It’s time once again for Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. It’s an exciting time of year in the vegetable garden, with lots of ‘firsts’ coming in. I pulled the first kohlrabi last week, one each of Terek, Kolibri and Beas. I have these growing in a small bed behind the greenhouse, and they are fairly intensely planted. There should be more to pull in a few days, and they will keep well in the refrigerator until we eat them all.
first kohlrabi of the season
We love our kohlrabi, and one of our favorite ways to eat them is raw. I make a dip from homemade plain yogurt, garlic and a bit of lemon juice and serve the kohlrabi with that. It makes a cool summer side dish that goes with a lot of things.
kohlrabi with yogurt dip
And I also pulled the first giant Kossak kohlrabi from the main vegetable garden.
Kossak kohlrabi
The one in my handed weighed in at two pound after trimming off the leaves. We use most of these big ones for making kraut and kimchi, though we also roast them in the oven for a side dish. I have about 10 more of these sizing up in the garden, and we should be well supplied!
Kossak after trimming
The zucchini is still coming on, and I have begun freezing it for later use. I hope to start a new series this week on preserving the harvest, and I think zucchini and other summer squashes would be a good place to begin.
zucchini harvest
We’ve been enjoying the fresh squash in a number of dishes, including a Zucchini and Tomato Bake I made last week. Our tomatoes are just beginning to set on, so I picked up a couple of purple ones from a local farmer (Helms Greenhouse) who has a truck set up in a parking lot not too far from our place. His tomatoes are are good but not nearly as tasty as our homegrown ones, but they did fine for this dish. It’s a fairly simple treatment, with layers of zucchini and tomato drizzled with olive oil and topped with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh herbs (basil and thyme) from the garden.
Zucchini & Tomato Bake
Another first was the Artwork stem broccoli. I cut the main head from one plant, and another should be ready soon. The side shoots are the main attraction with this AAS Winner, and it has been a great performer for me here in our garden.
first Artwork broccoli
I set out a few raspberry plants last year and we are getting a handful of berries now. Caroline is a red everbearing variety and we are now getting a sampling from last year’s canes. The new canes are coming up and should give us a bit more this fall, though it might take another year to really get the raspberry patch going. The berries are sweet and flavorful, and this is one of my favorite red varieties. I have grown it in the past but it has been a few years ago when I had it growing in another spot, next to the asparagus bed.
Caroline raspberries
Pizza was on the menu last week and around here that calls for arugula. I’ve gotten several cuttings from this planting in the greenhouse, and should be able to get at least one more before the plants flower and bolt.
arugula harvest
And now for something completely different – baby bluebirds! This is brood #3 this year in this PVC nest box, and 5 of the 6 eggs hatched. I was holding the box like it was the most precious cargo on Earth, even more so than the DSLR I was holding in my other hand. Having three broods is pretty much normal for the bluebirds here, but they got off to a much earlier start than usual this year.
baby bluebirds
Bluebirds need a cavity to nest in, and suburban development brings loss of suitable habitat. That and competition from non-native birds like starlings and house sparrows means they need help from humans. House sparrows don’t like the smaller size of these PVC boxes, and the opening is too small for starlings, so the bluebirds use them with much success. I’ve got this one mounted on a pole in the sun garden with a predator guard attached. We work around this area all the time and the bluebirds don’t mind our presence. They also don’t mind my nest inspections as long as I keep them brief!
bluebird house surrounded by perennials
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 check out what everyone is harvesting!
Don’t the birds mind you handling the nest box. Lovely to have them in the garden. You do like your kohlrabi – I haven’t come across all the different varieties.
The birds don’t mind at all Sue. I never handle the birds themselves though, just the nest box.
Dave, you may have already done this, but can you share your plans for the bluebird nest? We have the bluebirds visiting but have yet been successful getting them to stay for nesting. BTW I am still growing your Red Stripey Rogue tomatoes after ? years. They are fun to grow and tasty as well!
I bought the bluebird house Lorraine. It’s made of PVC, and available here and other places: https://wildbirdhabitatstore.com/product/gilbertson-pvc-bluebird-box/
Oh such kohlrabi! I loved growing the red/purple for their color but haven’t for the last few years. Thanks for the details on the bluebird box. We’ve had bluebirds frequenting our front yard this year. Such a delight. Filing away your idea for zucchini and tomatoes. I’m afraid I’m still a month away for that.
I usually make the zucchini and tomato dish several times while we have both of the veggies coming in from the garden. It will be several weeks before we have ripe large tomatoes, though the smaller ones might be ready sooner.
Dave – happy to see that you’re planning a series on preserving the harvest!
Thanks Susan!
It’s finally fruit salad season here Dave: raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, gooseberries and cherries, quite a treat!