The oyster mushroom gets its name from its cap which, some say, resembles an oyster. The stem of the oyster mushrooms is perhaps more distinct; it unfurls something like one of those old-time paper lady's fans. The oyster mushroom has...

Never miss a recipe!

Enter your email address to subscribe to Harvest to Table free via email:

Topics Index

almanac apples artichoke arugula asparagus basil beans beets best bet varieties blueberries bok choy books broccoli brussels sprouts cabbage carrots cauliflower celery chard cherries chilies Chinese cabbage Chinese leaves compost cooking cool-season vegetables corn cucumbers dates delicious bite delicious bites dried beans eggplant farmers market fennel fresh this week garbanzo bean gardening tips garlic grapefruit grapes herbs horseradish hot peppers how to grow in the garden kale kitchen garden kitchen garden almanac kohlrabi leeks legumes lemon lettuce mandarin orange melons mint mushrooms mustard greens nectarines okra olives onions oranges parsnips peaches pears peas peppers pests and diseases pests diseases problems potatoes pumpkin radish recipes rutabaga salsify seed starting shallots soil Southern Hemisphere spinach spring onions squash strawberry summer squash sun-dried tomato sunchokes sweet corn sweet pepper sweet potato tangerine tomato turnip turnip greens vegetable garden watermelons winter squash zucchini

Tag Results

56 Tag Results from Harvest to Table

Pagination: 1 - 2 - 3

25 result(s) displayed (1 - 25):

January Garden in the Northern Hemisphere

Happy New Year! Our kitchen garden planting list for January follows, but first a little history on this first month of the year.

January is the coldest month of the year in the northern half of the world. The Norseman named January for Thor, their gold of thunder and storms. The Anglo-Saxons called it Wolfmonth because the wolves came into the villages in the dead of winter to search for food.

Legend says that the Roman emperor Numa Pompilius added January and February to the 10-month Roman calendar in about 700 B.C., and that Julius Caesar added the 31^st day to January in 46 B.C.

January is named after the Roman god Janus, the god of doors and gates and of beginnings and endings. Passing through a door or gate can be a metaphor for starting something new and leaving something behind, an ending and a beginning. Janus had two faces; one looking ahead and one looking back.

The Romans often prayed to Janus when they were about to start something new. Janus came first among the Roman gods in prayers.

The tradition in ancient Rome was to give friends and family branches of bay and palm trees at the beginning of January. As the ancient Romans used to say, the first month of the year is a time for "turning over a new leaf."

Continue reading "January Garden in the Northern Hemisphere" »

December Garden in the Northern Hemisphere

December is the "frosty month" in the northern hemisphere. Frosty, but not the coldest, true winter is yet to come.

Winter arrives this year on December 22, the winter solstice. On the first day of winter, the sun reaches the solstice when it will go no further south. This will be the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere (and the longest in the southern hemisphere).

With the shortest day of the year at the winter solstice, every day after will grow longer as the sun turns northward. The ancient Romans celebrated the sun's return with a holiday called Saturnalia. The goddess of the hearth--and home, Vesta, had her special time in December.

Ancient Celtic priests of northern Europe, known as Druids, also had a special festival for their sun god in December. They celebrated with sprigs of mistletoe which were considered a charm.

The Norse and Anglo-Saxon tribes of ancient Europe burned a huge oak log once a year during December to honor Thor, the god of thunder. That was the Juul (pronounced yool) log, that we now call the Yule Log.

Continue reading "December Garden in the Northern Hemisphere" »

December Garden in the Southern Hemisphere

If you are preparing for your summer Christmas holiday, make sure that the vegetable garden is well mulched before you go. Mulch will keep the weeds down and conserve the moisture in the soil while you are away.

December is not too early to consider breaking out the shade cloth to protect the tender plants from the summer heat that should be upon us next month.

And December is the month to plan ahead for winter in the southern hemisphere. Winter crops such as beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, leeks, and the cool-weather Chinese vegetables can be planted before this month is finished. By the time they are up to size, the summer weather will be on its way out.

