What's in Season - End of Spring Harvest

It still amazes my that these small rather plain looking flowers become...


...THIS!  I really look forward to picking (and eating) fava beans each year.  They are probably up there with tomatoes on my list of most desired homegrown veggies.  My favas germinated incredibly well this year and have produced a good amount of beans. 


This past weekend, I walked by my shell peas noticed they needed to be picked as well.


My shell peas on the other hand did not germinate well for me.  But what did make it went on to produce a respectable number of pods.


I might be in the minority here but I like to pick my peas when they look like they are on the verge of bursting from their pods.  At this stage, they are starchier but I like them this way because they remind of the peas from my childhood...only they don't taste like a tin can.


The pickling cucumbers are rolling in as well.  I have a large bag of them in the fridge, which I need to turn asap into fresh dill pickles.


Ahhh, and yes, the first zucchini of the summer reared it head a few days ago.  I've cut down to two plants this year...more than enough for a family of three in my opinion.


Finally, a while back I did end up picking some sour cherries.  They were quite good on their own but some did make it onto an apple tart I made.

Colorful Picks of the Week

The weekly harvest is finally starting to take on some serious color. Up until this point, everything has been mostly green. A colorful harvest always reminds me that summer is in full swing. Pretty soon, the tomatoes will add their shade to this rainbow until fall arrives and the greens predominate again. I guess we should enjoy it while it lasts.

As you can see, we've picked a few new things this past week. While I'm planning on making a big pot of chicken soup with the celery (soup in July, I know), most of what's remaining in the garden will be frozen for winter use. Homegrown celery in my opinion is VERY pungent and a little bit goes a long way.


Our spring sown carrots are looking very good this year unlike last summer. We've picked a couple dozen of them already and all but one or two have been perfectly straight. I've built two other carrot beds for this year's winter crop. Hopefully, the voles will stay away this time around!


I also picked the first artichoke of the year (yes!) and all of my plants now are starting to produce. The two golden beets I pulled this week were so delicious. This was the first time I've tried them and they tasted incredibly sweet.


My chamomile is now flowering. Better late than never I guess.


The Fava beans continue to roll in and we picked our first string beans this week. The greens ones are 'Contender'. This is my second year growing them and what a disappointment they have been. I think I'll try a different variety next year. I also picked our early sowing of Dragon's Tongue beans. I love them. They have a nice flavor and keep their crunch when cooked.


The cukes and zucchini plants continue to be productive. I also picked my first head of savoy cabbage today, albeit a small one. It was about the size of a grapefruit. My cabbages are taking FOREVER to grow and the heads are stalling at the moment. I just hope they don't bolt before they reach full size.


Finally, this was the haul from my five potato plants. I was afraid that the voles may have gotten to them but to my relief they didn't. Only one potato showed signs of being chewed on so I think I harvested these just in time. I sliced up a few and cooked them up in a gratin for dinner tonight. Boy were they good!

Tasty Tidbit - Char-Grilled Fava Beans

This has to be my favorite way of eating Fava beans. In a large bowl, toss the pods in a bit of olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and coarse salt. Grill covered for 5 - 8 minutes on medium heat until the pods are nicely charred and the beans inside are tender. As you peel the hot skins, your fingers pick up bits of salt and tons of flavor as you pop the smokey...nutty...buttery beans into your mouth. It's finger licking great!

Picks of the Week

The garden is producing well these days. I don't remember the last time I've had to buy the bulk of our veggies aside from the random onion or packet of cherry tomatoes. We should enjoy it while it lasts I guess as November (the customary end to our growing season here in New England) has a tendency to approach faster than we would like. Here are pics of some of the things we harvested this week.


Fennel is something that is definitely growing on me, which is why I only grew two bulbs this year. I like it sliced thin in a salad. Last year, they bolted before I got around to harvesting them. This year, I caught them just in time.


In an ideal world, I would always be diligent enough to pick my zucchini when they are this size. Unfortunately we had a couple of whoppers this week. There's nothing worse than a tough stringy ginormous zucchini. At the moment, we are averaging about five or six of these beauties a week - certainly within our capacity for consumption.


