Branching Out's Seeds and Sprouts

[Branching Out]

I planted a mixed pack of mesclun greens over a year ago, and a few plants from the mixture persisted long after the lettuce was finished. Pretty sure this is a radicchio. I am not a fan of the taste of it, however the colour patterns on the leaves are really lovely-- especially in the middle of winter when most of the garden is either bare or brown.

 

[digitS']

It should be an ornamental, Branching Out!

It is only slightly surprising to me that you don't like the taste of it. I'm with you on that. But, you like arugula ... no, not me but radicchio is a little worse.

The only member of the chicories (I know, arugula isn't in the family) that I can be happy with is escarole. It's milder than the others and that includes dandelion & Italian dandelion. Changing the cooking water on both dandelions does help in a big way, however.

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

Brie Arthur recommends planting colorful vegetables in your front yard.

 

[AMKuska]

What does radicchio taste like?

 

[Branching Out]

I would agree with Steve in saying that radicchio tastes a little bit worse than arugula.

The flavour is kind of like arugula in that it is on the bitter side.The texture is very solid, like that of a cabbage leaf clipped from close to the core. Maybe it is one of those vegetable that is best sauted, or else sliced very thin in a salad mix. I tried nibbling on it in the garden and it was not pleasant on my taste buds. Frost is supposed to make it more palatable I think.

It gets to live on in my garden for now though, to see how it looks when it flowers and sets seed. Last summer I had something in the same lettuce patch flower and it was so beautiful that I didn't have the heart to get rid of it--- even though I had no idea which plant produced the huge flower stalk. It was a real conversation starter when people were walking by the garden; everyone wanted to know 'what that blue flower was!' Good chance it was something in the chicory family.

A Day in the Life of a Chicory Flower — The Nature Institute

Article by Craig Holdrege. Throughout the summer, along roadsides near The Nature Institute, one sees chicory plants in flower. Craig follows the story of a single plant from well before dawn until sunset and beyond. It’s a story of beauty and evanescence, captured in photographs.

www.natureinstitute.org

 

[AMKuska]

I hate arugula so I'm pretty sure eating it's big brother would not be for me.

 

[Branching Out]

If you think this rabbit has a guilty look on her face you would be correct. While I took the photo, she nibbled on my tulip leaves.

 

[heirloomgal]

She's a beauty for sure. Her fur looks so velvety.

 

[Branching Out]

I am still quite amazed that you can sow carrots in July, bury them under a foot of leaves in the fall, and then uncover them as needed to harvest carrots through mid-March. It actually works! The carrot tops disintegrate over the winter, yet the carrot roots remain crisp and tasty. Stir fried chow mein noodles with carrots and peppers are on the menu for supper tonight.

 

[Branching Out]

Seems that there are many uses for the little square plastic tray that holds the miso cube in a package of Trader Joe's Miso Soup. I have used it to form soil blocks, and now it is the world's smallest humidity dome for the last Tezier bean seed in my 6-cell. It is handy to be able to keep just a small section extra moist, and given that the plastic is transparent I will be able to see when the seed sprouts.