At last some sunshine

We finally got onto the allotment and did some much needed weeding. The herb patch is now clear, just need to redistribute the herbs a bit as they are all bunched together in the middle. It looks so much better though.

David was busy clearing one of the other beds and the ground under the cold frame. There a few strawberry plants left in there. They were a disaster last year so hopefully we'll get more fruit this year. Once the ground drys up a bit and we can dig it over properly this bed will be ready for planting.


And in the flower bed it's nice to see a bit of colour coming through. A few crocuses starting to open up showing off their lovely purple petals. Can't wait for the spring now.

Runner beans

As most people tend to be we have been inundated with runner beans. They always end up growing to big and therefore tough and stringy to eat. So we've decided to pop all the beans out of their pods which will then be added to stews and chilies.
The colour of them is amazing...

Allotment sort out

Things are winding down a bit at the allotment so it's time to start sorting out ready for next year.

The wild flowers are still looking great though, here's are pretty poppy.

We decided to create more growing space to join two of the beds together and extended out into the path a bit. We have gained quite a lot from doing this actually. More space for yummy veg. Have of the bed is planted with garlic, red onions and fennel. The other have has been manured ready for runners, courgette and squash next year.

Clearing the beds we harvested leeks, parsnips, a few courgettes and the lovely lady next door gave us some potatoes and a squash which looks like a mini pumpkin. Very festive

Also picked some rhubarb and some cooking apples going free for some puddings.

Garlic and onions are in

Today we planted garlic, which will hopefully turn into 12 wonderful garlic bulbs next summer and about 26 red onions which will be ready early next year through to spring. Very exciting.

That's probably it now for planting, apart from some flower bulbs which will go in in a few months time for next year.

It's all about harvesting our homegrown produce now. Today we picked some corn on the cob, the last of the tomatoes, a few chillies, lettuce, a marrow and a pumpkin. Unfortunately the pumpkin plant has died and all bar 2 of the pumpkins split and rotted. But we have 2 which are ok and will become soup later in the week.

Carrot and Parsnip Soup

Before we got our allotment a friend very kindly let us plant in his. The only crop we had left growing there were parsnips which have had to come up. They could have done with more time as they are little small but they are a fine looking bunch and damn tasty too.

Along with some of our carrot crop I've made a creamy carrot and parsnip soup for lunch today. Really simple recipe, so here it us for you to try.

Creamy carrot and parsnip soup recipe

Ingredients:
A knob of butter
1large onion, peeled and chopped
450g carrots, peeled and chopped
2large parsnips, peeled and chopped
Thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp of grated orange rind
600ml/1 pint of veg stock
125ml single cream
Salt and pepper, to season
Fresh coriander, to garnish

How to make it:
In a large saucepan melt the butter over a low heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes to soften.
Add the carrots and parsnips. Cover with the lid and cook until the vegetables have softened.
Stir in the ginger, orange rind and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for half an hour. Allow to cool a little and then blend until smooth.
Stir through the cream and season.
Bowl up and garnish with the coriander.

Enjoy with a nice fresh crusty loaf.

Original recipe can be found here

The Usual Suspects

I love weird shaped fruit and veg, it's so silly that supermarkets have to reject these poor little guys. They are so full of character and taste every bit as good as their regular shaped counterparts.

Here's to weird shaped produce.

More giant veg

Things have been quiet at the allotment recently while veg has just been growing. Plus it's been a pretty wet few weeks.

But, today was harvest day. And very good it was too. The carrots finally came up. With a gentle tease of the folk up came some enormous carrots. There were a few ludicrously big and a few diddy ones.

We pulled up a few leeks and up-turned a monster of a potato. I did notice a few beastie holes in the potatoes so I think I need to read up on spud pests. Only one carrot had been attacked so that was ok.

And the best of the rest - The whole haul included: carrots, potatoes, a pumpkin, corn on the cob, leeks, tomatoes and lettuce.

National Allotment Week 10-16 Aug

So we just found out that this week has been National Allotment Week.

The theme this year focused on the benefits that allotments bring to everyone of all ages. Also to highlight that we should really value the plots we have and preserve them for future generations to enjoy.

Getting our allotment has been the best. If you are interested in gardening and being a little more self-sufficient, I would highly recommend contacting your local council to enquire about having an allotment of your own.

A trip to the garden centre

We had a lovely trip to the garden centre in Ware today. It's a massive place with a mini zoo there too. We saw the usual rabbits, chickens, goats but they also have raccoons which a beautiful, tortoises, meerkats, marmosets. It's was really cool.

Anyway, back to business. We got a few pretty perennials to go in the flowers bed, which the bees will hopefully like. David picked a monarda pink lace and a coreopsis early sunrise.

We also got a few different types of lettuce to go, and some broccoli, Chinese cabbage and curly red kale. These like nice fertile soil so we got a bag of smelly organic farmyard manure to dig into the soil. Not for the faint hearted. 

