Monday 28 November 2011

Harvest Monday - 28 November 2011

No beans from the garden this week - for the first time since early July - but the Parsnips are in full swing now, which suits me fine. Parsnips harvested from your own garden and eaten straight away have an amzingly strong, sweet flavour. [I know: you either love it or hate it.]


I have also harvested the Purple Sprouting Broccoli that I wrote about a couple of days ago. Apart from the fact that it is 3 months early, that's great too, since PSB has to count as one of my all-time favourite vegetables.


I cut the central flowering head of one of the "Rudolph" plants, and four of the biggest side-shoots. I have to admit though that this was not a prime specimen. Having developed too early it was a bit on the stringy side, and had a much stronger flavour than usual - Jane found it a bit overpowering.


Also still cropping are the Chillis. These little ones are "Serrano" (from a plant inside one of the mini-greenhouses), but the last of the enormous "Pinocchio's Nose" ones are ripening nicely too, in the garage.


I've picked the last of the Summer lettuce, along with some more of the "Catalogna" chicory. The Winter lettuces under my cloches are still far from ready. They are growing very slowly, which is not unexpected.


To see more of what people around the world have been harvesting this week, visit Daphne's Dandelions

18 comments:

  1. Fabulous, as ever!

    I took down my been plants at the weekend and some gigantic tomato plants - forgotten the name but they grew over five foot but, sadly, I planted out too late so only tiny, green toms rather than the large, yellow ones which are apparently suitable for stuffing!

    Love the look of your PSB - wish you were my neighbour, so I could have any spare you may have! :oD

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  2. I'm not a parsnip fan - though occasionally baked in the oven, wrapped in foil along with butter and garlic . . . they are ok.

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  3. I adore parsnips...especially roasted and drizzled with honey! Mmmm...
    The parsnips season is coming to a close here in Oz, so we'll have to wait a while before we can enjoy them once again.
    Seems strange still to me that as things come to fruition for you, ours are done and dusted.
    Total reverse....but that's what being on the other side of the world does to you.
    Plays with your mind ;D

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  4. It is amazing how long you have been able to harvest things from your garden! Mark, you are quite the gardener!

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  5. Like you I dug up some parsnips for Sunday lunch - I like them coated with semolina and parmesan then roasted. Yum.

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  6. Glad to hear that your chilli is still ripening well in your garage. I always find difficult to harvest the whole parsnip. The end tail always got broken.

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  7. For a moment I thought those chillies were tiny tomatoes! They're a lovely colour.

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  8. I tried growing parsnips last year but had no luck with the roots developing. They sounded like they would be very tasty to me.

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  9. Parsnips are on my 'to grow' list for next year's garden. Mark, it is very impressive how long you've been able to pluck goodies from your garden this season!

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  10. Nice looking parsnips. I had to grow my own to get a taste and now I love them even more than carrots. Actually if I remember to get them planted in July or early Aug that aren't that hard to grow here in the desert...

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  11. We have parsnips at the moment too. Not as big as usual maybe due to the dry weather but then again they haven't shown any sign of canker and so far little forking.

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  12. Great looking parsnips! And very pretty lettuce too. I've just ordered some chicory seeds - a raddichio as I keep reading about your - very excited about growing it.

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  13. What a long growing season you have! How wonderful. The trees here are all nude, and with low temps predicted for this week, the last of the kale and chard will come in tonight.

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  14. Wonderful harvest, bit its those parsnips that have excited me - They look oh so perfect.

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  15. I love parsnips especially roasted. Didn't grow any of my own this year but I might try them next year. I'm envious of your lettuce. It has been so damp here that my have succumbed to botrytis. I've still got some red pak choi in a tub though which is providing me with some leaves.

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  16. Parsnips are a staple in our winter garden line up. I have just begun to dig into the patch and am pacing myself so they last long into the winter season. Root crops overwinter really well in our region and parsnips are the best keepers of the lot.

    Lovely harvest this week Mark!

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  17. Does the purple sprouting broccoli remain purple after cooking?

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  18. Norma; No, the Purple Broccoli turns green when you cook it. Isn't that a shame?

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