Early July in My Vegetable Garden
What a difference a few weeks make. Despite some really hot and humid summer weather, the growing vegetables at my farm are thriving.
I walk through the garden whenever I can. I've been picking artichokes, peas, fava beans, cauliflower, and others. Recently, my daughter also came up to harvest vegetables for her and her children. And, I always plant in succession, meaning I seed crops at intervals of seven to 21 days in order to maintain a consistent supply of harvestable produce throughout the season. It makes me so proud to be able to grow all this nutritious food for my family.
Here are the latest photos of what's growing, enjoy.
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- Do you know what this is? Here’s a hint… it’s in the Brassica family. It’s Romanesco – an edible vegetable known for its striking light green color and fractal-like appearance. It has a mild, nutty flavor and is often referred to as Roman cauliflower or Romanesco broccoli. It was first grown in Rome in the 16th century, which is how it got its name. It’s now grown around the world, including my vegetable garden.
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- So much is growing in this garden right now – it is so exciting to walk up and down the beds every day to see what is popping up or ready to harvest.
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- Look at this beautiful orange cauliflower. Most are familiar with the white cauliflower, but the vegetable comes in this orange, purple, white as well as green. Carotenoids are responsible for the orange coloring. Carotenoids are also found in carrots, squash, and other yellow and orange vegetables and fruits.
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- Here’s a beautiful head of purple cauliflower. Purple cauliflower gets its color from anthocyanin, a naturally occurring phytochemical that is also found in other red, blue, or purple fruits and vegetables.
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- … and of course, I grow lots of white cauliflower. All the colors can be eaten raw, roasted, grilled, sautéed, or steamed.
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- My broccoli is also growing so beautifully. This one looks ready to harvest.
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- And here’s just one cabbage. To get the best health benefits from cabbage, it’s good to include all three varieties into the diet – Savoy, red, and green. And don’t forget, cabbage can be eaten cooked and raw.
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- Kale or leaf cabbage is a group of vegetable cultivars within the plant species Brassica oleracea. They have purple or green leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head.
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- I’ve been picking so many peas. Along the sides of this center bed is one section for shelling peas, which need to be removed from their pods before eating, and another for edible pods, which can be eaten whole, such as our snap peas. They are best grown on a fence to keep them off the ground and away from pests and diseases.
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- By early July every year, these peas are plump, and ready to be picked. The pea, Pisum sativum, is an annual herbaceous legume in the family Fabaceae. The pods can range in size from four to 15-centimeters long and about one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half centimeters wide. Each pod contains between two and 10-peas.
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- The onion plants look wonderful too. I planted a lot of white, yellow and red onions, as well as shallots, and leeks. Onions are harvested later in the summer when the underground bulbs are mature and flavorful. I always look forward to the onion harvest!
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- Here are the stalks of my rhubarb. The leaves are toxic because they contain high levels of oxalic acid, but the fleshy stalks of rhubarb can be cooked and used to make a variety of delicious pies, tarts, cakes, cobblers, crisps, and pavlovas.
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- Here’s a green bell pepper. I love serving them stuffed.
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- There are lots of hot peppers too. The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper of the species Capsicum annuum. It is mild to medium in pungency depending on the cultivar.
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- These are garlic scapes. Scapes can be cut when the center stalks are completely formed and the ends are curled. The garlic will be ready to harvest when all the tops of the garlic plant begins to die back.
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- Here’s a perfect artichoke ready to pick. Globe artichokes, Cynara scolymus, are popular in both Europe and the United States. Artichokes are actually flower buds, which are eaten when they are tender.
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- And in this section is for my growing tomatoes – all staked and ready to be tied as the fas-growing vines develop and grow. I always grow an abundance of tomatoes to share and to make all the delicious tomato sauce I enjoy through the year. It’s a good idea to grow a range of varieties, including at least one or two disease-resistant types.
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- Back in my Winter house kitchen, I’ve cleaned lots of fava beans. This bean is an ancient member of the pea family. It has a nutty taste and a buttery texture. I always grow lots of fava beans.
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- These freshly picked artichokes will be so delicious – I prefer them on the smaller size when they are less fibrous and oftentimes sweeter and more delicate in flavor.
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- And more peas. I’ll freeze a lot of these for use later. I am so excited about this year’s growing season. There will be a so much delicious produce from my garden this year! How is your garden doing this week?
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