Garden Bloggers Harvest Day for February

Welcome to our second Garden Bloggers Harvest Day this 5th day of February 2012. Our Two Gardens have yielded a collection of incredible edibles this summer!  Sharing with you what comes out of our gardens on this day each month will be fun! Also, having a peek into your veggie patches will inspire and delight! There is so much to find in the back garden!

Let’s see what can be harvested from Barbies Garden this month

The summer heat is on and the greens need lots of water. I have had a few of them wilt away, so I need to prepare the next batch carefully. But the tomatoes are tasting amazing but the plants don’t look so good this year and the butternut squash is growing out of control in my garden (good thing I love butternut squash).  The Broccoli has been eaten and the celery has gone to seed. I have also noticed that the veggies grown in the raised beds are thriving compared to the veggie patch along the side of the house. It really has paid off preparing the soil carefully by composting, mulching and adding manure right at the start. Have a look and see what’s coming out of my garden.

Lots of leafy greens – from cabbages to lettuce and Swiss Chard.

[one_half]Just picked sweetcorn for lunch tomorrow[/one_half]

[one_half_last]This is growing mad in my garden[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Lots of tomatoes are ripening[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Tomatoes in different stages[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Spring onions growing tall[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Broccoli was super delicious this year[/one_half_last]

Courgettes were plentiful and with 3 plants we had them coming out of our ears!

[one_half]Lots of chilli in my garden – enjoying the flavour[/one_half]

[one_half_last]More cabbage – takes awhile to grow[/one_half_last]

Pick of the Month

The Butternut Squash:

Butternut can be eaten in many different ways, from baked, steamed or puréed. It is fairly low in calories, so can be eaten freely. The main benefit that butternut has, is that it is a source of the phytochemical beta-carotene. That has antioxidant abilities and can inhibit cancer cell development. Alpha-carotene is best absorbed by the body when it is cooked and eaten with a little fat. It is most beneficial to eat this as part of a meal.

It has more vitamin A than that in pumpkin. At 10630 IU per 100 g, it is perhaps the single vegetable source in the cucurbitaceae family with highest levels of vitamin-A, providing about 354% of RDA. Vitamin A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and is required by body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucus membranes. It is also an essential vitamin for vision. Research studies suggest that natural foods rich in vitamin A helps body protect against lung and oral cavity cancers.

It is rich in B-complex group of vitamins like folates, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, and pantothenic acid.

It has similar mineral profile as pumpkin, containing adequate levels of minerals like iron, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Recipe:

Butternut Soup (from the foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients

• 1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock
• Nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve.

About Garden Bloggers Harvest Day

Please join us on the 5th of every month and show us what you’ve harvested. Whether you have a massive vegetable garden or grow a few herbs in pots or just pick a few peaches from a tree … we’d love to see! Its all about sharing our experiences, photographs, successes and failures as we “learn to grow”.

So prepare a post on your blog about what you harvested this past month, link up to us at The Gardening Blog and then, add your link to the Mr. Linky below so we can all visit your blog and “share in your harvest”. And leave us a comment! We LOVE hearing from you!