Harvest Monday - November 14, 2016


It's Harvest Monday and there's not much to report this week....two harvests and one addition to the tally that I had completely forgotten about.

Half of the leeks remaining in the bed were harvested, photographed here after being trimmed and rinsed:

Jolant (left); Lancelot (right)

The Lancelots are a bit bigger than the Jolants, but none would be classified as large.  A good chunk of these leeks are destined for soup - cream of leek soup, to be exact.  I loved this soup as a kid so I can't believe that I've never actually made it from scratch.  I hope it turns out as good as I remember!

The only other harvest was a basket of broccoli:


I picked the big head that I mentioned in my Update post a few days ago.  It weighed in at just over half a pound (250 grams on the nose).  There are a few small spears left on the plant so I think I'll get one more picking before the harvest is done.

Now on to the forgotten tally addition - the beans that I pulled back in October & have been drying in my basement ever since.  I finally got around to shelling them this past week.

I took a chance and sowed two new varieties of dried bean in late July - Arikara and Calypso.  I was cutting it really close when it came to days to harvest so whether or not this sowing would amount to anything was anyone's guess.

Well, I did manage a harvest, albeit not a huge one - 560 grams (1.23 lbs) of dried beans all told.  This spot had previously contained shelling peas, so all in all, I'm rather happy with how much I was able to get out of the space.

Arikara

Calypso

Aren't the Calypso gorgeous?  I've not cooked with either of them yet but will let you know what I think of them in the kitchen when I eventually do.

My harvest totals this week were:

Beans - 560 grams (1.23 lbs)
Broccoli - 398 grams (0.88 lbs)
Leeks - 496 grams (1.09 lbs)

Total for Week – 1,454 grams (3.21 lbs)

Total to Date – 309.28 kg (681.83 lbs)

To see what everyone else has been harvesting over the past week, head on over to Our Happy Acres where Dave is our host for Harvest Mondays.

Comments

  1. Only two harvests but two of my favourites, I love both leeks and broccoli. Those Calypso beans are so pretty, I could sit and play with those for hours, never mind eat them.

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    1. I'm just starting to play a bit more with leeks in the kitchen, but broccoli has been a favourite for many years, so being able to enjoy an extended harvest is wonderful. I love the look of the Calypso beans - they have sort of a yin yang thing going on.

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  2. Those Calypso are soooooo pretty. I wonder, do they hang on to that color during cooking? What a fine looking soup they would make!

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    1. My gut feeling is that they will turn a grayish colour once cooked - but so long as they taste good I won't hold that against them :)

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  3. The Calypso beans are pretty, but I think the Arikara beans are too, with those pink rimmed "eyes". Your broccoli harvests seem to be almost perpetual. That's one thing I love about growing broccoli, it can be so productive.

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    1. Yes the Arikara are very pretty too - I have yet to find a dried bean that I didn't like...in the looks department anyhow ;)

      Broccoli is deceptively productive, isn't it? As a newbie, I always thought of it as harvesting the main head and that was it, but it's the side shoots that really make all the difference, both in quantity and how long the harvest lasts.

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  4. Oh, what a great idea, potato and leek soup. Can't wait for the weather to cool down (87F right now). I've been trying different kinds of beans from a company called Rancho Gordo that sells heirlooms. So many different kinds and so different. There are some with thin skins. Yummy. I like the looks of the Calypso.

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    1. Soup season is officially here - yum!! Rancho Gordo does have an amazing selection of beans - too bad their shipping to Canada isn't cheaper. Fingers crossed that cool weather finds it's way over to you soon :)

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  5. I wish beans stayed the same colour when cooked, what amazing gourmet dishes we'd all be cooking - instead they usually go some brownish colour. Oh well, they always taste delicious to me!

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    1. Agreed - I have a feeling that that's exactly what will happen with the Calypso. But as you say, it's the taste that really counts so I'm fine with that :)

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  6. Your dried beans are lovely. I've never grown Calypso but I've cooked with ones I've bought. I remember it being a good soup bean. And I only wish my broccoli was as productive as yours!

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    1. Thanks Dave! Soup is where those Calypso beans are destined to go - I have a feeling I'll quite enjoy them.

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  7. I agree: The beans are almost too beautiful to eat. ;-) Congratulations on a productive growing season!

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    1. Thank you Beth! And the key word there is "almost" ;)

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  8. Enjoy what you did harvest and have a great week! Nancy

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    1. Thanks Nancy - Hope you have a great week too!

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  9. Those dried beans look quite interesting. Do you use them in soups or baked beans.

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    1. Soups and stews mainly. I also enjoy cooking them up to use in salads (I LOVE bean salads), although I find that I'm more particular about the type of bean I like for that compared to the moister preparations.

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  10. Leeks are special and that broccoli looks perfect. Plus, you managed a second sowing and got a decent harvest from it. I'm totally impressed.

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    1. Oh, thank you Helen. Every year I try new things, be it varieties or methods, and sometimes it actually works out!

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  11. I grew some beans called "Yin Yang" that were like your "Calypso" ones. They went a very dull light brown when cooked. I think it must be another bad year for Leeks - mine are steadfastly minuscule!

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    1. I actually think that Yin Yang would be a more appropriate name for them as that's exactly what I thought of when I first saw them. I have a feeling that mine will cook up similarly.

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