bbqcoder
Senior Cook
Harvested some purple asparagus. They came in a week earlier than last year. Will be planting new raspberry plants today: double gold, royalty (purple) & Himbo Top (red).
My asparagus is still slow - only a few harvestable stalks, and a number are bolting while very skinny, instead of of forming thick stalks. This is just the 3rd year after planting.
Here's an idea for your 10 stalks of asparagus (next time ) : I love to make risotto with fresh spring vegetables like asparagus, green beans and peas. You only need about a half cup of each, with the asparagus and beans cut into half-inch pieces.This is year 3 for my asparagus. I have a mix of thin and thick. About 25 plants in all, so far, maybe 10 stalks. Since I wont really have enough to pick to do anything with ( a this time), I bought a bunch from the grocery store and supplement the 3 or 4 home grown ones the are pickable. If I wait to have enough, the ones ready now will bolt.
Where are you located? I had a minor setback where some bunny or vole mowed down my brassica seedlings. Ugh. I'll have to remember to not leave a tray of seedlings outside overnight.Our onions are almost all planted, and 4 kinds or kale. Our strawberries are blossoming. Apple, pear, cherry, plum trees all are blossoming. All kinds of bees were loving the blooms. Lettuce is coming up, one kind of kale is from the cold frame, we can start eating it now. We harvested our first pound of asparagus yesterday.
Pepper, I saw a woman (online fb) she said she sped up pepper germination to 3 days in her instapot, on the yogurt setting. Now, I didn't try it. I do use a heat mat, and it takes me 7-11 days to get germination. I don't know if that would work. I just wanted to pass on that interesting tidbit of maybe.
I read that peppers need the soil to 55 deg F outside, or it stunts them. I plant those last, close to June 1 in Wisconsin.
Also, a new appetizer for us here. 1/2 inch slices of eggplant, dipped in warm or hot sauce (not so peppery or very peppery), fine bread crumbs, baked on parchment 400 deg F for 30 minutes. Served hot, spread with a tofu white sauce lemon garlic, some salt, sliced tomatoes. They were a big hit here.
whole milk curry trees (Murraya koenigii), that are the source of the curry leaves in Indian cooking and related cuisines? The latter is the only one I could help with.