Welcome to Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. I’ve been busy lately planting, weeding and mulching in the garden. At least until the rain came Wednesday, and we’ve had measurable rain every day since then. We’ve had 26 inches of rain so far this year, making it one of the wettest I can ever recall. The rain is making everything grow, including the asparagus. The below photo show a typical daily harvest, this one weighing 13 ounces. We’ve harvested 15 pounds of it at this point.
daily haul of asparagus
So far we’ve grilled it, stir fried it, fermented it, and even given a bit away to friends. We’ve also steamed it several times to use for Asparagus Mimosa. It makes for a great light lunch, especially when paired with a slice of crusty homemade bread.
Asparagus Mimosa
Inside the greenhouse I pulled the rest of the overwintered kale plants to make room for planting cucumbers. It’s a mix of True Siberian, White Russian and Western Front in the tubtrug, about a pound in all. I’ve got spring planted kale and mustard greens now ready to cut in a cold frame bed, so we should be well supplied with greens for a while longer. I was anxious to get the cucumbers planted so they can hopefully mature before it gets really hot, though it’s already been hotter than usual around here. Since I had extra plants I set two of them outside, to hedge my bets in case the heat in the greenhouse proves too much for them. I want to make sure we have some cukes for pickling and fermenting.
overwintered kale from the greenhouse
I also pulled most of the remaining pak choi plants to make room for the cucumbers. Some of these wound up in a stir fry dish with Thai flavors my wife cooked up last week. It’s the white stemmed Bopak and the green stemmed Mei Qing in this batch. And some of it wound up in a frittata.
Bopak and Mei Qing pak choi
And there’s lots of lettuce in the greenhouse ready for cutting. We’ve been making it disappear by eating lots of salads!
Salanova Butter and Tango lettuce
This Pele lettuce was elongating and starting to bolt. It didn’t color up as well in the greenhouse as it does when grown outside, but it’s still crisp and tasty. I’ve got more planted in one of the cold frame beds, along with another Wild Garden Seed creation called Kilauea. Thankfully both are playing nice and not erupting like the Big Island volcano!
Pele lettuce
About a week ago I potted up three napa cabbage seedlings in a window box planter. They are getting bigger now and will likely wind up in a stir fry soon. The one with reddish purple leaves is called Scarlette. The plants were extras and I just couldn’t throw them on the compost pile. I set out six in the main garden, and they are starting to head up now. I’m hoping to make kimchi with some of them. Napa cabbage hasn’t always been my best crop but I think I possibly, maybe, perhaps have finally figured out how to grow it.
napa cabbages in planter
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 of any size or shape you want to share, add your name and blog link to Mr Linky below. And please be sure and check out what everyone is harvesting!
Your asparagus and lettuce are really prolific. I’m like you – can’t bear to throw plants away.
The asparagus is crazy – since this is my first year, I’m rather shocked by how quickly it grows…can’t even miss a day it seems. Those are some beautiful greens – the colouration on the outdoor Pele lettuce is outstanding! I’m not growing any napa this year – it’s one of the veg that got cut, together with corn and spinach, as I just didn’t feel like dealing with it’s “issues”.
Yes, it seems the asparagus grows inches a day! I haven’t grown spinach for a couple of years. I love to eat it, but I can get more bang for the buck with other greens that are easier to grow.
Beautiful and colorful harvest. My husband made us some zucchini fritters this week. First time I have had fritters and I really enjoyed them. Told him he was going to have to make lots of them when the zucchini starts coming in the garden!
Sounds like you are getting tons of asparagus! Can’t wait till mine gets to that point!
I love zucchini fritters too! I can’t wait for the summer veggies to come on.
The Asian greens really do grow like crazy when they are happy, those napa cabbages are busting out of that box already. I’m making my umpteenth try at gai lan. Perhaps this time it will do something other than just bolt. Tis definitely the season for greens, I love it!
I’ve never had any luck with gai lan or choy sum here. They both bolt for me too. The greens will be gone soon enough, and hopefully be replaced by some summer veggies!
Sorry my name is on the list twice. I don’t know how to remove the first one which goes to last weeks…
No problem – I got rid of the first one for you!
Thank you!
Your lettuce and greens look incredible, and it sounds like you’re getting tons of delicious asparagus. I’ve got kale planted but all my other greens have bolted, I’m moving on to more summer like greens like amaranth and New Zealand spinach.
Those napa cabbages are impressive! I planted them this year for the first time in a long time….Basically all they did was bolt. Nice little flowers for the bees but not much for eating. Our weather has been nuts! We had the cold you seemed to have, too, and then bam! it was summer and it’s been way too dry. Hoping for a good tomato harvest…
That’s one of the big problems I have with napa cabbages – bolting! I try and plant slow to bolt varieties like Minuet or Soloist.
Dave, thanks for the tip on the slow-to-bolt varieties. I’ve made a note of both of these and will make sure to get some seed. Today I planted out the Aji Golden peppers that came from your kind seed sharing. I’m looking forward to these. The Stripey Marzano Rogues have favored place in my garden now. The seeds all germinated so this is going to be THE YEAR OF THE TOMATO for me….hopefully! ha! I’ll give you an update on the rogues…I have some tiny fruit already on the vines. Cheers!
Seeing how much you grow in planters and boxes has inspired me, Dave, and so far it is going very well. Not sure if we can get Napa seed here, but they look amazing, especially the Scarlette.