The harvest continues in our organic and lunar gardens

What a lovely lot of goodies you have Moon Grower, that cabbage looks lovely shall try some myself next year, did you pant from seed. :0)))))

Great looking crops, there really must be something in moon growing!!

There is Kfunsters and it is not just new age hippy 'stuff'!

Yes we grew everything from seed though we did start some of the brassicas in trays none of those in the moon or control beds were started that way.

Here's an old family recipe.

Pennsylvania Dutch Sour Cabbage:

1 head of cabbage
1 onion
1/8 to 1/4 liter white vinegar (can sub. cider vinegar)
salt and black pepper to taste

Clean and core and quarter the cabbage, or halve the quarters if very large. Slice the onion as you prefer--I prefer cut coarsely lengthwise. Put the cabbage, onions, salt, and pepper in a pot big enough to fit it all in, and nearly cover with water. Bring to a slow simmer, and cover. Check and turn regularly, and add the vinegar just as the cabbage STARTS to turn tender. Cover again, and let it cook another 5-10 minutes, or until the cabbage is done. Serve hot, or refrigerate in liquid and serve cold--much like pickles that way, and a bit more zip than plain old "Squeak".

Wonderful results,Mg,and so fulfilling to enjoy the end results.:o)

I'm impressed with your results Moon grower. The effect of the moon on the earth is fascinating, I wonder if anyone has studied the effect on people born/conceived at the same time of the moon?

No idea Heron... you want to do some research?

Tugb. thank you for the recipe though I wont be cooking anything that uses lots of water and vinegar is not a way I would want to eat my cabbage gently steamed to retain the nutrients is my way. Doesn't help that I loath anything with vinegar in it :-( When we first visited Austria back in 1970 I hardly ate as they seemed to use vinegar in some many things...

Your Veg looks fantastic so green.
I love reading your blog Like I said before i'm going to give growning by the moon a go next year. Do you use extra feed on your veg I hope you don't mind me asking but what do you use and do you feed it by the moon as well?

We dig lots of compost/manure into the ground in the late autumn (actually 'we don't' Mr MB does!) making sure that the area where the potatoes and beans are going to be has trenches of our compost. Once the seeds/sets/plants are in the soil we do not feed at all... We do feed our tomatoes which are greenhouse grown, Tomorite but they are not part of the trial as we really have to grow them all the same way - i.e. by the moon.

Oh and Mr MB puts wood ash on the soil too! Our soil is pretty much neutral in the veggie garden so he only limes the area the brassicas will go in.

It is all a question of building up humus in the soil not adding artificial feeds.

If you have comfrey you can put this into the trenches too.

Sorry MG, my intentions were good! I agree with the steaming--just haven't figured out a way to convert all the old family recipes, yet. I hope someone got some use out of it. As for vinegar in Germanic cooking, I suspect it's a holdover from Medieval times, and a result of the long winters in most of those countries. For most of history, the only way to stay healthy through the winter there was to eat pickled vegetables! I grew up on it, but anyone who didn't might feel pickled themselves--or is that the lager?

Tugb. I'm sure lots of GoYers will love the recipe - just not my cup of tea! Thankfully Austrian cooking is now far less heavy on the vinegar.

Much has changed in Austria and Germany in the last few decades, as far as I can tell.

Thankfully... It also helps that we stay in an apartment so can eat in or out as we choose. A quick walk to the bakery for fresh bread, with fruit. yoghurt, juice and tea is our normal breakfast. Lunch usually finds us up in the mountains and the food in the huts is basic but good; pea and wurst soup or gröstl for example. In the evening I cook or we eat out :-)

lots of healthy veg there Mrs MB, i love veg and sepecially cabbage , yum yum ;o))

Thanks Sandra, lots of veg will be frozen...

what a wonderful set of crops MG. you are very lucky to have a lovely plot to use too.
I am very impressed with the results of growing by the moon. Last year when I joined I was rather sceptical but your results support this so well.

I'm still wait for the 'shoe to drop' and prove me wrong but, up to now the results are amazing!

Hello MG...Jane here.Lovely blog..just wondering if you can help. Am about to harvest a huge crop of runners and intend to freeze most.I usually blanch them first but would I be correct in thinking I saw somewhere you had told someone you dont ? It is so time consuming and really I would be happy not to ! Thank you.

I never blanch anything prior to freezing. My aim is to pick, pod and have in the freezer as soon as possible. I used to blanch but found the resulting peas and beans did not taste as good. Then when we had a 3 acres croft (smallholding) there was no way I had time to do and the veg. all tasted better. It means you can put a lot of one veg. in a big container and just take out the portion you need, rather than freezing in small containers, as, frozen dry, the pieces do not stick together.

Thats great to hear and it makes a lot more sense.I shall do the same..thanks for your help MG.

Back when we had the croft we had a huge chest freezer in what was known as the 'dog kitchen' I'd scrounge those big ice cream tubs and the like to put the veg in.
This is also where we would hang the livestock we had slaughtered for our own use prior to butchering. Back over 30 years ago if you were only going to be eating the meat yourself you could slaughter and butcher on site and not send to a slaughterhouse and butchery. Salted down our own hams and bacon and kept ourselves in meat for most of the year.

Ah MG...real self sufficiency then...not playing the "good life !" As a child and growing up my Father kept us in veg throughout the year...mainly cabbage and swede I grant you but always fresh and tasty. We kept ducks and my Mother would use the full flavour eggs in her cooking. Also chickens and bantams so we always had lovely fresh eggs. How the times have changed.

No not playing the 'good life' jolly hard work - couldn't do it now!

Nor should you Mg...just good that you are getting those 5 a day...and all from home grown produce. Your produce looks so tasty...must make more effort...when retire...in hopefully a couple of years time.

Thank you BB we will continue to grow veg and have fun. Folk years older than ourselves are still growing veg by the moon so...

Traditions carry on MG and clearly this works well..Do you have a control crop to judge by?

Absolutely... otherwise it would not be a trial, small though it is.

Hi Mg..Jane back ! Would just like to say thank you for the tip about freezing. Have run out of freezer space now and have many more beans to come. What a year..the cooler temperatures this August seem to have really suited them.Do you have a recipe for a chutney I could make with the surplus ? Neighbours also have a glut otherwise I would have shared of course.Alternatively Ray will eventually turn into a runner bean..as they are now served with nearly every meal ! Lol

Eep... I remember my mother preserving in salt but... frankly... they tasted disgusting! However, it seems there is a bean chutney recipe (probably more than one!) http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/recipe-runner-bean-chutney-by-mark-hix-56

Will check it out Mg..thanks. Failing that I shall just boil them every day and eat as a snack...with butter and black pepper ! Yum !!

Try steaming instead of boiling - that way you don't lose any of the vitamins.

Will do...and thank you again.

No problem :-)