Welcome to Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. It was another good week for harvesting asparagus. We got about an inch of rain Friday, and that really made it pop up. We got our largest harvest on Saturday of 14 ounces, bringing the weekly total to 4 pounds. We’ve been enjoying it stir-fried and grilled, and yesterday we had some steamed.
It’s my wife’s turn to cook, and she suggested Asparagus Mimosa for lunch yesterday. We both love this treatment, so simple but so tasty when you have really fresh asparagus. We steamed it in a bamboo steamer until just tender, then used a microplane grater to grate hard-boiled egg over the asparagus. We gave it a sprinkle of sea salt, a drizzle of some good extra-virgin olive oil, and then tossed on a few capers to finish it. It made for a filling main (and only) course, and I truly enjoyed every bite of it.
My only other harvest of the week was another cutting of lettuce from a cold frame bed. I believe this batch includes Australian Yellow and Red Sails. I cut those particular plants to make room to plant kale and mizuna in that bed.
In the future harvest department, the Natchez blackberries are blooming and the plants are covered with the pinkish white blossoms. Our other blackberry we have growing is Apache, and it blooms a bit later than Natchez. If the blooms and buds are any indication, it should be a good year for blackberries. Last year we hauled in 44 pounds of them, and we still have quite a few in the freezer. Looks like it is time for smoothies, and perhaps sharing a few with friends.
My bread bake of the week was a batch of buns. I made these using white whole wheat, and they got a topping of my homemade ‘everything mix’ that includes black and white sesame seeds, dried onion, flaked sea salt and poppy seeds. I don’t think the white whole wheat is quite as flavorful as the Red Fife wheat I often use, but it does get more lift and for a bun or roll that is a plus for me.
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!
Four pounds of asparagus, how heavenly. I’m lucky to be able to buy some locally grown white whole wheat called Blanco Grande that is absolutely delicious. I use it in my levain breads and have found it to be as good as Red Fife, and maybe even tastier. Those rolls look addictive.
Our blackberry is some way off flowering, The flowers on yours look different. As usual the bread looks great.
I am so envious of your asparagus, love your Asparagus Mimosa recipe, will make when local asparagus is available. How long did you steam them?
You’re off to a good garden season. Somehow we don’t tire of a harvest like asparagus but then remember the goodness of that later. Blackberries look promising.
Your asparagus looks absolutely lovely, I’m waiting with baited breath for mine to start appearing. I like to eat asparagus at its simplest, lightly steamed with just a sprinkle of sea salt.
What an awesome asparagus haul! And how cool that your blackberries are already blossoming.
I qucikly had to skip your asparagus harvest as I don’t want my husband getting jealous.
The flowers on the Natchez blackberries are incredible.
I am joining in again Harvest Monday after awhile.
Those buns look delicious! I’m very excited to see my asparagus finally peaking through the soil – it will be another year or so before I’m able to harvest enough for a meal, but just being able to harvest a few this year will be a thrill.
Yes, lovely asparagus again. I’ve never thought grating egg, the dish sounds lovely.
Those asparagus sound delicious! It’s similar I think to asparagus “à la flamande” (meaning the flemish way). It also involves hard-boiled eggs and lost of chives and clarified butter..
44 pounds of blackberries sounds just wonderful, and there’s nothing like fresh asparagus. I’ve been roasting the ones we get at the store with lemon juice and olive oil, so good.