Look for the first harvest of early tomatoes towards the end of this month. How about a garden fresh tomato sandwich on Christmas Day! Pinch out the growing tips on cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash now before they get a firm grip on the rest of the garden. Also begin to monitor fruit trees to make sure young limbs aren't carrying too much weight.

Continue reading "December Garden in the Southern Hemisphere" »

November Garden in the Northern Hemisphere

If Novem is the Latin word for nine, then why is November the eleventh month of the year?

It all started in 46 B.C, when Julius Caesar asked the astronomer Sosigenes to review the calendar and improve it.

Calendars are systems for measuring and recording the passage of time. Nature gives us a regular sequence of seasons. Since nature controls the supply of natural foods, a calendar was one way for humans to prepare for winter with a little forethought.

At first humans followed the solar year by the changing position of the moon and sun. The first calendar was a lunar calendar that noted the changing position and shape of the moon. That calendar came up about 11 days shorter than the true solar year.

The Romans borrowed their first calendar from the Greeks. The first Roman calendar had 10 months. Julius Caesar worked hard on the calendar. He's the one who finally settled on twelve months. When that happened, November--which was once the ninth month--became the eleventh month.

Julius Caesar named a new month, July, after himself. The emperor after him Augustus Caesar named August after himself. When the Roman Senate offered to name a month after the next emperor Tiberius Caesar, Tiberius declined and quipped, "What will you do if you have thirteen emperors?"

Continue reading "November Garden in the Northern Hemisphere" »

Planting Onions

Onions are a kitchen staple. Grow onions from seed, seedlings, or sets (small dry onion bulbs started the year before). Bulbing onions require 80 to 120 days to reach harvest. Green onions are harvested before they form bulbs, in 40 days or less. Spring onions form small, immature bulbs and are harvested in 40 to 60 days.

Planting Calendar. Onions require cool weather to start growth and produce green leaves for green or spring onions and warm weather to produce mature bulbs. Onions seeds, seedlings, and sets are frost hardy. (Learn more about types of onions and varieties, click here.)

● Spring planting. Plant onion seed, seedlings, and sets in early spring in northern and cold-winter regions for harvest the following autumn after they have formed bulbs. Sow seeds directly in the garden as early as four weeks before the average last frost date, or start seed earlier in late winter in a greenhouse or cold frame and transplant seedlings to the garden in early spring.

● Autumn planting. Plant onion sets in late summer or early autumn in southern and warmer regions. Over winter these onions for lifting mid summer or autumn the following year. (Tips on planting the fall garden, click here.)

Place. Plant bulb onions in full sun. Green onions can be planted in partial shade.

Continue reading "Planting Onions" »

October Garden in the Northern Hemisphere

The name October comes from the Latin word for eight, "octo". October was the eighth month in the Roman calendar. That all changed in the sixteenth century when the Gregorian calendar was adopted. Now, October is the tenth month.

The whole reason for changing the calendar came with the notion of bringing the calendar into synch with the seasons of the year. Under the Roman calendar, the seasons from one year to the next weren't always in synch. In other words, spring didn't always arrive in March in the northern hemisphere and fall didn't always arrive in October.

Well, these days October north of the equator means autumn. October is the month to finish the harvest and prepare for the first frost of autumn. October is the month when the sunshine grows hazy and the air grows tangy. The leaves change from crimson, to russet, to gold, and the birds fly south.

Apples may still be on the tree in October and many grapes are still on the vine, but farmers are gathering their crops. Thanksgiving in Canada comes on the second Monday of October.

Indian summer also comes in October. There will be some warm days this month, but the nights are growing colder and insects that called the garden home will be gone with the first frost. Sparrows and other seed-eating birds are busy this month in fields and meadows collecting food for the winter.

Continue reading "October Garden in the Northern Hemisphere" »

Planting Cabbage

Cabbage can be harvested nearly all year round as long as the weather stays cool. Plant cabbage in early to mid spring for harvest mid summer onwards. Plant autumn cabbage in late spring for harvest in fall. Plant winter cabbage in late spring for harvest in winter. Plant spring cabbage in summer for harvest next spring. The key is to choose the season in your region where cabbage will grow and come to harvest in cool weather. (Types of cabbage, click here.)

