Monday 9 May 2016

First harvest

It's been a long time coming, but today I can announce the first harvest of a crop sown this year - in other words excluding things like the Purple Sprouting Broccoli that was sown last year and harvested this.



Yes, my first batch of Radishes. As you can see, they are of two types  - "Cherry Belle" and "French Breakfast".




 The round, plain red ones are the "Cherry Belle". This is a variety I have grown many times before, and I find it very reliable. It has a nice crisp texture and just the right amount of pepperiness.




The long ones with the white tips are the "French Breakfast".




I don't know whether French people eat these things for breakfast, but I can say that they are the type I associate very firmly with French markets. When we used to go across to Calais to bring home our wine, we used to try to get into the centre of town before the market closed, mainly so that we could splash out a couple of Euros on a big bunch of these! Here's a photo of some on a market stall in Ferney Voltaire (France), near where our daughter Fiona and her family live:


The sign says 1.20 a bunch, or 2 euros for 2 bunches.


This is our favourite way to eat Radishes - raw, dipped in salt, eaten with a pre-dinner aperitif:



Finally, an arty photo for you. This one uses an effect called "Ortonish", named after the famous photographer Michael Orton, who invented a photographic technique which mimics watercolour painting. The effect is easily applied to a photo via Picasa or Google Photos.





I'm linking my post to Harvest Monday, hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres. (Hooray - my first chance to contribute something, for ages!)

12 comments:

  1. Lovely radishes! I never got around to sowing any this spring, so I have radish envy. I need to remember them for a fall crop though. I've always wondered if the French actually ate them for breakfast. I'll bet those markets had a lot of lovely things to eat.

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  2. Mark..the photos are wonderful. Both those varieties as you say, are very reliable Cherry Belle being new to me this year. Imagine having the opportunity to buy a big bunch of radish like you saw in France and photographed. I have also served them as you do, or with a dip that includes anchovy...nice and salty.

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  3. That looks an wonderful first crop, it must have been such a treat! Sarah x

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  4. Beautiful radishes, Mark. I have been thinking of taking a note from you and planting some in a container so I can at least have something while the weather gods make up their minds what season it is.

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    1. David, whilst I think you'll agree that I do sometimes grow some decent Radishes, I have never managed to grow any good ones in a container, though I have tried! I really don't know why this is.

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  5. Lovely, a very picturesque first harvest!

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  6. I have become a bit of a radish fanatic based after being inspired by all your beautiful radish harvests over the past 2 or 3 years. I love that they come in an array of colors and sizes and that they are so quick to produce. The most difficult part is keeping up with the succession sowing. Funny thing though is that the most reluctant producers are the French Breakfast types, perhaps I'll have to try another strain of seeds. And the one gap in my collection is a basic round red variety. I guess I get to buy some more seeds.

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    1. Well, yes, but the inspiration works both ways - having seen the ones you have grown, I'm now on the lookout for some yellow / orange-coloured ones.

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  7. So pretty! I love (and am slightly envious of) your photography skills Mark. I have had good luck with Cherry Belle. This year I've decided to try a non-red variety called Watermelon Radish. It looked pretty in the picture

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    1. My photography skills depend on 2 things, Stacy: luck and a simple but reliable camera (Olympus E450)! I've seen photos of the Watermelon Radish. It looks spectacular, so I hope it grows well for you.

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  8. I never thought to eat radishes with salt. It sounds wonderful. Out of curiosity, do you happen to eat the radish greens?

    My radishes always end up fiery hot, our springs can be very warm. Saturday was 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius).

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    1. No, I don't eat the Radish greens. They are OK, but that's about all. There are many nicer things to eat!

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