I have been truly blessed to be in this most odd, yet cool living situation. Since I've never been a home owner, I've never had the chance to grow anything to speak of, besides the occasional fern (which I managed to kill annually). So when this opportunity came up to live on Whidbey Island, to plant a garden, to watch it grow, to eat it's produce. Wasn't a tough choice for me. As a matter of fact, the eating part is coming in full force this month.
So the update goes as follows:
- I've frozen snow peas once already and have more than I can handle, still.
- I've harvested four kohlrabi, gave one away, and still have three waiting in my fridge as I try to decide what to do with them.
- The lettuce keeps on coming, as lettuce tends to do. I'm eating a huge salad for lunch every day and trying to savor the taste.
- I have baby zucchini that are about the size of my fingers
- I've eaten one ripe strawberry, the birds have eaten three. That ratio is not in my favor.
- The purplette onions are showing themselves, and it is hard to resist pulling them.
- The rainbow chard is gorgeous and delicious, a great combo.
- I've prematurely pulled a carrot or two in hopes that they were ready to eat. I ate them anyway.
The constant weeding and watering of this needy little garden has me eating dinner at about 9:30 every night. I guess I do fit in a walk to the beach every night before dinner too. The sun is setting, the evening is cool, and the dog is itching to go for a swim. What am I supposed to do? So dinner waits and waits.
A picturesque view of Sunday's harvest. I didn't eat all this at once. That would not be wise.
Side note: I'm putting out a 'call out' for any known recipes for using kohlrabi. I was thinking about roasting them with some other vegies and potatoes in the oven, but I don't really know. They smell like cabbage, so I'm supposing you cook with them like you would cabbage.
2 comments:
I love hearing about your garden! Ours is coming along well - zucchini is at the same stage. We are trying to figure out when cauliflower is ready to be picked. I can't wait for tomatoes! I'm using lots of herbs - made homemade marinara last night with fresh basil & oregano - yum!
I remember eating kohlrabi raw. Here is what I found for you:
Tender, young kohlrabi is delicious eaten raw. Peel the outer skin with a paring knife. Slice, dice, or grate, and add to salads. Use on raw vegetable platters or serve with a creamy dip. Substitute in recipes calling for radishes. Grated kohlrabi can be added to slaw, but lightly salt it first and let stand for several minutes. Squeeze to remove any excess water before adding dressing.
Kohlrabi can also be steamed or boiled. For this preparation don’t peel until after they are cooked. Steam or boil until bulbs are tender, peel skin, and season with butter, salt, and pepper, a cheese sauce, or just enjoy plain.
If the leaves attached to the kohlrabi bulb are fresh and green, they can be enjoyed as a cooked green. Wash the leaves and remove the ribs. Blanch in boiling water until just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess water from leaves. Chop leaves, then saute in a little olive oil or butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of vinegar or squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Courtesy of: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-use-kohlrabi.html
I ended up peeling and slicing the kohlrabi and stirfrying it with some other garden vegies. It was delicious. I wish I had some more to try some other recipes.
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