Monday 16 April 2012

Monday's Harvest

Monday's Harvest is kindly hosted by Daphne at Daphne's Dandelions and is a day to share what you have been harvesting/cooking from your garden or plot.......... 




Pretty happy with my first pickings of my first ever crop of Borlotti Beans.
They were planted just after Xmas quick to germinate but very slow growing, late Febuary i replanted them into my new garden plot watered them well with a little liquid feed and then left them.


Last week when doing a little weeding i noticed how healthy the plants were growing and then i noticed the pods............i was so excited............


                                                  
There were only a few large ones but quite a lot of small ones coming along.




                                                       
As there's only a couple I'm not to sure what to do with them now, peel them and then freeze the beans and then just wait until the next lot are ready to pick? 


Advice most welcome.








Another first time crop i have been happily picking is Pak Choi


Don't know why i haven't planted this before its so easy to grow and tastes great in salads, stir-fry and soup.


Are you growing any first time crops?  Love to hear about them..............







17 comments:

  1. I harvested borlotti this week too. Fortunately I had just enough to make something with. They aren't super productive are they? Freezing them sounds good but I've never done it personally.

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    1. The plants don't produce as many pods as other beans, i thought maybe i planted them a little to late in the season. Next try i will plant more and maybe a side dressing of feed to get them moving. Of course i had a dream of picking a large crop to store for winter soups.........oh well next time.

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  2. I think I would have been excited about growing borlotti beans too, it's always fun growing a new crop and then being able to harvest it. Freezing sounds like a good idea and then when you have enough you could use them in winter soups or stews:) Have a great week Andrea.

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    1. Its funny my taste has changed over the years so now i'm trying new crops and they taste great, maybe its because their fresh or just the different ways their cooked.

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  3. I am trying the borlotti this year as well. My dad has been growing them for year and they always freeze them. Great with garlic, parsley, evoo, and salt and pepper. (cooked first of course. They freeze them raw and they hold up quite well. We just had some on Easter Sunday! Good luck

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    1. Thanks for the freezing tip I wasn't sure weather to cook them first. Good luck with yours too!!

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  4. The bean is so pretty, I'm trying to grow it as well. Homegrown produce definitely taste a lot better than storebought.

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    1. I hope they do well for you, I think they may benefit from a feed now and then.

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  5. What a great show of first time crops! We're growing pak choi for the first time this year. We haven't tried it yet, but it is an impressive plant. It's withstood freezing temps remarkably so far and bugs don't seem to be all that interested in it either. We like the shiny green hue. They look so healthy. Glad to hear you say it tastes great too!

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    1. They do have a great color don't they, i love them lightly cooked in a little oil and garlic, their stalks are nice and crunchy...............

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  6. if if you just have a few beans toss them in soup; fresh beans cook in under 30 min

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  7. They are so beautiful! I'd chop them up and cook them in a frittata.

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    1. I couldn't wait any more so i cooked them up with some garlic, onions & turnip tops , delish.

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  8. Garlic and parsnips are the new-to-me crops currently in my garden. Garlic is doing really well, pretty much every clove has come through, parsnip not so good. I'll plant a few more seeds when I have a chance though.

    I grew pak choy for the first time over summer, great crop isn't it. Yours looked wonderful, mine was always a bit holey and chewed on thanks to the Caterpillars, but still tasted great.

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  9. Nice shots, you're making me hungry for fresh vegetables!

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  10. Great news all your cloves have popped up, such a wonderful crop to grow.........
    I too have a pkt of parsnips to grow, never bothered before((bad memories of childhood soup)but what the heck time to give them a go.
    I was happy with the pak choy and will plant some more seeds and see how it preforms in the colder conditions.

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  11. Never tried either of these. The pod of the beans is quite colorful.
    We have a small garden for tomatoes and beans and cucumbers. We have a ways to go before any of that is ready.
    Thanks for visiting my blog and post on my front porch view. In answer to your question, yes, we have lovely views of the stars and night skies as well.

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Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to comment,I love reading them all!!