David--Brussel sprouts are a member of the cabbage family---I think they can take the cold---harden them off, then plant them in a week or so.
Edibles - '09
I agree with Robin - you should gradually let them get used to the outside and then once they are planted and watered, even some light snow won't bother them.
DON'T SAY THE "S" WORD
LOL, Allison!
My cold crops are all in---I also snuck in a row of dahlias---the soil is warm---of course, we'll probably be back to 40 next week.
Gosh, Robin.....I'd better get my buns up there and get some cold crops in!!! In NH, I may have a bit more time, but not much!!
I planted leeks and onion sets yesterday in my new raised bed built of Trex. I also ate my first asparagus spear. I only have three producing plants - so it could have been my last as well. A neighbor brought me raspberry plants. I planted them with fear and trembling as I know they get out of control quickly. I'm thinking that 2 of the 3 apple seedling that I bought on eBay are not apples. Darn - I have been nursing them in my neighbors's yard for 3 years now and he was expecting apples! Me too.
Any idea on how to control runaway garlic chives? They want to take over the flower bed.
I left my chives in a pot.
robindog...dahlias already! Have you tried them this early before? Certainly is warm enough now and the 10 day forecast looks good. I ordered dahlia seedlings from Corralitos Gardens and they won't be shipped until the last week in May.
I'll have to see if I can corral them. Thanks for the info.
jumper you need to cut down the flowers before they go to seed - if htey go to see watch out!
I've found that out the hard way. I'll be vigulant this season. I think I'll try to transplant some to the back yard.
Yes, DavidPaul---I do this every year---sometimes the dahlias bloom earlier, but some years---like last summer,--- some never bloomed, just got foliage. But I've never killed any yet! I'm just hoping the soil stays pretty warm, & my garden has a brick patio in front of it, so it holds the heat. Of course, I only planted 6---the rest will go in the ground in a few more weeks.
No blooms? Did they have sun? Never had a dahlia that didn't bloom.
btw...since this is a thread on edibles, ever eat the tubers? Tasty. Similiar to Jerusalem artichokes. Good for you too. High in inulin.
David are you speaking of Dahlia tubers?
How would one fix them? Saute', or steam or.....?
Katye...I've baked them with a little olive oil and steamed them.
The California Dahlai Society has a recipe for a pie made from dahlia tubers here (bottom of page):
http://www.sfdahlia.org/webresources/DellOnWeb.htm
The man who invented Tang, Cool-Whip, quick-set Jell-O and Pop Rocks tried to market roasted dahlia tubers as a healthful coffee substitute but it never (as we know) took off. His story is here:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200411/steyn
This message was edited Apr 28, 2009 1:54 AM
You can eat daylilies too. ^_^
The whole plant?
From the Garden Web:
All daylilies are edible. But check for the botanical name, Hemerocallis fulva, or any of its cultivars.
Culinary Uses: The young green leaves are edible raw or cooked. Older leaves become fibrous. Tubers are also edible raw or cooked and have a nutty flavour. Young tubers are best, though the central portion of older tubers is also good. Steam or boil the tubers as a potato substitute, or toss them raw onto a salad instead of croutons. The flowers can be eaten raw or cooked. The petals are thick and crunchy, making very pleasant eating raw, with a nice sweetness at the base because of the nectar. They taste somewhat like fresh peas. They can be fried for storage and used as a thickener in soups and stews, or used as a relish. Leaves and young shoots can be cooked and used as a substitute for asparagus or celery. Take small shoots under 15cm, strip away the larger leaves, saute in a little garlic and oil, add raw to salads, or simply steam and drench in butter for a nice, crunchy treat.
Warning: Large quantities of the leaves are said to be hallucinogenic. Because of the acrid nature of the green foliage, some experience nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting after eating raw plant parts. Such people will not be affected if the plant is cooked. Eating excessive amounts of raw flowers may cause diarrhoea.
Daylily Bud Saute
2 dozen daylily buds, white bases removed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup olive oil
3 eggs
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
I clove garlic, finely chopped
Saute the garlic in a little olive oil. Beat eggs, mix in enough flour to make a thin batter. Add the garlic, salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Add a teaspoon of milk if the batter is too thick. Dip the buds in the batter and saute until golden brown.
Daylily flowers can be stuffed, or added to soups and vegetables dishes. They can be boiled, steamed or added to stirfries. Add them to salads, or coat with batter and fry. Daylily leaves taste a little like creamed onions. Choose young leaves for best flavour. Add to soups, vegetable dishes and stirfries.
