This past week’s harvest saw a few firsts. First harvest of bittermelon (karela). Harvested 2, gave one to a friend. To learn more about bittermelon click here
In my basket, left to right: gai lan side shoots, nappa cabbages (first harvest), broccoli & side shoots and cucumbers (Japanese cuke: long dark green one; kirby cukes: lighter green ones, gave most of them to my neighbour).
These cukes were harvested at their prime, taste and texture were much better than the ones harvested the week before (sweet and crispy, the seeds were tiny and the skins were thinner).
The harvested nappa was twice the size shown above, but (I am guessing) because the weather outside was so hot and dry while the inside of the nappa was moist and cool, many critters took up residence and made a huge mess of the outer layers of the leaves, I had to remove and discard many layers.
First harvest of sweet potato vine, gave a shopping bag full to a friend. Stir-fried in a bit of oil, garlic and salt to taste, delicious. I am told not all sweet potato vines are edible, the person did not know how to tell which is edible and which is not. I have eaten the vines from all the varieties I planted through the years and am still here writing about it. I do think the ornamental sweet potato vines are not edible.
Swiss chard, collard and kale are doing very well. A friend came by during the week. Sent her home with 2 shopping bags full.
Also picked a few raspberries and blackberries (another first). Neither made it out of the garden. Must remember to take my camera to the garden for photos.
Spent many hours trying to get the garden back in shape. Pulled up all the pea vines, turned over the soil, transplanted some seedlings, did some weeding, tidying up …..
The headline on the front page (above the fold) in the Mid-Husdon section of Sunday (yesterday) Poughkeepsie Journal (our local newspaper) read:
Lab confirms late tomato blight
Fungus was found at town farm, also can infect potatoes
This is bad news. After reading the headline, I quickly went to the garden to inspect my tomato plants. All healthy, so I brought out my pruner and pruned out the lower leaves as well as some of the branches of all the tomato plants to allow for better air circualation and hopefully help them to remain healthy. Will dig in all my potatoes this week, ready or not.
Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’
Copyright © by Norma Chang
Visit Daphne’s Dandelions http://daphnesdandelions.blogspot.com/ for more Harvest Mondays
Garden to Wok 
Your garden gets fresher and healthier every time my friend – wonderful greens and so many first like some berries!
Awesome 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Hello Uru,
Thanks, I do so enjoy my garden and it rewards me with many goodies.
I love the shape and texture of the bitter melon – fascinating vegetable.
Hello Liz,
Yes, bitter melon is a fascinating veggie, it is also one of those veggies that one either love or hate.
Blackberries and raspberries right off the vine are the best. Your greens look beautiful, too.
Hello Sharyn,
That’s why they never made it out of the garden and no photos.
I just want that bitter gourd, please! You have a wonderful garden!
Hello Angie,
Thanks. Gather you love bitter gourd.
Very nice harvest. I can barely get the raspberries past my daughter! They do get eaten fast! Never tried sweet potato leaves before, maybe I’ll have to try it sometimes.
Hello Shawn Ann,
Thanks, sweet potatoes leaves are highly nutritious.
Excellent heads of napa cabbages. I always have to strip the outer leaves off of all cabbages – as the slugs find them no matter what precautions I take. Good job on getting the tomatoes pruned to help fight the possible blight and other fungus issues. Since you have a confirmed case of late blight in your region, you might want to consider a proactive application of the organic fungicide – Serenade.
Hello Kitsapfg,
I thought about that, need to get to the garden center.
The hot, dry weather’s been great for this year’s tomatoes, but we’ve a reported case of Late Blight here in Maine also. I especially love your hearts of napa cabbage!
Hello Leduesorelle,
With the hot, dry weather, late blight is the last thing I would be on the look out for.
When I was at my VF garden Saturday PM, there was someone at the Pok.Farm Project, dressed in full pesticide applicators regalia (tyvek jumpsuit, air-filtering mask, chemical resistant shoulder length gloves) and wearing a powered sprayer, spraying their tomatoes. I do wonder what they are using. I sprayed with copper Sat., but today’s rain probably washed it away.
Hello Mary,
That sounds like a scary sight. Do you need to re-spray? Guess I should head out to Adams and get copper spray.
