Monday 28 April 2014

Harvest Monday - 28th April 2014

My harvest this week has again comprised mainly Asparagus and Radishes. I have lots of stuff growing, but not much that is harvestable. The story will be very different in about a month's time...


The radishes I am picking at present are the "Cherry Belle" type - round and bright red. Since my garden is so close, I just pick as many as we want to eat straight away, so somewhere between 12 and 20 each time. This week we have had three lots like that.




The radishes are normally picked, washed and eaten within the hour!




We eat them most often as a pre-dinner "nibble" [aka "hors d'oeuvre"]. Before serving them, I remove the roots with a sharp knife, and also most of the leaves, just leaving about an inch of stem, to be used as a "handle" to facilitate dipping them in salt.

Coming along after the "Cherry Belle" I have a row of another type of Radish called "Flamboyant 5". I bought the seeds in France while over visiting my daughter. Here are the first few:


They are basically another variant of the ubiquitous "French Breakfast".


At the weekend I sowed another patch of Radishes, this time in the place where I am planning to plant my Leeks. The Radishes will hopefully be ready before the Leeks need to go in. I have put a piece of plastic clematis-netting over the seeds to stop animals digging in the freshly-turned soil.


The latest batch of Asparagus is not so impressive. The plants initially produced some nice fat spears, but then along came these rather skinny specimens.


With all the rain we have had these last few days, I expect the plants will put up another flush of spears very soon. I hope so anyway!


When cooked, the Asparagus goes a very bright green colour!

The herbs are just about at their best now, covered in fresh young growth. I don't normally reckon them as a harvest, since they are a constant feature of or diet, but I just want to put in a word for my Parsley. This is the stuff that over-wintered so well. I don't think I have ever had Parsley so good. It has been very prolific and has lasted for ages.



14 comments:

  1. Now all you need is to create a dish that uses asparagus and radishes.

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  2. Those radishes are just so perfect. And I love French breakfast radishes. I did a taste test one year they they were at the top. So that tends to be the one I grow now.

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  3. Your parsley looks fabulous. I had my first radish harvest this weekend, and spring onions too, delish.

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  4. So many wonderful veggies! I bought seeds for radishes that look like watermelon. My daughter in law is crazy for any kind of radish. I would love to try asparagus! And all the fab recipes for veggies - Pinterest is a wonderful resource. Have fun, Jenn

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  5. i think any asparagus is good asparagus!

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    1. As you know David, my small plot normally means that I am more inclined towards quality than quantity, but Asparagus is one crop that I really would like to produce MORE of!

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  6. Where are you based Mark? We only put our radishes in a week or two ago.

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    1. I'm in Fleet, Hants (see Profile for more ...) My radishes were mostly sown in early March and have not had any protection from the weather for most of that time.

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  7. Why does nothing eat your parsley or distort your radishes? I have a little pot of parsley - I emphasise little. And have never grown radishes that haven't come out of the ground wizened, thin, tough or scraped. Perhaps I should try again.

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    1. Esther, it's because I have the magic touch! :-)

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  8. I love asparagus of any size. I usually buy a bunch of regular and a bunch of skinny sized asparagus every week when they are in season at the farmer's market. I love the skinny one's quickly grilled or roasted - great finger food, especially with some romesco sauce to dip them in.

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  9. Your radishes are so beautiful and I actually prefer my asparagus thin. It seems more tender.

    While I am here, I would like to invite you and your readers to join in on a gardening blog hop I am co-hosting beginning this Thursday called, "Green Thumb Thursday." I hope to see you there!

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  10. My favorite parsley is the Italian variety...do you just grow the curly kind? I love you blog, Diane

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    1. I have grown the flat-leaf type in the past, but I prefer the curly type.

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