It’s time for Harvest Monday, where gardeners from all over celebrate all things harvest related. Once again I’ve decided it makes sense to take a break from the Harvest Monday posts for a couple of months, until next February. Harvests are few and far between for many, and I always enjoy taking a bit of downtime from gardening this time of year as do many other gardeners. I’ll be back with Harvest Monday on February 7th. Until then, I will post here about other garden news as it happens, and you can always follow my Facebook page for harvests and other garden news.
lettuce harvest
It is still salad season here, and with fairly mild weather lately the greenhouse lettuce is plentiful. I think the winter lettuce is usually the best tasting lettuce I grow, and we have been enjoying it greatly. I also cut a few Mizuna greens for use last week in salads. They have a peppery, tangy flavor that I like to add to our salads in small doses. I’ve also been adding grated kohlrabi to the salads, which adds another layer of flavor as well as a bit of crunch.
Central Red and Miz America mizuna
salad with greens and kohlrabi
It is also greens season here, and they have been growing lushly outside in the veggie garden. Turnbroc is one I’m growing for the first time, and it is a cross between turnips and broccoli. It has smooth leaves with a mild taste, and it is a new favorite here.
Turnbroc greens
The collards are also plentiful, and one called Nancy Malone Wheat Purple is a family heirloom from Alabama with purple veined leaves. The family waited until after two or three frosts to harvest, since it improves the taste. Ours have been frosted on and frozen several times, and the flavor was wonderful. It’s my first time growing this one, and I hope to grow it again next year.
Nancy Malone Wheat Purple collards
Another heirloom collard I’m growing for the first time is called Georgia Blue Stem. It has large, thick green leaves and has likely been around since before 1900. The Heirloom Collard Project has information on quite a few heirloom collard greens. Seeds for many of these are available from either the Seed Saves Exchange or Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. My only problem is that I want to try them all!
Georgia Blue Stem collards
As for previous harvests, I baked up and pureed one of our Centercut squashes for our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. My wife uses her family recipe for Whisky Pumpkin Pie, decorated with leaves made from extra pie dough. In addition to adding a bit of whiskey to the batter, she also beats the egg whites separately and folds them in the mix at the last. It results in a pie that is lighter than most I’ve ever eaten and is my favorite pie.
pumpkin pie
In non-harvest news, I made a batch of tortillas last week, using a mix from Hayden Flour Mills that is a blend of white corn masa harina and soft white wheat flour. They puffed up and browned nicely, and were flexible and tasty as a base for tacos. I use a cast iron tortilla press to form the dough, then cook them on an electric skillet. The skillet makes for a controlled heat source, and doesn’t set off the smoke alarm like using a cast iron skillet does!
making tortillas
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!
Our season is more or less over although we do have some overwintering crops.
I love pumpkin pie but don’t like whisky.
My winter season is in full flow now Dave, we’ve had a few good frosts too, so everything tastes amazing. Enjoy your rest, I too have a good rest from gardening over winter, but like you I keep harvesting, this year though I’m going to do a few experiments in December, just to keep my gardening brain ticking over
Your lettuce is gorgeous. So glad you can have fresh salads this time of year. What a great way to use kohlrabi too. Next time I grow it… I forget about making the leaves to put on pumpkin pie after baking. They would also cover the insertion point of the knife to check to see if set. Thanks.
Turnbroc is new one to me, and that pumpkin pie looks absolutely beautiful!! And another use for Khol Rabi… thank you!