So far I’ve just had a few tomato plants go under from a wilt; probably verticilium, but the remainder are doing very well, so fingers crossed. Lovely harvest as usual Norma!
Hello Mary,
Thanks. Hope the remainder of your tomatoes continue to do well.
When I saw your Napa I wondered if they were that perfect when picked, then I read the rest of the article. I had the same problem with my large heads of escarole. The slugs and whatnot had slimed most of the outer leaves, particularly where two heads touched each other and provided shelter.
Late blight is definitely around now and I’m worried about some of my tomatoes. I started using an organic copper spray, repeated weekly, and trimming leaves. If using scissors you have to disinfect them between plants or risk spreading blight to healthy plants.
Hello Dave,
Wouldn’t it be nice if the picked nappas were that perfect and no waste!!!!! Need to get to the garden center to get copper spray before it is too late, the problem is I hate to spray, organic or not.
Sounds like you were busy in the garden. “Tidying up” can indeed be time consuming! I had no idea that sweet potato vines were edible. I presume they actually taste good since you continue to eat them (since being “edible” is not the same as being “tasty”!).
Hello Foodgardenkitchen,
Yes, sweet potato vines are very tasty, especially freshly harvest from the garden. Highly nutritious too.
You’re as good a berry picker as I am. When the wild strawberries are in season in Michigan, we’ll go pick them for breakfast and none ever make it to the table. With such a large weekly harvest, there’s a much higher probability that most of it will make it to table. 🙂
Hello John,
Driving from Chicago to Michigan to pick wild strawberries for breakfast, no wonder they never made it to the table.
bitter gourd my favourite especially soup or fried with eggs. yummy!
Hello Machisan,
I never had bitter melon fried with eggs, that’s new to me.
Lovely produce, Norma! I eat bittergourd, but probably don’t love it enough to grow it. And I hope your plants escape the blight!
Hello Celia,
Thanks. I do hope my tomatoes escape the blight.
Your bittermelon is very intriguing!
Hello Zent,
Bittermelon is one of those items that many people just adore and just as many dislike.
Beautiful harvests. I had to do the same thing with my Chinese cabbage. They really had a lot of earwig damage that I had to pull off. Luckily the centers were fine.
Hello Daphne,
Thanks. I not only had earwigs but slugs and other critters, yes, luckily the centers were fine.
Your harvest is outstanding as usual. I’m going to check what to do with bitter Mellon, but I have to say the name frightens me, how bitter?
Hello Eva,
Thanks. It is BITTER, more bitter than broccoli rabe. Some of my friends blanch it to get rid of some of the bitterness. The salad is not too bad.
Hmmm, probably not for me then although I’d be interested in trying it well prepared one day.
Everything is looking great this week. We are excited to see our first cucumbers this week. In fact I’ll have to go check they may be ready tonight!!
Hello Rick,
Hope your first cucumber was ready for you to pick. The first of anything from the garden is always the tastiest.
Norma…every time that I visit you I am anxious to see what you have to share…and wow…you always surprise me 🙂
Your bitter melon looks so pretty and your sweet potato vine just reminds me of my mom’s cooking…
Have a wonderful week ahead!
Hello Juliana,
Glad my sweet potato vines reminded you of your Mom’s cooking. Guess your Mom cooks sweet potato vines also. Do you? Wonderful week to you too.
So envious of your garden Norma. And yes, I have had bitter melons before. Can’t say that I loved it, but I haven’t had it in so long! This vegetable reminds me of my grandma and her cooking though, thanks for the memories.
Hello Yudith,
Glad my bittermelon reminded you of your Grandma and her cooking, you must have very fond memories of her.
Oh wow Norma you even have your own bittermelon! wow! Mr Bao loves them…but lol they’re simply too bitter for me!
Hello Daisy,
Yep, my bittermelon are just coming in. Sending this one over the internet to Mr. Bao. You can blanch the sliced bittermelon and that will take away some of the bitterness.
What a wonderful week of harvests! Thanks for the info on the bittermelon! I’ve never even heard of such a thing…sounds very intriguing!
Hello Melissa,
Bittermelon is used in many cuisines, especially Indian cuisine. It goes by the name “karela” The Indian bittermelon is “bumpier” and has a drier texture.
Great harvest. Your cabbage is just fantastic!
