What did you eat today that you picked?

that only counts if you shoplifted it, then it was hunting and gathering so OK.

 

Come on - You all garden edible stuff - do you eat it? Just compost it?

here it is all about greens, and more greens. 3 kinds of kale, broccoli, sprouts, cauliflower (the last two not ripe yet - chickens ate the first batch so very late) chard. Then my nightly carrot in the evenings soup.

My radish were woody and strong - not like usual. I have French Icicle ripe now and they are too strong. Beautiful to look at though. My beet root are getting the size of oranges - I like them big, usually they get extremely sweet, but I fear they will get woody - I have not even tried one yet, just finished the last of the vacuum packed ones from last year, an excellent year's crop.

The wildlife are circling as my fruit ripens.

 

You've got an earlier spring @colne -- this year I've resisted the urge to plant out too early -- still hardening off plants sprouted indoors or bought. Courgette, runner beans and tomatoes, all champing at the bit; beetroot to sow direct. Thyme and floppy parsley and floppy coriander are already in use. And I've got very pleasant weather here to work in, but still frost at night. Snuck a peek at local allotments and noticed I am not the only one taking a conservative approach this year -- not much is showing above ground.

 

Some mint to go in the local new potatoes,

Jenny

 

Jenny, I bought chocolate mint, spearmint, peppermint, Saturday from the children's 4H club plant sale - then was given 3 Confederate mints by a friend, so have put a mint walk in the woods along my pond trail.

I have been around mint - in Montana, where I used to work, near the Flathead Lake, they grow a massive crop; the whole region smells of it as the thousands of acres are cut and trucked to the factory to be extracted for foods; one being Wrigley's chewing gum.

Then I ended up spending six months in the celling of the Wrigley's gum factory in Atlanta Ga where the smell of the mint during the sheeting process (smashing it into sheets on this room sized rotating octopus of a machine) would make your eyes water. As an aside, I have huge respect for Wrigley's -( I worked in so many factories, redoing their lighting being how I made all my real money, paid by the light, working regularly 84 hour weeks throwing steel overhead - why I have no rotator cuff tendons left) Wrigley's treats their employees better than any employer I have ever been around; basically their jobs are inherited they are so desirable.)

When checking out with security at the end of shift they had large bins of free gum and we would fill our big pockets with packs - everyone we knew had piles of it from that bin - I always took sugar free spearmint.

But I am growing it for iced tea that we drink by the gallon during the baking summers here.

 

You never know

 

Bit of a cheat, but I've been picking lettuce, one of those living salad things I bought in a supermarket to have something while mine are coming along, just split it up and plonked it in. Must say it's the best lettuce I've had from the garden - would love to grow it myself but don't know the type or where I bought it from a couple of months ago. Have had those living salads before but always found them too floppy. This is crisp and cut and come too. Wish I could replicate it from seed.
Leeks, really nice but got a bit of rust.
Also having lots of radish, lovely, Saxa which is mild. Anyone recommend a good peppery one?
Lots of fresh herbs, just picked a lot and put into a veggie cassoulet for supper.
Rhubarb from the garden crumble tonight mixed with some blackberries I picked and froze last year.
GG

 

Marley, one of the strongest memories of North Africa is the mint tea.

Gay, my chickens eat all my rhubarb leaves! It is not supposed to grow here because it is too hot - so you have to water it daily and then it dies of root rot - a convoluted problem. But some place had roots, sad ones, cheap, and I thought why not?

Zigs, I dabbled in exozoology for a bit but had to give it up eventually. Fascinating field, bit dodgy though.

 

I've had mint tea in North Africa too, it was very nice

One day they'll find a planet with herbs or creatures, i'll be ready for it

 

Zigs...........

 

Bottled plums with crumble top - Yum!

 

I'll make one special like sur awating your arrival, would thee like custard on it?