Planting Calendar. Cabbage is a cool-season crop that requires 70 to 120 days to reach harvest. Cabbage is best grown in temperatures between 25ºF and 80ºF (9º-27ºC), but is frost-hardy to temperatures as low as 20ºF. Cabbage grown in weather that is either too hot or too cold will bolt without forming a head. Weather that is too warm also can cause cabbage to split. Plant cabbage so that it is ready for harvest in cool weather.

● Spring planting. Sow cabbage seed 4 to 6 weeks before the average last frost date. Allow 60 to 90 growing days before temperatures rise consistently above 80ºF (27ºC). Cabbage planted in early spring will be ready for harvest in early summer. In cool regions, cabbage planted in mid spring will be ready for harvest from mid summer onwards.

● Autumn planting. Plant cabbage in mid to late summer for harvest in autumn or winter. Summer planted cabbage must come to harvest in the cool weather of autumn or winter. In mild-winter regions, plant cabbage in autumn or winter for harvest in winter or spring. Cabbage started in mid winter can be grown under a cloche for harvest in early spring. (Tips on planting autumn and winter vegetables.)

Succession cropping. To ensure a constant supply, sow seed and transplants every three or four weeks or sow seed and set transplants at the same time for a successive harvest. Early and midseason cabbage varieties planted at the same time will mature several weeks apart.

Place. Cabbage grows best in full sun but will tolerate light shade for part of the day.

Continue reading "Planting Cabbage" »

Planting Broccoli

Broccoli can be served raw as an appetizer or in salads. Cook broccoli until it is just tender, still firm and crunchy. Broccoli needs cool weather to grow--warm weather will cause the buds to "rice" or open as flowers. Broccoli is suited for springs that are long and cool or autumns where there is no Indian summer. Where winters are mild, start broccoli in fall for harvest in spring. (Tips on cooking and serving broccoli, click here.)

Planting Calendar. Broccoli is a cool-season vegetable that requires from 40 to 90 days to reach harvest depending upon the variety. Broccoli grows best in temperatures that range from no more than 80ºF (27ºC) during the day to about 60°F at night. Broccoli is frost hardy and can tolerate temperatures as low as 20ºF. Temperatures that are too cold or too warm will cause broccoli to bolt without forming a head. Plant broccoli so that it comes to harvest during cool weather.

• Spring crop. Sow broccoli seed 4 to 6 weeks before your region's average last frost date for a late spring harvest.

• Autumn and winter crop. For a fall or winter harvest, transplant broccoli seedlings into the garden in midsummer in the North. In mild winter regions such as the South and Southwest, broccoli can be planted in the fall. In cold regions, broccoli should come to maturity before the freezing weather sets in; protect broccoli in a plastic tunnel for harvest into winter. (Tips on planting the autumn garden, click here.)

Place. Broccoli grows best in full sun, but will grow in light shade. Broccoli is not a suitable crop for very hot climates.

Continue reading "Planting Broccoli" »

Planting Cauliflower

Planting Calendar. Cauliflower is a cool-season vegetable that that require from 90 to 120 days to mature and reach harvest. During the cauliflower growing season temperatures should range between 55ºF and 80ºF (13-27ºC). Cauliflower grown in hot or dry conditions can form loose, "ricey" heads. Conversely cauliflower also does not do well in very cold weather.

• Spring crop. Cauliflower needs two cool months in which to mature. For a spring crop plant set out transplants 4 to 6 weeks before the average date of the last frost in your area. Sow seed 6 weeks before your outdoor planting date.

• Autumn and winter crop. Sow cauliflower seed 90 to 120 days before the first frost in your region, or plant to protect plants that mature after the first frost in autumn. Plastic tunnels will protect cauliflower after the first frost. Plant cauliflower for a winter crop if your winters are mild. (Tips on planting the autumn garden, click here.)

Succession planting. Plant just a few heads at a time. For succession crops, plant seeds and transplants at the same time for succession crops, or plant early and midseason varieties at the same time.

Place. Cauliflower prefers full sun but will grow in light shade.

