But the cabbage moths have arrived, and I think that’s about the end for this year. We’ve had a good three months of harvesting broccolini, cauliflowers, kale, pak choi, napa cabbage, mustard. I still have some red cabbage that I’m hoping I can keep going long enough, hand picking caterpillars, for them to heart up. But really, from now on it’s not worth it, at least not here in the sub-tropics.
My favourite crop this year has been Green Sprouting Broccoli, a broccolini really. It has no central head at all, but masses of these little side shoots on a plant that is a good metre tall and the same across. We have been picking a big handful of these literally every day, giving a bunch away several times a week, four plants yielding enough for several households.
I’m cooking it in all the usual broccolini ways – in omelettes, in stir fries, in pasta and Broccoli Tempura, but this year’s obsession has been broccolini (with a few leaves) sprinkled with olive and sesame oil and roasted until they are just crisp, kinda like kale chips with a little more substance. Now is probably a good time to give them up, before we are quite sick of them, while we can still get excited about letting a few go to seed to save seed for planting again in late March.
Goodbye brassicas. Hello curcubits.
Love Winter Vegies , just love Winter. Everything cool and crisp. Now we fight the Summer bugs and wilting heat. Sue.
Was just thinking the same thing myself yesterday. Must try again with the sprouting broccoli, was wondering what was the point but yours are super productive so must try again.
Hi Claire, I have grown Italian Sprouting for years. It yields a central head, and then side shoots for a month or so. And I’ve grown Kailan, or Chinese Broccoli, which has only broccolini-like shoots. But this Green Sprouting variety is new to me – no central head but the side shoots are so prolific and last for so long, I’m saving seeds for next year.