Okay, I lied a little, it's not the first harvest, but since we've been growing and eating lettuce pretty much non stop all winter, I'm not counting the leafy greens.
Ta - Da!
I neglected to take a picture before eating the largest of the artichokes. It went directly from the plant into the steamer. Then I thought, hey, I am going to want to preserve this moment for all posterity.
In the bowl we have the artichokes as yet un-eaten. Big one is for snax tomorrow, the rest will go on a pizza I think. Also, 3 purple jalapenos - a little small but that poor little plant probably should have been allowed to grow more before I let it fruit. I cut everything off of it so it could rest a little and fill out a bit more. 1 Sureno (serrano) green chili, and a not-yet-bulbing test-pull of the garlic I planted last October. The butter will be served with the artichoke; however, the jug of Mayo didn't fit well in the shot. But you get the idea.
The artichokes are THE coolest thing I've ever grown. I started them from seed last summer. They spent the winter in #5 pots in the unheated greenhouse. In February, we put them in the ground. They were about a foot tall and wide then. They're three feet wide now, almost that tall, and there are more chokes coming from all over the place. Out of 5 plants, 3 were selected to plant out. I would have planted all five but some bug turned the leaves of two of them into lace, and I freaked out and bagged and trashed them. The variety is Emerald, bred in the southern California desert (El Centro) It gets a little colder here than where it was developed, but it didn't seem to mind several months of temps between 20F(Low) and 45F(High).
The stems on these are unbelievable. Tender... just an extension of the heart. The leaves were a little smallish and slim on meat, but the heart was huge. Maybe I've never had one this fresh and young... but man, it's the only way to go from here on out.
Growing food is so fun! I can see my next house hunting trip focused on how many good sunny spots are available in the yard. Dining room? It has a dining room? Oh, and a kitchen too? That's nice, but how about this section of the side yard.... If we trimmed that tree we could...... I am totally addicted.
I will update on The Garden, which is taking on a life of its own, as soon as I get the last of the after-frost seeds planted.
Happy Growing!