Continue reading "Planting Cauliflower" »

Planting Brussels Sprouts

Planting Calendar. Brussels sprouts are best grown in cool weather, usually in early spring or autumn. Sprouts require from 80 to 110 days with daylight temperatures below 80ºF (27ºC) and nighttime temperatures even lower. Brussels sprouts are frost hardy and will tolerate temperatures as low as 20ºF. A frost will sweeten the flavor of Brussels sprouts. Temperatures that are either too cold or too warm for too long will cause Brussels sprouts to taste bitter. Sprouts that develop in hot weather may not form compact cabbage-like heads. Where winters are mild, Brussels sprouts are best grown in late fall or winter.

• Spring crop. Sow seeds 4 to 6 weeks before the average last frost date in spring or sow directly in the garden 2 weeks before the last frost.

• Autumn and winter crop. Where summer and fall is not too warm, sow Brussels sprouts seeds about 90 days before the first frost date. In mild-winter areas, Brussels sprouts can be planted in autumn for winter harvest. (More tips on growing cool-season vegetables click here.)

Place. Brussels sprouts prefer full sun but will grow in light shade.

Continue reading "Planting Brussels Sprouts" »

Planting Beets

Planting Calendar. Beets grow best in cool weather, in early spring or autumn. Beets grown in cool weather will be sweet and crisp. The temperature during the 55 to 90 days it takes to grow beets should remain below 65ºF (18ºC).

• Spring crop. Sow beet seeds as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost. Beets will germinate in soil as cool as 45ºF (7ºC) but will grow best in soil about 50ºF (10ºC). For successive crops, plant beets every 10 days. Young beet plants can tolerate frost but they will go to seed without making roots if the weather is too cold.

• Autumn and winter crop. Beets can be planted in late summer for an autumn or winter crop. Depending upon variety allow 50 to 90 days for beets to mature before the first freeze. (Look on the seed packet for days to maturity and then count backwards from the estimated first frost date in your area.) Where there is no freeze, plant beets in winter. Once autumn beets have matured, they can be left in the ground for winter harvest as long as the ground does not freeze. Beets can be grown in a cold frame or protected by a plastic tunnel. (More tips on growing cool-season vegetables click here.)

Place. Beets will grow in full sun or light shade.

Continue reading "Planting Beets" »

September Garden in the Northern Hemisphere

September is the ninth month of the year these days, but under the old Roman calendar, September was the seventh month. The Latin word for "seven" is septem.

The autumnal equinox will arrive on September 22 this year in the northern half of the world, summer will end and autumn will begin.

September is one of the warmest months of the year particularly in the southern regions. In the northern regions, the days can be hot, but the nights will become increasingly cool.

The Greeks honored Demeter during this month, and the Romans honored Ceres, goddesses of agriculture.

Harvest festivals and feasts come in September to celebrate the end of harvest.

In the garden this month, plant cool season crops that will endure frost: beets, carrots, Swiss chard, head and leaf lettuce, mustard, onion seeds and sets, radish, turnips, and kale.

Continue reading "September Garden in the Northern Hemisphere" »

Cool-Season Vegetable Varieties

This is Part III of a four part series; see series list below.

Below is a list of cool-weather vegetable varieties for your garden.

Select plant varieties that are suited for cool weather or that come to harvest quickly when planting cool-season gardens. Cool-season plant varieties are best suited for planting the kitchen garden in early spring or in late summer, autumn, and winter.

Check the seed packet or the plant marker that comes with vegetable starts to see how many days the seed or plant requires to reach maturity.

Make sure that there is plenty of time for your plants to mature in advance of the first freeze if you are planting the autumn or winter garden. Conversely cool-season crops planted in spring do best if they mature before the weather turns warm.

You may find that transplants or vegetable starts work best in autumn. That way summer crops can remain in the garden for a few weeks longer. Of course, starts begun under cover in spring and later transplanted into the open extend the growing season as well.

Also in the coldest growing regions, a double cover of both a tunnel and cold frame may keep the soil from freezing.

