My luck came to an end. Garden was hit by a freeze and killer frost. All tender vegetables and flowers died.
Cannot complain as I have had a wonderfully prolonged harvest especially the cherry tomatoes.
Cherry tomatoes
Managed to salvage a few cherry tomatoes
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Surprisingly, snow peas plants not only survived they look very healthy.
Snow Peas
Snow peas plants are still growing strong with lots of flowers and baby peas plus lots of tender shoots.
The “s” word is in the weatherman’s vocabulary.
Snow shower is predicted for tonight and, this week’s night time temp is predicted to be in the low 20’s for a few consecutive nights.
Am going to harvest all the tender pea shoots and baby peas today or tomorrow rather than risk losing them.
Looking forward to a delicious dish of Pea Shoots Stir-fry.
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At Locust Grove Heritage Vegetable Garden (LGHVG), where I am a volunteer, we are growing 2 varieties of parsnips, Half Long Guernsey and Hollow Crown.
Parsnips from Locust Grove Heritage Vegetable Garden
Top: Half Long Guernsey
Bottom: Hollow Crown
Wondering if there is any difference in taste and texture between the 2 varieties, brought some home to do a taste test. Also harvest hollow crown from my garden to see if there is any difference between the hollow crown grown at LGHVG and the ones grown in my garden.
For a true test, all 3 needed to be cooked under the same condition. Not having a 3 compartment cooking pot, decided to make my own.
Section with 1 piece of carrot: Half Long Guernsey from LGHVG
Section with 2 pieces of carrot: Hollow Crown from LGHVG
Section with 3 pieces of carrot: Hollow Crown from my garden
Added broth, brought to a boil, covered and simmered until tender, about 5 minutes
Cooked Parsnips
RESULTS: The half long Guernsey was milder and slightly sweeter than the hollow crowns also had a slightly smoother texture.
There was no difference in taste and texture between the hollow crown from LGHVG and my garden. There was a slight difference in color, the ones from LGHVG had a yellow/beige color where the ones from my garden were white.
As a stand alone side dish, I prefer the half long Guernsey. If adding to a stew or soup it does not matter (I used the hollow crown from my garden in the beef soup I posted on November 4, 2013).
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Still growing in my garden (not a whole lot) are: kales, collard, bok choy, lettuce, carrots, beets, parsnips, celeriac, leeks and volunteer mustards. For the remainder of the year will harvest, as needed, whatever is available.
Left in the garden also is one chicory (radicchio). Need to find out what is its cold tolerance. Hope it survives tonight’s snow shower.
Chicory (Radicchio)
Did harvest leeks, carrots and parsley for my neighbor but did not take photos.
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Garden to Wok 
Mother natures seems to be bringing your snow earlier this year, if I’m not mistaken Norma. You will have lots in your garden despite the weather, well done and I love how you created your own divided pot.
Have a happy week ahead.
🙂 Mandy xo
Hello Mandy,
I think so too but I doubt there will be any accumulation, rather I hope not. Will find out when I look out the window tomorrow morning.
Beautiful looking Cherry tomatoes – used to grow them very happily amongst flowers in hanging baskets in our garden in UK. And Christmas without Parsnips – no, no, no – that will not do! 🙂 Sadly cant have either here in S.India – but…..maybe Stefan, Exec. Chef at tthe Mandarin Oriental Bangkok will keep some for me for our Christmas Lunch. Carina
Hello Carina,
Thanks, unfortunately that’s it until next year. Hope you get some parsnips for Christmas from Stefan. You should send him a reminder or 2 just so he does not forget due to his hectic holidays schedules.
We’ve had a few frosts here but not a hard frost, too bad about yours. The cherry tomatoes do look lovely. I’m sorry to have read that October was a challenging month, I do hope you are much better now and that things are looking rosier!
I made a batch of tomato sauce (no herbs or spices so I can use in a variety of dishes) and I must say it turned out exceptionally well. I wish I had written the recipe down, but it was really so simple. The one thing I did differently is that I oven roasted half of the tomatoes and then added them to the crock pot with the remainder of the tomatoes, onions and garlic. The result is a rich, VERY SWEET thick sauce. I am excited to use it in a recipe in the coming weeks. I only wish I had bought more tomatoes when they were on sale! I’ve had parsnips from the grocery store that have had such a variety of different flavours, I just assumed that they were older. Personally I prefer the milder sweeter ones, and when roasted and puréed they add a certain creaminess to things without the addition of actual cream, a real bonus in my books.
I do hope that November is better for you.
Hello Eva,
Expecting snow tonight, will find out how much when I look out the window tomorrow morning.
I too made unseasoned tomato sauce but I did not add oven roasted tomatoes. Love your idea. Got oven roasted tomatoes in the freezer so when I use my frozen tomato sauce I shall add some oven roasted tomatoes, will need to figure out a way to puree it though. So far all is well, thanks.
Snow already? Too soon. I could hardly believe what a difference the oven roasted tomatoes made in the sauce Norma. JT thought I added sugar but I really didn’t!
Hello Eva,
Yes, we had snow Monday morning. Lawn was white but returned to green when the sun made its appearance in the afternoon. I must remember the oven roasted tomatoes tip, thanks.
Way too soon, but glad it melted!:)
I can’t believe you had cherry tomatoes this late, much less after a hard frost! Lucky! We are supposed to have snow flurries here tomorrow night, amazingly. VERY early for us considering we hardly have snow anyway. Hope all your greens fare well.
Hello Betsy,
Most of the cherry tomatoes turned to mush, those were the only ones I could salvage as they were protected.
