I thinned some kohlrabi and the turnips.. i also pinched the tips out of some herbs.. oregano i think and a little black spearmi tThought for a second
Yes — that sounds spot on, and actually a very good use for that little harvest.
I’d do it as a herb, potato and thinnings omelette/frittata:
Dice or slice a cooked potato, or parboil/fry small cubes until just tender. Soften a little chopped onion in oil or butter, then add diced sweet pepper and cook until it starts to soften. Add the kohlrabi/turnip thinnings for the last minute so they wilt but don’t disappear.
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and a small handful of grated cheese. Pour over the potato, onion, pepper and greens. Add the oregano-type herb into the egg mix or scatter it over just before cooking. Keep the mint/spearmint very light — just a tiny bit chopped fresh at the end, if using, because it can take over.
Cook gently until mostly set, then finish under the grill if you want the top puffed and golden. More cheese on top would not be a crime.
A nice combination would be:
Potato + onion + sweet pepper + young turnip/kohlrabi greens + oregano + cheddar
or, slightly fresher:
Potato + spring onion/shallot + greens + soft cheese/feta + oregano, with a tiny pinch of mint after cooking
That would make a lovely “first thinnings omelette” post too — very much in the From Plot to Pot spirit: the sort of small, satisfying meal that proves thinning seedlings is not really waste at all.
Yeah..frittata.. turn this chat into a recipe post for from pot to plotThought for a second
First Thinnings Frittata
Potato, herbs, cheese, onion, sweet pepper — and the first tiny harvest from the planter
There is something very satisfying about thinning seedlings and realising that the little plants you have just removed are not waste at all — they are the first small harvest.
I had been thinning out some kohlrabi and turnips from the kitchen garden planter, and also pinching the tips out of a few herbs — oregano, I think, and a little black spearmint. The result was not a basketful, exactly, but enough to turn into something simple, seasonal and very much in the spirit of From Plot to Pot.
A frittata seemed the obvious answer: potato for substance, onion and sweet pepper for sweetness, cheese for comfort, and the young turnip and kohlrabi leaves folded through at the end.
This is less a strict recipe and more a useful way of making a meal from odds and ends — especially those precious little thinnings that are too good for the compost heap.
Ingredients
Serves 1–2, depending on appetite.
- A handful of young kohlrabi and turnip thinnings, well washed
- A few fresh herb tips — oregano, marjoram or similar
- A very small amount of black spearmint, optional
- 2–3 eggs
- 1 small cooked potato, sliced or diced
- ½ onion or 1 small onion, chopped
- ½ sweet pepper, chopped
- A small handful of grated cheese
- Oil or butter for cooking
- Salt and black pepper
Optional extras:
- A little garlic
- A pinch of paprika or chilli flakes
- A spoonful of yoghurt or cream in the eggs
- Extra cheese for the top
Method
Wash the thinnings carefully, as young brassica seedlings can hold a surprising amount of grit. Roughly chop them, keeping any tender stems. Chop the herbs finely, but keep the mint separate unless you are sure you want that flavour running through the whole dish.
Warm a little oil or butter in a small frying pan. Add the chopped onion and cook gently until it begins to soften. Add the sweet pepper and continue cooking for a few minutes.
Add the cooked potato and let it take on a little colour. This gives the frittata a better flavour and stops it feeling too soft.
Stir in the kohlrabi and turnip thinnings for the last minute or so. They only need to wilt.
Beat the eggs with salt, black pepper and most of the grated cheese. Stir in the oregano or marjoram-type herbs. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and potato, then cook gently over a low heat until the edges begin to set.
Scatter a little more cheese over the top. Finish under the grill until the top is set and lightly golden, or put a lid on the pan and continue cooking gently until the middle is just firm.
Add a tiny scattering of chopped black spearmint at the end if you fancy it — but go carefully, as mint can easily take over.
Notes from the plot
The young kohlrabi and turnip leaves bring a mild brassica flavour — a little cabbagey, a little peppery, but much softer than mature leaves. They are perfect in eggs, soups, stir-fries, noodles or anything where a handful of greens can be wilted in at the last moment.
Pinching out herb tips is also a useful job in itself. It encourages bushier growth, and the bonus is a small handful of fresh flavour for the kitchen.
This is the kind of cooking I like best: nothing grand, nothing wasted, and a meal that starts with a small job in the planter.
Suggested excerpt
Thinning seedlings does not have to mean waste. A handful of young kohlrabi and turnip thinnings, a few pinched herb tips, potato, onion, sweet pepper, eggs and cheese became a simple first-thinnings frittata — a small but satisfying meal from the kitchen garden.
I like to call it micro-vegThought for a second
That’s a great phrase — micro-veg fits your style perfectly.
I’d tweak the post title and intro slightly:
Micro-Veg Frittata
Potato, herbs, cheese, onion, sweet pepper — and the first tiny harvest from the planter
There is something very satisfying about thinning seedlings and realising that the little plants you have just removed are not waste at all — they are micro-veg.
Not quite microgreens in the shop-bought sense, and not yet a full crop either, but something in between: tiny turnip and kohlrabi plants, full of flavour, rescued from the thinning-out process and carried straight to the kitchen.
I had been thinning out some kohlrabi and turnips from the kitchen garden planter, and also pinching the tips out of a few herbs — oregano, I think, and a little black spearmint. The result was not a basketful, exactly, but enough to turn into something simple, seasonal and very much in the spirit of From Plot to Pot.
A frittata seemed the obvious answer: potato for substance, onion and sweet pepper for sweetness, cheese for comfort, and the young turnip and kohlrabi leaves folded through at the end.
This is less a strict recipe and more a useful way of making a meal from odds and ends — especially those precious little thinnings that are far too good for the compost heap.
For the excerpt:
Thinning seedlings does not have to mean waste. A handful of young kohlrabi and turnip “micro-veg”, a few pinched herb tips, potato, onion, sweet pepper, eggs and cheese became a simple first-thinnings frittata — a small but satisfying meal from the kitchen garden.