About Asparagus, Nasturtium "capers" And Other Unusual Preparations

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Nursery beds

Nasturtium

In the October issue of the magazine for the last year, I liked the article by O. Vinokurov "Capers from a flower bed". Of course, this is a perfectly acceptable way to prepare a spicy seasoning. Although those who have tried real capers are unlikely to agree that they can be compared to green nasturtium seeds.

I remember that earlier, when we lived on Staro-Nevsky Prospekt, on weekends we went to dine in the dining room, which was located at the corner of this avenue and Poltava Street. And they often included meat hodgepodge in their menu. It was in it that there were 10-15 real capers. When they fell on the tooth from a plate, they created an unforgettable taste experience, and it is even difficult to describe them. Then capers disappeared from the market, and now, they say, they have reappeared, however, at my age, spicy dishes are no longer acceptable.

× Gardener's handbook Plant nurseries Stores of goods for summer cottages Landscape design studios

I want to say that many decades ago we also collected in our garden and prepared for future use the greenest young seeds and leaves of nasturtium, dried them and poured 9% vinegar and stored them in baby food jars, and then used them in all pickles, when preserving cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and when preparing lecho. These spicy additions gave the blanks a very pleasant taste.

Moreover, they used in food not only seeds and leaves of nasturtium. In the spring, with the awakening of nature, whitewash, nettles, plantains and other plants were used. They were used to prepare first and second courses and salads, strengthened our bodies with vitamins after a long winter. Later, tender stalks of vegetable asparagus, root suckers of hops and terminal shoots of pumpkin appeared and replenished the menu of summer residents. They served as the basis of French cuisine. As you know, the French are big lovers of these vegetables and dishes from them.

A little time later, around the end of May - beginning of June, we switched to early potatoes and cauliflower of an early ripening period, to kohlrabi and other ripening vegetables from our own garden - healthy, dietary food, strengthening health.

For harvesting and drying, we used, in addition to the above-mentioned nasturtium, and many other plants. Flowers, leaves, roots, for example, greens and dill flowers and their seeds for cooking were used; flowers and leaves of curly and common parsley, as well as their root; horseradish flowers and its root; tarragon leaves (tarragon); parsnip flowers, leaves and root; walnut leaves; cherry leaves, mint, lemon balm; leaves and arrows (young) of garlic and heads of garlic. I must say that the leaves and arrows are best taken from the spring planting garlic. When planted before winter without shelter with manure, and in winter with snow, garlic often freezes and is poorly stored. When it is planted in autumn before winter, it is often affected by the disease "rust". The way to combat it is oxalic acid in solution.

Also in our family for the winter there is celery, its leaves and root, which we buy at the market. We especially highlight the long-forgotten spice plant - caraway. We attach special importance to it in our preparations. This wild biennial plant grows throughout Europe and most of Asia.

We collect seeds from wild plants in nature and sow them in the garden in order to get our own seeds later. In addition, we eat fresh young caraway leaves, stems as salads or seasoning for soups and main courses, when cooking meat, beets. And how necessary it is in sauerkraut, which gives it its unusual flavor! Cumin also protects cabbage from certain types of putrefactive bacteria.

× Notice board Kittens for sale Puppies for sale Horses for sale

Asparagus

I would like to say a few words about vegetable asparagus. This perennial plant of the lily family grows in southern Europe, it is found in the wild in the steppes. The best varieties of asparagus are Arzhantelskaya, Gollandskaya and Snezhnaya head. It is bred with seeds, growing seedlings. When sowing seeds in spring, the seedlings grow by autumn, in this case, the yield of asparagus production can be obtained only in the third year. To get edible asparagus shoots, I sow seeds in a greenhouse, water the seedlings, take care of them in the greenhouse for as long as possible, and then plant them in a permanent place, processed to a depth of 40 cm, - four to five rows, 20 cm each between them, and in a row the distance between plants is 10-15 cm. In the fall, I cover the planted seedlings with spruce branches, dry foliage.

Vegetable asparagus is grown for young, juicy bleached or green shoots that are rich in protein, asparagine, saponin and various vitamins. Asparagus grows in one place for 15-20 years, this should be taken into account when choosing a place. To get longer shoots (up to 40 cm), I use the following method. I take plastic bottles with a capacity of 1.5-2 liters, cut off their bottom and neck, or even connect two cylinders together, lengthening them.

I prepare foam crumbs the size of small peas. Since there is no black foam, I paint white in an aqueous soot solution. At the moment when asparagus escapes from the ground, I immediately put this structure on it and cover it with black crumbs, thus lengthening the bleached part of the shoot. Instead of foam chips, you can use other materials, for example, sawdust mixed with peat. To get shoots for food, I remove the structure and cut them off, going deeper into the ground, closer to the roots. After cutting off food shoots, the rest will decorate the garden with a beautiful herringbone up to 2.5 m high.