This is my first harvest of the year (small as it is) and also the first time I've ever harvested asparagus. The asparagus beds were planted in spring 2013. Eight crowns went into a dug garden on the south slope of my property and 4 crowns went into a raised bed (all Mary Washington variety).
I regret that I didn't spend a bit more time preparing the beds as they are already crowded with weeds and grass growing back up. Then again, the asparagus patch at my old place was just growing up through the grass for about a decade and it was still productive and tasty. As this is only year 3 of the patch, I don't plan to pick too much and I'll make sure to leave at least 2 or 3 spears on each plant to grow into ferns.
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| clockwise from top: radish leaves, kale, tsoi sim |
The rest of my harvest was a result of thinning out my plants. I did a ridiculously poor job of seeding this year and the radishes, kale and tsoi sim are totally crowded.
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| tsoi sim in greenhouse bed |
So I thinned the plants and made a nice little salad out of what I pulled (the main photo above). I had no idea radish leaves were edible until Michelle mentioned using them in salads or sandwiches. I'm not sure about eating them when they are fully mature as the leaves have a funny texture but I will give them a try - and at this tender age, they were very nice!
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I used to make radish leaf soup all the time when my garden was smaller. It is a good way to use the more mature ones and gets rid of that texture. Now I get enough better tasting greens at the time I'm picking radishes that I don't bother. I love your little micro salad.
ReplyDeleteOoh, radish soup ... that sounds interesting! I'll search for some recipes (unless you have one available?). :)
DeleteI have one on my blog somewhere. I haven't looked at it in a long time though as it has potatoes in it.
DeleteCongrats on the asparagus harvest! Nothing says "spring!" like asparagus (and rhubarb) :-) Happy harvesting!
ReplyDeleteHurray for your first harvest - especially on the asparagus! After waiting so long, I'm sure you savoured every last little piece. The way things are looking, I'm at least a couple of weeks away from getting some fresh greens out of the garden.
ReplyDeleteAnd a few years away from getting some fresh asparagus with your new seedlings this year!
DeleteI think waiting is always the hardest part for asparagus. And weeding is always a challenge for us too. Like you say though, the asparagus is a tough plant and should keep on producing for many years to come!
ReplyDeleteWaiting was quite a challenge; luckily I have a good farmer's market nearby where I was able to get some during the waiting period.
DeleteI'm curious about how you liked the radish leaves. I'm growing a variety now that has a much nicer texture than typical salad radishes and someone left a comment on one of my harvest posts about a variety that they like even better than the one I'm growing, so I'll have to check that out. A good way to use fresh radish leaves that takes care of the texture issue is pesto.
ReplyDeleteI envy you the asparagus, I just don't have room for it in my garden.
I enjoyed the flavour of the radish, but even at this young age, they still "felt" a bit ... furry? That's not the right word, but I can't think how to describe it. I've never considered purchasing radish based on the leaves but I do like the taste so maybe it's something I can look into for next year's seeds.
DeleteYour microgreens salad looks good. I have had an asparagus bed for 3 years, but the spot they were in was not good, the neighbor's tree roots competes for water and nutrition, I gave up!
ReplyDeleteOh that's too bad about the spot ... I really love asparagus and it can get very pricey in the stores. Now that I've gotten this far with the current patch, I might consider planting some more just to be sure I've always got some!
DeleteHooray, asparagus! And the salad looks really good, you'd pay a lot for that in a posh restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI've harvested 3 spears this week, my asparagus bed got overrun with perennial weeds though too.
Isn't it great that we can have all this great food at home for really cheap rather than spending all that money in a restaurant!
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