A Late October Harvest
My garden just keeps on giving. Here at my farm my gardeners are still able to pick some wonderful vegetables from my large outdoor garden - at least until the first hard frost.
A hard frost is when temperatures drop below 28-degrees Fahrenheit for at least four consecutive hours. So far we've had a pretty mild and pleasant fall, but nights are getting cold fast and there's still a lot of delicious produce growing in my garden, including peppers, eggplants, leeks, parsley, herbs and more.
Enjoy these photos.
-
- It may be late October, but there’s still a lot of wonderful garden produce to pick. I always keep close track of the weather so we can be sure to harvest all those vegetables that wouldn’t survive a hard frost. Here are some of my sweet bell peppers – I love to serve them stuffed. And remember, while all bell peppers do begin their growth cycle as green, some varieties are bred to mature in colors like yellow, orange, or red.
-
- The leek is a cultivar of Allium ampeloprasum, the broadleaf wild leek. The most edible parts of leeks are the bottom white and light green parts because they are tender and have the most flavor. Leeks are mild and sweet and taste similar to onions, shallots, garlic, and chives.
-
- After pulling from the ground, remove the outer leaves all the way down to the white base.
-
- Using garden pruners, trim the roots to about an inch in length.
-
- On the other end, cut off the tough green leaf tops to about six inches long.
-
- Here they are all trimmed and ready to be cleaned and stored until used. Leeks will usually last about 10 days wrapped with a moist paper towel in the refrigerator.
-
- And my parsley is still going strong. I always grow parsley – I use it in my daily green juice. Parsley, or garden parsley, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It’s great in sauces, soups, and stews. It may be finely minced and rubbed on meats before cooking. It is often added to pesto and salads and it is commonly used as a garnish.
-
- The globe artichoke, Cynara scolymus, is actually a flower bud, which is eaten when tender. Buds are generally harvested once they reach full size, just before the bracts begin to spread open. When harvesting artichokes, cut off the bud along with about three inches of stem. Artichoke harvest starts in late July or early August and continues well until frost.
-
- This is fennel. Fennel is a member of the carrot family. It features a rounded white bulb, green stalks, and feathery leaves. It’s loved for its licorice-like flavor, texture, and aromatic smell.
-
- To pick fennel, loosen the soil around the bulb, grasp it at the base and pull up. It will emerge looking like this. Using a sharp knife, cut off the roots.
-
- Peel off the outer layers, especially if any feel rubbery to the touch.
-
- This is a beautiful fennel bulb. The top fronds and stalks can also be trimmed before storing.
-
- When pulling carrots, carefully loosen the soil around the carrot and then grab the carrot near its shoulder, where the green tops connect to the root and gently twist and pull from the soil.
-
- Most are familiar with the orange carrots, but they also come in red, yellow, white, and purple.
-
- Dinosaur gourds have lustrous green skin with distinct ridges, giving them a reptilian look. They can grow to be quite large, typically measuring between 18 to 24 inches in length and weighing around 3.5 pounds.
-
- These are birds beak peppers – they need a little more time. Birds beak peppers, also known as Pimenta Biquinho, are small, round peppers with a tapered tip that resembles a bird’s beak. They originated in Brazil and are known for their tangy, fruity flavor and mild heat level. Birds beak peppers can be eaten raw or used as a garnish – I like to pickle them.
-
- Celery takes a while to mature – 130 to 140 days.but now it’s ready to harvest.
-
- Using a sharp knife, cut the stalks at the base of the plant just below the soil line.
-
- Trim off any shoots growing from the bottom and remove any dead stalks or leaves.
-
- Celery is also an important ingredient in my daily green juice.
-
- The celeriac is not ready to pick just yet. Celeriac is tolerant of a few frosts and can be left in the ground when it’s cold.
-
- If you live in an area where the nights are getting colder, be sure to check those vegetable garden beds. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you find.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
