It’s time once again for Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. It was an exciting week here as the first spear of asparagus made it’s way out of the ground. We got our first one last year on exactly the same day, so that tells me spring is pretty much on pace in 2020 as it was in 2019. The soil has dried out a bit faster this year though, which is a good thing as it stayed wet for a long time in 2019. More asparagus should be popping up soon now with warm temps and it will definitely add a little variety to our meals for the next couple of months.
first asparagus of 2020
The purple sprouting broccoli has come to the end though, and I plan to pull the plants in a day or two to make room for the summer cucumbers. I got a few more sprouts this past week, but they are getting tiny to say the least.
last of the overwintered broccoli
The kale rapini are still coming on strong, and the size is holding up on those. My wife and I enjoy these as much as we do the broccoli, perhaps even more. It’s a good thing because the kale plants are making lots of them!
kale rapini
The first planting of lettuce is about gone, but I found a bit more for salads last week. Oscarde is a red oakleaf type that colors up nicely in the greenhouse, though probably not as much as it would planted out in the open.
Oscarde lettuce
There is currently a shortage of bread flour and wheat berries in some areas of the U.S. but I still have a good supply of both. I baked a couple of times last week, and made one batch of dark rye buns and a loaf of Rye and Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf. That served as a base for a grilled sandwich of sprouts and cheddar cheese we ate for lunch one day. I like my sandwich breads to be sturdy, and this one qualifies. A little bit of olive oil softens the crumb while molasses lends color and flavor.
Rye and Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf
The sprouts were a mix of alfalfa, mung beans, broccoli and radish. I’ve been sprouting seeds for years and it’s truly one of the quickest and easiest ‘harvests’ one could ask for. We use them on salads, sandwiches and in various bowl dishes and wraps. I especially love the grilled cheese and sprout sandwich, and I’ve made some version of this for years.
harvest of sprouts
grilled cheese and sprout sandwich
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!