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Enjoying the modern conveniences of life in a sustainable manner through technology, resourcefulness, and Zone 8a (North Texas) Gardening.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Last Harvest of 2011

The last harvest of 2011 was an exciting one! So exciting that I didn't weigh anything nor did I get pics of everything. I used almost the entire harvest in our New Years meal.

Broccoli side shoots. The one broccoli plant that I have harvested a head from has produced a handful of side shoots. I didn't get a picture of the after I picked them, but I did get a picture before. They were used in a salad.


I also had lots of lettuce and spinach to harvest.













These were used to form a tasty salad with the broccoli.
Collard greens were cooked with some chicken stock and seasoned with salt and pepper and they were the most delicious that I have ever had! I didn't expect them to be because I just made some quickly for lunch, but I guess it was the freshness that made them shine! After cooking, there was about 3 bowls worth of collards.
Lastly, a new garden first. I harvested CILANTRO from my herb garden. Well it will be an herb garden after I figure out which are herbs and which are weeds. But the smell of cilantro is unmistakeable, so it is easily identifyable. It has been handling the frosts like a champ; perhaps looking slightly limp in the AM, but bouncing back my afternoon. I used the cilantro in an homemade salad dressing that is absolutely delicious. I got the recipe for the Cilantro Vinaigrette from a Central Market cooking class that I took. It was fabulous and the recipe is on their website...you can make just the vinaigrette and use it on a basic salad, other than the cucumber salad shown with the recipe.
  Check out more harvest over at Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday!
 

6 comments:

  1. Nice harvests! The greens look fresh and good and the broccoli shoots are always a treasure. We have a Central Market by us too and they always provide some good ideas for using fresh in season produce.

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  2. OK well I'm thinking that not only the dressing but the cucumber salad is on my radar as well. :-D going to print off now!

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  3. Great harvest week, I'm very jealous of your warm weather. About the only things we are able to harvest this time of year are carrots, spinach and Chard and they all have to be protected with a cold frame. Maybe I will have to try collards next year as well, are they pretty hardy?

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  4. Nice Harvest. I watched a very interesting program last night on the Food Channel. I think it is call the 4 horsemen. They have a challenge to to someplace they are unfamiliar with and do a dinner totally from products from the area. They were very into sustainable living.

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  5. I can only look at your photos and drool. Brought in all my collards last week, end of growing season, will be a while before I can harvest from the garden to the wok.

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