Been clearing some of the vegetables from the poly-tunnel this morning. Here's me holding a stainless steel bowl of beetroot. We also pulled some carrots. Some of the beetroot's are being roasted with some beef (our heifer) and some of our garlic cloves. The tougher and bigger beets are going to be boiled on top of the range and then they will be left to go cold and they will be fed to the weanling heifers and pigs in the morning. I gave the pigs and heifers the carrot thinning's and leaves before. We never give them beetroot leaves though. Nor do we ever feed them rhubarb leaves. They are both poisonous and contain oxalic acid.
Pulling beetroot and parsnips always makes me feel down these days. It's because we use to grow them for my mother and father. Think I might stop growing them now my parents are no longer in the land of the living. No I won't. It's strange how vegetables can make you feel sad.
It's like that joke (very old!) about two women talking over the garden fence:
"Oh I am sorry to hear about your Bert dying. What ever happened!"
"He went down the garden to pick a cabbage and dropped dead on top of it."
"What ever did you do?"
Well I had to open a tin of peas instead!"
Quickly moving on.
Here's some garlic cloves in my old Ford 3000 and Ford 4000 tractor wheel rims and the blue tractor wheel hub. They were growing carrots in them earlier this morning. So we pulled the carrots and topped them up with compost and planted some of this years garlic cloves in them. See the snail trails on the polythene?
Beetroot leaves are not poisonous Dave, they are very nutritious, lots of recipes for them , they can been eaten raw in salads, used in quiche or cooked as greens. However you should never feed parsnip leaves to pigs.
ReplyDeletePS. can you explain the Single Farm payment on my blog for a reader from Down Under, thanks.
Hi Anne. I think you're right. It's livestock eating large amounts of the leaves that make it poisonous from oxalic acid. I know rhubarb leaves are very poisonous. Thanks!
DeleteCourse I will pop over to your blog Anne - An Irish Alternative. Thanks!
Funny how small things can trigger low moods from out of the blue eh
ReplyDeleteChin up old bean x
Isn't it just, John. Smells, the subconscious, certain favourite television programme..? Hope you are feeling better.
DeleteYour posts reminds of this: at my father's funeral over 40 years ago my uncle turned up at the crematorium with a sack of onions ad a sack of potatoes, undid the boot of his car and said to my mother "I'll just pop these in your car before things start". It was a reminder that life has to go on, it was a country funeral and he was a fenland farmer. Don't stop growing the vegetables, I think next year if you didn't have them you would be upset with yourself. The beetroot look great.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel. Your uncle had a brilliant way of coping with bereavement. You remind me of a tale my mother use to tell me of my grandparents cart horse dropping dead in the stable. My uncle was all panicky and he exclaimed to my grandfather:
ReplyDelete"What will we do?"
My granddad shrugged his shoulders and said:
"We will just have to buy another one."
Glad you like the beetroot and thanks for your kind comment, Rachel!
I think country people have a unique way of dealing with death don't you?
DeleteJust a little, Rachel. There is a reason for everything and they have a stoic and pragmatic approach to life. I think you got Mr Welbeck for a bargain after last night's performance.
ReplyDeleteI like the old joke!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be without my beetroot. I think what Rachel said is pretty much right. I'm going to make beetroot soup this week I think.
Yes the old one's are the best, Kev. Rachel is on the ball with what she said. I had Borscht when I went to Poland. It's good and you can eat it cold. Beetroot's are originally a seaside plant and they respond to a sprinkle of salt along their rows. Thanks Kev.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such beautiful information with us. I hope you will share some more information about beetroot. Please keep sharing. Health Is A Life
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