New Vegetable Bed Planted

Over the last 2 weeks we have gradually planted seedling in our new bed.  This bed receives much more sunshine than our original bed.

The bed is divided into quarters and at the moment are:
Bed 1 - Leafy vegetables (plus 2 roots at the end that wouldn't fit in bed 2) - 3 varieties of Lettuce
Bed 2 - Root vegetables - Carrots & Radishes sown in together
Bed 3 - Fruiting - Zucchini
Bed 4 - Fruiting - Capsicums & Tomatoes

The carrots & radishes were sown straight into the bed, then we left an old nightie over them for a couple of weeks till they germinated (note: next time sow carrots 1-2 weeks before radishes).  The zucchini were germinated in toilet rolls indoors.  One tomato plant is self-seeded from the compost, and the onion is growing from an onion in the kitchen.  The rest are seedlings from the nursery.

Starting on the new bed

Snowpeas!

Today Steve discovered a few snowpeas growing! I was sick yesterday so didn't check the garden once, then suddenly there they were today!

One of the broccoli is being eaten by something


but the beans are looking very happy.

Tonight - a feast fit for a king!

Bok Choy & Tatsoi Recipes

Completely forgot that the seeds I planted on the north and west side were Bok Choy - I planted the Tatsoi seedlings around them and later wondered exactly what they were. Today I finally looked at my original seed packets and - der - realised what they were.

So we had a bok choy stir fry for lunch!
Bok Choy
Onions
Ginger
Tamari
Long life noodles
Yum!

Last night we had the below recipe for dinner, which we ALL enjoyed. I added a small tin of salmon. (I didn't have sage)

Browned Butter Pasta with Tatsoi
Serves 2

Your pasta of choice, preferably curved or with ridges
1/2 stick unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Leaves of 2 to 3 bunches of tatsoi, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped sage
Freshly grated parmesan
Lemon wedges, optional

Cook pasta to al dente in salted water.

Garden in September

Every day there is something new to be seen in the food garden, the plants are growing overnight.

Snowpea blooms are appearing daily

Tatsoy are going crazy - we are eating them daily for dinner, mostly with salad but the other night a stirfry.

Capsicum seedlings (bought) are happy

Broccoli are getting huge but STILL have no heads growing

Broadbeans are flowering, white flowers with black spots

Chives are happy, basil is getting eaten by something ...

The garden still receives no sun at 11am but is getting more in the late afternoon.
Am really enjoying picking and eating and watching our vegetables.
Thinking of starting a new plot ...

Flowers!

At last, some pea and bean flowers. Five snow pea and one broadbean flower. The broadbean flower seems to be attracting ants.

During the week I planted 3 spinach seedlings and 6 capsicum.

Enjoying Tatsoy

Now that the weather is warmer the Tatsoy has grown like mad, faster than critters can eat it.
Reading back in an earlier post where I was not sure if I separated the tatsoy out enough, it seems to be quite happy fairly packed.

We enjoyed a tatsoy salad with a dressing of
Olive 0il
Sesame oil
Garlic
Soy sauce (tamari)
and macadamias - yum!

Now the first of the tatsoys have flowered, they are bolting quickly, time to eat them up. Note to self: next time plant in stages.

Broccoli is looking much better but no heads forming yet.
Broadbeans and Snow Peas growing up but no flowers.
Coriander happy and also shooting up.

Have planted some basil seedlings (from Thursday Markets) in a large pot with some chives, they are happy with the CMC in that pot.

Tonight will try fresh peppermint tea for the first time.