My first broccoli for the season. Should have been picked a few days ago but I was out-of-town. Not the best time of year for a gardener to take vacation, but it is the best time for my kids (kids before garden, always). Since it was a bit pass its prime, decided to cook it right away. Sauteed in a little bit of oil, salt to taste and a couple slices of ginger, was still tender. That’s the beauty of freshly harvested veggies, still very good if cooked as soon as harvested even if a bit pass its prime.
In my basket: more broccoli and kohlrabi. Harvested a total of 6 kohlrabi, was worried that they would be fibrous (the largest one weighed nearly 1 pound) but all were tender. Parboiled the kohlrabi and froze for later, wanted to do more with them, but with so much catching up, there was no time. Still have a few in the garden so will play with them then.
Cucumber. Again these should be picked a few days earlier, were a bit too seedy but still good, my friends had no complains and thought I am just too picky.
Dug in most of my garlic. Top tray, Greman white. Bottom tray, music. Both are hardneck varieties.
These are softnecks given to me at various times by different gardeners. No idea about the varieties.
Garlics were not quite ready when I left for vacation, so decided to take a chance and harvest when I return. Was worried that they would split but all came through beaautifully. I think the heat and dry weather conditions suited them well.
Garlics are drying in the shed, in 2 – 3 weeks they will be cured and I can cut away the tops and roots. Will put aside the best looking ones for seeds, share some with friends and enjoy the remainder.
Also harvested Swiss chard, kale and collard greens to share with friends and neighbours. I think next year I will grow these in the fall and skip the spring planting. Doing so will give me additional real estate to plant more peas, and after I pull up the peas I will have space for my fall crops.
Reseeded my carrots again, hopefully the seeds will germinate this time and hopefully it is not too late and I will have a harvest. Pleased with me, I remembered to make notes (I am improving, Mary N back).
Rained yesterday (Sunday) finally. Ground is nice and soft so this week, weather permitting, will be spending most of my spare time pulling weeds and getting the gardens into shape.
Kohlrabi growing in the garden.
Copyright © by Norma Chang
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Garden to Wok 
Very nice harvests Norma. Everything is sizing up nicely. I’m sure that broccoli tasted wonderful, even though it was a day or two late.
Hello Robin,
Thanks. The broccoli did taste wonderfull.
Well this is going to be the week to get out and garden early before it gets too hot!
Looks like your garden did okay on autopilot :0). Welcome home.
Hello Kim,
Thanks, enjoyed the trip but always nice to return home. Supposed to cool down a bit second half of the week, hope so.
Lovely harvest. It’s the best time of year isn’t it?
Hello Marcia,
Thanks, yes it is the best time of the year and also a crazily busy time.
wow broccoli in July. I might have to try some spring planted broccoli, I usually just do an overwintered crop. Nice looking garlic harvest; also on my agenda!
Hello Mary,
I am trying for the first time to plant a fall broccoli crop. Started my seeds in cell pack around end of June, seedlings should be ready for transplanting in a few weeks.
That broccoli looks very yummy even if you missed it’s peak, it was still in good shape. Our spring planted broccoli has been finished up for a few weeks now, but I have the replacement fall crop growing under lights in the house and am getting ready to start hardening them off outside.
Gorgeous garlic harvest! You have a nice mix of varieties and the quaity of the bulbs looks very good.
Hello Kitsapfg,
The broccoli was yummy. Garlic did exceptionally well this year. Wish I knew the names of the softnecks.
Fresh young broccoli is so good. I like it with ginger and garlic. I also like it with feta, lemon and fresh basil.
Hello KC,
Yes, broccoli was good. Like the idea of with lemon and basil, not sure about the feta, should give it a try.
That’s a nice head of broccoli, glad you could save it. Would of been a shame to lose it. And nice garlic harvest. I’ll be consulting your garlic post when I plan my garlic bed for the fall.
Hello Dave,
I live in New York so my garlic planting dates may not be the same as yours. You may want to consult your cooperative extension to get planting information specific to your location.
I love all those garlics. I have a friend who wants us to grow some together this winter. I am hesitant, because my family mostly won’t eat it. hmmm. Maybe I’ll have to buck their reluctance and try it.
