Photo's : Some of the delights on display at the Clonmany show.
It is harvesting time for a lot of vegetables. We didn’t plant too much this year but are getting plenty of mangetout, beans and courgettes. These are easy crops to harvest and picking encourages more veggies to come so they are very productive. The peas, spinach and salad are doing well too though the sweet corn looks like it might not produce much this year for us as we planted it a bit late.
I went to the Clonmany Agricultural Show last week, which was part of the 40th Clonmany festival. I enjoyed looking at the home industries competition, particularly at the different types of potatoes that are grown around the peninsula and ready for early harvesting now. If you fancy a change from spuds though why not consider Jerusalem artichokes.
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES
I have heard that Jerusalem artichokes make a good alternative to spuds, what are they and how can I grow them. Thanks E.M. by E-mail
Reply
There isn’t much to touch the humble spud. You can tire easily from eating pasta or rice everyday, but there’s nothing like a big bowl of mash to fill you up. Jerusalem artichokes would make a pleasant change to the usual fare but they do have a distinct flavour and not everyone likes the taste. Those that do will relish the soup that it makes. If you know anyone who has the crop then you could get some tubers from them to make a start. If not, garden centres usually stock them. The plants need to grow until the leaves turn brown in autumn. Either harvest all of the tubers and pick some small ones to plant next year or do as the French do and leave the ones that stay on the stems in the ground to grow on for next year.
PREPARATION
Wash and scrub the tubers in water. If they are smooth, cut away the roots and tips. When peeled put them in water. Knobbly artichokes are best boiled in their skins for about ten minutes until half cooked. Then run them under the cold tap and peel the skins off.
I went to the Clonmany Agricultural Show last week, which was part of the 40th Clonmany festival. I enjoyed looking at the home industries competition, particularly at the different types of potatoes that are grown around the peninsula and ready for early harvesting now. If you fancy a change from spuds though why not consider Jerusalem artichokes.
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES
I have heard that Jerusalem artichokes make a good alternative to spuds, what are they and how can I grow them. Thanks E.M. by E-mail
Reply
There isn’t much to touch the humble spud. You can tire easily from eating pasta or rice everyday, but there’s nothing like a big bowl of mash to fill you up. Jerusalem artichokes would make a pleasant change to the usual fare but they do have a distinct flavour and not everyone likes the taste. Those that do will relish the soup that it makes. If you know anyone who has the crop then you could get some tubers from them to make a start. If not, garden centres usually stock them. The plants need to grow until the leaves turn brown in autumn. Either harvest all of the tubers and pick some small ones to plant next year or do as the French do and leave the ones that stay on the stems in the ground to grow on for next year.
PREPARATION
Wash and scrub the tubers in water. If they are smooth, cut away the roots and tips. When peeled put them in water. Knobbly artichokes are best boiled in their skins for about ten minutes until half cooked. Then run them under the cold tap and peel the skins off.
Horticultural.
No comments:
Post a Comment