It’s time once again for Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. The weather sure feels like summer here, and the harvests are beginning to reflect that change in season. Summer squashes are coming on now, and I cut one or two most every day now. I have already started freezing it for later use, and we have given some some away too.
harvest of summer squash
zucchini harvest
It’s always fun to come up with new ways to use the summer squash. For instance, we use the frozen zucchini in fruit smoothies, as well as in soups and stews. One way we use the fresh squash is to make zucchini nests. Many recipes call for cooking an egg on top of the spiralized zucchini, but we top ours with a mix of ricotta and parmesan cheeses with basil and garlic mixed in. They don’t always resemble nests either! I also want to try making zucchini fritters soon, and this Skinnytaste recipe looks like a good starting point.
zucchini nests
The spring planted broccoli is beginning to head up now, and I cut more side shoots from Happy Rich along with the main head of Burgundy.
Happy Rich broccoli
Burgundy broccoli
I used some of the Burgundy in a pasta dish, with the sautéed broccoli added to cooked pasta along with lemon juice, garlic and parmesan cheese. That went along with some pistachio crusted baked cod we had for dinner one night.
Lemon Broccoli Pasta with fish
I cut the first head of napa cabbage last week. The Minuet is supposed to be a ‘mini’ variety, but this one weighed almost four pounds! That is enough for a batch of kimchi plus some for other dishes. There was some slug damage on the outer leaves but it cleaned up fine with little waste. We had a bit of this one in a stir fry last week. I also want to try stuffed cabbage leaves with some of the inner leaves.
Minuet cabbage
I pulled the first of the spring kohlrabi last week. It too had a little slug damage but that didn’t affect the quality or quantity one bit. One of our favorite treatments is to eat it raw, served with a a yogurt and garlic dip. I added one of our radishes to the plate, and they are keeping quite well in the frig after an earlier harvest. I’ve been making our own Bulgarian yogurt lately, and it works quite well as a dip or for other dishes.
first spring kohlrabi
kohlrabi and radish with dip
We’re seeing a lot of new bloomers in the perennial beds. I have several different varieties of bee balm planted, which hopefully gives the bees a continuing source for food. Bubble Gum Blast is a short variety, and it’s in full bloom now just as the tall red Jacob Cline variety begins to flower. Blue Moon is almost done blooming, having been the first to bloom here. I have also seen butterflies visiting the bee balm, and a Silver Spotted Skipper was methodically going to every tubular blossom one day to get nectar.
Bubblegum Blast bee balm
Jacob Cline bee balm
Blue Moon Bee Balm with Silver Spotted Skipper
The Sweet Daisy Birdy shasta daisy is brightening up the area around the birdbath. The birdbath itself is a popular hangout for many of the songbirds that visit our property and gardens.
Sweet Daisy Birdy
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!
Nice haul of summer squash. That is a big Minuet cabbage; I’ve just started mine and hope they get as big. Did you spice up the dip for the kohlrabi?
The garlic was enough flavor for me!
Have you tried courgette/zucchini crumble. It tastes just like a[-le crumble.
I had not heard of it before, but I will have to give it a try!
I think you’ll like zucchini fritters. I make them every year. Lovely Burgundy broccoli. Fun to see the various Bee Balm varieties. In Massachusetts I grew it in a small area with other aggressive growers and called it the Garden of the Thugs. I have an area like that now with different perennials.Your garden harvests say summer.