#brassicas

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.

I've served my corporate overlords for 20 year so they let me pick something out of the company store. Unlike some overlords I've served in the past, they have things someone might actually want in their store. I went with the Le Creuset set... I've been wanting to get a Dutch oven for awhile:

We have a freeze warning for Halloween & All Saints' Day so we've been pulling in anything that wouldn't survive the free like these tomatoes:

And these sweet potatoes because cold can negatively affect the flavor & storability of sweet potatoes:

We also covered our brassicas in the hopes they won't suffer any damage:

IT HAS BEGUN!

I am trying an experiment with my brassicas where I am not following the Farmers Almanac planting guidelines AT ALL. They advise zone 5ers to start seeds indoors in  March. I have struggled immensely with brassicas following that schedule. Things like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts take months to reach maturity and just die or bolt in the hot weather. I usually manage to grow a some successfully on any given year (never brussel sprouts though), but I’d say about 90% of my brassicas don’t make it to the plate. This time, I started mine in January with the intent of transplanting in early spring. 

They may germinate faster in warmer temperatures, but brassicas do better growing in cool soil between 40-60. My soil temp reads 50. I do not understand the March seed starting date. That would mean getting them in the ground by May to mature in 60+ degree soil. Dates are determined by frost hardiness. Brassicas *need* frost for flavor and should be in the ground with some frost. 

I made a meeeeeeme.