Your family will not eat garlic period, or will not eat it raw? I personally dislike raw garlic but love it cooked. I even prefer to use roasted or simmered in oil garlic when making salad dressing.
Broccoli is my favorite veg hands down. I love to roast it in the oven with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper…makes it nutty. Those cucumbers would be great for cold soup…we’ve been making a lot of that lately and I have more cukes destined for that purpose. Pretty harvest!
Hello B and B,
It is just too HOT to turn on the oven. Great idea about the cold cucumber soup, didn’t think of that.
I would never complain about anything that comes from your garden. Your garlics look amazing — I’m so glad they were waiting patiently for you while you were away. Now I know that they need to dry out a bit after being harvested.
Hello Barb,
If you use them right away they have a milder flavor, drying and curing enhances the garlic flavor, also needed for storage.
I had one too large cuke that I picked. It tasted just fine. It was hiding under the foliage. I think I might get a few of them. If I get a lot, I’ll probably make relish out of them.
Making cucumber relish, that”s a great idea.
How cool! The garlic…amazing!
Hello Angie,
Would be cooler if I knew how to make pretty braids with the softneck garlic.
Norma, look at all that garlic! We can’t really grow it well here in Sydney, but we’ve planted it anyway to keep the bugs away. I buy organic garlic from friends and freeze a lot of it broken into cloves and vacuum sealed – that way it lasts me until the next harvest comes around. Your kohlrabi are looking great – ours didn’t do very well this year, so we’re having a break from planting them. And I think there can never be too many carrots – thanks for the reminder – we need to plant more as well!
Hello Celia,
I am pleased with my garlic harvest this year. Going to use your freezing method, especially with the hardneck varieties as they do not keep as well. I am assuming you freeze the uncooked cloves, am i correct?
Our spring broccoli is done for. It really didn’t like the heat. I will plant some more this fall. Your garlic looks great! Music did quite well for me this year.
Hello Dave,
Thanks, if I remember correctly, you plant many varieties of garlic, how do you keep track? I started some broccoli seeds last week of June, same time as the Beedy kale, should be ready for transplant soon.
That broccoli looks fantastic my friend 😀
Great harvest!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Hello Uru,
Thanks, yes, the broccoli was huge.
Nothing like picking vegetables and serving them the same day. With your garden in full swing, I bet this will become more and more true for you now. Yay!
Hello John,
Agree. Except with the heat wave we are experiencing, I have to pick first thing in the morning and they sit around the whole day.
Norma, I am jealous of that broccoli. Even a couple days past its prime, it is 1000x better than what you get at the store!
Hello Alyssa,
True, it was much, much better that the ones at the store.
The garlic is looking great! I harvested mine this week too so my garage is full drying bulbs and smells like a sweaty locker room!! 🙂
Hello Rick,
Fortunately I have a shed but I must remember to open the door first thing in the morning before the sun comes up and turn the shed into a furnace.
Wonderful Harvest, those are some huge Kohlrabi!
Helo Gastrogardener,
Thanks. Yea, the kohlrabi were huge but still tender and sweet. Thanks for stopping by.
I’d certainly take a basket of those cucumbers! Yum! 🙂
Hello Kristy,
Ok, here comes the basket.
Lovely veggies. So jealous of your broccoli – ours went to seed really fast.
Hello Courtney,
Thanks. Broccoli doing well this year, but peas did not do as well as I had expected, tomatoes and beans are slooooow.
Nice harvest, I have to get my bed ready to re-seed some carrots also, hopefully they will sprout while I’m not watching (vacation).
Hello Mac,
Thanks. Have a great vacation.
Kohlrabi look so much fun to grow I must order some seed.
Hello Liz,
They are fun to grow and look at in the garden. I forgot to order the purple skin variety, next year.
Looks like a great harvest Norma!! I only wish I was your neighbour so I get to have a share of your harvest! haha.. 🙂 Lucky them!
Hallo Sammie,
It was a good harvest and was happy I had extra to share.
Great harvests! The garlic looks just right – we left ours a bit too long and had some splitting. I wish I could grow broccoli like that!
Hello Foodgardenkitchen,
The garlic splitting happened to me last year, I was just lucky this year. .
