Green Marrows

Green Marrows or as more commonly found Zucchini, come from the Marrow family.  In Malta, the round ones are the most popular as they are traditionally stuffed with mince meat and baked.  Green Marrows grow in two different seasons, Spring and Autumn.  I find that the Spring variety yields more fruit and I suggest garden novices as myself to start venturing with this wonderful crop. I sow green marrow seeds directly into  the ground about 24 inches apart and 4-6inches deep along the drip line which are roughly 24inches apart too.  I put two seeds in each hole, and in two weeks time they start sprouting.  As soon as the plant grow  approx 10cm ,  I remove the weaker of the two.  Green Marrow plant has huge leaves, and the healthier you keep the leaves the more successful you will be with the fruit.  I do not spray with any pesticides, however, I do sprinkle with yellow powder (kubrit) early in the morning so that it clings to the morning dew, every 15 days.  I am very careful, with powder when the plant has flowers and fruits, so that I do not sprinkle over them.  Be careful not to over water, as when you do so, the marrow grows to a walnut size then it shrinks and dies.

Green Marrows taste best when young and tender, approx golf ball size, however, when they reach the size of a tennis ball, we remove the inner flesh, and fill with a very delicious mince mixture.  We either bake them, or add them to chicken broth.  

Flowers are also edible and very sweet and tasty.  Cut the male ones which are those who do not come out of a fruit.  Usually they have long stem, very easy to handle and prepare. Do leave some attached to the plant  for good pollination.  Fill with ricotta and dip them in tempura batter and then just deep fry in good olive oil.

Recipe Suggestions
Paccheri with Sausage and Spring Vegetables
Tempura Zucchini Flowers with Zesty Ricotta filling 

Broad Beans

Mid Spring and it is time to harvest my broad beans.

This year I tried two seed variety, one which I bought from UK and another from local market.  Broad beans are very much sought after on this Island and I think what our farmers keep to reproduce is the best for our climate conditions.  Maltese Broad Beans are hardier and resist much better the strong north east winds that hit us from January to March.  

Usually I sow around the second week of December, along the drip line three seeds in a hole approx 6inch deep and 12 inch apart.  My drip lines are 24inches apart.  I do another batch around the first week of January and I admit that I am more successful with the second lot.  The first lot, gives you sweeter beans but it is oftenly attacked by the Bean Broomrape ( Budebbus) which is a kind of weed that grows from underneath and lifts up the plant.  Apart from this and strong winds, you shouldn't worry about anything else. 

Try to harvest your beans when they are small and tender for salads, and you may have them bigger for soups.

I am often tempted to cut the flowers to garnish my salads, they look so pretty.

Recipe Ideas

Broad Bean and Shitake Risotto

Spring On Toast 

Khol Rabi

Kohl Rabi or as the Maltese call it 'Gidra' is a type of turnip.  Very sweet and juicy and it is good in Soups, and also in salads.  We eat it raw, with bread and tomatoes, so delicious.  I buy seedlings in September and in February and I can say that the winter crop is more successful and sweeter.  I plant the seedlings 12inch apart along the drip, and simply wait for nature to take it's time which is roughly three months.  Be careful with butterflies as caterpillars can skeleton the leaves in just one day!  Take regular look at the leaves, and kill the caterpillars when small by squashing them with your hands!
It is the second week of may and one third of the crop is fully grown.  

French Black Bean

It's now April and as I normally do, sow all the beans I have available.  In the Maltese Climate, only the Broad beans are sown in late December, and the rest are sown in mid-Spring.  This year I am trying out this new variety, which I bought from Italy.  It is a climbing bean, with yellow skin and dark purple beans.  It is sown by the first week of April and directly in the ground.  I put about 8 beans in each hole approx 3 inches deep and 12 inches apart.  Like peas, these beans like to grow together and they support each other in strong winds.  I water them regularly and they should flower around May. This is how the plant looks right now, just three weeks after... I will keep you posted later on...

It is the second week of May and the weather turned warm suddenly. The plant is growing very fast and long stems are creeping over each other and so supporting one another.  I can see buds but no flowers yet.  Size is around 30cms in height.

