#brassicas

A combination of weather, COVID, art and work commitments kept me away for far too long. I didn't know what state I would find it in.

Site inspections have just happened and I didn't get a warning, so it couldn't be that bad.

It wasn't too bad. Some long grass that needed trimming, and the beds need a bit of weeding. The worst by far is the berry bed, which I will tackle next week on my holiday.

I needed to feel some sense of progress, so I cheated and picked up some kale and cabbage seedlings on the way. I also got some seed potatoes for winter harvesting. They'll go in next week too.

Another invasive (but delicious edible) plant that plagues many a garden, especially on the western and eastern coasts of the US: cardamine hirsuta, or hairy bittercress.

This is a winter annual, and can be found absolutely Thriving long after other plants have died back from cold. This is the time they should be picked, whether for eating or for general removal. They come out of the ground easily, roots and all. If you plan on eating them, choose ones that haven’t gone to flower yet, as the leaves become bitter and tough.

Around mid-spring the plant goes to seed, and at that point you’re fucked – the seedpods will literally EXPLODE at the slightest touch. (I’ve walked through places where they were unavoidable, and it sounds like tiny popcorn!) That’s why they spread so prolifically.

Okay, but what does it taste like? Even though it’s called bittercress, it’s not bitter at all. It’s very similar to other plants in the brassica family… if you like mustard, cress, or arugula, you will like hairy bittercress! It’s slightly peppery, a little mustardy, and more mild than the name suggests. It’s best used raw in salads or sandwiches.