Allotment update!

Sorry I've not been posting much - really busy!

I recently got back from a 5 day holiday and was expecting to find the allotment either swamped in weeds or completely dried-out and dead. In actual fact, not much has changed. This extremely hot weather must be slowing things down.

Before I left I picked my first few tiny courgettes. When I returned I picked my first huge one! So I'm now making my first loaf of courgette bread :)

Every time I visit the plot I get a little handful of juicy alpine strawberries. I never take any home with me, they're essential for thirst-quenching after a hot bike ride!



Yesterday I picked my first blackcurrants. Last year I only got a handful because the bushes were very young. This year I'm hoping for enough to make a bit of jam...



Apart from strawberries, courgettes and blackcurrants, so far this year I've harvested lettuce/salads, peas, broad beans and various herbs. And lots of weeds (I think I am genuinely more interested in the weeds and the self-seeders than the crops I've actually planted)! Oh and millions of angelica seeds! Does anyone know what I can do with them? I'm hoping they can be used in breads and cakes etc.

Other things I'm growing right now include potatoes (no blight yet!), beetroot, rhubarb (third attempt, this time from seed, last plant just hanging in there!), sunflowers, jerusalem artichokes, globe artichokes (from seed, exciting!), carrots and onions (both doing very badly), runner beans, various trees (the fruit of which amounts to a grand total of 3 plums), and my favourite herbs lavender and mint. I have all sorts of plans for the plot, including a sort-of mini forest garden with a lot more perennials and self-seeders. I like my gardening to be as lazy as possible! ;)

Chestnut roast recipe

I made a nut roast with (some of) my foraged chestnuts:

RECIPE

a few tiny courgettes (or other veg)
a few shallots (or onions)
150g chopped cashew nuts
150g chopped chestnuts (or chestnut puree, which gives a smoother texture)
1 egg, lightly beaten
100g breadcrumbs
a few drops of soy sauce (or a dash of marmite)
chopped sage (or other herbs)

Fry shallots and courgettes til soft. Remove from heat and stir in other ingredients. Squish mixture into greased loaf tin, and roast in medium oven for, um, 40 mins to 1 hour. Simples!

This recipe is an adaptation of one regularly used by my ex, Paul. He makes his version (very well indeed) with chestnut puree. The ingredients and quantities are very much open to interpretation. I'm thinking of trying one with a bit of parmesan in it :)

Very quick update - busy busy busy!

Runner beans, courgettes and cucumbers are really keeping me on my toes; I can't seem to pick, eat, cook or freeze them fast enough!

All the green tomatoes I rescued from blight are actually doing OK! I'm ripening them in batches on my windowsill with the aid of bananas :)

Allotments are hard work (even if I've insisted otherwise during non-summer months)!

Allotment update

I had a good weeding session this morning - something I really should do more often. I brought back a few beetroot, including a random white one:



So far this year I've also harvested potatoes (1st and 2nd earlies), broad beans, french & runner beans (just starting), peas (grubby), courgettes, carrots, onions, garlic, shallots, soft fruit and herbs.

My peas always have grubs in. I think they're pea/bean weevils. I'm going to scrap them and try mange-tout next year (I really don't mind eating grubs as long as I can't see them!).

Summer's here...

I picked my first little courgette today!

Just been watching River Cottage, in which Hugh sliced and fried baby courgettes with a bit of garlic and a lot of mint, and ate them on toast with a yoghurty topping. Must try...

Speaking of mint, I added some of the wild stuff (water mint I think) to some homemade lamb burgers. They were nice... even though they tasted like toothpaste. Next time I will add slightly less! :)

Allotment update

Lately I've been harvesting peas, broad beans, potatoes, a few tiny strawberries and the usual leaves and herbs. This evening I would also have dug up my garlic but I accidentally injured myself whilst collecting peas (chopped my finger with scissors!) so I went home early...

I'm getting excited about the fast-approaching runner bean and courgette glut (loads of flowers on both already). My onions, tomatoes and beetroot are all looking promising too. Some would say it's a crime to pickle beetroot but I can't wait (never done it before)!

Unfortunately I seem to be failing with the carrots again, which is a shame because they're one of my favourite vegetables. And no, it's not because I'm trying to grow them in the sky...

Dinner, and things...

I think I'm getting better at looking in the fridge to see what's there, and inventing a recipe to fit!

Tonight I had roast veg (potatoes, tomatoes, courgette) with vegetarian "meatballs". I added a crushed clove of garlic and a jalapeno pepper to the roasting tin (both of which I removed before eating - I just wanted a subtle hint of their flavours). On serving I added a dribble of Balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of black pepper. Simple, but most yummy! And I was extra pleased with myself when I realised I'd grown everything apart from the veggieballs : )

Whilst cooking this I dry roasted a few handfuls of foraged Hazelnuts (Claire, I think we're too late - the squirrels seem to have been busy this year), in an attempt to fill up the oven and be more economical with the electricity...

I also saved half a courgette for breadmaking later on. I've done experiments and now I'm sure that courgette helps bread to rise. Anyone know why that might be?

Harvest 19/8/08

French beans, calabrese, foraged plums and damsons, tomatoes, courgette, potatoes.

Harvest

I think I should post more photos of the food I harvest from my allotment. I normally drop by on the way home from work and collect just enough for my tea. This evening I decided to try digging up a few of my maincrop "King Edward" potatoes - they are huge!



I also collected a small basket of random goodies. The tomatoes are coming thick and fast now - luckily I really love tomatoes! I'm building up a stockpile of courgettes too...



There are loads of wild Blackberries around the edges of the allotment site, and I wasn't the only one picking them!

Courgette loaf

My breadmaker cost £24 from Argos. I've *easily* saved that much money on bread since I bought it last August. It's simple to use, and it's fun! This loaf was based on a recipe for carrot bread, simply replacing grated carrot with courgette.