Today's photos

Alexanders likes to grow by the sea, and there are lots of new shoots at the moment. I'm still learning about this plant, and now I've found a "patch" I'm watching (and nibbling) with interest...



Tomatoes like to grow pretty much anywhere, I think. I've often seen them poking out through cracks in the pavement, but this is about the biggest feral tomato plantation I've come across. Lots of flowers - shame it's too late in the year for fruit (not that I'd eat any having seen the source of fertiliser!)...

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 :)

Foraging and allotmenteering!

Is it my imagination or are the chestnuts extra tiny this year? I've collected a few handfuls but nothing much to boast about. Shame, I love chestnuts :(
Anyway, I'm going to make a nut roast with these at some point this weekend:



I spent the afternoon (day off - hurrah!) on my allotment. It was lovely and sunny! I haven't had chance to do anything constructive up there for what seems like months, but today I started clearing beds and cutting the grass etc. I came home with a few little courgettes, quite a lot of beetroot and yet more runner beans. I think those three crops have been my biggest successes this season, and my freezer is now full of them. From just one pack of seeds I honestly think I've had about 4 years constant supply of courgettes!

Harvest Festival

Last night a few friends came over* to help me celebrate the harvest! We ate lots of yummy food including quiches, pumpkin pie, homegrown salad, tasty tomatoes, beetroot, roast veg, bread and cakes (inc experimental hedgerow muffins). We drank some very interesting cocktails too such as vodka with elderflower cordial, beech leaf noyau, rosehip syrup (which smells like tomatoes!), and homebrew wine. All in all a lovely evening, and I think it might just have to become an annual event :)



* Please don't be offended if you weren't invited - my tiny studio flat is seriously only just big enough for parties of a maximum 5 people!

Crab Apples

Today I collected crab apples. What shall I do with them?

Hips 'n' Haws

What a beautiful sunny September day it has been!

This afternoon I decided to go out and collect rosehips. I also found gigantic haws the size of crab apples(!) so I grabbed those too. I'm on the lookout for some savoury recipe ideas - I've never been much of a sweet-tooth, I don't really eat jam, and I have very little space for wine-making. I found a recipe for rosehip soup which looks interesting... any other suggestions?

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)!