As always, spring in Tasmania really starts in October. Quick turnaround crops like radish and spring onion thrive in spring, but lots of crops tend to go to seed around this time – leeks in particular finished for the season last week. Bailey Farm’s pumpkins are also now finished for the season, and Matt has dug his celeriac out for cold storage this week, which is why your celeriac doesn’t have any of the customary greens on top – it stores better this way. Asparagus will start in October, although sadly due to low market prices Brandsema have had to stop growing capsicum and eggplant this season, as it’s no longer cost effective to do so. This week’s certified organic garlic chives are full of delicious flavour, but it shouldn’t be too long until we have true garlic – the first thinning yields spring onion-sized bulbs, but as they go to seed the scapes (the stalk that holds the flower) is harvested, then the bulb itself is harvested, and what isn’t sold straight away is carefully dried for longer-term storage.
