EDIBLE MAIN STREET Pick a little. Leave a lot. FMI: Visit CEBE or call 739-2101
Photos courtesy of Scott Vlaun, Moose Pond Arts+Ecology.
Greens Can you spot the lettuce, mesclun, arugula, amaranth, spinach, kale or rainbow chard? When to pick? Choose outer leaves that are at least 4" long. How to pick? Pinch at the base of each leaf, one at a time. Leave the whole plant so that more can grow. How to enjoy? After washing, they can be eaten raw as a snack, salad or in sandwiches. Kales, spinach and chard can be steamed or cooked into dishes.
LETTUCE MESCLUN ARUGULA AMARANTH SPINACH KALE RAINBOW CHARD
Herbs Can you spot parsley, basil, oregano, chives, thyme, dill, tarragon, sage? When to pick? Harvest as needed, but always leave a minimum of two sets of leaves to support plant regrowth. How to pick? Choose larger, outer leaves or sprigs from a variety of places on the plant. How to enjoy? After washing, tear or chop and add to any dish to enhance flavors.
PARSLEY BASIL OREGANO CHIVES THYME DILL TARRAGON SAGE
Snap & Snow Peas Can you find the peas? When to pick? Harvest snap peas when plump and snow peas before seeds begin to form. How to pick? Gently remove the entire pea pod from the stem without disurbing the rest of the plant. How to enjoy? After washing, eat raw as a snack, add to salad, or lightly steam or add to stir fries or any dish.
SNAP PEAS SNOW PEAS
Edible Flowers Can you spot calendula, nasturtiums and marigolds? When to pick? Pick when the blossom are fully bloomed. How to pick? Gently pinch stem right below blossom. How to enjoy? Garnish salad with nasturtiums on top to make a beautiful presentation. Blossoms are spicy and sweet. Pull petals of calendula and marilgolds and sprinkle over salad.
NASTURTIUMS MARIGOLDS CALENDULA
Cherry Tomatoes Can you spot yellow, black and red cherry tomatoes? When to pick? Harvest when fully red, black, or yellow. Leave greener ones. How to pick? Gently twist the fruit off the stem. Hold the stem if needed to keep the plant intact. How to enjoy? After washing, eat whole or slice. Can be used raw in salads or snacks. Cook into any dish, like pastas or stir fries.
RED CHERRY BLACK CHERRY YELLOW CHERRY
Cucumbers Can you spot the Lemon Cucumber? When to pick? Harvest when completely yellow. How to pick? Gently hold the stem in one hand and the cucumber in the other. Twist until it comes loose. How to enjoy? After washing, eat raw like a fruit, skin and all. Or slice and use in salads or any dish, and to flavor water.
Radish Can you spot the radish? When to pick? The top of the radish will show itself through the soil. It s ready to pull when they are about 1" in diameter. How to pick? Gently pull up from the soil. How to enjoy? After washing, snap or cut off the top leaves and bottom root. Eat raw, whole or sliced as a snack or in salads. Sautéed radish greens can be added to any dish
Leaves Stem Collar Shoulder or Crown Root Lateral Roots Tap Root
Beets Can you spot a beet? When to pick? Thin and use greens and plants as needed. Beets are ready to pull when they are about 2" in diameter. How to pick? Gently pull up from the soil. Work around beet to loosen if needed. How to enjoy? After washing, snap or cut off the top leaves and bottom root. Slice or cube and then steam or add to any stir fry or sautée along with the leaves.
Leaves Stem Collar Shoulder or Crown Root Lateral Root Scars Lateral Roots Tap Root
Chives Can you spot chives? When to pick? When shoots are tall enough to hold in your hand. How to pick? Harvest a clump with scissors, leaving 1/2" above the soil for regrowth. How to enjoy? After washing, slice into pieces and add to a salad, garnish a soup, or any dish. Chive flowers can be eaten and are beautful in a salad.
Green Onions Can you spot tall green onions? When to pick? When shoots are about 15" tall and the bulb is about 1/2" in diameter. How to pick? Gently pull the onions up from the soil without disturbing others. How to enjoy? After washing, the whole onion, shoots and bulbs, can be chopped and added raw to salad and cooked into soups and any dish.
Carrots Can you spot carrots? When to pick? When leaves are tall and you can see the shoulder of the carrot (about 3/4" diameter) before picking. How to pick? Gently pull the carrot up from the soil without disturbing plants. How to enjoy? After washing, carrots can be eaten whole, sliced raw into a salad, or cooked into any soup or dish.
Leaves Stem Collar Shoulder or Crown Storage Root Lateral Root Scars Lateral Roots Tap Root
Can you spot peppers? Sweet Peppers When to pick? When fruit is full color. How to pick? Snip pepper from stem with scissors so as not to disturb the rest of the plant. How to enjoy? After washing, slice and eat raw, or cook into and dish.
Can you spot beans? Runner Beans When to pick? When bean is long and has started to plump. How to pick? Gently snip from stem with finger without disturbing the rest of the plant. How to enjoy? After washing, chop into pieces, cook into any dish.
Center for an Ecology-Based Economy Resilient Communities Restoring the Earth info@ecologybasedeconomy.org 739-2101 Find us on Facebook
Healthy Oxford Hills, your local Healthy Maine Partnership and a project of Stephens Memorial Hospital, promotes partnerships, policies, and programs to protect and enhance the health of Oxford Hills. 739-6222 info@healthyoxfordhills.org Find us on Facebook
Where Everyone is Welcome to... -Grow your own organic vegetables -Join our free workshop series -Join our Green Exchange (work for food) program -Volunteer for a great community project alandaygarden.wordpress.com Rocky Crockett, Garden Coordinator 346-0708
Supporting Main Street since 2002! norwaydowntown.org Find us on Facebook
Maine SNAP-Ed is designed to help you learn how to shop, cook, and eat healthy food on a limited budget. SNAP-Ed offers fun and free classes and resources for all ages. We provide you with real tips and tricks to help you feed your family healthy foods on a limited budget. The sessions are offered locally at convenient times. Call 739-6222 to join a class.
Contact Carl Costanzi at 890-6102 for more information.