I meant to have a huge harvest this week I really did. Yesterday I was supposed to pick a lot. The weather forecast was for mid 20s last night for the first time. The weather is supposed to continue and get even colder. We are supposed to get down to the teens later this week. So it is the first time that it would freeze in my little low tunnel. I wanted to get a big harvest before anything might be damaged. Now they are all hardy plants, but the white stemmed bok choy in particular is very finicky. I wasn't sure if it would hold up well.
But I didn't. My daughter skyped me. She is autistic and has issues understanding people. She uses me as a sounding board to try to understand. We ended up talking for over four hours. Then my husband wanted me. Its nice to be needed, but the garden never got picked. I had some time after dinner and really thought about it, but it was cold and dark. This morning the temperature was 31F. Yup below freezing but not horribly bad. Once it warms up today I'll go out and harvest. Some I'll leave in for a long time as I want to see how hardy they are, but most I want to get picked so I have them as a harvest.
This weeks harvest
I still did get a small harvest this week. But I was mostly using up the rest of what I'd picked previously. I made a big salad for the week which I meant to take a photo of but forgot as usual.
I washed up all the bok choy, tatsoi and Chinese broccoli in that I picked and was left in the fridge. BTW the colander is normal size. My sink is huge.
And made soup. I made three quarts. I gave one pint to my townhouse mates and ate the rest over the week.
- Greens 0.73 lbs
- Spent this week: $0
- Total harvested this week 0.73 lbs
- Total for the year 346.31 lbs
- 2010 Tally $884.56
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 show off, add your name and link to Mr Linky below.
Boy, that's a great sink! I'm sure that it comes in handy with the garden.
ReplyDeleteAt least you had a harvest this week...I'm leaving the veggies out there until I absolutely need them! You'll have a nice big harvest next week :)
Wow I'd have traded anything for those greens. Summer here, so everything is going to seed. Still can't complain really. :) At least there was some picking ...
ReplyDeleteI agree with Robin. That's a great sink! Perfect size for washing leafy veggies and all the rest!
ReplyDeleteThat soup looks very tasty. Is there a particular recipe or is it a "catch as catch can" recipe?
We have succumbed to winter here in Virginia. It SNOWED yesterday! 1/10 of an inch, but SNOW just the same! To make matters worse, it was 28 degrees this morning! Come on spring! I can't take this weather!
I bet the greens did okay under the cover since it just barely got below freezing and they did have protection. It sounds like your winter is about to hit and hit hard.
ReplyDeleteThat sink could double as a wash tub for laundry! I don't think I have ever seen one that large. Probably very useful though.
I agree with kitsapFG. I bet that your greens are just fine!
ReplyDeleteI'm managing to keep spinach, swiss chard, and some microgreens alive in the 20s of my little hoop house.
Daphne, I've got to try some of those Asian greens!!!
The greens are gorgeous as usual. I wish I could get my family to eat more. What kind of soup is that? It looks yummy. I hope you're having a happy Hannukah.
ReplyDeleteSo far we have had few nights below freezing and all plants are fine for now. No sign of damage. I believe that also yours will be fine.
ReplyDeleteThat soup looks great!
It will be interesting to see how your Asian veggies fair later this week. I have a lot of mizuna in the hoop house at the moment and it seems to be thriving.
ReplyDeletePS - That soup looks delicious!
Love the sink! lol The soup looks yummy. I have some bok choi, and other greens to use. I should make a soup too!
ReplyDeleteNice greens! It all looks a lot like what I have growing in my garden. Soup on a cold December night, yumm!
ReplyDelete-Mary
Nice harvest. I only picked one head of bok choy this week. Like you I meant to get out before dark and harvest, but it just didn't happen. Hopefully I'll pick more this week.
ReplyDeleteThat IS a great sink! Nice greens! very pretty! My garden is covered in snow! We are suppose to get some teens overnight here in KY too! Brrr! I wouldn't be out there picking anything either! Talking to your daughter is a good thing! What a great mom! Wow, 4 hours!LOL
ReplyDeleteNo harvest for me, but those greens look really great!
ReplyDeleteTat soi is such a nice little green. I just love it.
ReplyDeleteSoup looks delicious. I really miss fresh greens. We are getting some snow flurries today...more to fall to the north.
ReplyDeleteYou harvested more than I did this week! I've been working my way through previous harvests also, along with veggies that I got at the farmer's market. I've still got a third of a stalk of brussels sprouts in the fridge, they keep really well when you can get them on the stalk.
ReplyDeleteWow, that soup looks amazing! Yum.
ReplyDeleteLove your big sink and comfy soup.
ReplyDeleteI have to pull my bok choy this week, the damage was not bad, I just didn't feel like feeding the maggots anymore.
