Gardening in Quebec
A first sour cherry harvest, made into no-sugar jam, foretells the abundant harvest of relatively sweet cherries ahead, about a week later than last year. I’m going to be busy, and up on a ladder, to harvest the sweet cherries. At least I now have a cherry pitter!
The small vegetable garden planting that I have is looking good; LOTS of lettuce has been harvested, but I’m hopeful about the broccoli and scarlet runner beans. And who knows, maybe the bush zucchini, planted late, will surprise me with a few fruits.
The first sugar snap peas were ready, today, too; I’ll be harvesting over the next couple of days to get a decent amount to cook. Some sort of wild-foraged sea kale from the farmer’s market in Le Bic (delicious), will be our vegetable this evening, along with new potatoes from the local grocery.
These were labeled “ product from here.” Even though I live in a bastion of local food for the other half of the year, I’m glad to see local products celebrated in regular groceries here so strongly!
The small vegetable garden planting that I have is looking good; LOTS of lettuce has been harvested, but I’m hopeful about the broccoli and scarlet runner beans. And who knows, maybe the bush zucchini, planted late, will surprise me with a few fruits.
It is so yummy when the produce is locsl. I love summer fruit here in So Cal.
ReplyDeleteWe're having great local strawberries right now, with wild blueberries to come, I think. I loved the rhubarb that I was able to harvest this year from our two plants. I may sneak a last harvest from the gigantic plant on the slope!
DeleteSea Kale? Pics please! That is really exciting! Is it salty?
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I only have pictures of cooked sea kale; it's a sturdier green than spinach, but more tender than kale. It is a brassica (Crambe maritima), so has a similar flavor profile, but definitely with a salty edge. I may try to grow some. I think this forager must have found a very rare patch, probably persisting from a very old homestead (it was grown here in the 1860's), as it was still a popular vegetable then in Europe (and perennial!)
DeleteI remember the fresh produce in Quebec as being especially delicious. A cherry tree makes for a lot of work, though! Judy used to make pie filling and freeze it.
ReplyDeleteCherries ARE work; it was reasonably fun last year, and I'm about to head out to pick my first bunch of "sweet cherries." The strawberries here are particularly good and local plums are just started to come in.
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