Not sure how it happened, but this past week, I managed to overschedule my activities and had to neglect the gardens. A truly messed up week. Not much was harvested.
The green stem Chinese celery bolted. Was it due to the wild and unusual weather pattern we had and are having (temperature dropped to the 40’s Tuesday night, 6/18, this week, days highs near 90’s)? Or something else? The white stem Chinese celery still OK.
Decided to harvest all the flower stalks. Will be using them in a stir-fry dish.
Green stem Chinese celery
Flower stalk (bottom), a single celery rib (center)
Also harvest sugar snap peas, more garlic scapes and Chinese (garlic) chives. The Chinese chives are starting to send out flower (scape). Should be harvesting Chinese chive flowers this week. A special treat from the garden.
Left to right: Chinese (garlic) chives with flower (scape) appearing, garlic scape & sugar snap peas
Stir-fried the Chinese chives with kohlrabi (from the freezer) and served as a side with salmon. Forgot to take photo of the salmon.
Last year was the first time I experimented with freezing kohlrabi. Like it. Will do so again this year.
Trying to use up last year’s harvests that are still in the freezer. Not much left, a good thing as I need space for this year’s harvest.
Harvested a bouquet of baby collard.
Baby collard greens
Very tender, even the stems
Had extra collard seedlings and did not want to make compost with them. Figured it will be a while before my 2 tromboncino squash plants need all the space allotted to them so I planted the collard seedlings in that space. Squash plants are growing well so need to give back the space. Pulled up the whole row of baby collard plants.
My froggies wish everyone a lovely summer
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Garden to Wok 
Love the little frog world in your garden Norma, especially the one lazing in a hammock! Tromboncino squash sounds interesting, and your sugar snaps look beautiful and crunchy.
Hello Saskia,
I love them too, this is just a part of my garden collection.
This is my first attempt at growing tromboncino squash, don’t even know if I am going to like it, will be posting updates.
Did not realize kohlrabi [which is one of my favourite vegetables] could be stirfried [probably my favourite way of cooking] : yours looks so moreish with the chives – You have cut it very fine: does it cook in the usual stirfry time? Your sunbaking froggies look very comfortable: please could they send some sun > the sunny country: we are in the middle of a cyclonic rainstorm supposedly lasting 5-7 days – ‘not nice’!!
Hello Eha,
Oh yes, you can stir-fry kohlrabi, this is my favorite way. I just peel and slice thinly. I like it crunchy so I stir-fry for a short time, taste as you stir fry, and stop at the stage that makes you happy. If you like it soft, add a bit of liquid, cover and cook until desired doneness is reached.
You may not be harvesting much Norma, but it is still more than me. 🙂
Have a lovely week ahead.
🙂 Mandy xo
Hello Mandy,
I am hoping to get my act together this week and spend some time in the garden. A lovely week to you too.
Crazy weather! We are enjoying a cooler than normal weather pattern and enjoying while it last down here in coastal NC.
Happy Gardening
Hello Kim,
You are south of us and having cooler weather, what’s wrong with this picture?
That head of baby collard will be perfect to make a stir-fry with some garlic and dried shrimps for the dinner 🙂
Hello Angie,
I never thought of using dried shrimps with collard. Will do so with my next harvest.
Norma, did you slice the kohlrabi before freezing them?
Hello Vera,
Yes, I sliced the kohlrabi, stir-fried the slices briefly, cool and freeze. It loses its crunchiness but I still liked it.
I had a week like that myself – week before last. It definitely happens but makes staying on top of things a tad difficult. Your garden is obviously growing beautifully anyways and your harvests (albeit not your usual amounts) look delicious!
Hello Laura,
Guess we all have weeks like that. Compare to last year, my garden is not doing that great, but all things considered, I am happy with it and cannot (shouldn’t) complain.
That’s how I feel this week is going to be – overbooked! We did get outside yesterday and finally plant some herbs. Hopefully they will grow this year. I was thinking of you as we were gardening and weeding. You do so with such talent. I’m hoping a little of your green thumb rubs off on my through the blog. 🙂
Hello Kristy,
I am sure your herbs will grow well and give you good harvest for all the wonderful dishes you and the family create.
Love the froggies! Glad to know I wasn’t the only one with the over scheduling. 🙂 Have a wonderful week, Norma!
Hello NG,
Froggies are so adorable and always bring smiles to my face. A wonderful week to you too.
Great looking harvest. Our weather has been crazy this year too. We went from 95 to 80 and now by the end of the week we will see 100 +. That’s August weather!!
Hell Rick,
Thanks. Think the weather will settle down and be normal?
That must mean my garlic chives are going to bolt soon too. I’ve never eaten their scapes. I do always pick off the flowers though as they self seed way too readily.
Hello Daphne,
Garlic scapes are very expensive in the Asian market.
You will enjoy them. Use them like you do garlic scapes. I prefer to add them in stir-fry.