Day Lily Pork
3/4 cup onion rings
3 tablepsoons butter
1 clove garlic, mashed
8 thin slices of pork
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon Madeira wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups chopped day lilies
Saute onions in the butter until translucent. Remove onions from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. To butter, add garlic and pork slices. Cook both sides of pork, and remove from pan, leaving the juices and butter within the pan. Stir cornflour into the soy sauce until smooth, add to the pan with ginger, wine, salt andpepper. Stir ingredients until thickened and clear. Add the chopped day lily and onions to the pan and stir 2 minutes over medium heat. Pour this mixture over pork and serve.
Pasta with Day Lily Buds and Mushrooms
about 185g oyster or shiitake mushrooms
1 heaped cup daylily buds, 2-3cm long
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped marjoram
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated parmesan cheese
500g fresh fettucinne noodles
Put water on to boil while preparing vegetables. Tear mushrooms into large bite size pieces and remove stem of shiitakes. Rinse the daylily buds and pat dry. In large frypan, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute them about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add daylily buds and stir 2-3 minutes. Add the herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and let stand over low heat for a few minutes while pasta is cooking. Drain the pasta, add it to the vegetables, and toss well. Add another tablespoon of butter or oil if necessary. Taste for seasoning and serve hot. Garnish with bread crumbs and parmesan if desired.
Spiced Pickled Day Lily Buds
2 litres day lily buds, freshly boiled and drained
3 cups white vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
2 sticks cinnamon, 5cm long, broken up
10-12 whole cloves
Rinse and drain unopened day lily buds; clip off any stem remnants. Put buds in a saucepan, add water barely to cover. Bring quickly to the boil, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Drain. (At this point, the buds can also be served as a vegetable dish after adding salt, pepper, spices, etc. Or they can be stuffed with ricotta cheese and served.) Pack hot buds into 8 sterile 400ml preserving jars. Combine vinegar, brown sugar, salt, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil 3 minutes. Pour pickling solution over buds, distributing spices equally. Seal at once. Leave for a few weeks before using.
Wow---have you actually tried any of those recipes, Pixie? I think I would eat them only if I didn't know what I was eating----same with dahlias----Swann's Island Dahlia's at one time was selling Dacopa---a drink made from dahlias, but I passed. DavidPaul----the dahlias were getting plenty of sun, but I think last year's cold summer didn't help---most of my dahlias did bloom---but those that did not, I blamed on the weather.
NO! lol
I have a book with recipes in it...i've only tried it once. It did have a kind of nutty taste.
DP you are being funky weird again. I would eat daylilys. I am going to eat tulip foliage this year as I was stressing out cuz I accidently planted a bunch of tulips in the spinach patch while I was having fall placement panic. I have now renamed it the tulip patch and I'm going to eat the tulips and TADA! no more stress. Still don't have a spot for my spinach though sigh :(
I have an Asian recipe somewhere for daylily bud soup. I was so curious, I had to make it. And then I had to sample it. I was pleasantly surprised as the flavour was incredible. Nutty & very different. The quandry one gets into is whether to have flowers or soup.
The recipe insists that the best ones are in the yellow-orange colour range. (Why???)
I will have to try the Dahlia tubers. Sounds interesting, and a great way to make use of the little leftover tuber guys.
I can't eat flowers.
Not even broccoli?^_^
I did buy some broccoli plants after work tonight!
They maybe flowers, but they don't have the color of the other ones. Has anyone tried the flowers of herbs? Not sure how to use them.
Chive blossoms/buds are very tasty & not overpowering in many dishes that call for onion &/or garlic. (I saute' them briefly.)
Sounds like a great way to use those pesky garlic chive blossoms that have over taken my garden. Which side of the Cascades are you on,Katye. My sister lives in WA. She's in the desert.
Or maybe all the wild onions that are all over mine.
I'm on the wet side, aka: about 15 minutes from Seattle, 2 min from Starbucks...
I bought pineapple sage the other day---it blooms for me just before the frosts come, but the leaves have a very strong pineapple smell----nice in iced tea. I also bought a variegated sage which never overwinter for me, but it's a nice foil for the gray sage.
I eat lots of flowers, mostly in salads. I also like to freeze tiny ones like violas into ice cubes for fancydancy parties.
Cute...I saw that done with pansies, very adorable.
I like lemon verbena in my iced tea or just water
I bought my veggies yesterday. I don't have space to do seeds. I planted today- they spent all day and all night outside. Now I'll see how they'll do in the only spot that gets sun in the backyard.
I'm hoping all that is over. I thought it might be too early, but I had the energy,so I did it anyway.
My lettuce, beets, & broccoli raab are up in the garden! Always amazes me when it happens.