For the love of Produce...

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Replies

  • gigius72
    gigius72 Posts: 183 Member
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    I weeded my artichokes on Saturday. They are really productive, and I eat them for two or three months and then take the next ten or nine months off until they come back. They sure are tasty, though. Over the years, mine seem to have become more "wild," as in the flowers are less globe-shaped and more thistle shaped, and the thorns tend to point outward more. They hurt.

    But then I eat their heart out.

    Most years they would have died back to the ground by now and be getting ready to resprout. I don't know what I did differently except one thing, but so far they have maintained green leaves. The one thing I did is more of what I did NOT do. I cut the flowers off the stalk, and eventually the stalk dies back. I read that you should wait until late winter to prune back last year's primacanes on raspberries because the plant continues to extract sugars from them. I thought, hey -- maybe the artichokes do, too. So I left those stalks instead of pulling them off.

    I might be digging up one or two of the plants and giving them to neighbors, but they started some of their own, and theirs have more "friendly" flowers, so I think they should just go with those.

    Do you eat only the heart?
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 12,935 Member
    gigius72 wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    I weeded my artichokes on Saturday. They are really productive, and I eat them for two or three months and then take the next ten or nine months off until they come back. They sure are tasty, though. Over the years, mine seem to have become more "wild," as in the flowers are less globe-shaped and more thistle shaped, and the thorns tend to point outward more. They hurt.

    But then I eat their heart out.

    Most years they would have died back to the ground by now and be getting ready to resprout. I don't know what I did differently except one thing, but so far they have maintained green leaves. The one thing I did is more of what I did NOT do. I cut the flowers off the stalk, and eventually the stalk dies back. I read that you should wait until late winter to prune back last year's primacanes on raspberries because the plant continues to extract sugars from them. I thought, hey -- maybe the artichokes do, too. So I left those stalks instead of pulling them off.

    I might be digging up one or two of the plants and giving them to neighbors, but they started some of their own, and theirs have more "friendly" flowers, so I think they should just go with those.

    Do you eat only the heart?

    No. I bite the leaves. But I might do an experiment next year based on some technique I saw on a cooking show. When they're in season, I have to give a lot away because there's so many. It's a nice problem to have.
  • gigius72
    gigius72 Posts: 183 Member
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    gigius72 wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    I weeded my artichokes on Saturday. They are really productive, and I eat them for two or three months and then take the next ten or nine months off until they come back. They sure are tasty, though. Over the years, mine seem to have become more "wild," as in the flowers are less globe-shaped and more thistle shaped, and the thorns tend to point outward more. They hurt.

    But then I eat their heart out.

    Most years they would have died back to the ground by now and be getting ready to resprout. I don't know what I did differently except one thing, but so far they have maintained green leaves. The one thing I did is more of what I did NOT do. I cut the flowers off the stalk, and eventually the stalk dies back. I read that you should wait until late winter to prune back last year's primacanes on raspberries because the plant continues to extract sugars from them. I thought, hey -- maybe the artichokes do, too. So I left those stalks instead of pulling them off.

    I might be digging up one or two of the plants and giving them to neighbors, but they started some of their own, and theirs have more "friendly" flowers, so I think they should just go with those.

    Do you eat only the heart?

    No. I bite the leaves. But I might do an experiment next year based on some technique I saw on a cooking show. When they're in season, I have to give a lot away because there's so many. It's a nice problem to have.

    I wish I lived near you lol.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
    Artichokes done Roman style.cev6cjknun2q.jpg
    y3yzgwi8xxp2.jpg
  • pjg2015
    pjg2015 Posts: 28 Member
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    pjg2015 wrote: »
    bn2onwoo9rd3.jpeg
    7p3ftahp0efd.jpeg
    Lentil soup finished with rosemary olive oil and smoked sea salt and a slice of roasted butternut squash

    If you didn't eat both halves of that butternut.... send one here.

    @mtaratoot it’s on the way...
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    And yes, as always, I know I'm a horrible food photographer, but it was super tasty.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,717 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    And yes, as always, I know I'm a horrible food photographer, but it was super tasty.

    Looks and sounds pretty wonderful, to me. Celeriac, leek and almond soup! 😋
  • MinTheKitCat
    MinTheKitCat Posts: 173 Member
    Buddha bowl for a late lunch and a light dinner of cuc salad 😋z164ozpe08fr.jpeg
    ddxxkdi2xgjw.jpeg
  • gigius72
    gigius72 Posts: 183 Member
    edited January 2021
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    zdykxeron9ap.jpg

    That is how I started keeping all the green leafy veggies and herbs I buy. I was tired of them turning yellow or going bad in a very short time.
    I tried with the parsley at first and I kept it on the counter. Didn't help much. Now I keep them in the fridge in a cup filled with water and everything lasts much longer.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 12,935 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    Does anyone do their own sprouts? If so, tips welcome.

    Mung bean sprouts are so perishable and I am tired of throwing them away two days after buying them. Hoping that sprouting my own will allow me control quantities for recipes that call for them. I have peas on the counter in a bamboo steamer in a dark corner of the kitchen now. Must remember to buy some mung beans.

    Did you give it a go? Tasty?

    I started a new batch of mung bean sprouts today, and I'm soaking some garbanzo beans (cici; chick peas; whatever) and am deciding whether or not to sprout them or just cook them tomorrow.
  • MinTheKitCat
    MinTheKitCat Posts: 173 Member
    Hi guys! I’m going to try to grow some veggies this year in my tiny space 🙂 I’ve got a full balcony for containers as well as a small (4 x 8, but there is a crepe mertle (sp) tree in the middle) plot that is in shade until about 1pm each day. I’ve also got a fence and a wall of ivy in the back that are in partial shade - what would folks recommend growing where?
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 12,935 Member
    Hi guys! I’m going to try to grow some veggies this year in my tiny space 🙂 I’ve got a full balcony for containers as well as a small (4 x 8, but there is a crepe mertle (sp) tree in the middle) plot that is in shade until about 1pm each day. I’ve also got a fence and a wall of ivy in the back that are in partial shade - what would folks recommend growing where?

    I recommend burning some calories and getting rid of the ivy. Don't worry; you won't be able to very easily, and it will be good exercise for a long time.

    Does your balcony get full sun? I'm thinking you might get away with squash in the less-than-full sun. Or beans/peas. Grow herbs on the balcony, and if it gets plenty of sun, you can grow containers of other delicious things.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,551 Member
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    acpgee wrote: »
    Does anyone do their own sprouts? If so, tips welcome.

    Mung bean sprouts are so perishable and I am tired of throwing them away two days after buying them. Hoping that sprouting my own will allow me control quantities for recipes that call for them. I have peas on the counter in a bamboo steamer in a dark corner of the kitchen now. Must remember to buy some mung beans.

    Did you give it a go? Tasty?

    I started a new batch of mung bean sprouts today, and I'm soaking some garbanzo beans (cici; chick peas; whatever) and am deciding whether or not to sprout them or just cook them tomorrow.

    I did one batch of pea shoots which were more bean-like than sprout-like but were tasty stir fried with garlic. Liking the mung beans I have got now. Plan to make pad thai with them tonight using David Thompson's recipe.

    dhqj0pvkguuv.jpg


  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,551 Member
    I’m sort of amazed pad Thai is considered an easy street food recipe when my cookbook recommends having everything prepped and measured on hand before starting to stir fry. Here is the array of ingredients before stir frying.