Strange Bedfellows
If I were to grow only one vegetable, this would be it… Black Tuscan Kale. The amazing specimen shown here was transplanted into the garden in March, and I have been harvesting leaves from this same plant weekly through April, May, June, July, August, September and October. When the leaves are stripped from the central rib, spritzed lightly with a mist of olive oil and then baked at 400 degrees for a few minutes, they turn into kale chips, which put any potato chip to shame.
Now that Autumn has arrived, the kale is accompanied by leeks, like these beauties. Strip the kale leaves free of the central ribs. Sautee garlic and thinly sliced leeks for a few minutes in olive oil, add the kale leaves and sautee for a few more minutes, then add a few tablespoons of water, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Not bad.
S
Green days of Autumn
Maroni Rossi
The days are getting short and dark, but my pepper crop, warmed by black plastic, remains happy. If I could grow only one pepper variety, it would be an Italian frying pepper, such as Maroni Rossi.
Sauteed in olive oil, with garlic and a few thin slices of onion, these make an amazing side dish, or a condiment for sandwiches.
Well, summer has come and gone.
I have harvested the last of the tomatoes. This year’s crop was disappointing, as the long cool, wet spring allowed blight to get a foothold, and most of the plants succumbed just as they were nearing their most productive stage of growth. I finally got around to cleaning the grasses and other weeds out of my raspberries, the the effect was amazing. The productivity of the fall crop of berries from plants increased hugely compared to last year. I harvested about a pint of berries every day from August 1 until October 1. Even now, a few berries remain, like the beauty shown here, but not enough to bother with. I will surely miss the berries on my breakfast cereal, until the berries return next June.
I Want Global Warming
Bleah Rain
The average daily temperatures have been about 5 degrees below normal, so even the seedlings in my greenhouse are showing very little progress.
bad roll of the dice
spring?
- Great Lakes Head Lettuce
- Red Sails Leaf Lettuce
- Romaine Lettuce
- Apollo Broccoli
- Early Snowball Cauliflower
- Savoy Perfection Cabbage
- Zamboni Broccoli-Raab
- Arugala
- Russian Red Kale
- Nero Di Toscana Kale
- Leeks
- Red Marble Cippolini Onion
- Walla Walla Onion
- Red Globe Onion
- Chinese Cabbage
- Snow Peas
- Snap Peas