Reflections on 13 cold Degrees

      The low of 13 degrees F yesterday morning certainly put a hurt on a lot of the unprotected crops.  While the lettuce in the following picture does not appear to be dead, it certainly does not look delectable.

Black Seeded Simpson, Red Sails lettuce and chickweed,  1/5/12

      I never got around to digging up the two nice artichokes that were left in the ground.  So now the experiment is to see if they will overwinter.  They are supposed to here in Zone 7A, but I might throw on some shredded leaves just for good measure.  I do have a potted artichoke on the porch which certainly should do fine.  Maybe next year will be the first harvest.

Not so happy artichokes,  1/5/12

Celery looks better than expected,  1/5/12

Uncovered red lettuce survived,  1/5/12

Latest cold frame a success,  1/5/12

Happy protected lettuce,  1/5/12

Tomorrow's pickings

      Word is out that I still have fresh lettuce.  I'm in charge to provide greens for a salad for twelve for a party tomorrow.  Look for me here in the early afternoon.  In January.  Gotta love it.

Freezing Celery Leaves

      I planted celery a couple of years ago from starts given to me by a neighbor park gardener.  The plants grew, yet I have never harvested a good stalk of celery.  For one thing, the stalks are hollow!  And they are a dark green with a very, very celery taste.  Another gardener, Lou Gallo, told me I could freeze the tops for soups or other cooked casseroles.  Sounds like a plan.

Celery patch after 23 degree morning, 12/29/11

      I have been surprised at how cold hardy the celery is.  It may go limp as in the photo above from a 23 degree morning, but then it bounces back in the sunny afternoon.  But I doubted it would bounce back from the predicted 13 degree low for tomorrow morning, so yesterday I harvested a lot of the better looking celery tops.  Dumped them on the table to take only the best and freshest looking leaves:

Celery tops, 1/2/12

      I kept only the top leaves, discarding most of the stalk.  The leaves were washed, spun dry in the pillow case, then packed tightly in sandwich bags.  When frozen, you are supposed to be able to just break off what you want to put directly frozen into the soup pot.  I boiled up a cup of celery leaf tea, and was pleased with the flavor it will impart to soups.

Big bag to compost, three bags to the freezer

      The celery self seeds very easily.  I have hundreds of small celery plants now, many of which will survive the winter unprotected.  If they didn't it would not matter, as many overwintered seeds would sprout in the warmer spring weather.  Plus there are a bunch of volunteers inside the cold frames, so they should survive the winter unscathed.  To flower, then go to seed.  I will never lack for hollow celery.

The Carving of the Thanksgiving Cabbage

      Bear with me for one more story about the chinese cabbage.  You will be thrilled to know that with Barb and Em taking some home, there is very little evidence left.  But back to the carving...

Thanksgiving morning, 2011

      This beauty was a volunteer from some plants from the spring season.  Those were less than spectacular, and I never had a harvest, though they were pretty to see in bloom.  I really wasn't expecting volunteers for a fall harvest, but there are several, and boy were they champs.  Illustrates the benefits of fall gardening.

Breaking off the outer leaves

      I am after the tender leaves of the "head" of the cabbage.  The outer leaves are kept for stir fry, saute, or a baked casserole.  Those inner leaves are used for dipping in the sour cream dip.  Calories don't count on Thanksgiving, right?

Finally on the table, 11/24/11

Veggie plate

      Fresh from the garden to the veggie plate were radishes, broccoli, green onions, and celery leaves as a garnish.  Garnish nothing, grand son Wesley asked if he could eat it.  And did.
      A good time had by all.  Happy Thanksgiving.