Hello A in A,
Thanks. Wish I didn’t have to discard 50%.
Now I know why my garden doesn’t look as good as yours. I need to spend more time tending to it! Hopefully your tomatoes stay healthy!
Hello Barb,
So far they are still healthy. Gardens are like children, need attention.
Love all the greens you have harvested. I’ll have to click on your link to find out what to do with a bitter melon. Your friend is very fortunate to go home with two bags full of your produce. And yes, I would love to see a photo of your blackberries and raspberries – what treasure is in your garden xx
Hello Charlie,
I am going to try and remember to take photo of my berries before I eat them.
I love reading about your garden Norma! So inspiring 🙂
Hello Alyssa,
Glad you enjoy my garden. I love spending time outdoor in the garden (too much time), as a result some indoor chores don’t get done.
What a gorgeous garden you have, Norma. I really wish I had a green thumb like yours.
Hello Asmita,
Thanks. I am sure you can make things grow.
Norma Lovely harvest. I too am worried about the blight. I got it 2 years ago and lost everything. Mine are getting lots of circulation out there right now blowing in the breezes and they are still small.
Hello Wilderness,
Thanks. Is the blight in your area? Hope our tomatoes escape the problem.
There is so much exciting stuff here! I was very interested to read about the sweet potato vine leaves. I picked a savoy cabbage the other day and I too lost about half of the leaves while evicting added protein. I guess you can’t blame the bugs for liking them as much as we do! Can’t get Napa cabbage to grow properly here, but maybe the drip irrigation will change that…
Hello GC,
Do you grow sweet potatoes? Maybe if you grow nappa cabbage as a fall crop, they like the cooler weather when the head is forming.
Ah, I saw a bittermelon in a store the other day and really wanted to try it… I almost bought it but then chickened out because I thought I didn’t really have any good recipes and probably would use it for anything good. Got any good recipes yourself? The bittermelon cups recipe on the page you linked to look great though anyway!
Hello Charles,
The bittermelon cups is my favorite way to prepare bittermelon. If you decide to give it a try, cut your “cups” into about 1/4 inch thick rounds, friends who dislike bittermelon love it when I make the cups this size (can hardly taste the bitterness, just a hint). The salad is also very good. Give me feedback if you decide to give it a try.
Hello Again Charles,
Did the bittermelon you saw look like the one in my photo? The Indian bittermelon looks quite different.
If I remember correctly it looked exactly like it, although it was a few weeks back. They were in a Chinese supermarket in Paris.
Hello Charles,
If you saw them in a Chinese supermarket, chances are they are the Chinese varieties.
That bitter melon is so interesting looking. I’ve never tried it, but must peruse your link to see what one does with it. Looks like your harvest is coming along, and I didn’t know that any kind of sweet potato vines were edible…they sure are pretty!
Hello B&B,
Yes, beside China, sweet potato vines are eaten in many south east Asian country. Highly nutritious and easy to prepare. I prepare it like spinach.
I had no idea you could eat the vines of sweet potatoes..I love visiting your blog Norma..I always learn something new.
Hello Sawsan,
We learn from each other, cool, isn’t it!!!!!
The raspberries and blackberries would never make it into the house here either. 🙂
Hello Kristy,
I am going to make an effort to get some into the house.
Hello Norma, I am so happy to have found your website. I am currently living here in Hong Kong and was interested in finding some recipes to use with the bitter melon (Chinese soup?). Looking forward to keeping in touch. Take Care, BAM
Hello Bam,
I am so happy you stopped by. Wish I was in Hong Kong. Let me know what you think of my bittermelon recipes. I too am looking forward to keeping in touch. Hopping over to your blog now.
I’ve never seen a bitter melon before. Your basket is so beautifully green.
Hello Marta,
Bitter melon is not well known outside the Asian community, it is slowly becoming more available though. Thanks for stopping by.
I have a love-hate relationship with bitter melon. I know it’s great for my skin and very nutritious but I’m a weakling when it comes to consuming bitter stuff! haha..
Hello Sammie,
You are not the only one.
Your garden is thriving, my friend! All of your produce is looking great & tasty too!
🙂
Hello Sophie,
Thanks, as you already know, freshly harvested veggies are sooooo much tastier.