OK I do have another strawberry photo, but I'll spare you the repetition. It isn't any prettier than the one above. I'm happy to say I got 3.5 pounds of them this week. Not enough to freeze. Well not enough to freeze for winter, but I did make strawberry kefir sherbert and that was frozen.
Mizuna
Chard
Kale and a single turnip
Michihili cabbage and a lot of turnips
Lettuce
One of two pickings of spinachIt was another huge greens week. Not as big as last week, but still large. Next week a lot of greens will get their last picking and be pulled. Though one stops and another starts. The kohlrabi are almost ready to start picking. I've started picking the Chinese cabbage. And the first heads are just starting to form on the broccoli. What would I do without greens. I live on them at this time of the year.
Onions and pea shootsI picked onions for the first time this year. I thinned out the bunching onions in the middle of the lettuces. I'll do more thinning soon. Sadly when I tried to eat the pea shoots I got mildly sick. Sigh. I was really hoping it was just the pea itself that did it. So my townhouse mates will have the joy of eating these this spring. Though they looked at me strangely when I said pea shoots. I told them they could be cooked or eaten raw. Just use them like they would use any of their other greens.
I picked some cilantro, parsley and dill. The dill got dried for the winter. I've decided this summer I want to keep a bouquet of parsley on my counter. It is easier than running out when my hands are full with cooking.
I'm almost at the 100 pound mark but not quite. And for one of my earliest years ever, I'm in the black this week. This is not just because my greens have done so well this spring. I track my expenses and the worth of what I harvest. Though the expenses aren't just what I bought this year. Really big expenses are amortized. I estimate how long things will last, but I'm not very good at determining that. I'm much more pessimistic than reality. Last year was the last of some of my expenses (bamboo poles and a bulk buy from the New England Organic Farmers Association), so this year my expenses were down quite a bit. 2014 had amortized expenses of $321. This year it was just $137. But whatever the reason I'm always happy to be in the black. I'd grow my vegetable garden anyway, but it nice to know a tomato doesn't cost $64.
And remember those radishes from last week? Well I took the German Giant off of the tally and tossed them in the compost. They are just not worth eating. I want to look forward to my food, not cringe at the thought of it.
- Alliums, 0.53 lbs
- Greens, 17.40 lbs
- Greens, Asian, 4.91 lbs
- Herbs, 0.88 lbs
- Roots 1.13 lbs
- Yearly total, 91.47 lbs, $42.79
- Fruits
- Strawberries, 3.50 lbs
- Fruit Yearly total, 8.09 lbs
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.
Congratulations on breaking even. 3.5 pounds of strawberries probably helped that, gorgeous strawberries. Lots of greens here, too, but I'm enjoying them.
ReplyDeleteActually I count the vegetables on a different spreadsheet from the fruit. Fruit is paid for different as there is a huge up front cost, but most of them take years to produce.
DeleteGreat harvest. I so envy your strawberries, mine started out great but then we had that long dry spell and I neglected to water that area :). Sorry about your reaction to the pea shoots, does that mean no snow peas and sugar snap peas or just no shelling peas?
ReplyDeleteNo legumes of any kind. I was just hoping the pea shoots would be OK since they didn't actually have any of the seed in it. But whatever I react to it is in very small quantities in the leaves too.
DeleteThose are some lovely strawberries! It's too bad about the radishes, but you're right, there's no point in eating it just because you grew it. My Senposai went on the compost, though I wish I knew someone with chickens because I bet they would like it.
ReplyDeleteAmazing strawberries, for sure, but that chard also looks wonderful. I always direct sow my chard and it's been a bit slow germinating this year but finally they have sprouted- maybe another month before I can harvest any. Over 90 pounds already!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the strawberries! I planted a small patch this year and hope it becomes established. Over twenty pounds of greens is amazing!
ReplyDeleteI could almost smell those strawberries looking at the pictures. The greens are perfect too. My chard is so pathetic now in comparison, but it does seem to be growing finally. The voles have already taken one.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous berries! I am only 1.5 hours north of you and have not had the berries even form yet! We have had no days over 70. SO lots of chard, green onions, cilantro and Oasis turnips, baby self-seeded kale.
ReplyDeleteMay I ask what sort of scale you have? I have a max 2 pound kitchen scale that would not weigh the amounts you have.
I have a Polder kitchen scale that goes up to 6 pounds. For anything higher (I wish my squash would get that large) I've got to use my bathroom scale.
DeleteWhat a beautiful bounty of vegetables! The strawberries look luscious too. It's so sad that you can't enjoy the pea shoots, I hope your townhouse mates do.
ReplyDeleteWow you have such an awesome variety this time of year. I need to broaden my spring plantings a bit and try to get more variety like you. This time of year I'm stuck on about 4 corps. Great harvests!!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so delicious! I have only rhubarb so far, but the rhubarb is red, juicy, and delicious. I plan a Norwegian fruit soup soon - and it will include fresh rhubarb.
ReplyDeleteI don't keep a tally of garden-related expenditure, but I think if I did I would get a rather unwelcome surprise - particularly in respect of compost, which is ridiculously expensive these days, considering what it is. Those strawberries of yours would command a good price though!
ReplyDeleteWow - you reap in the benefits with those strawberries. Yummy! Greens look nice and healthy too!
ReplyDeleteHi Daphne, I am envious. Everything looks so pretty and good! Great that you are in the black. My parsley has been going to seed. I have been cutting it off. Can I still use what's left do you think? Nancy
ReplyDeleteIt must be gratifying to be ahead of the game before the summer crops arrive. One of these years I'll figure out bunching onions.
ReplyDeleteAwesome harvest!! Love all the strawberries :D
ReplyDeleteAnother fantastic week Daphne. My strawbs have started to get going too now, yummy. And I made a basil pesto. Sorry to hear you can't eat the pea shoots though, at least you grow such a wide range of things there's still plenty to enjoy yourself.
ReplyDeleteOh those strawberries. So beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOh, that too bad about the pea shoots. But with such an incredible harvest on every other front, you are not short on delicious food to eat, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteHaving the parsley bouquet in your kitchen is a great idea & I often will do that (if my parsley will ever bulk up that is - it's taking forever this year) & it's so convenient, esp. because it's all washed & ready to go.
I've spotted a couple of ripe strawberries in my bed, so I think my harvest on those is about to start - so excited!