Bountiful Brocolli's A bloomin' (And Cauliflower,Cabbage....)

It is Spring!!!!! Almost...

It has been such a mild winter in central Maryland that it has felt like spring almost the entire winter. But there is no doubt that the earth is tilting and as the robins know to return, the gardeners are beginning to sharpen their tools, planning their gardens, and planting their seeds indoors to get a head start on their crops.

My cole crop looks so happy! This year, I will be planting several varieties of cauliflower white Toscano, orange/yellow cheddar, and purple Graffiti cauliflower. Last season, the Cheddar variety did amazingly well. The white and purple did not fare as well. As illustrated in the pictures, I will be sure protect the precious heads by tying the leaves if the weather gets too hot.

Broccoli will again will hopefully be the centerpiece of my early summer garden. The Batavia and Packman varieties did remarkably well last year so they are a returning favorite to my garden. I tried my hand at vacuum sealing and freezing the abundance. It was amazingly fresh tasting and oh so sweet!

As successful as brussel sprouts have been for me in the past, last year was horrendous. The stink bugs destroyed my plants. I could not believe and wasn't prepared for the devastation! Again, I will be planting the Dimitri variety but will definitely be prepared- investing in some pheronome traps for stink bugs as well as trying to kill them in the larvae stage. I may even take my shop-vac in the garden as I read in article (and dumping them in a pail of sudsy water.) Another article stated that the stink bug population may be way down this summer due to all the rain from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. One can only hope!

To round out my cole crop this season is my new favorite superfood-kale. This year, I will be growing Winterbor and Dwarf Blue. Definitely consider growing this wonderful brassica.

Now that is it for my cole crop this year. If you are a fan of this blog, you will know that this is just a portion of Claudia's culinary garden. Stay tuned for more veggies, more recipes, and more stories.

Welcome Spring!