We had rain, lot of rain. Everything is lush including the weeds, need to get out to the gardens and do some serious weeding. Flower and perennial beds are gorgeous from afar, but up close and personal there are many unwanted guests.
Vegetable garden is coming along nicely. Did not have that much to harvest this past week but there were sufficient for the daily meals and extra to share. With all the rain, this week is going to be a week of abundance.
In my basket above are: garlic scapes, weight: ¾ pounds; Shanghai bod choy, weight: 1 pound; strawberries, did not weigh; sugar snap, first harvest, 6 total (in front slightly to the left, you need to look closely to see them).
Combined the Shanghai bok choy, sugar snap and 6 garlic scapes to make a quick stir-fry. Used just a bit of oil, couple slices of fresh ginger and salt, very simple. The sugar snaps were the best I ever tasted.
I know, getting boring, but this is how I like to treat my freshly harvested veggies. Also when I come in from the gardens frequently this kind of cooking is all that I have time and energy for (no thinking and no extra ingredients needed).
Harvested lettuce, a basket full, forgot to weigh. Shared 2 heads each with a friend. Oakleaf on the right and forellenschluss (that’s what I thought I planted but it does not look quite like the photo on the seed packet) on the left.
Flower stalks of Chinese celery, weight: 4 ounces and Chinses chives, weight 3 ounces
(not all of the harvests are in the photo above)
Both the green and white Chinese celery started to bolt so I cut the flower stalks and hoping the plants will grow normally. Decided to direct sow some seeds, it is a bit late and I may not get a harvest because they are slow to germinate, but I am hopeful.
This is the first time my Chinese celery is flowering this early (usually around August). Could it be the weather? The end of May we had temp in the 90’s, early June night time temp dropped to the 40’s for a number of nights, could this extreme temperature changes have affected the plants? I think so, they were probably totally confused.
Made a Hoisin Chicken dish with Chinese celery flower stalks, garlic scapes and Chinese chives (over doing the garlic scapes, but they will be gone pretty soon).
Cannot remember the name of the above flower. Anyone recognize it?
Looked out the kitchen window yesterday early evening and saw a visitor in the backyard. A deer was happily munching on my Stella d’oro daylillies, I was not a happy person and did not have the presence of mind to get my camera for a photo shot.
Copyright © by Norma Chang
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Garden to Wok 
My favourite way to eat fresh veg is to lightly saute as well.. the tastes just demand to given their due.. lovely harvest! c
Hello Celiliag
Thanks, we have the same taste.
Wonderful harvests… the greens in the top picture, they look so healthy…
Hello Lrong,
They were tender and delicious too.
I like to cook most of my vegetables quite simply too – often I steam things and then serve them with just a drizzle of melted butter and a sprinkle of salt. Simply delicious!
I think that flower is a purple Salvia.
Hello Kitsapfg,
Thanks for the steaming idea, I should do that too.
Yes, I think that’s what I planted, it is a perennial.
Surely its not possible to overdo garlic scapes!
Hello Liz,
I guess not especially since is available for such a short period.
I mostly cook simply or even just eat it raw, depending on what it is. No need for a recipe, the garden dictates the ingredients!
Hello Mary,
Like you style. My garden frequently dictates what goes on the table too.
Hello Norma,
What a great harvest! Finally, your strawberries are ready, are a few of them! 🙂 Yum Yum Yum! We also had a lot of rain over here !!! I placed my courgettes pots inside because they are growing a lot of courgettes right now & becaus eof the rain, the new flowers fell off the plants! When it is nicer outside, I put them out in the garden again, I hope it is soon!! xxx
Hello Sophie,
Hope you are having nice weather once again and your courgettes are happy out in the garden. It is sunny and quite nice out today, just came in for lunch and will be out soon to get some more chores completed.
Garlic Scapes!
Hello SM,
There were baskets of garlic scape at the farmers’ market yesterday.
Those strawberries look sooo good, Norma. The farmers market on Saturday was loaded with them. Asparagus is quickly disappearing and being replaced by berries. Yum!
Hello John,
The strawberries frequently do not make it to the scale. Now that you mention it, I did not see asparagus at the farmers’ market yesterday, yes, lots of berries, greens and summer squash.
