Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes provide the year's first taste of garlic, and let me tell you, it is potent! Scapes are the flower stalks of the hard-neck garlic. They are beautiful sight to behold. So graceful in their curvy growing habit... they look like swan's necks.

The garlic scapes may be chopped fresh into salads, or lightly sautéd in olive oil, but I have learned that my favorite way to use these tender flower stalks is zinged up in the food processor with a little olive oil to make a very flavorful paste. Simply add to sauces and soups or whatever needs a healthy dose of fresh garlic taste. Save up for future needs by storing in the freezer. It doesn't hurt the flavor at all. I admit, they do look prettier in their natural form, but this is the promise of some good eating to come!

Photo Gallery - Garden in Transition

Room for summer crops

Herbs

Hard-neck garlic scapes have emerged

Salad Turnips

Edamame

Blueberries

Last of the over-wintered greens...

Best Year Ever for Lettuce!

E.F. poses with a beautiful bunch of lettuce

Survivors

We're back to more seasonal temperatures. Today, the high is expected to reach 56 degrees. Time for the big reveal.

First, I uncovered the spinach bed. I pulled back the row cover. Behold! The spinach is thriving! Green, lush, and ... SWEET. I picked a handful and ate it right there.

That was the good news.

The mustard did not fare as well. Check out the blogpost on December 5 to see a "before" picture. Here's the "after" shot. There's no hope here. How do you like me now?!

dead mustard greens

Other crops are definitely cold hurt, but already showing signs of new growth. They will bounce back and live to give many delicious meals. Note that the weeds have thrived under cover as well!

lettuce

tatsoi

pokchoi

collards

kale

Big Snow

The garden is under a blanket of snow ... 8" - 10"! It was beautiful coming down all day yesterday. This is the 2nd snow event of 2018. And it's been cold!

In fact, temperatures in the Triangle area fell below freezing at 2:00am on Sunday, December 31st and did not rise above 32 degrees for 158 consecutive hours at 3:00pm on January 6 (measured at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport). This freezing streak broke the previous record of 157 hours set in January 1982.

We're past all that now, thank goodness, but I'm sure the low temps (days and days under 20 degrees, and as low as 4 degrees) have had a detrimental effect on my winter greens. We shall see.

Fall Greens so Healthy and Lush

Mustard Greens