The ups and downs of growing your own dinner 2016...

zafiro1984

Just looked at my savings against my spending

Had to buy some butterfly netting against the cabbage whites to protect the winter greens which I've just sown or planted - that was expensive!!
Also bought some tulip bulbs on line at a good price for the front of the house. The rest went on slug control and pansy seeds. Hopefully the balance will get better as the crops come in.

Today sowed some more French dwarf beans, radishes, yellow beetroot, (OH says he doesn't like beetroot - but he's not yet cottoned onto that it also comes in yellow and white and I'm not going to tell him that small fact!!!) kohl rabi, kale, sprouting broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and pea shoots. All in modules with the exception of carrots and radishes. Need to buy some more fennel seeds (there I go again - spending)

harvested the last of the current French beans - plants now in with the hens. tomatoes, 3 cucumbers - looks like it could be a bumper crop - what on earth can I do with the excess??, yellow courgettes, carrots, and some small kohl rabi.

Fruittea

Morning Everyone
Overcast here in Gloucestershire. It seems a very good year for strawberries - I already have three big bags in the freezer - I use them in sugar free jelly during the lean months and find they make a great dessert. Half fill a glass with the strawberries (or mixed berries) then mix up a packet of sugar free jam and pour it over the berries. I make it at breakfast time and it's set in time for lunch. The blueberries and black currants all seem to be doing very well to - so a bumper year.
I've just about finished with my early potatoes now - so will be waiting for my early main crops to come through - the haulms look nice and strong and fingers crossed no signs of blight.
Here's some of the garlic I strung.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/huh0g1zn64yhvtn/garlic..jpg?dl=0

Kantankrus_Mare

Garlic looks great!!

I took a look in my shed freezer and found lots of brambles/blackberries depending on where you're from.......and had a go at blackberry cordial.

Very easy and tasty!!

Also got elderberries which I might put with first pickings of this years brambles and get a batch of wine on the go. Thats when they are ready of course.

zafiro1984

Fruittea wrote: »

Here's some of the garlic I strung.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/huh0g1zn64yhvtn/garlic..jpg?dl=0

Wow impressive, mine never look that good.

Had to put some mesh across the greenhouse door this morning, two rabbits inside, hopefully it doesn't look like they have done any damage.

Fruittea

Thank you for the garlic compliments Kantankrus and Zafiro - I'll definitely grow more next year. And have had some good recommendations for different types. It's something I use a lot of.
I'm still wondering what to do with my red currants. As mentioned I made chilli jam with them last year. I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Kantankrus_Mare

Had a nice afternoon at the plot this afternoon where my chocolate lab seems to think that eating mud is what keeps his colour.:cool:

Picked four courgettes (the first) with oodles more almost ready.

Two punnets of spinach.

Two cherry tomatoes.....lots more turning red.

Onions in the shed drying out but I feetched two home so I dont have to buy any.......I'm so tight. :rotfl:

Tim_Mullis

Very excited about courgettes as well. Picked my first last weekend. With all this rain and sunshine we are getting I can almost hear the ground rumbling up at the allotment. Can't wait to see how many are ready next weekend.

Kantankrus_Mare

What do you do with yours Tim?

We have a lovely courgette risotto recipe which we will be having for tea tomorrow. When the tomatoes are ready they will get mixed with some courgettes, peppers and red onion and roasted.

Was in Corfu in May and we had some fantastic courgette fritters and some fried in tempura batter which I am going to have a go at with the next pickings. Homegrown cucumber will go in the accompanying tsaziki (sp?)

Has anyone got a recipe for a chutney? I buy a chutney from my butchers which is gorgeous but at £3.50 for a medium size jar :eek: I can surely make one?

Fruittea

Morning Everyone. It's a lovely bright and sunny day in Gloucestershire. It's great to hear all your growing stories. And that you're preparing for a glut already. I always make chutneys for Christmas hampers for friends and family. I make a range of different ones as well as mixed chutneys so they look really lovely with the different colours and things you can't get in the shops - like runner bean chutney. Beetroot works well to. I have to admit there have been times when I thought the gluts would be to much but some how things get processed one way or another. Last year I started to ferment vegetables - it's a really different way to think about things but it was quite successful.
Here's a basic courgette recipe but you can vary it and add some mustard seed or star anise. It would be great if people would post their recipes.


Ingredients for Courgette Chutney:

• 4 lb courgettes
• 2lb 8oz onions
• 2lb 8oz brown sugar
• Large piece of fresh ginger
• 1/2 tspn pepper
• 2 pints malt vinegar
• 2 heads of garlic
• 2lb 8oz tomatoes
• 1 tspn cayenne pepper
• 2 tspn salt

Method for Courgette Chutney:

Chop all the vegetables, add vinegar, sugar and spices and bring slowly to the boil, stirring now and again. If the courgettes have a tough skin, you can peel them and compost the skins.

1. Simmer for about two hours (don’t forget to stir as it will stick) until thick.
2. Pour into heated jars and seal.

Notes:

Needs at least three months to mature.

Kantankrus_Mare

Courgette Risotto

1.5 litres of chicken or veg stock
2 shallots or onions chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 small to medium courgettes
few strands of saffron.(I never have this)
small bunch of tarragon
500g arborio rice
1 glass of white wine
salt and pepper
30g unsalted butter
150g parmesan plus more to serve

Put Stock on to simmer
Gently fry shallots and garlic in olive oil.
Coarsely chop courgettes and add to pan with saffron and tarragon.
Add the rice making sure it is well coated before adding any liquid.
Pour in wine and allow to bubble and evaporate before you season and then begin to add stock a ladleful at a time while stirring continuously. Let rice absorb liquid before adding next ladleful.
Should take about twenty mins to add all stock.
Stir in butter and parmesan.
Serve with a grating of parmesan on top.