A Basket Full Of Goodies

[KiwiGardener]

I was out watering my garden today (I usually hook up the sprinkler) and noticed a number of things are ready for the picking.

At the top is some baby red silverbeet leaves.
Left to Right, top to bottom
Asparagus pea
Garlic
Carrots (Orange baby and Lubinia)
Pea (dwarf massey)
Potato (Lavender)

2 leage heads of cauliflower are ready to be picked but they would have looked odd in this basket... not that they'd have fit anyway :?

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/bekabiscuit/Vegetables/Img_1553.jpg

[gardenlady]

oh kiwi
that is so beautiful...and i bet they are yummy too.
what a great pic..thanks for sharing it.

[boo]

What a beautiful harvest. :blink: All my garden patches are covered with snow right now.

:mellow: Those veggies sure look good to someone that has been forced to eat grocery store vegetables for the last couple months. gorgeous colors :wub:

[grindle]

now don't they look good :rolleyes:

[TransplantShock]

:mellow: :mellow: :mellow:

OMG what are asparagus peas? those things look interesting. Do you eat em like regular peas? :unsure:

[KiwiGardener]

TS - to be honest, I've never grown them before, and nor have I eaten them either.
My idea for this years garden was to try things new to me, and this pea was one of them (along with the garlic, purple potato and yellow carrot).

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/bekabiscuit/Vegetables/Img_1535.jpg
The pea on the plant (there is another small flower plant in the middle of the picture)

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/bekabiscuit/Vegetables/Img_1537.jpg
Asparagus pea flower. They are just so pretty. They don't grow all vine like as normal peas do - these are light and delicate and sort of 'ground cover' like, without sticking to the ground. Sort of bush like too.

I brought the pea seeds off the internet and this is the blurb that sold it to me:
"An easy to grow, unusual vegetable with a unique gourmet flavour.
Cook whole at 3cm long, steamed and served with a knob of butter they are said by gourmets to combine the flavours of both Peas and Asparagus.
No flavouring should be used as this will destroy its own delicious taste.
The plants also have the unusual characteristic of folding their leaves flat at night, like the popular prayer plant.
Their brick red pea-like flowers make them a very attractive pot-plant indoors in a well-lit position, or border edgings outside.
Sow under glass in pots in early spring or outdoors in late spring. They prefer a good well drained garden soil. A little "twiggy" support will help but is not essential. "

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/bekabiscuit/Vegetables/Img_1526.jpg
Another of the yellow carrot.

[Ginny42]

Yum! Everything looks delicious! :mellow: :D

[Sneezie]

:wub: :rolleyes: Alright bring on the salad bowl, I`m ready to chow down. They look scrumious! My gardens are all under bout 16 inches of snow!!! :unsure:

[DandyLioness]

What a gorgeous basket! ALL of your vegies look fantastic! :wub:

[grindle]

the asparagus peas sound and look very interesting, let us know what they taste like :D :D

[KiwiGardener]

I had my first taste of cooked asparagus pea last night.
I tried eating the pea raw but it was really bitter, like eating into an unripe apricot.
So I washed them and placed them in the steamer, unsure exactly how they should be cooked.
Served with a little butter and I tell you, they DID taste like a cross between asparagus and pea!!

Their texture is slightly fuzzy when cooked, and their edges are very light. Its an unusual sensation in the mouth to eat, but overall its pretty good.

[Rich]

Keep posting the pics Kiwi. At least we know it's summer somewhere.

[Merlin Fluff]

Hey look Kiwi I've found this forum!!!!

Your veges look so tasty!! I am jealous. My peas would be ready now if the naughty lamb, Raven, hadn't got over the fence and scoffed the plants down to stumps. Grumble.

My pumpkin seeds you gave me are big bushy flowering plants now. should have pumpkins on them soon!

Keep on with the good work!

Elly

[KiwiGardener]

Great stuff MF! :)

I've been late getting my pumpkins in this year, and in the last week have just planted more seeds in the glasshouse to get them started. I'll trandplant them out after Christmas probably, or when we get some nice cold and wet weather (HAHA!! yeah right!!!)

I can't remember what breed of pumpkin I sent you? Was it Golden Hubbard or Buttercup? Or was it Grey Crown?
I'm trying lots of different breeds of pumpkin this year so I should (fingers crossed) have more seeds to give away.

[MaryG]

What a delicious crop Kiwi - that's one of my great loves, growing my own food. Keep us posted as things ripen for you. We here in the colder areas need a "shot of summer" at this time of year.

[HarleyGal]

Those look almost too pretty to eat!! :D

[Merlin Fluff]

Hey Kiwi, it was the buttercup seeds you gave me. can't wait to harvest my first homegrown pumpkins ever!!

Elly

[KiwiGardener]

Ah, buttercup. I love that pumpkin!

My zucchini (yellow beauty) isnt far off from getting my first cut. They look really beautiful with the bright yellow fruit sitting in the dark green leaves.
I'm not growing zucchini for the market this year.

I now have oodles of tomato seedlings - mostly heirloom that have struck.
I started off with 2 seeds per hole per row (total of 3 holes) and some didnt strike (I suspect the soil was too cold) so gave up and threw in a whole heap of seeds and it seems most have germinated. MF, I don't know when you're down this way but if you're interested there are some small seedlings if you're interested. Just let me know. I'll go out later and note down what breeds I have too make of.

[Merlin Fluff]

Ooooh, that would be so good!

When Raven got into my vege patch she also ate all but one of my tomato seedlings. tsk. I've now sheep proofed the vege patch so everything should be ok. I'm glad she didnt eat my pumpkins and zuccini though! I was just about to sow more tomato plants but if you have seedlings that would be even better!!!

Elly

[KiwiGardener]

MF I will keep you posted as to when they are of a more reasonable size for transplanting. They're really only just popped through the soil and have their baby leaf.

Don't you just love it too, when all the animals come and have a look at what tasty treats you're growing?? My new turkeys are having a ball in the potato patch! Yup, chicken fencing won't keep turkeys out/in :lol:

[KiwiGardener]

I just remembered that I got some tomato plants out from over at the pig pens.
Elly, I can get you some tomato plants with roots right now that would be a good size. Only problem is I don't know what their breed is. However, they WILL be good strong healthy plants (they always are - I always take tomato plants out from over there) which have self-grown in pig poo. Chances are they will be a big tomato breed rather than a cherry one, and they will be red in colour.

Let me know if you're interested and when you're down this way and we can go over there and pull them out fresh.