And there was me wanting to post you an update on my garden, how it's looking, what's growing at last, what we've eaten already... the war on slugs.......
But it is hasn't stopped PISSING it down here for so many days that there's not much to show but grey skies, hundreds of weeds, no bottle of blossom cordial etc etc....
Sigh.
Bear with me. I shall be celebrating Solstice another day! :)
Tuesday 21 June 2011
Monday 20 June 2011
Strawberry Moon Harvest
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| We've been munching our way through all the baby radish thinnings, leaves and all |
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| and rocket, and all the spicy leaves - can't get enough of them |
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| and started hanging up come of the herbs to dry for use later in year when not so abundant |
Friday 17 June 2011
Wild recipes for June
There are so many recipes that I am dying to try out this month - the eldferflowers are nodding at me, the wild roses are making my grotty little town actually smell sweet, the wild strawberries are starting to come out, and I'm counting the days to another visit home to Ireland to try out some more seaweed recipes over the Solstice.
Problem is, it's raining every time I want to go out and pick elderflwoers or wild rose petals. Boo and hiss. It's not that we're afraid of getting wet, just that the ecipes really only work when the flwoers are picked in the full bloom of a sunny day, just like dandelions. It's just no good picking them whe they;re closed and trying to stay warm!
In anticipation however, I bring you links to some of the recipes that are making my mouth water....
Problem is, it's raining every time I want to go out and pick elderflwoers or wild rose petals. Boo and hiss. It's not that we're afraid of getting wet, just that the ecipes really only work when the flwoers are picked in the full bloom of a sunny day, just like dandelions. It's just no good picking them whe they;re closed and trying to stay warm!
In anticipation however, I bring you links to some of the recipes that are making my mouth water....
Wild Rose petal Jam Roly-polys!!! mmmmmm
and as I've been reading a lot about the uses of wild rose in moisturising creams etc I thought I'd maybe give this Wild Rose Elixir a go... although maybe that's going a bit over board!
River cottage have a lot of elderflower recipes including Elderflower and Vanilla Panna Cotta, Elderflower Delight, tried and tested Elderflower cordial of course, and Elderflower and Basil Icecream.
I'm not going to make anymore Elderflower Champagne this year as I still have some from last year - that's how popular it was!
Sunday 12 June 2011
Sow a lot, reap a little?
A thought occurred to me today - maybe having the slowest growing garden in the west of Scotland is a good thing? Whilst all the neighbouring gardens around me start to fade, mine is only just beginning!
Finally, the poppys I sowed at the end of spring are starting to grow, and those I cheated and bought are actually in bloom! My peonies have grown, but I suspect have no intention to flower this year what so ever. Gutted. However the climbing rose is in it's element and has lots of little buds, the curry plant is threatening to stink out the entire street, and the herbs are running riot.
Ever the impatient gardener however, I spent this afternoon making yet more sowings. Flower-wise, I sowed Blue Mink Ageratum, yet MORE Californian Poppies, yet MORE Cornflowers, and Cosmos amongst the front beds. I live in hope that at least some will germinate & grow. I also sowed some Honesty in a corner to contrast with the Golden Fennel. In theory this should bloom summer 2012.
Amongst the still-too-bare-for-my-liking front garden, I stuck in some more Rhubarb Chard, a small Brussels Sprout 'Petit Posy' starting bed; and surrounded the daisy patch with Dwarf French Beans as I expect their red flowers to look well amongst the giant daisies.
Daddy Native is most perplexed by the Asparagus Peas I sowed in a planter out the back, having run out of veg patch space for legumes. I can't wait to get round to harvesting and trying those out!
And finally I filled in the last remaining spaces in the veg patch with 2 rows each of Salsify & Rudolf Broccoli! Phew.
I'm not finished there either, indoors I sowed seed trays with a whole batch of new herbs, both for my own herb garden as well as gifts for new homes I'll be visiting next month. Am most excited to see how the Cumin does.
SO here's my entire crop this year.... get ready... take a deep breath.....
Peas, Runner Beans, Mangetout, 3 different types of Dwarf/French Beans, 1 Artichoke, 2 beds of various Radishes, Broccoli, Salsify, Swiss Chard, Rhubarb Chard, Spinach, Carrots, Beetroot, Celeriac, Pumpkins, Courgette, Gourds, Cherry Tomatoes, Gardeners Delight Tomatoes, Chilli Peppers, Cucumbers, Aubergine, Rocket, Asparagus Peas, Brussels Sprouts, Fennel, Strawberries, White Currants, endless varieties of lettuces and a whole host of herbs...
Should find something to eat out of that lot, what do you think?
Finally, the poppys I sowed at the end of spring are starting to grow, and those I cheated and bought are actually in bloom! My peonies have grown, but I suspect have no intention to flower this year what so ever. Gutted. However the climbing rose is in it's element and has lots of little buds, the curry plant is threatening to stink out the entire street, and the herbs are running riot.
