Looking through the seed packets I seem to have gone a bit root crazy this year:
Aside from the range of carrots in the top row there's parsnip, the old reliable "Tender and True", the annual challenge of celeriac and a collection of oddities I have accumulated in the bottom row - Hamburg Parsley, Scorzonera and Japanese Burdock. But pride of place goes to "Bulbous" or "Turnip Rooted" Chervil"
I tried this last year with seed from an overseas source and it was a complete no show. Having found a UK supplier I am hoping for success this year. We can all dream!
Still on the subject of turnip related veg, and in honour of Burns Night (tonight) here's this year's 'neep' or Swedish turnip variety: Melfort. It's skin is green instead of the usual purple, but it is every bit as tasty and sweet.
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| Swede Melfort |
We've given up of celeriac!
ReplyDeleteDo you know how happy I am to hear that, Sue?
ReplyDeleteSadly it's too late now I've bought next year's seed.
I'm with Sue Mal...no celeriac for me ever again...that swede sure looks interesting though...did you/have you grown them??
ReplyDeleteYes Tany, the one in the picture is from the row I grew this year. The reason I selected this variety was purely that we had visited Loch Melfort on the west coast of Scotland. This year I'm growing 'Tweed' just because the seed catalogue blurb was gushingly good. Swedes (together with kale) are really a big thing in Scotland.
DeleteSorry to hear about the celeriac. Mine have gone from golf ball size last year to nearly tennis ball size this year. A little success is a dangerous thing!
I tried Celeriac 3 years in a row, and the biggest bulb I got was about the size of a tennis-ball. It is quite cheap to buy in the shops these days, so its VSR has gone down a lot and I can't justify trying it again, especially size it needs a lot of attention. I had never heard of Turnip-rooted Chervil - I'll have to look that one up.
ReplyDeleteIt's more popular in France but occasionally makes an appearance on Masterchef here, usually as a puree or foam!
DeleteI'm going through seeds as well and seeing what I have. The swede looks great.
ReplyDeleteI've got so many leftovers that my purchases this year have been restricted to novelties - or impulse buys.
DeleteI grew those multi coloured carrots one year, turned out no one would eat them because they're not orange. I dread to think what they'd say about your green swede.
ReplyDeleteSame problem with those red and blue potatoes!
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