I've been really busy at work again this week so not done much 'extra-curricular' allotmenting or gardening, just keeping to some basic picking.
A cabbage I'd let carry on growing has been producing loose heads, fine for eating (but also tiny snails seem to like it too, which I had to shake out, so many!). I've brought home another small butternut squash and some of its little friends, which wouldn't get any bigger so I thought I may as well see if they ripen at home. I've had a couple of small pale courgettes, just hanging on in there.
A few more toms from the lean-to and some last beans from the back garden. Two of the beans are from the plant which regrew from last year's root, ooh. It only started growing a lot later than this year's beans though so didn't really produce much to eat.
We've eaten a few more of the borlotti beans, I love the colour
I've picked some more chard, it's growing very slowly
We made a nice hotpot thing
I picked a bit of kale and we had it with the courgettes and scrambled eggs, simple and tasty
On my non-working day this week my friend and I (plus her young son) went out to visit another friend who lives out in the countryside. It was lovely and peaceful there with a cornucopia of animals too. Little S really liked feeding the chickens the scraps from our lunch (the chickens didn't like the carrot but pecked everything else right up). I'd love to have chooks one day.
That's it for the week. Oh, we have started making apple cider vinegar about a week ago (apple peel, cores, water and honey) I need to check on it - you're meant to leave it for two weeks to begin with which starts the fermentation process..sounds easy but we'll see if it works!
Linking in with Harvest Monday at Dave's Our Happy Acres
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The "rainbow" chard looks lovely, I used my last bunch up in a baked pasta (with bacon and mushrooms). Making apple cider vinegar seems like an interesting adventure (I'm always slightly afraid of fermenting things after my ex made an explosion with kimchi).
ReplyDeleteThanks Susie, I'll hopefully get to the plot today and see if any more chard is ready, it's all growing very slowly now.
DeleteOops to the kimchi explosion! The acv only has a loose cover at the mo so no explosions so far
We didn't manage to get to the plot last week so had to rely on vegetables that we had already frozen or will start in the garage. It's getting to that time of year isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThanks sue, yep I haven't been since last weekend but hope to get down today
DeleteI'm very fond of Borlotti. They just look so beautiful. Must grow some again next year... I always dry mine, but I have heard that they are even better eaten at the "Flageolet" stage - i.e. immature. What is your opinion?
ReplyDeleteHi mark, I've got a few borlottis that are drying. Not sure if I will just save for sowing next year or eat them (they might have crossed with nearby runner beans so not sure what they would grow like). Haven't eaten dried ones before but The soft ones are really tasty and a nice texture too plus don't need so much cooking.
DeleteI also harvested an unripe butternut that I am leaving on a sunny windowsill to ripen up. I'm actually not sure why I'm doing this as I had heard that they don't actually get any sweeter once picked. I guess I'll find out when we eventually eat it. Those borlotti beans look lovely! I still have some dry beans to shell including a couple of "new to me" varieties (Vermont Cranberry & Walcherse White). Better get to that this week.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret. I think the green squashes are changing colour a bit, but interesting to see in Dave's comment below that he eats underripe butternut squash as if they were summer squash.
DeleteHope your beans turned out nicely :)
I love greens with eggs too, and often add kale or arugula to an omelet or frittata. I hope those butternuts ripen for you! I have eaten them green, prepared like zucchini, and they were good that way too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave, sounds yummy.
DeleteI think th butternuts are ripening a bit! But good to know they can be eaten green too.