Potatoes

Very recently I added this crop in my Kitchen Garden as I have always been warned how delicate it is.  Yet, I discovered that with a little bit of patience and TLC you will be able to dig up these beautiful gems of goodness!
Last year I had the red skin type, and this year I am trying for the red eye variety - Picasso. It is very versatile type as it is good for frying boiling and baking.
The seed comes in a small potato form, each is cut into halves leaving two eyes available, and sown in January along the drip at 12inch apart.
When the plant reaches 20cm I start to sprinkle water for 10 minutes a day in the Morning.  It is now around 30 cm in height and so far it looks very healthy.
It is the second week of May and plant still looks very healthy.  The longer you manage to keep the plant green and healthy the larger your crop will be.  I am sprinkling with water regularly and from time to time I give an extra watering session.  Potatoes are growing and at the moment they are approximately the size of a golf ball.
During the month of June I stopped sprinkling water however I kept the drip open to water regularly.  Plant is growing old and some of them are wilting down.
It is the end of June and all plants are wilted and nearly dead, so we decided to harvest the crop!  Each plant yielded 4 to 5 good sized potatoes roughly one kilo in total.  I placed potatoes in shallow cardboard boxes lined with newspapers and  stored them covered with a piece of rug in a dark place.  I will keep the small once to sow again around mid August.

Radicchio

This is a salad leaf, from the chicory family, slightly bitter but very nutritional.  I sow seeds directly to soil  in December and around January they start to grow.  Thin out as you go along, using the tender plants in your salad.... they taste delicious.  Cold weather keep leaves mildly bitter, however the warmer the climate the bitter the leaves become.  Water regularly and keep the soil as moist as possible. I do not use any pesticides, just keep an eye on the old slug or snail which tend to love munching on these purple leaves. Ease out the bitterness with Balsamic Vinegar and Honey dressings.

Asparagus

I never ever thought that I could grow in my Garden, however I did successfully for 3 consecutive years.  Choose a spot preferably a feet away from a wall facing East, and plant 1 year old seedlings around February. By May you will have tiny shoots coming out, but never be tempted to cut.  Around september you will have bushes of overgrown asparagus leaning over with their weight. The stem is not too hard to bear the bush upright. By the end of September I cut the bushes leaving just 1 inch above the ground and when the rain starts I close the watering drip. 

The next year around March, shoots will start coming out again, but a bigger sacrifice is needed for another year and do not cut any asparagus at all.  You will kill the plant if you are greedy and do so.  Only the third year after you sow the plant you may cut Asparagus.  I do not use fancy gadgets to do so, just a normal knife, and I cut it 1 inch below the soil.   Always leave some asparagus to over grow so that it feeds back the plant.  They say, Asparagus keep for 14 years.... we'll see to that later on!

Suggested Recipes

Asparagus and Oyster Mushroom Linguine

Goat Cheese Tarts with Asparagus and Parma Ham

Wild Asparagus Gourmet Breakfast

Artichokes

Two years ago, I bought six Artichoke plants two of them with pointed leaves and of vibrant purple colour and the the other four more round and pale green.  The purple ones have more delicate flavour and cook very quickly so I use them for quick sauces.  The round ones I use to preserve as they keep the shape very well.

Artichoke is a perennial plant, and each year, around August the plant can be lifted, divided in two and planted in different spots.  I do not water the plant in summer at all but I keep working the soil around so that it remains soft. In September new leaves will come out and by December the plant will be in it's full glory.  This year, I had my first Artichoke in February and now the plant is blooming with beautiful globular bounties.

Artichoke season is relatively short compared to the goodness each fruit can give you, so I save some to preserve and enjoy on Pizza or Salads during the Hot Summer Days!  Use only the hearts, by removing all outer leaves and cut the remaining leaves half way up. Ensure that what you leave attached  are edible leaves. Cut the heart in two and remove the hairy bits.  Have a large bowl of cold water with 1 lemon squeezed in it so that you put in it each heart you prepare, to avoid discolouration.  Bring two litres of water, 1 cup vinegar, 1 lemon halved and squeezed, 2 teaspoon sugar and 3  tablespoons salt  to boil, then add the artichokes and boil for 5 minutes.  Lift and pack tightly in sterilized jars, top with the cooking brine leaving just 1 cm from top and close with lid.  Preserve by bringing a very large pan of water to boil, reduce heat to simmering point add filled and securely closed jars and boil for 30minutes. Turn off heat and carefully lift the jars.  Lid should pop and depress after a while. This ensures a proper seal.  Store in a dark cupboard and use within 6 months.

Suggested Recipes
Artichoke Stew
Pan Fried Chicken with Artichoke Hearts