Winter Wonderland: No Snow Needed

I'll admit, I have become a total garden-nerd. I go out and garden in the rain, I run to get Chris when we have a new sprout emerging, and I spent a chunk of Christmas money on seeds after spending an hour looking through catalouges-comparing various types and prices. It has paid off, however. Yesterday I went out to our garden, determined to start the new year off with as much of our own food as possible. When I mentioned that I planted lettuce, radishes and other things as late as November and a few weeks ago, most people thought I was nuts. Chris thought our broccoli, Bok Choy, celery et. al. would die at the first inkling of frost. However, yesterday I harvested about 1 lb of Brussels Sprouts, 3 lbs Daikon radish, a head of purple cabbage, greens for one large salad including kale, mustard, mesclun, lettuce..., 5 or so radishes, 4 turnips, 1 large Bok Choy-and there is still SO much more out there! Plus, we have sprouts coming up of celery, beets, radishes, lettuce, chard, mustard and kale. We didn't even use cloches or cold frames! I did mulch them with leaves from our two cherry trees, but other than that, they were left to their own devices. The plants did not grow nearly as fast as in the summer or late spring, but there still out there to be had and that is really something I am proud of. For some spring vegetables, if you live in a zone 7 or up (we're zone 8), why not try planting some turnips, kale, chard, spinach, radishes and lettuce. You should have something to harvest in two months' time. The turnips and radishes may take a bit longer, but probably not too much. Or, with the turnips and beets, try planting them in a medium sized container in the garage or patio. If you want to go smaller and even lower maintenance, take a tiny pot, throw in some dirt and a handful of lettuce seeds (or kale) and keep near a window. In a few weeks, you will have a pot full of what are known as micro greens which you can add to store bought salad mixes or greens which will had a healthful punch to your salad! Also, if you have grown attached to your little sprouts, you can save one or two and transplant them into a larger pot and let them grow to their full potential!

Daikon, the white root-like items in the photograph, is a type of asian radish that is rather spicy and interesting when eaten raw. It it used in Chinese medicine as it has nutrients which detoxify and cleanse.You can eat it raw, shredded on salads, cubed in a stir-fry, or do what I did and make wonderful pickles (or relish!). It is incredibly simple:
In a large bowl, place thin slices of Daikon and Cucumber.
Add in about 1/2-1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar or regular white vinegar (apple cider is much healthier)
1 cup water (enough liquid to cover slices)
1 teaspoon salt
1 generous squirt of Agave or 1/2 tablespoon sugar

Cover and let sit for about 24 hours. I think it would make excellent relish or, if you chopped them up a bit more, added to a salad with some other oriental vegetables included.