Continuing ...

[digitS']

No asparagus. Used to collect asparagus along the river, as soon as the water dropped. I was down on the river bank this week and learned that we are already a little late for the first, skinny spears. It is okay. I have become a little apprehensive about eating from along the river, what with so much mine waste, upstream.

So, that left the chives and scrambled eggs, weeks ago. The hoophouse beds began producing about the same time. The chives are done. I cut them back yesterday. The hoophouse came down over a week ago. The bok choy and broccoli raab struggled under the direct sun but what was left has now been harvested. There were those miracle beets, onions from sets, several lettuce leaves. The kale in the beds will be continuing after a spell but today, we got some Siberian and Portuguese kale from the big veggie garden.

What's really different and on today's dinner table (of course we are eating at 4pm ) is ESCAROLE.

BRANCHING OFF ... ummm ... branching off the brassica band wagon and diving into the endives ... . Escarole!

Steve

 

[journey11]

I had no idea you were a forager, Steve, given the amazing variety of things you grow, you never lack for good things to fill your plate. I've never found a good patch of wild asparagus before. Only a few along the highway which have certainly been sprayed with stuff.

 

[Nyboy]

You have to have beans with escarole

 

[thistlebloom]

My escarole just sprouted! It was left over seed from last years garden debacle. (Thank you Nyboy )
The grasshoppers enjoyed it last year, but I have a plan in motion for the little buggers this year.

 

[Nyboy]

Bean and escarole soup out of this world

 

[thistlebloom]

I'll definitely do that!

 

[digitS']

We had a little breakfast sausage with the escarole. Grasshoppers, huh? I have found it very pest-free in my garden. Not many grasshoppers there - might be the squads of birds on patrol.

This is in sharp contrast to my turnip greens trial. If flea beetle damage imparts flavor change, now trying to fight off the pests won't help. Of course, summer heat is coming on. I think the turnip is abject failure .

Escarole has held up reasonably well into the summer. I still have some dry rattlesnake beans from last year and have planted more this season than ever.

I'm not much of a forager, @journey11 . I moved lots of willow chips around the perimeter of one garden, years ago. Imagine how thrilling it was for me to be out there on my very first foray and realize that the morel mushrooms were showing up as the snow melted! I've had a nice lot of morels this spring for cream of mushroom soup and scrambled eggs ... but, they were from the farmers' market .

I'm thinking about digging up the biggest dandelions around the gardens for roasting, in my continuing efforts to keep the caffeine level in my coffee at a reasonable place.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

The grasshoppers here are outrageous. I ordered Semaspore for them and also the bran bait. You told me about Semaspore a few years ago (thank you!), and I did notice a reduction the following year after spreading it, but I didn't keep hammering at them and they are one of my biggest crops now .

 

[digitS']

I can hardly look in any direction out there without seeing quail. Starlings and robins on the neighbor's big lawn. I don't suppose that the vegetarian goldfinches help much.

I know some people are happy with bantam chickens in the garden. I'm not sure if I would be.

@thistlebloom , If your Blue Birds came in flocks. If the Townsend Solitaire wasn't so solitary. If Moose ... never mind about the Moose

Steve

 

[digitS']

Bean and escarole soup out of this world

I decided to go with the Jacob's Cattle Beans instead of the Rattlesnake. I had more of the JCB and they are much like Cannellini beans and imagined that would be more traditional with escarole.

What might or might not be traditional was stirring in some Greek yogurt before serving. I've discovered that plain Greek yogurt is a good substitute for sour cream - and over 3 times the protein . I'd thought about including potatoes and the escarole should be still around when I start harvesting potatoes in July. But, the yogurt provided a nice creaminess.

Crusty "Italian" bread with all that garlic & rosemary flavor accompanied.

Steve