Here is a guide to cool-season kitchen garden crop varieties:

Continue reading "Cool-Season Vegetable Varieties" »

Planting the Autumn, Winter, and Spring Garden

Cool-season crops are best suited for planting in autumn, winter and spring. In spring, cool-season crops can be planted just before or just after the last frost. Planting cool-seaon crops in autumn and winter takes a bit more planning.

To plan and plant your autumn and winter garden follow these steps:

Step 1. Start with the number of days it takes the crop you are planting to grow to maturity and harvest. Days to maturity will be listed on the seed package. (If you are transplanting vegetable starts from the garden center, the days to maturity from transplanting are usually listed on the plant marker.)

Step 2. Determine the average first frost date in your region. If you are not sure, check with a nearby garden center, the master gardener program in your area, or the county or state agriculture extension office. Remember that this date is an average and thus a guideline for your calculations. The first frost date varies from year to year.

Step 3. Add 10 days to the number of days to maturity for the crop you are planting. Now count back on a calendar from the average first frost date the total number of days for each crop. That is the last recommended date to direct seed the crop. (Direct seed means sowing the seed in the soil of your garden.)

As a quick guide, here's how many days several cool-season crops need to reach maturity:

Continue reading "Planting the Autumn, Winter, and Spring Garden" »

Cool-Season and Warm-Season Crops

The time for sowing depends upon where you live. What to plant depends upon the season and weather.

Vegetables are generally divided into two categories: cool-season crops and warm-season crops.

Cool-season crops should be planted so that they mature when the weather is cool, either in spring or early summer or in autumn or winter. Cool-season crops come to harvest in cool weather, either in spring or fall or winter. Cool-season crops can be planted when the soil and air temperatures are cool, as low as 40ºF (5ºC). Mature cool-season crops can survive in temperatures near freezing without protection. Cool-season crops do not do well in the warmest summer temperatures.

Warm-season crops should be planted so that they mature when the weather is warm, when the soil and air temperatures are above 50ºF (10ºC). They will grow best when the temperature is 75ºF (24ºC) or warmer. Warm-season vegetables can be grown out of their season if they are protected from temperatures below 50ºF (10ºC).

Continue reading "Cool-Season and Warm-Season Crops" »

Cool Season Kitchen Gardening: A Series

The end of August and the beginning of September is a time of planning and planting in the ktichen garden. In the northern hemisphere, summer is giving way to autumn and winter will soon follow. In the southern henisphere, winter is giving way to spring.

Wherever you live--except in the tropics--this is a time for planting cool-weather plants. If your transition is from winter to spring and the garden is nearly empty (in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and South Africa) then now is the time to sow or soon sow cool-weather spring crops in the cold frame or directly into the garden. If you live in the northern hemisphere (North America, Europe, Russia, China and temperate Asia), where the garden is still full of summer crops, the transition from warm-weather crops to cool-weather autumn and winter crops is a feat of spacing and timing.

This begins a short series--a few days and articles--on growing cool-weather crops. Here's what we will cover:

Part I: Cool-Season and Warm-Season Crops: the basics.

Part II: Planting the Autumn, Winter, and Spring Garden.

Part III: Cool-Season Vegetable Varieties: what to plant in autumn and spring.

Part IV: Extending the Season: how to get more time out of your garden.

Kitchen gardening is both an art and a science. There are plenty of growing basics to follow, and if you do you will almost always be successful, that's the science part. But gardening is also an art, which is to say both you and the weather can do something unexpected (and, for the most part, you will still be mostly successful). Growing the kitchen garden is never the same from one garden to the next and from one day or week or year to the next. The best rule to follow is to simply enjoy doing the best you and your garden can with what you know and what Nature gives you. With time, your knowledge and experience will change (and grow) and so will Nature. The lesson: enjoy each moment.

Continue reading "Cool Season Kitchen Gardening: A Series" »

Thinning Apples

Too many apples? Sometimes, yes.

The best way to large delicious apples is thinning the crop.

Thinning apples is easy. Thin the fruit to a distance of twice the diameter of the fruit at maturity. If you expect the mature apples to be 3-inches across, leave 6 inches between each apple after thinning. If you're not sure how big the apples on your tree will be at their peak, thin to a distance of 6 to 8 inches apart on the branch.