We have two fawns in our backyard right now, Norma, eating everything in sight, but we do not try to grow vegetables back there. The only thing they won’t eat are bearded iris. Beautiful bok choy and chives.
Hello KC,
If only the deer will stay in one area, unfortunately they roam all over my property, my vegetable garden has a 10-foot fence all around but most everything else is wide open.
Oh, sounds exactly like my garden with the rain – everything is growing, especially the weeds! And i hope your celery comes back. 🙂
Hello Courtney,
I hope so too, learn something new every year.
Every time I look at your harvest I am reminded to plant some asian greens next fall!
http://planetpooks.com/?p=4768
Hello Pooks,
You may still able to plant Asian greens depending on yur planting zone, Google and see what others in your area are saying.
All things are relative. If I ever had that many strawberries from my garden, you bet i’d weigh them. That looks like 3-4 ounces to me. Everything looks lovely.
Hello Lou,
Thanks, you are correct.
Nice to know that there is an upside to all that rain Norma! I can see why you are making lots of dishes with your garlic scape — it just sounds terrific. I’m on the lookout for it now.
Hello P and P,
Was at the farmers’ market yesterday and there were baskets of scapes from a number of farms.
What a lovely basket! Too bad you didn’t at least get a picture of your intruder to make it worth your while of losing the daylilies. 😦
Hello Barbie,
I was so upset when I saw the intruder, I slammed the window to chase it away then regret not going for the camera first.
Awesome harvest Norma, I too like the vegetables simple prepared…ginger sounds terrific.
Have a wonderful week 🙂
Hello Juliana,
Thanks, I was taught to add a few slices of ginger whenever I stir fry any kind of greens, something to do with balancing the ying and yang.
The strawberries look amazing, as I echo John! The scapes are very beautiful too! I can hardly wait for mine to grow. The purple flowers might be Perennial Salvia, I think I have some in the garden too (no, not that smart, I googled “purple tall flowers”)!
Hello Eva,
Thanks for googling the flower, so smart, I should have thought of doing that.
That lettuce looks like my forellenschluss. That’s the way it heads up for me. And we do lots of simple, ‘boring’ cooking here. When the ingredients are fresh and well grown, I think they can stand on their own.
Hello Dave,
Thanks for clarifying the lettuce for me.
Everything does look most lovely and fresh my friend – wonderful post 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Hello CCU,
This time of year everything is fresh and lovely.
I like stir fries too because they are so simple and you can use just about anything in them. Broccoli though I like plain steamed.
Hello Daphne,
When you say steamed, really steam in a steamer or in a pot with a little water?
very nice greens!
Hello Jenny,
Thanks.
I love a garden after rain. It is so fresh and refreshing
I love the fact that you saw a deer! it must have been amazing
Hello Sawsan,
Family of deer come to visit everyday, multiple times a day. I don’t mind them visiting but they do major damage to my plants and are the source for tick born diseases. a very serious health issue in our area.
So sorry the deer cause so much trouble, I have never seen a deer other than on TV and thought it would be exciting to see one. Apparently I was dead wrong
Hello Sawsan,
They are cute, especially the babies with their white spots. My daughter says I love them until they start eating my plants.
Love your basket Norma – all loaded up with produce, and those delightful little strawberries peeking out on the side too… just such a great sight!
Hello Charles,
Thanks. When it comes to produce, I am totally spoilt.
Love the strawberries peeking out!
Hello YC,
Charles of FiveEuroFood said the same thing.
Norma, I learn here so much about gardening (will remember when I have a garden one day) and also about Asian vegetables. I have never heard about the Chinese celery.
Hello Sissi,
I hope you have a garden one day, it is a joy to watch things grow. In the meantime you could, if you wish and have the time, do container gardening, that too is very rewarding.
You have quite the bountiful garden Norma. That harvest looks fabulous. So much beautiful produce. You know I’m still smitten with the strawberries, but really everything looks wonderful. 🙂
Hello Kristy,
Thanks, unfortunately the strawberries are not producing as well as previous years , will have to redo the bed after this season.
A lovely basket of veggies you have there, stir frying is always my favorite way of cooking greens other than tossing them into soups.
Hello Mac,
This cooking method is so quick, easy, retains the flavor of the food. I like my greens in soups also.