I thought we might consolidate ideas for making use of vegetables that have been left too long in the garden past prime to harvest. I think even the most diligent of us have done that at one time or another.
I know there's a thread for baseball bat zucchinis and football size cucumbers, and I recently started a thread for yound radish seedpods after radishes have bolted. There is yet another for garlic scapes (unopened flower buds with tender stalk attached) So I'll just find the links to those.
Let me add a new one here. Onion and Garlic flowers -- well actually not quite flowers but when the scapes have been left past prime and flower balls have opened up and you suddenly decide that you didn't want to let them go to seed.
There's another chance. If you twist off the entire flower ball at the base where it attaches to the stalk before the individual flowers have opened. You have tiny tender buds that can be plucked off. They taste garlicky or oniony and make a great garnish tomsalad or addition to the dressing.
I just finished plucking one large garlic flower ball and 3 smallish onion flower balls and they made me cry. Yep. Just like chopping onions.
I just put the little buds in a small freezer bag and froze them. I put the plucked ball part whhole in a vegetable dish that is cooking to impart flavor. They would also make good herb for soup, etc. I don't know that they will be tender enough to eat -- I suspect they will be stringy.
...well the garlic one was tough and woody/stringy. The onion ones turned out tender enough to eat though there was a slight bitterness in the center part. The individual bud stems were tasty.
Anyone else make creative use out of past prime vegs?