Some apple thinners remove the fruit on every other spur; others leave a fruit on every third spur as they thin from the trunk outward on a branch. Always leave the largest fruit on the spur. Whichever method you choose, the goal is to leave plenty of room for each apple to mature.

Continue reading "Thinning Apples" »

August Garden in the Northern Hemisphere

August was the sixth month of the year in the early Roman calendar--called Sextilis, which means sixth--until the Emperor Augustus came along and rearranged the calendar and named the month after himself.

In the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, August is the height of summer. Even though the longest days of the year are past, August is one of the hottest months of the year.

While goldenrod, wild asters and other late summer flowers are blooming on the prairies now, far northern high mountain regions are experiencing chilly nights and even frost. While the fields and woods are full of insects, some birds are nearly ready to fly south.

At the farm markets in the Northern Hemisphere this month you will find fresh and locally harvested beans, carrots, green chilies, corn, eggplant, lettuce, melons, pumpkins, purslane, sweet bell peppers, tomatoes, turnips, and zucchini.

Continue reading "August Garden in the Northern Hemisphere" »

Kitchen Garden Insect Control

There is little reason to spend money on controlling kitchen garden pests. Most of the tried and true garden insect controls have been around for thousands of years.

"Prevention is better than a cure"; that old adage is true in the garden as it is in most areas of life. Spending quality time in the garden is as simple a way as any to stay ahead of insects and other pests. By making daily visits to the garden, you'll be the first to know when pests arrive, and you'll be able to control them before they get established.

Here are ten simple ways to keep tight control on garden insects without spending a dime:

Keep the garden clean. Cucumber beetles, flea beetles and asparagus beetles are just a few of the pests that seek shelter in garden debris. Clean up the garden during the season and after the season ends. When a crop is finished, clean up and eliminate insect shelters. Fall cleanup is particularly important in reducing overwintering pests and getting a head start on next year.

Continue reading "Kitchen Garden Insect Control" »

Tomato Growing

July is time for tomato love.

First, if you live in a region with long, warm summers, now is the time to plant a second, late-season tomato crop. This is easy to do, now that your first tomato crop is established you can cut several healthy 8-inch-long suckers from your existing plants and get them started in containers.

With a bit of shade so that they don't scorch and plenty of water, these tomato suckers should be ready for transplanting into the garden in about two weeks. When the time comes, strip off all but the top set of leaves of your new plants and bury them up to just below the leaves in the garden. A second harvest of tomatoes will arrive in late summer.

Now, as for your tomatoes already underway, you have already seen the yellow flowers and you may have fruit on the way. For your best crop ever, remember tomatoes need even moisture and regular feeding. One more time: tomatoes need even moisture and regular feeding.

Continue reading "Tomato Growing" »

July Garden in the Southern Hemisphere

July means winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Winter wherever you are is one the prime seasons for citrus. At the farm markets in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile this month look for kumquats, grapefruit, limes, early mandarins, oranges, and tangelos.

Other winter fruits ready for harvest include late apples, avocadoes, and olives. In more tropical regions, the July fruit harvest includes bananas, guavas, feijoa, kiwifruit, and late passionfruit.

Vegetables ready for harvest in July in the southern hemispere are beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, celeriac, Chinese cabbage, corn salad, kale, lettuce, parsnip, peas, purslane, radish, rutabaga (Swede), spinach, turnips, and witlof chicory.

July may be the middle of winter in the cool, temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere but that doesn't mean there is nothing to do in the garden.

Root crops can be planted in the garden now: kohlrabi, carrots, parsnip, potatoes, and garlic. If you get your garlic in the ground now, you will be enjoying it come mid-summer, just a short six months from now.

Continue reading "July Garden in the Southern Hemisphere" »

July Garden in the Northern Hemisphere

July is the seventh month of the year, but it was once the fifth month. Julius Caesar was born during this month. When he remade the calendar during his rule of ancient Rome, he moved the start of the year from March 1 to January 1. He then added a month, gave it 31 days and named it for himself: July.

