Welcome to Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. It is officially asparagus season here. We are getting daily harvests now, and they are starting to add up. We’ve gotten a bit over three pounds so far, with most of it coming in the last week. The spears in the below photo came from Tuesday, when we got almost 12 ounces of it. Non-gardener friends are often surprised to see it comes in all sizes, unlike the uniform sized ones they find in the grocery. So far we have enjoyed the asparagus stir-fried and grilled, though I also enjoy eating it raw.
freshly harvested asparagus
Other than the asparagus, it’s pretty much the same old players here in the harvest basket, not that I am complaining. I’m still cutting overwintered lettuce in the cold frame beds. The mild winter was easy on the plants, and now they are growing fast in the warm spring weather. It’s a mix of Pele, Jester and Red Sails in the below photo, with a few leaves of Tall Oaks thrown in for a little green.
harvest of lettuce
And there’s still overwintered kale in the greenhouse. This cutting was mostly from the Western Front plant, though I cut about a dozen rapini from several plants. All of it was tender and cooked up in no time.
Western Front kale and rapini
Also from the greenhouse came a small but tasty harvest of arugula. It’s a mix of Astro and Speedy, and wound up on a pizza I made for dinner Saturday night. My wife and I take turns cooking, and it was the end of my two week tour and I wanted to go out in style. Well, I also wanted to go out easy and made use of a homemade pizza crust I had previously frozen.
Astro and Speedy arugula
My wife did help out though with the cooking and baked up a dish of Blackberry Cobbler we took to a carry-in. We still have lots of blackberries in the freezer, and I believe she plans on making some blackberry leather in the near future. Our plants are just now showing signs of blooms, and it won’t be too much longer before it is blackberry season.
blackberry cobbler
Harvest Monday is a day to show off your harvests, how you are saving your harvest, or how you are using your harvest. If you have a harvest you want to share, add your name and blog link to Mr Linky below. And be sure and check out what everyone is harvesting!
I sure wish I had that asparagus thjs weekend as spears for my soft-boiled eggs, yummy. A nice batch you have there. Another month for me, I would guess. And arugula – my favourite! I must remember to start some indoors next winter then move it out to the greenhouse.
That blackberry cobbler looks as good as I bet it tasted.
The eggs and asparagus would go well together for sure! Arugula is so easy to grow in the winter greenhouse, though it will start bolting here once it gets warmer.
For whatever reason I am unable to grow arugula, trying again this year. Still waiting for my first harvest, hoping this week.
Your asparagus and cobbler look pretty amazing. You’re getting some lovely spring harvests.
We’re starting garden planting this week, so exciting.
Slightly jealous of your asparagus. I’m going to plant mine next weekend. New house, starting over again….hopefully we stay here for awhile!
Yum, yum – I have quite a few greens planted up but it will be a few weeks yet until anything ends up in the harvest basket. Oh, that blackberry cobbler looks delicious! I’m hoping that my canes survived the winter after their rough, dry year last season and I finally get to taste a blackberry of my own.
Blackberries are pretty tough plants, so I am hoping yours will take off and bear fruit for you this year! I just checked this morning and our first blooms are opening.
Wow, daily harvests of asparagus, what a treat! I’m missing homegrown lettuce, I didn’t get any going for late winter and spring harvests. Even my arugula bolted because I wasn’t around to water it during the rare dry spell that of course happened while I was away.
Yeah another good week’s harvest and rather tasty sounding meals. I like the idea of taking turns in cooking, not sure we could stick to that.
I’ve still got lots of fruit in the freezer – do the blackberries go straight into the cobbler mix from frozen?
We thaw the blackberries first.
Dave-
You are sure making the most of your very warm Spring. Your asparagus harvest looks terrific, as do all of you greens. I am a few weeks behind you but hope to be catching up soon. Have a great week and thanks again or hosting Harvest Monday.
Our asparagus was a casualty of trying to move it a couple of seasons back and so I am a little envious seeing yours, Dave! Pretty spotted lettuce too… could you tell me what variety this is please?
The lettuce is Pele, and I got the seeds from Wild Garden Seeds. It survived the winter in the cold frame.
I’m downright jealous of those asparagus! I wish I had the space for asparagus, luckily we have some farmers in the neighbourhood who grow them. White asparagus are mostly grown over here, in Belgium, they are often called “white gold”. Pretty expensive as well 😉
Thank you Dave. I don’t think we have the exact same varieties available here in the UK but I shall check it out. These lettuce would look amazing both in one of our “potager” beds and, best of all, on the plate!