Love your cucumber haul!
Hello YC,
Would have been better picked a few days earlier.
I’m impressed, Norma, you must have an extensive garden. I sometimes wish I did, but then I wouldn’t have time to blog, so I’m not sure how successful it would be.
Hello Eva,
My veggie garden is a decent size home garden. I am self sufficient most of the year and also freeze for winter use.
Oh how fun, I tried kohlrabi for the first time last year, it is delicious! 🙂 Take care, Terra
Hello Terra,
Glad you tried and liked kohlrabi, it is delicious.
Oh…your cukes are gorgeous!
Hello Melissa,
Wish I was home to pick them a few days earlier.
Oh that reminds me, I must go check to see if the next head of broccoli is ready to pick. Your harvest is once again impressive.
Hello Barbara,
Thanks. Hope your broccoli was ready and waiting for you to pick.
That brocolli looks amazing… so fresh. I bet it must feel good eating it! Kohlrabi is a weird thing… you don’t see it here often – what can one do with it?
Hello Charles,
The broccoli was delicious even though it was not at its prime.
Your will love kohlrabi, you can roast it, boil and mash with butter, add to stew like turnips, raw in a salad, substitute for cabbage in slaw. My favorite way is slice thinly and stir-fryalone or with other vegs with a bit of garlic and few slices of ginger, (yes, I add ginger to most if not all my vegs stir-fries), may be a bit of lemon zest and/or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice……
i love brocolli especially with prawns. that must be very fresh… from your garden.
Hello Machisan,
Yes, broccoli with prawns go very well together. Yes, homegrown broccoli is much tastier than the store bought ones and cooks faster also.
Norma, seeing all your harvesting, I so wish I could be your neighbor…maybe I would get some of your harvest.
Awesome broccoli…actually they all look wonderful.
Hope you are having an enjoyable week 🙂
Hello Juliana,
Make believe you are my neighbour and I am sending a basket of harvest your way.
Fresh vegetables are good but family definitely tops them. Happy that your veggies handled your time away. Even though they were larger than you would normally grow them, it looks like you still have a nice harvest so far.
Hello Karen,
Cannot and should not complain, it was a nice harvest.
What beautiful vegetables…
You are totally inspiring me to do gardening!!
Hello Reem,
Thanks. You will enjoy gardening, it is not only rewarding but also lots of fun.
Waw, so many green veggies! I love broccoli & am so much a kohlrabi lover.
In wintertime, I cut it up in little chunks of it & boil them in salted water & then I make a bechamel sauce with it. Great with boiled potatoes & great sausages! Yum Yum yum!
Hello Sophie,
Glad you love kohlrabi, it is such an underused vegetable. I like your idea with the bechamel sauce. Combining with boiled potatoes and sausages that should be great too.
Hi Norma,
Your harvest continues to look fantastic! I’m growing Kohlrabi for the first time this year-however mine are a good 4-6 weeks behind yours!!
Hello GD,
Thanks. Isn’t kohlrabi a cool looking plant, pretty soon you will be harvesting yours.
I really enjoyed seeing how prosperous your garden is Norma and that you are having success keeping the chipmunks away. I have not been so fortunate in the past, so did not grow a garden this year, instead opting for a CSA share.
Hello Jeannete,
I actually thought about joining a CSA. Returned from vacation on the 9th and the garden was DRY, lost some plants, many of the harvests had passed their prime, the weeds, however, thrived and prosper, this past week was spent trying to catch up still a lot more to do.
Nice to see you are getting a good harvest. I just noticed today that I do have one head of broccoli forming but doesn’t look like it is going to be very big. I do need to grow kohlrabi again. Haven’t had it is years. I like it in cheese sauce but that was the days before I did stir fry.
Hello Wilderness,
The weather cooled a bit so hopefully your broccoli will get big. Started kohlrabi for fall planting in cell pack end of June, hope I get a harvest.
Wow, Norma!!! What a fabulous harvest! I’ve been wanting to grow kohlrabi, and you’ve just motivated me to do it. Yours looks just gorgeous!
Hello WV,
Thanks. Glad you are going to grow kohlrabi, it is a fun veggie to grow.