It’s time once again for Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. It was a light harvest week here, as I wait for spring brassicas to get a bit bigger before harvesting. Kohlrabi and napa cabbage should be ready this week. Meanwhile, the squash are producing which is a great addition to our menus. I have been helping them along with hand pollination until the bees find them, which should be soon.
pollinating zucchini
Last week I got another of the Astia zucchini, along with the first Tempest yellow squash. Tempest is indeed my favorite yellow squash, and has a rich flavor and drier flesh than most summer squashes.
Astia zucchini
Tempest yellow squash
One of my favorite ways to cook zucchini and yellow squash is a simple treatment. I grate the squash using a medium size grater, then sauté in a bit of olive oil. That cooks away some of the moisture, and concentrates the flavor. Garlic or herbs are a nice addition, but I often go with just a bit of salt and pepper for seasoning. Some call this treatment Zucchini Butter, though I rarely use butter with the zucchini since I prefer the olive oil.
zucchini butter
Happy Rich broccoli gave up a few new side shoots. The other stem broccoli I have planted, Artwork, should be ready to cut soon. Jacaranda and Burgundy are not showing any heads yet, though the plants are big and healthy.
Happy Rich broccoli
And I got what will likely be the last lettuce from the greenhouse last week. It’s been a good run, and I have harvested almost 20 pounds of it since the first of the year. I will wait until the cooler weather of fall to replant. While I miss the homegrown lettuce in summer, we always have plenty of other veggies to eat in that time period. Our hot and humid summers make growing greens a challenge, and the quality suffers.
greenhouse lettuce
Last week we used some of the lettuce for the ever popular (here) fish tacos. I made fresh tortillas for the occasion using a 50/50 mix of white corn masa and White Sonora flour. The flour helps keep the tortillas pliable, while the heritage corn gives them considerably more flavor than ones we buy.
corn/flour tortillas
fish tacos
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 please take a minute and check out what everyone is harvesting!
We’ve had a very chilly start to summer Dave, but the brassicas have loved it, so we are busy harvesting – today actually – due to holidays. I’ve been growing a few new varieties of summer squash, thanks to your inspiration, but only the tried and tested Ambassador is ready.
Although our weather is anything bit summery we seem to have plenty of bee activity.
Always enjoy seeing what you are cooking too Dave, although my squashes are very long way off producing fruit!