Still looks like a lovely harvest, but I know what you mean when your routine gets messed up! Back on schedule 🙂
Hello FA,
I still have not gotten back on schedule from the set back when I was sick and this just made matters worse.
cute frog, Norma! I just love the magic you have in the garden (I really wouldn’t be surprised if later, you posted about how you got the garden animals to do your bidding) =)
Hello SM,
This is just part of my garden frogs collection, they wipe away my sorrows and bring smiles to my face.
How I would love to have the garden animals do my bidding.
My friend just gave me a batch of garlic chive kimchi — please post more about cooking with garlic chives, especially with the flowers! And do you know if the blanched garlic chives taste or cook up differently?
Hello Leduesorelle,
I never blanched my garlic chives so cannot answer your question, so sorry. Why do you blanch them?
Hoping to get caught up with my back logs so I can resume my Friday’s recipe posting.
Thank you for the garden update, Norma! Though not much harvest, a great part of a good looking garden!
Hello Sophie,
You are welcome, I should be doing better this week.
In all that hustle and bustle of your week, I’m glad you still had some time to enjoy with your adorable frogs and garden 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Hello Uru,
My frogs make me smile every time I walk past.
I know all about overbooking weeks…Summer is crazy busy for us here, too! I’m glad you had a chance to enjoy your garden a bit, though…those frogs help, no doubt 😉
Hello Melissa,
Oh yes, the frogs always put a smile on my face, they are in locations where I walk by them more than once a day.
Considering that all I’ll be harvesting for weeks will be some herbs, I think your garden is doing very well, Norma. Coincidentally, just tonight my dinner included garlic scapes and fresh peas, although mine came from the farmers market. 🙂
Hello John,
Garlic scapes and fresh peas, great combination and delicious. Wonderful that you have farmers market near by. Perhaps you can plant some garlic this fall and harvest your own garlic scape in the spring. Garlic does not take up a lot of garden space. I plant mine at the edge of a bed in a single row.
I’m really quite excited Norma, my little scrawny fig tree has a single fig! I think of you when I tend to it. I brought home a lovely gardening book from the studio to help me with this new acquisition. I’ll transplant in the fall once it goes dormant. I already have the pitting mix you recommended. We’ll be bringing in the tree to avoid the harsh winter.
It’s been ridiculously hot here too and terribly rainy. The garden seems to love it although not sure the vegetables would. I didn’t plant any tomatoes this year, missed the boat!
Hello Eva,
Hope you get more than a single fig.
I am thinking perhaps a determinate cherry tomato will produce for you. You may still be able to pick up a plant at garden centers. I would call a few garden centers to see what’s available.
Hi Norma, our garden centres were not great with the tomatoes this year. I’m surprised that I would get even one fig but more than one in its first year?
Hello Eva,
It depends on the age of the fig tree, it may be first year for you but not for the grower.
Lovely harvests! I never knew you could freeze kohlrabi. I’ve never grown enough to freeze, but I will have to remember that for the future. Hopefully the coming week will be less hectic and you will have more time to spend in the garden!
Hello B & B,
Last year was my first experiment with freezing. Had extra kohlrabi and figured I had nothing to lose but something to gain. It loses its crunchiness but I am OK with that.
Sorry to hear about the bolting but the weather is so hot for this early in the summer. Very strange year weather wise for sure.
Hello Karen,
Since I removed the flower stalks, may be the plants will send out side shoots, that will be a good thing. Glad l am not a farmer, don’t think I could make a living.
I know what you mean. We gave up thinking we could ever make any money with our apple orchard.
What is not a lot for you it is a lot for me 🙂
Looks great Norma the the froggies are to cute. Have a great week!
Hello Juliana,
Love my froggies, they make me smile. A great week to you too.
That’s a very cute frog collection. Your sugar snaps look really lovely. Love how you salvaged something from your plant that turned to seed xx
Hello Charlie,
Thanks, they are very cute. The sugar snaps were sooooo tender and sweet.
Those froggies would put a smile on my face too! They’re adorable sitting there in the garden. 🙂 Looks like you have a few of them hanging out. hee hee..
Hello Annie,
That was just a part of my collection, I have others hanging out all over the gardens.
I’ve never seen Chinese chives with flower before. I would just love to have those and make those tonight. And those froggies look so darn adorable. I love them
Hello Kay,
Chinese chives flowers are in season now, look for them next time you are in Chinatown. I love my froggies too, they make me happy.
Hello Sawsan,
We should both take a deep breath and chill out a bit. That is just a part of my collection, love them, they make me happy.
Your harvest is doing wonderful. I love kohlrabi and especially when I used to eat it raw straight from my dad’s garden. I would have never thought to put kohlrabi in my stir fry. I will have to give that a try when I go back to the States. I have not seen that veggie since living here in HK. Have a super weekend and take care
Hello Bam,
I am surprised some farmers are not growing kohlrabi in HK. Continue to enjoy the veggies available that you will not find in the US when you come back. A great weekend to you too.
There is such an abundance growing in your garden, Norma! I would love to reap a harvest regularly like you do. Everything is just perfect! It sounds like your weather patterns are all messed up as well? What is happening to our planet?
Hello Barbara,
Now that summer is here, hopefully the weather will decide to settle down.
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