We had another nice haul of greens this week. The second “thinning” of spinach yielded a little over a pound. I made four plantings this year, about double what I grew last year, because we like spinach so much. It’s also the best time to grow it here, or at least I think so. Fall plantings are usually dicey, with germination difficult. I still grow it then, but the results are less predictable.
Gigante Inverno and Spargo spinach after thinning
Come April it will begin bolting, so we will enjoy it while we can. This week I thinned a variety called Spargo, which I’ve grown for several years now, and an heirloom Italian variety called Gigante Inverno (Giant Winter Spinach) that’s new to me. It’s growing nicely, with large rich-tasting leaves. I’ll be watching to see how fast it bolts. In the photo above, the Gigante Inverno is on the left, the Spargo on the right. There’s a volunteer mache plant somewhere in the middle.
wilted spinach salad
We had some of the spinach in a wilted spinach salad, and more went into a chicken and spinach soup. I think we will call March Spinach Month!
Yukina Savoy and pak choi
I harvested some nice sized Yukina Savoy, which is similar to tatsoi but larger and more upright. It was planted in January. I also pulled one older pak choi plant that was starting to bolt. I mixed them both in a stir fry I fixed to go with our Red Beans and Rice on Friday night. Talk about a cross-cultural meal!
Yukina Savoy
I also harvested some lettuce for salads. One plant almost wound up as lunch for a vole. I was out in the greenhouse, doing some transplanting when I heard a rustling noise. Thinking maybe it was a bird on the outside, I started looking around for the source of the noise. Then I noticed one of the lettuces in the greenhouse bed was shaking. I looked closer and saw a hole in the soil next to the plant. The entire lettuce plant had been gnawed off at the base. I had rescued it just in time! So I harvested 3 more of the lettuces nearby. I was going to do it anyway, but the vole just gave the task a new sense of urgency!
Simpson Elite and New Red Fire lettuces
So this weeks harvest tally is:
Asian greens(18 oz)
Spinach(17 oz)
Lettuce(9 oz)
Total Harvest 2.73 lbs
To see other gardeners’ harvests,or to add your own, visit Harvest Monday at Daphne’s Dandelions.