Just harvested the main heads from the 8 broccoli plants. One was almost going to flower and the others have a few yellow dots indicating they weren’t far behind. I forgot to check them this past week until I saw the harvest posts above.
I noticed quite a few smaller side shoots starting to form, so am hoping for a good second harvest of smaller heads/shoots.
The head on the upper right is the one that was starting to flower. I think it will still be edible. Now I have to get it processed and frozen. Will eat some fresh. I got about 7 pounds. Am interested to weigh what I get from the side shoots and compare.
I probably need to plant more broccoli because it does well here as long as protected from cabbage moths. However, it is not my most favorite vegetable, although my husband likes it a lot. I much prefer cabbage, which has a less “grassy” texture to me.
Sandra
Finished processing my initial broccoli harvest. Washed, cut up and roasted the spears with olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic powder and a touch of Cajun spice. Let cool and packaged into quart freezer bags in amounts appropriate for a meal for the two of us. Ready to defrost, heat, and eat.
Also roasted some of the broccoli with carrots, onions, and potatoes tossed with olive oil and spices. Enough for supper tonight for the two of us and plenty of leftovers for another meal.
My husband said it was very good and our dog enjoyed a few bites, too!
So… I’m getting ready to start harvesting Cabbage and although they are a little staggered I’ll probably have 4-5 that I want to store as long as possible in the fridge. Obviously that doesn’t just fit in the crisper. What is the best way to keep them fresh without possibly getting moldy, etc. Put each one in a plastic bag and close it? Or keep the top a little open to let some air in?
We’ll be making some saurkraut, etc., but not a ton of it and certainly not all at once.
Cabbages harvested before the heatwave really kicks in. I gave the biggest one to the lady in a neighboring plot at the community garden since hers had failed. After cutting away the outside leaves they averaged about 4 pounds each.
Harvested my cabbages. I planted 8. One promptly died leaving 7 to grow. One of them was totally rotten inside, so I was left with 6 cabbages at harvest time. One small, one huge and the others medium size. It will be enough for now. Taking up a lot of the basement fridge space until I can find time to process them or just cook fresh. I am hoping to try some canned vinegar slaw this year if I can find the time. Good thing cabbage keeps a while because the mowing and garden have me hopping right now. Photo of cabbage harvest below:
I also harvested some broccoli side shoots that grew after the main heads were harvested. The first picking I got about 2/3 pound and the second picking I got almost 4 pounds worth. Photo below of second picking:
I roasted them in the oven with seasonings and olive oil and had some with supper. Then I bagged the rest into meal-size portions and froze it. I used one of the cabbage heads to make cabbage and hamburger meat, one of my favorite foods.
Now that the broccoli and cabbage are done, I will clean up the beds and plant pink-eye purple hull southern peas in them. They are quick and easy to grow and love the summer heat.
Sandra
@Tiirsys Sure. It is the most simple of dishes. Just brown some hamburger. I usually do about 1.5 pounds to a head of cabbage. Then cut the cabbage into the meat right into the big Dutch oven that I brown the hamburger in. You can drain the fat or leave it in. It imparts wonderful flavor to the cabbage. I like to cut the cabbage into medium to large chunks, as the small pieces just cook down too much. No water needed. The cabbage will supply moisture and cook down nicely. Then just turn down to low, cover, and cook stirring occasionally until the cabbage is as soft as you like it. Add ample salt, pepper and I throw in some dehydrated onion bits and a little garlic powder to cook with the cabbage. Seasonings are the key, as it can be bland without adequate seasoning. You can spice it up with whatever flavors you like and even make it spicy if that is your thing.
We just had it for dinner the night before last with potatoes in butter cream sauce and an onion, tomato and cucumber salad in balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I made a photo because I was going to post it in the what did you eat that you grew thread, but will just post it here. Grew the cabbage, tomatoes, onions, and cucumber, but not the potatoes. I do have potatoes in the garden ready to dig, just haven’t gotten around to it.
Sandra
This was my husband’s plate. Oh, I forgot about the jalapeño pepper. I also grew that. I love this time of year getting to cook with fresh food that I know what went on it and into it!
Brussel sprouts are gnarly but hanging on. They’re not staked (I removed the stakes for other purposes…) and have had all kinds of bugs, but it looks even mostly neglected, we will still get 3 stalks. Fingers crossed.
little pin hole most of the seed pods my good mustard/red kale. all seeds eaten. I’m glad i held some back. kohlrabi did well even this late heat planting. i got a few good sized plus two small heads of cabbage so far this year. no broccoli just a bit of broccolini early on. our spring time is so abrupt the brassicas are tough.
It has been hard for me to time spring planting, here across the mountains from you. It just goes from cool spring to sweltering heat usually very suddenly.
This year is the first time I have been able to grow spring cabbages and get an actual head! I did learn WHY people use row covers though. So many caterpillars. So much poop.
i can’t bring myself to kill the moths as they’re one of my childhood friend insects, so i end up having to try to spray BT against their numerous babies just to get any cabbages
