|
|
Post by reed on May 29, 2015 10:10:42 GMT -5
This year is my first try at saving seeds from some things such as kale. I have no idea as to what I will end up with as I have radish, kale and turnips all flowering at the same time. I have plenty of back up turnip and radish seed so not worried but hopefully the kale will end up still mostly kale.
Anyway I started nibbling on the seed pods and discovered I absolutely love turnip pods. Kale pods are also good but not as much so as the turnips. The radish pods are good too and last night I discovered the stems on the radishes are even better than the pods. Tonight I'm going to try kale and turnip stems.
I'm starting to wonder what other yummy things I have been wasting and if maybe I should start a hybrid swarm of brassica stuff and select for tasty pods and stems. Definitely going to get some of those rat-tail radishes.
|
|
|
|
Post by rowan on May 29, 2015 14:08:14 GMT -5
Rat-tails are great, bigger and more tender than 'normal' radish pods.
|
|
|
|
Post by reed on May 31, 2015 20:21:07 GMT -5
Is the root part of Rat-tails good too? Stems on the kale and turnips turned out not so good,stringy and chewy all the way to the tip. I can't believe how good the turnip seed pods are though, almost sweet with definite but mild turnip flavor.
|
|
|
|
Post by steev on May 31, 2015 21:06:03 GMT -5
My habit with kale and turnips has been to eat the "broccoli"; guess I'll have to restrain myself until I have pods to try.
|
|
|
|
Post by hortusbrambonii on Jun 1, 2015 3:32:01 GMT -5
I like radish pods in 'fusion wok-style' recipes, instead of snowpeas.
|
|
|
|
Post by hortusbrambonii on Jun 1, 2015 3:36:25 GMT -5
I think it was daikon-pods that were the biggest and tastiest, but you need to get them young. The one time I tried rat-tails the snails seemed to like them more than normal radishes for clear reasons, and they were eradicated -together with my paksoi if I remember well- at a seedling stage. Maybe I should try them again. Radish pods don't give an enormous yield; but still they are too good to just be an accidental outgrowth of literally fogotten vegetables. I might as well grow them intentionally...
|
|
|
|
Post by Al on Jun 2, 2015 9:04:15 GMT -5
Rat tail plants got huge last year, I did not really enjoy the pods but that may be because I didn't pick them young enough. I'll be picking them small this year & intend to pickle some.
I have a row of Sutherland Kale which had me perplexed as it is unlike other kale I have grown. Plants were rather small without much leaf over winter. But it has been really useful over the last month or more as it has thrown out loads of tender sprouts & lots more leaf. The leaf makes a great pesto after a brief blanch & whizzing up with nuts, lemon & Parmesan. The sprouts / shoots can be eaten just like sprouting brocolli.
An investigation by The Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh has found that this kale is much closer to swede than other kale which is closer to cabbage. It is certainly a mild, sweet & tender crop which comes at a useful time of year.
My Pentland Brig kale is flowering so I am leaving it to set seed as I need more, I have read brassicas should really be far away from any other brassica to ensure no cross pollination occurs. But not sure if hybridization is really very likely & if it crosses with the Sutherland kale I be interested to see the result.
|
|
|
|
Post by robertb on Jun 4, 2015 7:32:20 GMT -5
I grew rat-tailed radish a couple of years ago. It's about five feet high and floppy, so it needs staking. The pods weren't very big, but there were masses of them.
|
|
|
|
Post by steev on Jun 16, 2015 18:49:09 GMT -5
I'd planted some Black radish early Spring but it wasn't cool long enough for roots; they bolted; I tried the pods and they weren't bad; short, thick, and tasty. A tad fibrous, but maybe too mature.
|
|
|
|
Post by reed on Jun 17, 2015 6:28:17 GMT -5
The turnips are by far my favorite flavor wise. Large numbers of them are matured and brown so I pulled them up and hung in the shed to finish drying. The little ones on the tip were still green but had gotten tough and nasty. The kale are still green but are all now tough and nasty. The radishes, especially the diakons are still crisp and tasty, even the older bigger ones. They are getting hotter flavor, I don't know if that is related to maturity or the weather.
I suppose turnips and radishes are compatible? Getting an idea.
|
|
|
|
Post by longhorngardens on Jun 17, 2015 8:46:37 GMT -5
I like broccoli and collard green pods. My white stemmed bok choy is makin pods right now and they taste aweful though.
|
|
