The gardening diary of an experienced Pacific NW gardener.
Thursday, September 03, 2015
Greens. 9.3.15
Greens at 1 month. 9.3.15
Greens at 1 month. 9.3.15
Greens really took off with the last couple of days, a little cooler and rainy. Swiss Chard about ready to eat. Ditto with nasturtiums. Spinach further behind but growing. EW Onions are nearing edible stage. Cilantro is hidden b the Swiss Chard, but I expect it to take off once the larger vegetable is eaten.
How do you eat your nasturtium? Put the leaves into a salad? I've never take a liking to them. I ate many salads from the lettuce I grew in the bigger container for the first time. Just tired of feeding slugs and snails when I plant them in the ground. Its easier for water retention it seems the soil stay wet longer. You can get a square meal in your container!
The leaves are crispy and succulent, like Chinese greens and some of the better lettuce and spinach. They have a peppery flavor. I think it's too much to eat them by themselves but they add some spice to a salad.
This is from Mother Earth News: "Besides spicing up raw garden salads, nasturtium leaves can be stuffed like grape leaves, cooked and served as you would spinach (the dish goes well with a garlic butter seasoning) or chopped up and sprinkled into luncheon spreads."
This is from wikipedia on nasturtium (Tropaeolum):
All parts of Tropaeolum majus are edible. The flower has most often been consumed, making for an especially ornamental salad ingredient; it has a slightly peppery taste reminiscent of watercress, and is also used in stir fry. The flowers contain about 130 mg vitamin C per 100 grams (3.5 oz),[20] about the same amount as is contained in parsley.[21] Moreover, they contain up to 45 mg of lutein per 100 g,[22] which is the highest amount found in any edible plant. The unripe seed pods can be harvested and dropped into spiced vinegar to produce a condiment and garnish, sometimes used in place of capers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropaeolum
I have red the ripe seeds might contain a toxin, so I don't know about using them as capers.
Yes, the seeds are known to be bad for you. Ha, I guess the demand for the nasturtium leaves aren't that great compares to the flowers because I'm seen a lot of packaged flowers in a lot of shops. I've yet to see the leaves in the farmer's market. Maybe one day it will be in some chef's next greatest "it" ingredient. Like kale or bak choi because I remember long ago the kale is not much as mention in books or recipes.
Nasturtiums are edible? I have some, but just as flowers. I'll have to google them.
ReplyDeleteHow do you eat your nasturtium? Put the leaves into a salad?
ReplyDeleteI've never take a liking to them. I ate many salads from the lettuce I grew in the bigger container for the first time. Just tired of feeding slugs and snails when I plant them in the ground. Its easier for water retention it seems the soil stay wet longer. You can get a square meal in your container!
The leaves are crispy and succulent, like Chinese greens and some of the better lettuce and spinach. They have a peppery flavor. I think it's too much to eat them by themselves but they add some spice to a salad.
ReplyDeleteThis is from Mother Earth News: "Besides spicing up raw garden salads, nasturtium leaves can be stuffed like grape leaves, cooked and served as you would spinach (the dish goes well with a garlic butter seasoning) or chopped up and sprinkled into luncheon spreads."
Here is the Mother Earth News link on how to use nasturtiums as a vegetable.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/nasturtium-zmaz82mjzglo.aspx?PageId=2
Nasturtium Soup.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/nasturtium-soup-1209896
This is from wikipedia on nasturtium (Tropaeolum):
ReplyDeleteAll parts of Tropaeolum majus are edible. The flower has most often been consumed, making for an especially ornamental salad ingredient; it has a slightly peppery taste reminiscent of watercress, and is also used in stir fry. The flowers contain about 130 mg vitamin C per 100 grams (3.5 oz),[20] about the same amount as is contained in parsley.[21] Moreover, they contain up to 45 mg of lutein per 100 g,[22] which is the highest amount found in any edible plant. The unripe seed pods can be harvested and dropped into spiced vinegar to produce a condiment and garnish, sometimes used in place of capers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropaeolum
I have red the ripe seeds might contain a toxin, so I don't know about using them as capers.
Yes, the seeds are known to be bad for you. Ha, I guess the demand for the nasturtium leaves aren't that great compares to the flowers because I'm seen a lot of packaged flowers in a lot of shops. I've yet to see the leaves in the farmer's market. Maybe one day it will be in some chef's next greatest "it" ingredient. Like kale or bak choi because I remember long ago the kale is not much as mention in books or recipes.
ReplyDeleteI think nasturtium is particularly attractive to butterfly larvae. I let it run wild and I've some swallowtail and admiral butterflies this yr.
ReplyDeleteThat's good to know. I hoped bees would like the nasturtiums but no such luck.
ReplyDelete