I had a load of basil that needed picking this week so decided to make a pesto.
Pesto usually has cheese in it but I tend to just use basil (or rocket) plus toasted walnuts (instead of pine nuts) plus garlic and olive oil
Because of the mixture of green and purple basil leaves the pesto ended up being a delightful brown colour....it tasted good though and goes well in sandwiches, here with a gooey goats cheese on sourdough
I also harvested the first small courgettes this week, yippee
Plus a whole load of broad beans and some marjoram
So I made a broad bean and egg stew, based on Shaheen's recipe but using marjoram instead of dill. Last year I made this so many times, it's quick and easy. Adding sweet just-picked courgettes gives it an extra dimension too (though it's delicious without the courgettes anyway.)
A few days later there were some more small courgettes ready for picking, plus I lifted a couple of onions to cook with too, here using up one to make another broad bean stew because I ended up harvesting the rest of my broad beans aswell (not pictured).... I was going away for a few days and it had been quite dry, the plants were dying off, so i worried the beans might get past their best by the time I'm back. Jan and I spent a busy evening podding them all and then blanching/freezing a few bagfuls to eat another time.
We enjoyed the stew with some more early potatoes. When harvesting, I've found that for some of the plants the seed potatoes still had a bit of oomph left in them, so I tried not to disturb the plants too much whilst rooting around for tubers, with the idea that they might continue to grow a bit more / produce more potatoes. This has worked in the past but the tops don't look too healthy so it might not be that successful this year. Soon I'll be clearing the area to plant-out leeks anyway.
The raspberries and other soft fruits have come along this week though.....yuuuum. My strawberries are nearly over so it's good to get some others to take their place. Bottom-left are saskatoons which are a bit like blueberries but the plants are less fussy about soil
Raspberries are my favourite though. They seem to be really good this year - I think the rain has helped them (I don't tend to water things on the allotment very much so they sometimes dry out a bit)
I'm still away but have left Jan in charge of watering the tomatoes in the lean-to and picking more fruit. I hear she had a good raspberry harvest yesterday, thanks Jan. I'm looking forward to seeing how things have grown-on when I get back tomorrow - it's amazing how much changes in just a few days at this time of year.
Thanks for reading this week. I'm linking in with Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres
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Well, we had enough rain yesterday to last a month! Well, at least a week... Hopefully my Raspberries have had a good drink. They are Autumn Bliss ones, so not ready yet. I'm also trying the trick of re-planting a potato plant after harvesting, just to see if it works. I suspect the 2nd crop will be very small. The "purple" pesto you made looks like one to eat with your eyes shut! :/ (Though alongside Marmite I suppose it would be OK)
ReplyDeleteHi Mark, we're quite dry again here, The plot could do with a good load of rain (but not too much!).
DeleteI've just lifted all my early potatoes and the plants I'd already harvested from had produced a few more (small) tubers, so it's worth a go if you don't need the space straight away...hopefully yours work out ok too.
That pesto cheese sandwich looks yummy! I love it slathered on a piece of good bread. I don't usually put cheese in my pesto anymore either. I decided like the flavor better without it. Those raspberries are lovely too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave, I have a bit more basil to use up so I might make another pesto. The raspberries have been brilliant this year, so yummy and juicy.
DeleteThose raspberries look so plump & the first courgette! As usual, I've found some good inspiration - like Dave my eye was immediately drawn to the bread with pesto & goat cheese. I'll be doing a fava harvest later today as well as I'll also be going away and I want to get as many fresh favas as possible. But that's ok if some are left as I'll dry any pods that get too mature and use them for seed next year.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret, yay, the courgettes are coming along steadily now. Pesto and goat cheese was a tasty combination, definitively needs repeating (though the cheese is a bit expensive so is a treat every now and then).
DeleteI haven't tried saving my own broad bean seeds before but one of my allotment neighbours does...i would like to give it a go though, maybe if I grow more of them to begin with then can leave some for saving.
Wow, lots of good stuff! The pesto looks like Tapenade which is pretty darned delicious so the color looks fine to me. I imagine it might be a surprise when you taste it if you don't know ahead of time what it is.
ReplyDeleteAh, thanks Michelle, yes you're right the pesto does look like tapenade. Hehe, yep an unsuspecting diner would not expect it to be pesto, that's for sure.
DeleteI always make my pesto with walnuts! Pine nuts are just too expensive here.
ReplyDeleteOoh early potatoes, I can't wait for some of my own ... soon I think.
Hi Susie, yeah pine nuts are expensive here too. Mind you, walnuts are quite pricey too...must plant my own tree sometime!
DeleteGood luck with your potatoes.
Our courgettes seemed to have stalled. Lots of small fruit which normally would grow to marrow size in days.
ReplyDeleteI have been contemplating getting a saskatoon. Are they self fertile and how big do they grow?
Hi sue, yeah my courgettes are slow and steady at the moment...need some more rain to get them going a bit. Though at least it means they're not becoming a glut, I don't have time to deal with one at the moment, what with all the fruit which needs picking.
DeleteYep saskatoons are self fertile. I can't quite remember how big they get...a large shrub so maybe 6ft? The chap who sells them over here is John Stoa (in Scotland if I recall correctly). He has a website with info.
I quite like the pesto colour :)
ReplyDeleteHi Matt, thank you :) I shall probably be making some more pesto soon.
DeleteWonderful harvest! Must try the broad bean and egg stew as I do have some broad beans yet to pick and new potatoes to gather. Great inspiring photos!
ReplyDeleteHi Gardeningbren, nice to have you drop by. Ooh yes, do give the stew a try, so easy and delicious. It's the sort of dish that you can adapt as well, depending on what you've got around.
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