From my point of view, these are perfect spears of PSB. Just the right balance of flower, leaf and stalk.
Although they do shrink a bit (especially the leaves) on cooking, 8 spears like that is just the right amount for a 2-person serving.
PSB is not easy to cook. Getting it right is very much a matter of judgement, and it is easy to over-cook the stuff. When overcooked, PSB is vile - almost slimy - and the flower parts disintegrate, so you have to stand over it and be ready to take it off the heat very rapidly. For this reason we usually steam PSB, preferably laid flat in a single layer in the steamer, so that you can easily jab the stalks with the point of a knife to see whether they are done. I find that it usually only takes 2 or 3 minutes to cook fresh PSB. Older (possibly woody) stuff from a shop may take longer, but it will never be more than a few minutes.
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| PSB cooking in the steamer |
Since I want to get on and start preparing my raised beds for new crops, I have harvested the last of my Leeks.
There were only four left.
On close inspection, I found that one of them was not useable (it had a tough woody centre but squishy outer leaves!), so only three made it into the kitchen:
These Leeks were not big in terms of diameter, but they certainly had a good length of useable white shank, and they made a welcome addition to a chunky bean soup.
This is my entry for Harvest Monday, hosted by Daphne on her blog Daphne's Dandelions. I wonder whether anyone in the snow-bound North-East USA will be posting about any harvests this week?
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This is nothing to do with Harvest Monday, but I wanted to show it to you anyway - a Great Tit having a good look at the nesting-box I made the other day.
Earlier I had seen a pair of Blue Tits looking round it too, and acting very defensively / possessively when a flock of Long-tailed Tits showed up! It may yet prove to be a very Des Res...
I hope your box has a take up.
ReplyDeletePSB and leeks, a wonderful harvest. Fingers crossed that you get some residents in your box, Mick put my new one up yesterday in a different position to where the old one had been so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I may get some takers too.
ReplyDeleteWhat those leeks lack in girth they certainly make up for in length, very nice. And beautful PSB too.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo of the nesting box and visitor. The PSB looks tasty.
ReplyDeleteI made that exact mistake when I cooked up my first batch of homegrown broccoli - silly me for thinking it would take as long to cook as the store bought stuff - now I know better!
ReplyDeleteAh, the PSB looks great, mine is a long way off yet, not even any flower heads forming last time I was down the plot.
ReplyDeleteAnd the leeks are great too, it's surprising how far they go in a dish.
You have done an amazing job of harvesting things through the winter. Lovely harvests.
ReplyDeleteI am So glad you posted about cooking the PSB. I was going to plant it as I LOVE the look of it, and the taste but I'll never get it right if it is that finicky to cook. I am not a bad cook, but certainly not attentive enough for that!
ReplyDeleteThat PSB is beautiful and the leeks very nice. And thanks for sharing the photo of bare soil. Some of us have forgotten what that looks like.
ReplyDelete