Lavender Shortbread

After our trip to Hitchin Lavender I thought I'd would try experimenting and cooking with it. We has friends over for dinner today so I made lavender Creme Brulee originally. It was all going very well until I forgot there were in the open. Burnt Creme Brulee.

Undeterred, I thought I would try something else. I came across a nice simple recipe for lavender shortbread. We love shortbread so I just had to try this. The lavender in it is really subtle, but a nice little addition.

Lavender Shortbread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar (granulated is fine if you don't have caster)
2 tbsp very finely chopped lavender florets (fresh or dried) - freshly picked from Hitchin Lavender
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint - from the allotment
2 1/3 cups plain flour
1/2 corn flour
pinch of salt

How to make it:
Preheat your over to 160°C

In a big mixing bowl cream together the butter, sugar, lavender and mint.
Mix until it is light and fluffy (or until your arm hurts).
Add the flour, corn flour and salt and beat until it is all mixed in.
Divide the dough in half, flatten it out a bit and wrap in cling film. Stick it in the fridge to chill until it is firm.
Sprinkle a little flour on a surface and roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. use a cookie cutter or whatever you want to cut out the cookies
Lay out on some baking paper lined oven try leaving about an inch between each cookie to allow for expansion.
prick each a few times with a fork. you can create a pattern if you want to maybe.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until pale golden, but do not allow to brown.
When cooled a little place them on a cooling rack and sprinkle over a little sugar.

Original recipe can be found here

Hitchin Lavender

Today we visited Hitchin Lavender. A beautiful field of purple. For £4.50 you can visit the field and pick as much lavender as you want to fill your bag.
We went a bit mad and picked loads, so now it's in every vase, and I'm looking for different things to use it for. The flat smells nice though.

Herb garden completed at last

I had the afternoon off work so today I finished off the herb garden at last. Weeded and edging put in, it looks really neat and tidy now and the plants are all doing well.

The butternut squash are getting bigger. I'm looking forward to them being ready to pick.

Today's harvest consisted of four big courgettes, you could class two as marrows probably, some runner beans and some French beans.

Courgette and Cheddar Soda Bread

To go with the risotto, which was pumpkin, chilli and sage (from the allotment), I have made a rather hansome looking loaf of courgette and cheddar soda bread.

Pumpkin for the risotto

Picked the first of the pumpkins today. I don't think it was quite ready actually, but I wanted to make a bit of space for all the others growing. The variety is Summer Ball, which you can apparently pick early like courgettes or leave to grow bigger to around 1kg. This one weighed in at about 800g, but it hadn't hollowed out and ripened yet.
Also dug up one lot of shallots and hung them up to dry.

Little bean, big bean

After a slow start because I thrust them out into the cold without warning, the runner beans are covered in pretty red flowers now and sprouting little beans. I was excited when I saw them. Then I got really excited when I found a massive bean lurking in the undergrowth.

Lamb Stuffed Marrow

Not sure what to do with your marrow? We say stuff it. This is a really tasty recipe which I first came across several years ago now and I do it every year when the marrows are ready.

Lamb Stuffed Marrow Recipe

Ingredients:

4 tbsp oil

1 onion, finely chopped

250g lamb mince

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 tbsp tomato puree paste

75g rice, cooked

4 tbsp ground cinnamon

25g pinenuts

25g raisins (or similar - I use what ever I have in the cupboard)

1 marrow, halved and deseeded

2 tbsp butter

300g arrabbiata sauce (basically any tomato and chili sauce, or make your own)

salt and pepper to season

How to make it:

For the stuffing: Cook your rice and set aside.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the onions and the mince until the mince starts to brown. 

Add the garlic, tomato puree and cinnamon and cook for a few minutes. 

Remove from the heat and add the other ingredients.

Preheat the over to 190°C.

Put your marrow in a baking tray and fill with the stuffing mixture.

Dot with knobs of the butter and cover with foil.

Roast for 45-50 minutes.

The sauce: heat your ready bought sauce or create your own tomato and chili sauce.

Plate up your marrow and pour your sauce over, or flood the plate with the sauce and place your marrow on top.

Original recipe can be found here

Monster marrow

We also picked this today. We felt it deserved a post of its own.

It is enormous!

A lot changes in a week

We've been on holiday for a week, everything has grown while we've been away, thankfully. It's been hot and sunny with some rain inbetween, so perfect for our little plot. The salad potatoes were ready to come up, so we dug them up today.

Here is how it is all looking.

A sudden growth spurt

Everything seems to have grown all of a sudden. I swear, a few days ago, it was half that size, but look at it now. It's become a marrow, rather than courgette. We've picked 3 and they're all quite big.

The pumpkins are on their way, all orange and lovely. The corn is getting taller and the little carrot patch it looking good too.

BBQ and update on growth

It was a lovely sunny evening so we bought some fish and BBQ'd it at the allotment while we weeded. Then settled down with a few beers.
This really is the good life.

Here are a few pics of the veg starting to grow.