Grow your own dinner 2014

Happygreen

Fruittea wrote: »

Hi Happygreen


It sounds as though your broad beans are ready to be cropped. Particularly if you planted last year. You should nip off the tops to discourage blackfly. But better still if they are ready why not harvest them and make room for something else. I pod all mine twice - I know it wastes a not of the beans but I love to see the bright green beans and I freeze them as they are and make broad bean hummus - it's really delicious.

Fruittea, I'm glad you joined and thanks for the advice - do you have a recipe for BBhummus? I'd love to try that.

Summer caulies are difficult - they need planting right up to the first leaf and then plenty of water - to encourage the head to develop - use a high nitrogen fertiliser such as sulphate of ammonia to boost growth and curd formation. You could always use the homemade stuff (pee).

I use my birds' compost - hens' and lots of ducks' which always has been left in black bags for several months before I use it. Certainly smells right :rotfl: - of ammonia... I probably didn't plant them deep enough and maybe had left them in the warm greenhouse too long before planting out. Will I fare better with another lot of seeds starting mid-July? I have some tiny red cabbages and Calabrese that are ready to go out now , is that not a good time ?


Good luck with things.

- many thanks!:)

zafiro1984

Feeling horrible, started with a cough yesterday, had a rough night, glands up and would you believe it no abots in the house.
Managed to water veg plot but going to get DH something quick for tea and once the hens are in bed that's where I'm heading.

Happygreen

zafiro1984 wrote: »

Feeling horrible, started with a cough yesterday, had a rough night, glands up and would you believe it no abots in the house.
Managed to water veg plot but going to get DH something quick for tea and once the hens are in bed that's where I'm heading.

I hope you're feeling better soon! Rest and DH should make your tea .
Neighbour has been down with summer flu last week, she said it was not nice at all....

Jazee

I'm still harvesting potatoes, noticed our local farmer doing the same today. How big should turnips be? Mine are about 4-5 inches across and sticking out of the mud. Does this mean they're ready?

suzeesu2000

zafiro1984 wrote: »

Feeling horrible, started with a cough yesterday, had a rough night, glands up and would you believe it no abots in the house.
Managed to water veg plot but going to get DH something quick for tea and once the hens are in bed that's where I'm heading.

Oh poor you, hope you feel better soon.

We moved into our (hopefully) forever house on Friday. Tell you what, moving twice in three weeks is a killer. We are both absolutely exhausted, what with all the stress and worry as well.

Anyway, on the growing front: it appears we have lovely neighbours who also grow food and.........have an allotment:j hoping for lots of tips and know how, which I shall of course pass on here.

My Victoria plum tree has survived the moves, poor lady. She had a lovely clump of plums just prior to going on the lorry but, when she got to this end, two had fallen off. Hope she will be okay though. Will give her some food this week.

CAFCGirl

Looks like Ive got flowers starting to come in on my chillies and aubergines

zafiro1984

Thank you for your comments, I'm now back in the land of the living.

Pigeons have eaten the sweetcorn tops before I got a chance to net them

Squash and courgettes plants have disappeared!!

What I thought were parsnips turned out to be weeds

Not happy as it's back to the drawing board

Happygreen

zafiro1984, parsnips are hard to germinate- from half a packet of seeds I usually get 4 or 5 plants. Just keep trying, there is still time as they are best harvested after frost.
I marathoned the veg garden over the last few days and got actually almost all my plants where they should be, potted on or in beds - OH now only has to keep them watered and alive until I'm back in 10 days or I'll turn into a Banshee! Wish me luck

Fruittea

Hi Happygreen


This recipe is from Nigel Slater. I usually add a bit of garlic to taste and slightly less oil but it's a question of taste. It goes really well with the flat bread recipe or just a stick of celery.



BROAD BEAN AND DILL "HUMMUS"

Serves 2-3 as a dip with bread
shelled broad beans 400g
olive oil 4 tbsp
juice of ½ small lemon
dill or basil a few sprigs
To serve:
soft bread or pitta

Cook the beans in boiling, lightly salted water till tender (this will take about 8-10 minutes, according to their size). Drain them, pop them out of their thin, grey-green skins, and blitz them to a thick pur!e in a food processor.
Pour in the olive oil, with the blender still going, adding the lemon juice and a grinding of salt. Continue until the mixture is smooth.
Finely chop the dill and stir in. Scrape into a dish then pour over a little olive oil.


A QUICK FLATBREAD



Makes 6 small flatbreads
strong, white, plain flour 450g
sea salt ½ tsp
caster sugar a good pinch
dried yeast a 7g sachet
warm water 300ml

Put the flour into the bowl of a food mixer then add the salt and sugar. Empty the yeast into a bowl, pour on enough water to make a thin paste, then stir in the rest. Pour on to the flour and mix until it forms a soft ball. Tip the dough out on to a floured board and knead, until it feels springy and elastic. Set aside in a bowl covered with a tea towel.
If you prefer to do this by hand, add the yeast and water to the flour and salt, mixing with your hands. Mix in the sugar then turn the lot on to a lightly floured work surface. Knead for 9–10 minutes, folding the far edge of the dough towards you and pushing it back into the dough. It should feel soft, springy and alive. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for an hour or so.
Set the oven to 250C/gas mark 9. When your dough is about four times the size it was, break it into six pieces and push each into a slipper shape. Dust with flour and put them on a baking sheet. Bake at 250C/gas mark 9 for 5 minutes then turn the oven down to 220C/gas mark 7. Continue baking for a further 5 minutes until the underside sounds hollow when you tap it.

zafiro1984

6.40am - off to the veg plot