Rhizomes are here again! Just like the first flower buds of Spring, the first signs of rhizomes are bedazzling Frog Eyes Farm. They should add about 10 grams per month and be ready by about October 2015. We will keep updating this site. Please go to the website and get on the waiting list for rhizome availability notification. The small rhizomes have good color, taste and overall health. The sweetness is already forming well and nearly no bitterness. I'm looking forward to autumn steak, potatoes, big/bold riesling and a big dollop of wasabi. We are of course still selling plant starts through the website to the public, nurseries and burgeoning wasabi farmers. We will continue to sell these while we sell rhizomes to the culinary market.
Plant Start Update
A few weeks ago, I harvested some leaves and stems from the wasabi plants in our garden (not the farm). I also promised that the plants would grow back. Well, they certainly did do just that. Don't be trepidatious to harvest leaves and stems. The >30% rule doesn't apply. Go for it. Make a memorable meal. The plants will be fine. In fact, for ours, even post- harvest the plants sent out even more flowers (which make a great tea by the way). For those buying wasabi starts, there are about 6 offshoots in this barrel. These are planted a bit denser than I'd recommend.
What We Have Now: Plant Starts (Plantlets) and Leaves/Stems
Here in the Pacific Northwest, Mother Nature set out a nice warm apple pie on the windowsill. After the coldest winter temperatures since 1950 in Dec. 2013, we have been blessed with the mildest winter in memory. The greenhouses have been reaching the mid 70's during many days since December. Out at the farm, our in-house dj has been spinning Jimmy Buffet during those months she's usually on rainy day music like Enya. The plants are months ahead in their growth rate and the leaves are like June leaves rather than March/April. The plant starts are large and healthy. We should have our first rhizome sighting next month. I'll keep this blog updated. 
In the meantime, order some leaves and stems. There are several recipes on our website: http://www.thewasabistore.com/recipes/ One of my favorites is to sauté the stems for 8-10 minutes in olive oil until the first signs of charring and then plate and add some sea salt. The leaves make a great sauce with a bit of broth, xanthum gum and olive oil all blended in a food processor. Goes great over potatoes. Think of this as a mail-order fresh greens source.
We also have two new outlets for plant starts. For mail order, check out the Territorial Seed Company http://www.territorialseed.com/category/wasabi_plants
If local in Portland, check the Portland Nursery.
Thank you for your interest,
Frog Eyes Wasabi
To Buy or Not To Buy and What To Do With It
So what do you get when you purchase a plantlet or offshoot? What can you do with them? What's the best growing conditions?
First, you get a plant that is robust and will sprout new greens nearly year-round. Enjoy them by eating them or looking at their robust growth or both.
Plant them in your garden. Make sure it has full shade from about March 1 through about Nov. 1 (depending on latitude and temperature to be sure). If the plants get direct sunlight they will wilt rather quickly but they will recover overnight meaning they will standup and regain their form. After the plants have grown for 3 to 6 months start harvesting the leaves and stems as long as the apical meristem is sending new leaves. The top leaves are for harvesting just like other brassicas such as kale. The plant wants to grow out of off the top (meristem) and will readily send out more leaves and stems. In the photos I've cut some stems and leaves off and there are smaller leaves below just waiting to replace those I cut. (To enjoy them, I had them in a stir fry and they were delicious.)
This time year the plants will flower. The flowers can be harvested and steeped in hot water to make tea, breaded tempura style (rather traditional), put on top of noodle soup for garnish or raw in a salad or flavor of your green tea.
This plant is light phobic. Don't plant it next to your tomatoes. Plant them under the rhododendron instead. See our website for more information growing wasabi.
Enjoy!
Grow Your Own
You can grow your own wasabi. Certainly, you can. Really; you can. The below photo are several offshoots we planted in a wine barrel with potting soil. We potted them in late August 2014. The photo was taken Feb. 8 2015. These plants were planed off-season (in Autumn). This is about what you could expect from your (yes, your) plants as well. These are just starting to flower (see the little buds?) and are growing taller petioles (stems) and bigger leaves now that it's Spring-like. The leaves and stems could be cut and eaten. It won't hurt the plant to do so. It's like plucking lettuce or kale leaves. But, wait you say, Markus, you grow wasabi professionally, don't you have an advantage? Well, yes in theory. But, we planted these like any inattentive gardener would have. We planted them and ignored them. No secret sauce, no nurturing, no nothing. Really. Just the day before this photo was taken, I tossed a handful of triple 14 fourteen fertilizer on them for a little boost. From Sept to now; nothing. Just plant them in a shady spot (such as the north or east side of the house, under a rhododendron bush etc. and watch them grow. Granted, your results may vary, but many people report nearly identical growth. Make sure the soil is very very well drained (don't worry about adding too much pumice or gravel) and make sure there's nearly no direct sunlight ever. Enjoy! Want to plant your own? Order straight from the website: www.TheWasabiStore.com
