To wind up Beautiful Edibles week is the pièce de résistance, the most beautiful vegetable on the planet, the purple cabbage. After seeing them growing at the Chicago Botanic Garden last year, I had to have them. That decision was confirmed after seeing them used in urns at the Chicago Flower and Garden show. Is it the perfect rosette form?
The texture of the foliage? The color of glaucous blue with purple? The way the raindrops bead up on it?
I've got three of them planted in containers, and this one is getting close to harvest time.
It's not as big as a cabbage grown in the ground, but is more than sufficient for sauerkraut for two. (The kids don't like sauerkraut.)
My family has a little joke about the girl: she won't eat something if it's "too cute." I used to wonder where she got it from, but now I know it's from me. I find myself beginning to think that cabbage is too beautiful to eat. On its own,
or in with other plants.
I haven't protected them in any way, as I like to see the little cabbage butterflies, and the damage they do is minor.
I will eventually harvest at least one, because the beauty will start to fade.
Or will it?
