Welcome to Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. My harvests lately have been all about the greens, since that’s what I have growing at the moment. I got a small cutting of collard greens last week, enough for us to get a taste of them. I planted three heirloom varieties this fall, and they needed more time to grow before cold weather arrived. Next year I need to set them out at least a month earlier. This cutting was from White Mountain, which is supposed to get three feet tall. My plants are barely a foot high, and since I’ve never grown them before I have no idea how hardy they are. The leaves were tender and tasty, and left me and my wife wanting more.
White Mountain collards
The kale is doing much better, and I’ve gotten several cuttings already. This week I tried a new one I’m growing called Casper. It didn’t color up quite as white as the photos in the catalog, but it is decorative nonetheless as well as good tasting.
Casper kale
I also made a cutting from one of my favorite kale varieties, the Wild Garden Mix. This open-pollinated kale makes plants with varying colored and textured leaves, but they are all fairly hardy and very tasty.
Wild Garden Mix kale
I did get one harvest that wasn’t a leafy green. I plucked two Senorita jalapeno peppers from a plant I had in a container and brought indoors. I used them to make a jar of Jalapeno, Cilantro and Lime Sauerkraut. Hopefully these mildly hot peppers will give a little zing to the kraut. If not, I can always add a few hot pepper flakes which will surely do the trick.
Senorita peppers
I loosely followed this recipe, skipping the lime zest and adding some sliced onion along with the cabbage, lime juice, peppers and cilantro. It’s fermenting away on the counter now, and I should get my first taste of it in a week or two.
Jalapeno, Cilantro and Lime Sauerkraut
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, or wishing they were harvesting!