Topic: First Harvest

[gecko]

We only got our lottie a few weeks back - so too much to ask that it produced anything just yet, but we planted a few things earlier in the year in our garden and have just had the first pickings off that.

Baby carrots, beetroot and parsnips out of the ground. Strawberries from pots on the deck, and lettuce out of the greenhouse.

What a tremendous difference to shop bought rubbish!

Never had beetroot as a vegetable before, pulled a few to thin out the bed, and had about 10 1" roots to do something with. Had no idea what to do with it so roasted it with a leg of lamb - was a massive hit with me, mrs gecko & daughter gecko. Will definately be doing that again!

All in all, just that little harvest has confirmed the decision to fight the fat hen, bindweed, thistles, nettles, couch, elder and buttercup for control of the lottie. First thing from there should be french beans (The Prince) which were starting in modules in the greenhouse but have been in the first bed we opened up at the lottie for a couple of weeks now and seem to be quite happy.

Fingers crossed ;D

[Piglottie]

Well done Gecko!!!

I have yet to sample the delights of my own produce, being an allotmenteer of only 5 weeks.  Thanks for the inspiration! 

[Ed^Chigliak]

Yes well done

First time I dealt with beetroot I stained everything purple but I figured out a method that doesn't make a mess. Leave the root as you've dug them up and chop the leaves leaving 1" of stalks. You can rinse them but I don't bother and  tend to boil them mud and all. When they are cooked run cold water into the pan like you would for boiled eggs at which point they are squeaky clean. Then rub the skins off keeping them under water. The water turns purple but doesn stain your hands because it is so diluted. Finally top and tail them.

[BAGGY]

I don't but beetroot anymore.  The commercial stuff is nothing like the real mckoy.  Another way to prepare it is, as said, pull it, chop the leaves off, give it a good scrub then boil it.  When its done shove a fork in it and hold it by the fork and scrape the skin off with a knife.  No pink fingers.  Sorted.

[ina]

If you grow choggia beetroot, nothing gets red. They boil to a yellowish pink and taste the same as the red ones. Burpees golden is another option but I didn't have much success with the germination.

[jennym]

Do the yellow beetroot taste as good as the red?

[ina]

Absolutely.

[chrispea27]

twisting the leaves stops the beet root bleeding  so clean hands,the roasted beetroot sounds delicious!

[plot51A]

Pulled my first choggia beetroot yesterday. Tastes even better than the red I think - its stripey so looks very strange. Well worth a try!

[grubbyhobbit]

Got my allotment Easter weekend, and have dug over a mere 1/4 of it.
Was a total disaster area and indistinguishable from the sourrounding wilderness.
BUT, have been planting as I go - dig a bit, stick some spuds in, dig a bit more, put some onions in, etc.

Last night I had a wonderful crop of some lovely waxy potatoes (not sure what they are, lost the label), and my first courgettes!

Would definately recommend this way of working as it breaks down the overwhelming nature of all that digging and couch grass removal!!