July is usually the hottest month of the year in most countries in the Northern Hemisphere.

Vegetables, fruits, and flowers thrive in the heat of July. July is a month full of life north of the equator, and there is much to be done in the garden this month.

Here is a list of vegetables and fruits ready for harvest in the northern hemisphere during July: Vegetables: beans, beets, carrot, chard (silverbeet), early corn, apple cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, turnip, zucchini. Fruits: apricots, cape gooseberries, cherries, gooseberries, grapefruit, lemons, loganberries, nectarines, oranges, passionfruit, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries.

And here is a planting list for July in the northern hemisphere:

Continue reading "July Garden in the Northern Hemisphere" »

Eggplant Growing

Aubergine or eggplant? You’ll find this vegetable under either name in cookbooks. Eggplant is the name used by most American speakers. Aubergine is chiefly a British usage.

Eggplant was the name originally given to the white-skinned, egg-shaped variety of the vegetable sometime in the mid-eighteenth century. Aubergine followed about 30 years later. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the term eggplant included the purple-skinned aubergine.

Try any color eggplant stuffed with chopped tomatoes, onions, and garlic cooked in olive oil. This tasty dish is called “The Iman Fainted.” It seems an Iman married a beautiful young girl who brought eggplant and olive oil as part of her dowry. Every night after they were married, she served the Iman stuffed eggplant. When the eggplant was gone, the husband asked his new wife where his favorite meal was. When she explained they had run out of eggplant, the Iman fainted.

Eggplant is always served cooked. You can bake, grill, stew, and deep-fry eggplant. Stuff eggplant and prepare for the Iman to faint.

Continue reading "Eggplant Growing" »

Cucumber Growing

Slicing cucumbers and pickling cucumbers: that’s how cucumbers are divided. It is said that the ancient Roman Emperor Tiberius demanded cucumbers on his table every day of the year. The story does not say if they were slicing or pickling cucumbers; maybe both.

The English or Holland or European cucumber are thick meated and seedless; the Armenian cucumber or Syrian or Turkish cucumber are pale green and curled; the lemon cucumber is shaped like a lemon and yellow: they are slicing cucumbers. Pickling cucumbers include the small West Indian Gherkin and the larger National Pickling.

“Cool as a cucumber” means you are about 20 degrees cooler than the outside air on a warm day, that is if you are a cucumber. That is said to be a scientific fact. For the kitchen gardener, “cool as a cucumber” may simply mean keeping cool in the face of a lot of cucumbers at harvest time.Slicing cucumbers are usually eaten raw on sandwiches or salads but may be cooked—prepared like squash. Cucumbers can replace squash in most recipes.

Continue reading "Cucumber Growing" »

Squash Growing

Native Americans called it isquoutersquash. The British call it marrow. Squash is the American English term.

Zucchini, summer squash, winter squash, and pumpkins grow best once the air temperature averages 65ºF (18ºC). That means squash can be sown in late spring just about everywhere, and if you live in a long growing season region where the weather turned warm six weeks ago, you may be on to your second planting of squash, perhaps a second variety.

Most summer squash require 50 to 65 frost free days to mature. That means you can safely plant squash in the last week or two of spring. Winter squashes take a bit longer: 60 to 100 frost free days to mature. You can still sow winter squash seeds in late spring and get to harvest before the first frost in most regions.

Tender summer squash can be eaten raw or cooked. If you got an early start on your squash this year, you may already be adding sliced raw young squash to salads. Winter squashes are drier and more fibrous than summer squashes. Winter squashes are harvested when fully ripe and require cooking. Get them growing before the official start of summer arrives.

The requirements for planting and growing summer and winter squashes are the same except for the time required to harvest.

Continue reading "Squash Growing" »

Pagination: 1 - 2 - 3

Never Miss a Garden Tip!

Just enter your email address and you will subscribe to "Harvest To Table" Web site updates via email for free. Make sure you confirm your subscription from the confirmation message you'll receive in your mailbox right away.

Tag Results

Search this site:

56 Tag Results from Harvest to Table