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)!

Today's harvest

I've been away for a few days and blight has struck! I've rescued my remaining potatoes but I think the tomatoes are doomed :(

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!