I’d just like to mention all the wonderful produce that had been coming from the vegetable patch over the last couple of weeks. Most fruit and vegetables seem to be ready for harvesting a lot earlier than usual. The first thing that I noticed was the fact that the calibrese (large headed broccoli) has not only matured, but also gone to seed. These plants are supposed to mature in autumn, but I’m not complaining, as they were delicious.
The kids have got tired of strawberries as they have been put under their noses once too often and we’re busy making blackcurrant jam. We have also had our fill of rhubarb for a while so we’ve made jam out of the latest batch. We only have one plant but if it is picked regularly the amount you get off it is amazing. For the last couple of weeks we have had a constant crop of mange tout, the peas where you eat the pod as well. It seems ridiculous that the shops are selling mange tout that has come all the way from Cyprus when you can just walk down the garden to pick some. The regular peas are cropping heavily too. The raspberries are coming thick and fast and we have also been enjoying beetroot. I will get around to pickling some soon but we are enjoying simply boiling them up and eating them sliced. Once the root has been cooked they peel easily with just a flick of the thumb. Watch out though as you will get a mouth full of red teeth when you eat them. A friend of mine says that they are delicious if they are sliced and fried with onions after they have been cooked. This sounds so delicious that I’m off into the garden to pull some up and do a bit of experimenting in the kitchen.
The kids have got tired of strawberries as they have been put under their noses once too often and we’re busy making blackcurrant jam. We have also had our fill of rhubarb for a while so we’ve made jam out of the latest batch. We only have one plant but if it is picked regularly the amount you get off it is amazing. For the last couple of weeks we have had a constant crop of mange tout, the peas where you eat the pod as well. It seems ridiculous that the shops are selling mange tout that has come all the way from Cyprus when you can just walk down the garden to pick some. The regular peas are cropping heavily too. The raspberries are coming thick and fast and we have also been enjoying beetroot. I will get around to pickling some soon but we are enjoying simply boiling them up and eating them sliced. Once the root has been cooked they peel easily with just a flick of the thumb. Watch out though as you will get a mouth full of red teeth when you eat them. A friend of mine says that they are delicious if they are sliced and fried with onions after they have been cooked. This sounds so delicious that I’m off into the garden to pull some up and do a bit of experimenting in the kitchen.
Horticultural.
