Harvest Monday of Champions

I guess I've been a bit busy sewing to remember to post Harvest Mondays. But it doesn't mean we've not  had harvests despite the chilly start to spring.

There has been a few small serves of snow peas, swiss chard, kale and broccoli (the last one isn't pictured, because my other half hates it so it is always seperate and mostly forgotten when the camera is about.) I'm using some more of the kale and chard tonight in a stir fry to use up some amazing pulled pork and to celebrate 10 months with my lovely other half.

I also harvested the last of the current crop of megapot carrots, though the bugs got more of these than me.

I am about to remove the broccoli and snow peas to make way for more tomatoes, so the harvests might be quite lena for a few weeks. That said there is some lettuce coming along and if the snails don't eat it all we will have basil soon. Here are the tomatoes just itching to get in the ground:

Want to see more substantial harvests? Head on over to Daphne's Dandelions.

Growing Kale in a Balcony Garden

Kale was definitely the 'in' green last year. If it was in highschool, this would be the newly popular kid. probably slightly hipster but full of knowledge and oozing cool (if that is actually possible.) It is a nutrient rich powerhouse and very versatile for cooking. The leaves can be wilted over a hot pan like spinach, or even thrown in soup/stirfries for a more earthy taste. Although the balcony garden would squarely sit in the nerdy corner at school I decided it was time to embrace the kale. First off the block was this one (up the back of the picture below), planted in with some lettuce and broccoli.

It grew well, and lasted many months, generally looking bushy like this. Kind of like silverbeet, it allowed me to take the leaves as I needed them.

Eventually the stem grew long, and the top resembled something you would find in a florist (adding to its popularity and versatility, kale was even the 'in' addition to bouquets last year.)

Then, it was time to go, and the kale, in its final repose, looked like this. Quite a dramatic haircut really!

However, never fear kale lovers - for this is not the only kale ont he balcony. I also have a red kale, planted much later, which is the new addition to kitchen funtimes.

 So what are the pros, the cons, and any key pointers for growing Kale in a balcony garden:

Pro: Just like other brassicas it is super nutritious, including vitamin C and other goodies. Of course some of these can get lost in the cooking, but it's better than a burger for you, that's for sure.

 Pro: It grows quickly, and is reasonably hardy. I didn't fertilise much, but did place it in good soil to start witgh. Therefore it is good for a low maintenance garden and no staking or trellising required.

Con: The green variety is snail heaven, and they'll munch on this as happily as you. Aphids also thought the green and the red were the best buffet ever, so vigilence, and possible spraying or other methods will most likely be on the cards.

Con: The taste isn't for everyone. It it very strong, and while I tolerate it in soups, as a side dish it was a little over the top for me. I prefer my brassicas to be of the broccoli kind. However, for those who don't mind the taste, or like their greens to be super strong then this is your leaf.

Point: It looks pretty, has a reasonably compact shape though can grow quite tall. It isn't massive like a purple sprouting broccoli, but does grow to a decent enough size so you should take care considering pot dimensions and placement.

Point: It comes in a few varieties, so if colour is your thing, or you like your veggies to be as ornamental as they are edible, then this gives you a few options


So there you have it. I'll probably grow kale again next winter season, and if I do it'll be in multiple varieties. The lovely other half enjoys it and I like it in recipes where it is not the sole ingredient. It is low maintenance (and goodness knows with starting teaching next year I'll need a low maintenance garden) and it looks darn pretty in my view.

Do you grow kale? Any more tips, points, pros or cons for the readers on this green leafy popular guy?

Leaves, leaves, leaves!

The balcony garden is green and brown at the moment. More brown than green really, because the trees have lost their leaves. This was fine for the apple and nectarine trees who were long finished fruiting but it seems Mr Fig Twig decided to play copy cat.

While the leaf in the above picture has long gone, the fruits remain and will, thanks to its leafy-nakedness, not ripen. At least they look good.

Other leaves were thrown out - thanks to my old enemy powdery mildew. It attacked the swiss chard, the rosemary and the snow peas. The snow peas were dead anyway, but the chard was lush and delicious. I ended up cutting off all affected leaves of the chard, then transplanting them to greener pastures (a sunnier pot with good soil.) They seem happier and are not reinfected so we will see if these drastic measures worked. The rosemary was not so lucky, and given I have two other healthy rosemary bushes (one a new Anzac bush generously given to me by my lovely other half's mother) the zombie rosemary was sent to the great compost heap in the sky.

But it is not all leafy doom and gloom. The wonderful red kale my lovely other half gave to me (yes I am very spoiled) is taking off and I look forward to cooking with it soon. The tuscan kale is nearing its end but the leaves have been gracing soups of late, as have spare broccoli leaves. Broccoli leaves are way too stringy for my tastes to be a spinach or chard alternate, but in soup they blend up just fine and give a great addition to the flavour and nutrients of the dish.

I'm still tossing up whether to squeeze in some leafy green asian veg (bok choy most likely) before the spring season starts or just leave the pots for a couple of months. Thoughts?

Harvest Monday

Conference season means I've been away spreading my academic wares and absorbing the fantastic works of others. First up was the Australian Historical Association conference in Adelaide where I also caught a nasty flu, which meant the citrus drinks aided by my recent harvests were a little ineffective. Then on to Canberra for the IABA conference (international auto/biographical association) where my voice had returned but the cough had remained. Papers went well and I thoroughly enjoyed all the sessions I attended. I was particularly pleased seeing a few Melbourne colleagues giving papers (not the least of which was my lovely other half.) Being at a conference in Adelaide meant staying with the parentals, which was as lovely as always. AND I got to see the puppy dogs, who were, as always, as cute as ever.

One would also think that being away would limit the harvest - but here are a few things I harvested before I left (and since I've returned.)

Some thumbelina and purple carrots, enjoyed by me, my lovely bf and also by the bugs of the garden (tiny but super delicious, the carrots that is, not the bugs.)

 (see the big chunk taken out of the orange one!!! I can assure you that was all descendents of Sid the Snail and not me.)

Greens are a good staple on the balcony. Things such as broccoli, kale and swiss chard made a delicious stirfry along with pork mince and rice cakes.

Brocolli leaves (only) also went into a nutritious and delicious soup, that while a distinct hue of baby vomit green, have proven to be almost addictive. I've had two bowls today already. Probably the yellow curry, lentils, parsnips, carrots and potatoes I put in with it. They say that the leaves have a tonne of Vitamin A in them which is awesome, and usually I'd just chuck them out. Hooray for food scraps!

 

The garden is a little light on produce now (except for a few snow peas, some piddly little lettuce and a few bits of broccoli.) But ... in exciting news ... I spent an hour or so today cleaning up the left over pots in preparation for the spring crop which is just around the corner! Future harvests here we come. For more amazing harvests visit Daphne's Dandelions.