View from the deck on a glorious morning in early June.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Brussels Sprouts at Solstice!

Sorry about the fuzzy quality of the picture, I must have used the wrong setting. But we get the gist, right? The best Brussels sprouts we have ever grown, and we had a whole bed of them, 12 uncrowded plants. It was a co-operative effort. I had good plants to set out, thanks to the greenhouse. 
Floating row cover in the early months protected them from the worst ravages of the cabbage moth, though it doesn't do much against slugs.

During the long months when I was out of commission they were watered but received no other care. In early September my helper Michelle gave them a thorough weeding and a generous top dressing of COF. The plants were healthy but the sprouts were still small. In October the drought ended. While I was away in the Netherlands on family business the garden got lots of rain and the sprouts grew some more. By mid November they were quite respectable. We have been enjoying them for weeks. I harvest them by sawing the whole plant off at the base, so I can take the sprouts off without freezing my hands.
Today the last container was prepared according to the recipe from "Vij's elegant inspired Indian cuisine." I made a big batch and took it to the Solstice gathering in the big crock pot on a bed of brown Basmati rice. It was a big hit, a good way to honour the last fresh garden food.

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