Very clever to section off your pan, have never grown parsnip before, it takes too long for me, maybe someday grow it in a deep container just for fun.
Hello Mac,
Sometimes my brain works and come up with an idea to solve a problem. Parsnips do require a long growing season but they are trouble free and easy to grow.
Those cherry tomatoes are so beautiful.
Hello Angie,
They are beautiful sadly this is it, end of season.
Beautiful parsnips. We might get snow tomorrow. I was out for hours today getting the garden cleared up. I didn’t finish but I got a lot done.
Hello Daphne,
Thanks. I was out for hours too, will learn how much snow when I look out the window tomorrow morning.
I’m surprised your snow peas survived the frost, the tender new growth and flowers always seem to get zinged when we get a frost here. I’m taking my chances with a late planting this year and trying to grow them under agribon.
Hello Michelle,
I was surprised too, guess the snow peas plants are pretty hardy.
I love parsnips and actually wasn’t aware they come in different varieties. At the store they’re just sold as ‘parsnips’. I’m sorry to hear the rest of your crops have been wiped out by the winter freeze but you did well to be harvesting right into November xx
Hello Charlie,
Only the tender crops were wiped out, still have parsnips, celeriac, carrots, kale, etc. They are growing at a much, much slower rate, if at all. Will harvest the root crops before the ground freezes.
as long as we can eat this all day healthy .,
Brilliant idea for cooking the parsnips samples!
Hello Debra,
Thanks, my brain does work sometimes.
You’ve certainly had a good run this year. I like parsnips but I usually chop them up and roast them in the oven. I need to put them in soup more often.
Hello Maureen,
I certainly did, no complain. I like parsnips in soup and stews. Sometimes I braise them in a little broth with leeks and carrots, really good.
Sorry to hear about the frost. Same thing happened to my mother.
Hello YC,
Was expecting frost, after all it is November. Did your mother lose everything in her garden?
I can’t believe you had cherry tomatoes this far into November! That’s wonderful! I enjoyed reading about your parsnip comparisons. I grew Hollow Crown, would like to see what other varieties are like.
Hello Patsy,
Hollow crown grows best in my area but I am going to try another variety next year for comparison hope it does well.
Wow – you had cherry tomatoes long after I did! That radicchio is lovely.
Hello Dave,
I thinking planting the cherry tomato by the stone wall gave it protection from the frost and cold, unfortunately I cannot plant in the same location next year so the season will be shorter.
Wow! Look at those cherry tomatoes! Fresh ones from the garden must taste so good!
Hello Sammie,
They were sweet as honey.
You certainly had a terrific growing season. After arriving home from our trip, I’ve found we have had several killing frosts…very cold here in New Hampshire but no snow.
Hello Karen,
Yes, I certainly did. Guess you will be busy winterizing your gardens after you unpack.
I just want making radicchio risotto just by looking at your radicchio…hahaha
You’re a lucky gardener….
Hello Dedy,
I see you are a radicchio fan. Can you grow it where you are?
i’ve try 2 package of it and it cost me about 10 USD,
none of them grown, i guess Indonesia is away too hot, i guess i’m waiting until december or at rainy season then….
Hello Dedy,
Perhaps you could start your seeds indoors (I am guessing it is cooler indoors or if you have air condition). Time the seed starting date so that you can plant the seedlings outdoor when the weather starts to get cooler. This is, of course, the opposite of what I need to do.
Hi Norma. Sorry you’ve been battling the elements. Those pea plants are hardy little things though – hope you managed to save them all. Love your parsnip experiments!
Hello Saskia,
It’s November, frost is actually late visiting my garden this year, no complains. The parsnips experiment was a fun one.
What a fun and delicious experiment! I love that you created your own divided pot!
Hello Angela,
It was a fun experiment. I was pleased with me, my brain does come up with good ideas sometimes.
Frost is always a culprit in always leaving ruins to a perfectly worked garden like yours. I love those tomatoes, especially fresh like the ones you saved. Have a good weekend to you, Norma! 🙂
Hello Ray,
Frost was late in visiting my garden this year so I cannot complain, had a good run.
Your comparison experiments are always fascinating! I’d never been a huge fan of parsnips until recently, as my tastes seem to have developed since college started—thankfully. Glad to see those snow peas thriving despite the frost.
Hello Irina,
Not everyone likes parsnips especially if the first encounter was with a strong flavored one. Glad to know you have developed a taste for them now. Since we have had frosts, bet you can get sweet ones at the 14th street farmers’ market.
You are so positive, so passionate, so blessed and it shows in your posts. Wish I could meet you up-close and personal, dear Norma 🙂 I have so much to learn from you. Having you over my garden would be a delightful event of my life.
I love and adore the greens and purples you have shared in this post. Treasure indeed.
Hugs.
Hello Nusrat,
One never knows what tomorrow will bring, we may indeed have the opportunity to meet, who knows.
No matter how much we know and expect a frost, it is always so hard to look outside and see tender shoots ruined by the cold. I am glad you have a bunch of cheery red tomatoes and a few parsnips, etc to keep you company in your kitchen. I am wondering why those parsnips would be more yellow colored than yours. Would it have something to do with the type or the soil?
Hello Barbara,
You are so correct. But frost was late in visiting my garden this year so no complains. The difference between the 2 parsnips color could be due to different company’s seeds or it could very well be due to the different soil type.
Interesting article, Thanks and regards
Hello Gede,
Welcome. Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to leave a comment.
Great harvest! I love the Chicory Radicchio.
Hello Anne,
Thanks.
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