Ever the impatient gardener however, I spent this afternoon making yet more sowings. Flower-wise, I sowed Blue Mink Ageratum, yet MORE Californian Poppies, yet MORE Cornflowers, and Cosmos amongst the front beds. I live in hope that at least some will germinate & grow. I also sowed some Honesty in a corner to contrast with the Golden Fennel. In theory this should bloom summer 2012.
Amongst the still-too-bare-for-my-liking front garden, I stuck in some more Rhubarb Chard, a small Brussels Sprout 'Petit Posy' starting bed; and surrounded the daisy patch with Dwarf French Beans as I expect their red flowers to look well amongst the giant daisies.
Daddy Native is most perplexed by the Asparagus Peas I sowed in a planter out the back, having run out of veg patch space for legumes. I can't wait to get round to harvesting and trying those out!
And finally I filled in the last remaining spaces in the veg patch with 2 rows each of Salsify & Rudolf Broccoli! Phew.
I'm not finished there either, indoors I sowed seed trays with a whole batch of new herbs, both for my own herb garden as well as gifts for new homes I'll be visiting next month. Am most excited to see how the Cumin does.
SO here's my entire crop this year.... get ready... take a deep breath.....
Peas, Runner Beans, Mangetout, 3 different types of Dwarf/French Beans, 1 Artichoke, 2 beds of various Radishes, Broccoli, Salsify, Swiss Chard, Rhubarb Chard, Spinach, Carrots, Beetroot, Celeriac, Pumpkins, Courgette, Gourds, Cherry Tomatoes, Gardeners Delight Tomatoes, Chilli Peppers, Cucumbers, Aubergine, Rocket, Asparagus Peas, Brussels Sprouts, Fennel, Strawberries, White Currants, endless varieties of lettuces and a whole host of herbs...
Should find something to eat out of that lot, what do you think?
Toilet Roll Carrots
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| Step one - save a pile of empty loo rolls & stick them in the ground |
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| Fill with lovely soft seed compost & slow release food |
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| Pop in some carrot seedlings & water |
Sunday 5 June 2011
Homemade hangover cure mmmmmmmmmmmm
May I take this opportunity to recommend smothering your next burger in wild garlic pesto and cheese. Serve with your first harvest of mixed salad leaves and spring onions. Divine!
(As you can tell I've had these photos and not managed to post them for a few weeks now!)
Spinach & Carrot Muffins
How to bake yourself out of a fug when the weather sucks but you don't want to feel too guilty.....
This is a River Cottage recipe. I wasn't overly mad about the result although it did make an interesting change for our pack lunches. I'll be trying another version soon, am trying to decide which savoury recipe to attempt next and shall report back to you.
You can add cumin or onion seeds for extra flavour and texture to this recipe. In fact I added both last time, but then I add onion seeds to most things! Use whatever seeds you have to hand needing used up - pumpkin seeds, sunflower, or a combination.
80g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus 10g for frying
1 onion, finely diced
2 tsp ground cumin
150g spinach, chopped
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½ tsp salt
2 eggs
275g whole milk or yoghurt
150g carrots, grated
40g pumpkin seeds, toasted
Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
Warm the 10g of butter in a large frying pan and sauté the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, stir for a minute, then add the spinach and stir until wilted and soft. Cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a jug, whisk the melted butter, eggs and milk/yoghurt. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour and stir with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the cooled onions and spinach, the carrots and seeds. Spoon into the cases and bake for about 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Do you have any savoury muffin / cake / cookie recipes you could share?
This is a River Cottage recipe. I wasn't overly mad about the result although it did make an interesting change for our pack lunches. I'll be trying another version soon, am trying to decide which savoury recipe to attempt next and shall report back to you.
You can add cumin or onion seeds for extra flavour and texture to this recipe. In fact I added both last time, but then I add onion seeds to most things! Use whatever seeds you have to hand needing used up - pumpkin seeds, sunflower, or a combination.
80g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus 10g for frying
1 onion, finely diced
2 tsp ground cumin
150g spinach, chopped
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½ tsp salt
2 eggs
275g whole milk or yoghurt
150g carrots, grated
40g pumpkin seeds, toasted
Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
Warm the 10g of butter in a large frying pan and sauté the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, stir for a minute, then add the spinach and stir until wilted and soft. Cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a jug, whisk the melted butter, eggs and milk/yoghurt. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour and stir with a spatula until just combined. Fold in the cooled onions and spinach, the carrots and seeds. Spoon into the cases and bake for about 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Saturday 4 June 2011
Growing Wild in June
Elderflower Now I replace my wild garlic obsession with elderflowers!
Fairy ring champignon
Ramsons (though nearly over)
Nettle
Sea Beet
Shaggy Cap
St George's mushroom
Wild rose flower It's jam making time!
Wild strawberry
Fairy ring champignon
Ramsons (though nearly over)
Nettle
Sea Beet
Shaggy Cap
St George's mushroom
Wild rose flower It's jam making time!
Wild strawberry
Thursday 2 June 2011
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