I picked the last of our shell and snow peas this week and pulled up the plants. It's always sad to see them go but at least now we'll have more room for our fall veggies in the coming weeks. I also picked the last spring cauliflower.


I transplanted these Asian greens in early June. I was really surprised by how well the tatsoi held up under the heat as opposed to the Shanghai bok choy.


Our beets are ready as well. Transplanted beets like these are not as perfectly round as direct seeded ones but they are just as tasty.


Our fava beans continue to roll in. It will be at least another week before our crimson flowered ones are ready. The harvest so far this year has been fair and much better than the lone handfuls we got last year but I haven't been able to grow that bumper crop I've been aiming for. Maybe next year.


Finally, our cucumber plants are recovering from the groundhogs attacks and beginning to produce again. I harvest the first two Tasty Jade cukes of the summer this week. They have a nice snap to them and are mild tasting, which is what we like. I am really happy with the varieties I chose this year and will most likely grow them again.

Picks of the Week - Favas, Shell Peas, Peppers and Zucchini

This week was all about the Fava beans and shell peas. We also picked the first Hungarian Wax peppers and the last broccoli of the season.


I was finally able to grow a decent amount of shell peas this year. Boy it takes a lot of pods to fill a bowl of shelled peas. As you can see, I like to harvest my peas on the mature side - when they are plump and crammed inside the pod. They remind me of the peas of my childhood at this stage, before sweet baby peas became the popular choice.


We also picked the first three zucchini of the summer. Already, I'm letting them get too big.


I also harvested a nice-sized Red Detroit beet and more pickling cucumbers.


These pickling cukes are VERY crunchy and mild tasting. I think I'll make a batch of refrigerator dill pickles and peppers with this week's pickings.

Random Scenes from the End of June Garden - Part I

The beds are getting lush with green.


The side garden at a different angle.


The shell peas are plumping up.


The first fava (broad) beans are ready to be picked.


The crimson flower broad beans are still producing lots of blooms.


The Florence fennel is almost ready.


Another crop of soybeans has emerged.


The first zucchini of the year.


My zucchini plants appear much healthier this year than they did last year.


The savoy cabbage is taking its sweet time.

Late May Veggie Blooms

The blooms you find in a veggie garden this time of year may not be as obviously spectacular as those in a conventional flower garden, but if you stop and look closely enough, there is still plenty of color and interest for the discerning eye. I realized this as I worked in the garden today. In no particular order:


The mizuna has bolted. Like most other brassicas, the flowers are yellow and remind me of little exploding fireworks.


My Seville orange tree is blooming. I'm crossing my fingers that we'll have some orange marmalade in time for Christmas since we won't have any Meyer lemons this year.


I've been meaning to pull up what's left of last year's scallions but haven't gotten around to it...


I'm glad I didn't because the blooms are really interesting and complex close up.


Last year's sage and thyme are taking over the herb bed and will have to be trimmed back.

The purple sage flowers remind me of lavender. I wonder if they are in the same family.


The crimson flowered broad (fava) beans have the most stunning blooms in the garden right now.

I can't get over how beautiful the crimson flowers are. The plants are stockier than the more common Windsor variety. I wonder if the beans taste any differently.


My white-flowered Windsor fava beans are growing vigorously now. I have to remind myself to water them everyday now that our daily highs are in the 80's. Last year, I didn't do so during a hot dry spell and had a lot of blooms drop as a result.

I read somewhere that fava bean flowers and shoots are very tasty. I could never bring myself eat them as I love the eventual beans too much!


Last year, I made some flavored vinegar from these chive blossoms. I have to admit that the flavor was a bit strong for my taste. Maybe this year I'll try something different and steep them in some olive or canola oil. This giant cluster of chives is growing alongside my cantaloupe, Imperial artichokes and relocated wild strawberries.


Finally, this may be the saddest looking flower of the bunch but who wouldn't be excited to see the first tomato blossoms of the year?