Dinner tonight will be extra-special with fresh – the freshest – vegetables around. And all your favourites too – but that’s not a coincidence, you picked them yourself at Prairie Gardens u-pick veggie patch.
U-pick something different
Even though we’re just coming to the end of strawberry season, we still have lots – and I mean lots – of veggies and herbs for you to pick on the farm. Here is a list of all the vegetables ready right now – so you’ll know how big a bucket you’ll need – and some tips on how to store your produce.
And keep watching our blog – we’re going to start posting recipes this week, in case you need some extra inspiration.
Greens, beans and everything in between
Tomatoes of all shapes and sizes, including tiny yellow pear (my favourite) – store cool and dry on your counter out of direct sunlight or if you are a real high achiever, jar a batch of tomatoes or make ketchup like Jamie Oliver
Lettuce – wash, dry and keep in bottom crisper lined with towels or wrap in paper towel and refrigerate in plastic bag or container
Peas, green, yellow and purple beans – keep in a plastic bag in crisper or shell, blanch, chill and freeze
Swiss Chard and kale – store unwashed in plastic in the fridge or wash, blanch for two minutes, chill in ice water then freeze
Green, yellow and Lebanese light green zucchini – keep in plastic in a cool area of the fridge
New white potatoes – keep unwashed in a cool, dry, dark place in cardboard, paper or mesh for ventilation
Mini red cabbage – refrigerate in plastic or wash, blanch, chill and freeze
Mixed herbs, including lemon balm, basil, lemon thyme, dill – you can either wash, dry and store in paper towel like lettuce or keep in a vase like flowers (and when you’re very lucky, your mint will root and hey, free mint!)
Mixed edible flowers – first of all try the violas, they’re lovely and delicate, and begonias are tangy and could replace lemon in a salad dressing. Wash, wrap in paper towel and refrigerate in plastic, keep in a glass of water in the fridge or dry your edible flowers
