot of lettuce, and lots of herbs.
I have even, I am proud to report, harvested some Parsley! I always struggle with Parsley, but at present I seem to have enough of it (famous last words...)
This is a measure of my determination to have enough Parsley: in the Spring I sowed "broadcast" a complete pack of out-of-date Parsley seed, scattering it all over the garden. Now Parsley seedlings are coming up all over the place!
To see what other people around the world have harvested this last week, visit Harvest Monday, hosted by Daphne on Daphne's Dandelions.
how exciting, it's such a treat to come home to fresh home-grown food!... when I got home last week there were two PSB stems waiting for me... I do love this part of it all!
ReplyDeleteA great looking harvest. Sorry about the trip!!
ReplyDeleteYour garden is definitely rocking. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteVelva
I'm way behind though hopefully in a couple of weeks I shall have my own turnips & broccoli to harvest.
ReplyDeleteWas the Scotch Bonnet the plant which you overwintered? It looks to have paid off.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jo, that plant is the one I bought last year for 50p in a clearance sale. It is covered in fruit now - probably 20 or so already.
DeleteWow those are early colored peppers! That is awesome! And they look perfect.
ReplyDeleteI made sure to plant lots of parsley this year — it seems such a quotidian herb, but has it's such a place of value in our kitchen!
ReplyDeleteI think I'll be picking the first of my broccoli tomorrow. I can't wait. I always look forward to each new taste of the season.
ReplyDeleteDid you overwinter your Scotch bonnet in the house and treat it like a houseplant.
ReplyDeleteYes, I did. It spent the Winter on our Dining Room windowsill.
DeleteYour turnips and chilis are gorgeous! I am glad you were able to save your broccoli, as well! We have one (of our three) broccoli with the tiniest little head on it...I'm hoping the heat won't take it over...
ReplyDeleteI suppose perfect broccoli is your consolation for a holiday cut short. So sorry to hear about the less than spectacular cruise. What do you have in mind for the Scotch Bonnets? I'm always interested to see how people deal with all that heat, they are far too hot for my wimpy taste buds!
ReplyDeleteLettuce and strawberries for us - not eaten together - and I sowed some turnip seed yesterday so not quite ready to harvest yet
ReplyDeleteIt appears the scattered parsley seed trick really worked for you. Amazing that you have ripe chili peppers already. Well done!
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