It's that time again, my Seeds of the Month package arrived in the mail today!
So, without further ado, here are my four seed packets for this month:
Winter Squash, "Spaghetti"
Lettuce, "Black Seeded Simpson"
Beets, "Ruby Queen"
and
Salsify, "Mammoth Sandwich Island"
I know about spaghetti squash, and of course lettuce and beets, but I will confess to not knowing a THING about salsify?? What is it? When does it get planted? What does it taste like?
I know, I know, I could just google it, but that's what I love about this blog and all my great readers, you all have firsthand experience with some of these things and I like the personal stories. They mean more to me than some random website I can find info on.
So please do share your knowledge and experience, on the salsify, or any of those other varieties of seeds that I received. I've never grown spaghetti squash, does winter squash mean it's grown in Fall/Winter? I know the lettuce and beets will have to wait until next Spring, so for now I need to start thinking about my next gardening "season".
Winter squash means it's grown late Spring and the squash will be harvested in winter (late Fall). Pumpkins are an example of winter squash, harvested around Halloween. The advantage to many of the W. Squash is that they develop a tough rind and once cured will last for months in a cool, dry place like a pantry.
ReplyDeleteBeets can be grown as a winter crop I believe. At least they can here, where winter temps rarely reach freezing. Lettuce too if it's covered on frosty nights.
I've never grown salsify though, I'll keep an eye on the other responses you get. :)
Dang, I knew that, but didn't make the connection. Well, I guess I'll plant those next Spring. We rarely get freezes here, so I'm glad to know about the beets. I love beets!
DeleteI think you and I might still be "googling" the salsify. Ha.
My Seeds of the Month Club hasn't arrived yet, but now I am excited for Salsify. I've never grown it, but it was featured in the most recent edition of Organic Gardening Magazine: http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/rediscovered-roots
ReplyDeleteHow great, thank you for the link. Yes, Salsify is an odd thing I've never heard of but I'm anxious to read about it. Thanks!!
DeleteSalsify or Black Salsify aka Oyster Plant. Root vegetable. Recipe: Scrape black off 10 to 12 roots. Cut them into 1 to 2 inch long chunks and boil in meat broth until tender. Drain and reserve broth. In a large frying pan saute 2 T chopped onions in 2 T butter (or 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil) until onions are tender. Add 2 T flour and stir until smooth. Slowly add 1 c of reserved broth and simmer until sauce is thickened. Season with s & p and add cooked salsify and simmer until heated through. 4 to 6 servings.
ReplyDeleteRecipe is from "Seasons of Plenty" Amana Communal Cooking. Amana is a formerly communal community in Iowa which is still active although no longer a commune. It is now a charming historically protected community composed of 7 vibrant small towns.
Wow, it certainly SOUNDS like a great ingredient for that recipe. I've heard a little about "Amana" but don't know much about it. Now I've got something else to google, ha. Thanks for sharing that recipe, when I grow it, I'm going to make that the first recipe with it!
DeleteSalsify is new to me as well!
ReplyDeleteYou will want to grow your beets in the fall. Here in Texas and especially down where you are. Turnips as well plant in the fall. If you pre-soak your beet seeds overnight before you plant them they germinate better. I have found Beets to be a tough one. I think its our temps here. They like cold. I just love beets!
Lettuce too will grow for you in cooler temps way better than when its hot.
I grow spaghetti squash every year just love it. You can trellis it to save space in your garden as it does ramble around. Leave the squash on the vine till the stems turn brown then pick it. It will stay good a very long time. I have had some last till my next harvest! Just don't pick it to soon :O). Let those stems turn brown. Ya the plants get to looking pretty rag tag but hang tight and wait it out :O). Leave a 2-3" piece of stem on them when you cut them off the vine just like when you pick a pumpkin. Store in a dry, cool, out of sun place. I use a closet. Don't wash them with water. If one has something on it you want off just use a dry towel to wipe it off. I plant mine early spring when I am planting everything else. In Texas as you know we have to beat the blistering heat.
I got a seed order in yesterday from Baker Creek :O) isn't it fun to get them!
Wow, great info! I need to remember to come back to this post, lol. Yes, I didn't get the garden area ready quick enough, and as you said, in Texas we have to beat the heat as they say.
DeleteSeeds are fun to get anytime you can get them huh? It's like Christmas! Dreams of what my come from them! Ha.
I am glad a Texan came in to suggest planting time for you. I am new to central Texas and have found out I live in Zone 8B but locals tell me it is more like a Zone 9. This is a major growing season here. I have never grown salsify but will look for it the next time I am out. I know the others will grow here now. I understand parsnips often make it as well. Due to the heat I am still waiting for tomatoes...sigh!
ReplyDeleteMmm, parsnips are good too! I didn't think about that. So the heat is affecting your Toms as well? I have an almost 4 foot tall tomato plant that has not produced a single tomato yet. It's so strange. Double sigh!
DeleteI must say, I looked at your blog photo before I read it and wondered to myself what is salsify? Thought maybe it was just an american word for something we call something different in the uk, but I looked it up and I didn't know any of the various words for it that came up. Will be sure interesting to grow and eat if you have no idea what it is! Maybe it will become one of your favourite foods, who knows. Looking forward to hearing more about it.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird huh? Imagine what i thought when I opened the envelope, ha. And you know what's funny? When I saw the name, I thought the opposite, maybe it was a foreign vegetable that we called something else here, LOL!
DeleteWin, lose or draw, I'll blog all about it here when it happens! :-)
Looks like a carrot to me. It also seems to be something from back in the day.
ReplyDeleteIt does look like a brown or tan kind of carrot huh? It's definitely something old, I can't wait to try it out.
Delete