Last night we ate a wonderful salad from my garden and cold frames -- mache, arugula, radicchio, sorrel, young kale, chard, and beet leaves, shredded carrots, accompanied by pickled beets, grated black radish, and corn relish. For an entree, carmelized brussels sprouts and oven-roasted root vegetables.
The long, warm fall means many things are still standing in the garden. I had dug one row of belgian endive roots back in September when the garden books said they should come in -- but even in the coolest corner of the garage they promptly sprouted, so we've been prematurely eating belgian endive. But there's another row in the garden I've left as long as humanly possible -- now that light snows have arrived it may be time to dig those for January eating.
Chard is still green out there, as are several kinds of kale and a few more stalks of brussels sprouts. I've left turnips, rutabegas and Lutz Long Keeper beets in the ground, figuring the longer they can stay out there the better. Pansies are still blooming under straw despite the light snow.
This is the first real test of the large cold frames and so far they remain full of greenery -- green onions, beets, mache, arugula, endive, broccoli raab, dwarf scottish kale, sorrel, chard, turnips, radishes, all growing happily. I've insulated one of the larger cold frames with foam board, but did not get to the other one, so we shall see the extent to which this makes a difference.
Meanwhile we continue to enjoy an abundance of fresh-from-the-garden vegetables.
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