So, this is year two in my effort to grow beets. First year: got nuthin. This year, things are going much better! Here's my first harvest. These are truly beets that only a daddy can love. They'd never go over in a market. Yes, they're small (about as big as my thumb), but fabulously hand-grown, you know?
I pulled these smaller beets to give the larger ones room to grow. So, there will be at least a second harvest.
And here is the rest of the harvest from Monday, including secondary broccoli shoots and some more mature arugula. If you've never grown broccoli or tasted it straight from the garden, you are absolutely missing out. It is the sweetest, tenderest, most wonderful thing ever. And that's raw. These broccoli heads were so fresh and scrumptous they were dripping phloem/xylem (sweet yumminess) from the cut stems.
We had this broccoli in a salad with the tiny beets and some fresh cut arugula. Yum!
And tonite, I also learned the grand beauty of beet greens. I kept the greens from those tiny beets and sauteed them up with the more mature arugula, bits of chopped garlic, squeeze of lemon, and a dash of salt and pepper. Fresh and full o' vitamins.
Here's the original broccoli head from that plant. Harvested last week. Fresh broccoli is so tender you can even eat the stems...
I love winter gardening!
6 comments:
Congratulations! I think the little baby beets are sweeter and more delicious than the more mature ones anyway.
My broccoli is just now getting big enough to harvest, but we've almost gone through our beets. We, too, have plenty of mature arugula.
Man, that's a good looking head of broccoli. I'm harvesting now as well. I've also just started eating the cauliflower. It's just so good fresh. It looks like it will be spring before the cabbage makes.
I usually grow my beets in the spring and fall. I grow the Detroit Reds but am wanting to try Chiogga.
You are making my mouth water! Beautiful veggies!
I neglected my garden so badly this winter that we have only gotten cauliflower - I let the rabbits eat all my broccoli . . . but the wonderful thing is there is always a new season to start fresh! Mary Beth
Incredible head of broccoli. As to the beets. A second crop may come along better. Our weather has just been too weird.
Baby-sized vegetables demand premium prices, Lee. Your beets and broccoli look delicious.
Beet soup, with some of the stems, smallest leaves and red onions, has been a family favorite - ever tried that?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Thanks to this post, I just bought a bunch of broccoli starts. Aside from one traumatizing incident involving homegrown broccoli and a very large worm, I've never had broccoli that didn't come from a chain grocery store.
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