The good thing about this time of year is the garden can wait. Your soup looks nice, I need to make something similar soon.
ReplyDeleteSounds like your time was well spent. And wow - that is a big sink. I found my bok choy last year to be bitter. how was yours? It's looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteGreat that you are still harvesting in your winter! The soup looks great. lanat
ReplyDeleteRobin, sometimes I wish they put in a double sink instead, but then other times I'm loving the one big sink.
ReplyDeletePrue, Oh if we were close we could trade greens for zucchini. Hard to imagine wanting more zucchini, but I wouldn't mind at this point.
Veggie Pak, it is great to wash things. The soup is my Chinese cabbage soup. http://daphnesdandelions.blogspot.com/2009/10/chinese-cabbage-soup.html Except of course I didn't use Chinese cabbage I used other Asian greens. And for this one I put in more greens than usual.
Laura, It is about to hit. We had such a mild fall. Usually 5-10F above normal. But for once it seems to want to go below normal. Brrr.
Toni, you should try some Asian greens. They are just so tasty. Though they do have all the same issues as the typical brassicas. So they need a row cover or a lot of care.
The Mom, Chinese cabbage soup
http://daphnesdandelions.blogspot.com/2009/10/chinese-cabbage-soup.html
With lots of different Asian greens, but no Chinese cabbage. I doubled the recipe for the one above. We are having a great Hannukah, but I can't find my candles. I know they are packed up somewhere. Most of my things are now put away where I can find them, but certain little things are still MIA. I told my DH to get some if he wanted to light them, but he hasn't yet. We don't have a lot of days left. The funny thing is he is telling me to get my Christmas tree up. I usually do it late so the holidays don't overlap (we are a mixed family). It was a habit I got into when I was the one who hosted the family Hanukkah party.
vrtlarica, I'm pretty sure mine will be fine. I'm really only worried about that white stem bok choy. I love the taste, but it is more finicky than the green stemmed one.
Thomas, Thanks. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the hoop house works out for you.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, there are so many ways to use up greens. I do love soup this time of year though.
Mary, I'm thinking I need soup right now. But at 6am in the morning I usually don't. Hmmm maybe tea would warm me up.
Emily, it is really hard to make myself work in the dark. I really need to get a headlamp. It would make things easier. My old one broke and now getting out in the dark is really hard.
Shawn Ann, Ack snow. Ack teens. I'm not ready for that kind of weather. But tonight is supposed to get down into the teens. We are supposed to get three very cold nights. I'm not looking forward to it. But as time goes on it will only get worse, so I had better.
Fred, thanks
Stefaneener, I do too. And it is the most prolific in my garden right now. It really just took over. I've harvested the majority of the boc choy but no matter how much tatsoi I pick there seems to be more.
GrafixMuse, We are supposed to get some flurries on Friday. The first in this house.
michelle, yum brussels sprouts. The farmers markets here sell them on the stalk. I've never bought them though. I usually only buy things at the FM if I really feel I need it as I have so much in the ground to eat. It is hard though.
ReplyDeletemeemsnyc, thanks
Mac, so sad. I've had some snail problems. I've never had snails before. But they seem prolific here at this house. But they aren't so bad that I don't get some nice greens. Right now they are mauling the Fun Jen, but mostly leaving the tatsoi in front of it alone.
Dan, It can, but I really do have to pick. Tonight it gets into the teens. My hoops leek like crazy. Well the rock wall leaks in cold air like crazy. So it only protects about 5-6F. Which isn't all that good with two layers. But when the cold is coming up from the soil it is hard to protect.
Stevie, yes it was very well spent. I find it funny that my daughter talks to me more now that she is in Canada than when she was here. But I'm really happy she is learning things. I've never found my boc choy bitter in the fall. It can get well too mustardy for me sometimes in the summer if it isn't picked quickly. It has a much stronger taste in the heat. I'm not sure about when it freezes and thaws though. I'll find out in a few weeks.
Funkbunny, thanks
I pulled a green onion! LOL, not even enough to blog about, but I'll be back before you know it. I do keep up with your blog, but usually download it for off line reading, so I'm not on to comment. Just letting you know I am still alive ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's good that your daughter talks to you. Four hours is better than no communication. Hope your greens survive the cold snap. Harvesting anything in December in Massachusetts is an accomplishment. I harvested over six pounds of produce this week. Yay, southern California!
ReplyDeleteOhhh...any one of these is sure to warm you to the soul!
ReplyDeleteVery nice greens, we have successfully overwintered boc choy on numerous occasions. The younger plants seem to withstand the cold much better than the larger ones. You make me regret having not planted any in this winters garden...next year I will.:)
ReplyDelete