What's the best....

shiney · Post: # 5499Post **shiney** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 12:51 pm

....Fruit or vegetable that you have grown?

I am meaning, low maintenance, bug resistant (as natch as possible) and biggest yielding plants you have grown on your patch.

I have found my rather pathetic amount of dwarf beans have been a real hit. 12 plants and tonnes of beans.

I shall be growing lots more next year!

wulf · Post: # 5501Post **wulf** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 2:58 pm

My favourite so far this year has been pak choi, although I should have started it earlier and sown in smaller blocks. It's been a bit slug-attacked but has had vigourous enough growth to survive that. It also has the virtue of relative novelty - I've been able to introduce a lot of my dinner guests to it, which is always fun.

Wulf

shiney · Post: # 5502Post **shiney** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 3:00 pm

That's worth considering as I love the stuff and it's ssoooooo expensive in the supermarket. One little bulby clump for over a quid.

I'll keep that one in mind. Thanks Wulf!

2steps · Post: # 5507Post **2steps** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 4:09 pm

so far this year I have only had a few strawberries and enough beans for one dinner, yesterday. but in past years my best are normally the runner beans and potatoes. 2 years ago I was overrun with romaine lettuce

lucking I had 8 hungry romaine loving guinea pigs

gunners71uk · Mon Aug 01, 2005 4:41 pm

PAK CHOI
shiny or anyone else please tell me more
how to grow it
how to cook it
you get the pic
thank you luvvvies xx
gunners(dave)

shiney · Post: # 5512Post **shiney** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 5:15 pm

Here's a few links to recipes...

http://www.jackbuck.co.uk/pakchoi_recipe1.htm

http://www.riverford.co.uk/en/recipes/r ... 00&catid=5

http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/reci ... akchoi.asp

greenbean · Post: # 5516Post **greenbean** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 8:54 pm

Without a doubt, broad beans. Fantastic crop I have had, and I am still having, I have a wonderful recipe for a broad bean and mint risotto from the famous Eagle pub in London, it is incredible. One has to have good stock and a good risotto hand mind. If anyone wants me to type it up, let me know. GB. x

Magpie · Post: # 5518Post **Magpie** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:05 pm

I'd have to say spuds (Yes, I am slightly obsessed with them!) and silverbeet (Swiss Chard)

Broad beans - bleughhh! My Aunt used to boil them, mash them and feed them to us. Put me off for life, a nasty black mush. I do grow them, but just for green manure.

shiney · Post: # 5519Post **shiney** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:07 pm

I hated broad beans as a kid, cos they are slightly bitter, but I love them now ~ 'speshly with a spoonful of gravy!

Wombat · Post: # 5525Post **Wombat** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:34 pm

Last year was the first year that I have grown button squash, and they were remarkably prolific - but my favourite for eating is still broccoli!

Nev

greenbean · Post: # 5528Post **greenbean** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:52 pm

Oh my....., magpie and shiney, you poor wee things, you have both had a bad BB experience. I will look out my recipe for you when I am back home, BB's are beautiful when cooked young. Old, well yes they are as they say as tough as old beans! But if you cook and them pop them out of their wee skins they are still delisimo! x mmmmmm

Muddypause · Post: # 5529Post **Muddypause** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:57 pm

I've never really understood what broccoli is all about. Admittedly, I've only ever had the supermarket stuff, but I have to conclude: tasteless, textureless, expensive - what's it for??? I don't get it. It's just a pretentious cauliflower.

Now, tell me I'm wrong.

(Comments expressed here do not necessarily apply to any other member of the brassica family, living or dead)

Wombat · Post: # 5533Post **Wombat** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 2:42 am

Ahhh, Stew, my friend!

There is nothing so sad as over steamed or (perish the thought) BOILED broccoli. If you really want to enjoy the subtle nuances of this king among vegetables, then lightly stir fry for a few minutes and then add a drizzle of oyster (or vegetarian oyster) sauce. MMMMMMMMMMM,mmmm to quote Grandpa Simpson - Thats gooooood eatin'!

Nev

Millymollymandy · Tue Aug 02, 2005 5:30 am

Brocolli is fabulous - and purple sprouting is a million times better! Just like asparagus, dipped in melted butter - oh yum!

Now I don't "get" boiled potatoes (not new ones) or runner beans. Probably because I was force fed them as a child.

Back on topic, I'd say spinach beet (perpetual spinach). You get tons of leaves, they are never attacked by bugs, they are always my first crop of the season and they just keep on growing. Of course the downside is that you do need a lot of leaves just for one portion but it is worth it!

ina · Post: # 5550Post **ina** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:56 pm

I had a constant supply of curly kale one year from just 5 plants. Problem is, I don't really like curly kale that much - occasionally, fine... But it was the one thing neither slugs nor pigeons liked, either!

Potatoes do well, and perpetual spinach, too. My dwarf beans are not dwarfs, but midgets - about 10 cm high by now, and they've been in for many weeks! And my (supposedly) normal peas have so far produced a handful of mangetout.

I'm hoping for courgettes, and pumpkins!

Ina