We’re finally seeing some new faces in the harvest baskets here in mid May. For a while it was pretty much the same players: asparagus, lettuce, arugula and kale. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, mind you! We cut the last of the asparagus last week, bringing our 2012 total to a nice round 30 pounds. I already miss it, but we had a great run for 8 weeks and we have some in the freezer for later on. It’s now time to move on to other seasonal goodies.
blueberries and cherries (click on any image to enlarge)
The new faces are a little more colorful, bringing shades of red and blue to the party. Most of our pie cherries have been harvested by now. We got about 4 pounds of them, “enough for a pie” as we like to jokingly say. Of course that will make several pies or cobblers. But since the birds like them too, we don’t like to count them until they’re safely indoors!
Patriot blueberries
The blue is coming in the form of blueberries. Ahh, now that’s a welcome treat! It was early June before any ripened last year, so they are coming in 3 weeks early like everything else so far this year. The bushes are nicely loaded, though we lost one plant that had to be replaced. The first ones to ripen are Patriot, and some from an unnamed plant that was here when we arrived. It could be Patriot too, since the berries are similar in size and flavor. I guess we’ll never know for sure.
first garlic scapes
The garlic scapes are green but another welcome treat. They came in 3 weeks earlier than last year too. I’ve made two batches of garlic scape salad dressing already. And I plan on making some pesto when I have the time. Time is one commodity that seems to be in short supply right about now!
garlic scape salad dressing
The arugula is pretty well played out. It’s all bolted to seed. But the lettuce is looking great. We’ve enjoyed some of the Oakleaf this week. It has an amazing, almost buttery taste to it this year. This variety has been around for over 100 years and it’s still hard to beat when it’s fresh from the garden.
oakleaf lettuce
Radishes are lending a little color to things as well. So far they have wound up on salads and eaten with a little yogurt dip. I’m going to try some pickled ones soon. We went to a cooking class last week and sampled pickled turnips, which were quite dee-lish. I was thinking radishes would be good as well, and lo and behold Mother Earth News has a timely recipe for them. For some reason I have really been enjoying crunchy things lately. I am looking forward to the kohlrabi for that very reason. It shouldn’t be much longer.
assortment of radishes
That’s a look at what we’re harvesting here in mid May. We’ve hauled in 77 pounds so far this year, for which I am always grateful. To see what other gardeners are hauling in, visit Daphne’s Dandelions – host of Harvest Mondays.
I’ve planted 3 blueberries recently so any mention of the fruit makes me excited about things to come. Ditto Garlic scapes as this is my first year of growing hard neck varieties.
Everything looks great! Curious…how do you freeze your asparagus? Also I see you live in Indiana. Is that were the seed savers exchange garden is? Have you ever visited?
We cut the asparagus into 1″ pieces, then scald it for 2-3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears. PLunge it in an ice water, drain and package.
I’m not aware of any seeds savers gardens around here. It sounds like a neat place to visit though!
Oh my, those blueberries and pie cherries look delicious! Our blueberry bushes are getting ready to flower. We have a week of cool and rains ahead of us, so they may pout until the sun comes back before blooming and setting berries. I noticed our raspberries are getting ready to flower too and the strawberries ARE flowering and setting fruit. I expect a succession of berries to start in about two or three weeks for us. In the meantime, I will look at your beautiful Mayberries harvests and wait impatiently.
I so hope my blueberries will produce well in the coming years. I love blueberries. Not quite as much as the strawberries that are my favorite. But they are so good. Last week I didn’t have any scapes forming yet. Maybe this week.
Time is a commodity in short supply around here, too. Great harvests. I, too, love it when the brighter colors join the party!
WOW! You have blueberries already?? We’re still waiting for cherries to ripen and won’t see blueberries until end of June at the earliest.
oh those berries look soooo wonderful! I have one languishing blue berry in a tub, waiting to see if it survives. They won’t grow in our highly alkaline soil here, so trying in a pot. Oh and cherries! I am going to plant cherry trees but they will probably have to wait until next year. Also for next year decent asparagus harvests; this year I just got little teasers now and then!
Wow, what a gorgeous harvest. Those blueberries look HUGE. Sad to see the asparagus go, but time and gardens march on. Impressive that you are already up to 77 lbs. And 30 lbs of that in asparagus. You are rich indeed.
Oh! Cherries!? MMMmmmm… REAL cherries. What a treat! I try to grow all sorts of cherry substitutes and non of those even grow very well down here. LOL. Lucky dog!
Boy those cherries are to die for! What I would do for some of those right now! I guess I better start checking the local orchard or I will miss out like last year.
The blueberries look so delicious…and large! As big as your cherries! I hope to grow blueberries one day…thanks for sharing!
Those blueberries and cherries look so delicious! I just planted two blueberry bushes this year. We got two yummy blueberries and now every single berry is gone! Guess next year I will be investing in some netting.
Oh wow! Such wonderful (fruity) color!!! Our blueberries didn’t make it after we transplanted them last year and I am missing them terribly! We might have to invest in a new bush or two after seeing your haul!!!
I’m crossing my fingers for at least enough cherries for a muffin this year 😉 It’s amazing how fast the birds can clear out a cherry tree! I’m a little envious of your garlic scapes. The variety of garlic we’re growing doesn’t produce them, and now I rather wish it did!
Your blueberries are beautiful!!!!
Just looking at some of the lovely harvests from the links on Daphne’s page and came across yours, what a wonderful summery harvest you had last week. Makes me feel warm while shiver through quite a cold spell down under. I love the blueberries, I have one bush in a pot, not going to inundate us with berries any time soon, but hopefully it will have a mate soon.
Can I ask, what are garlic scapes?
Garlic scapes are the flowering shoots of hardneck garlic varieties. They are usually removed from the garlic so the plant directs all its energy into making a big bulb, not flowering. And they also happen to be quite tasty!