harvests

July is coming to an end and we have certainly had some very hot, dry weather.
On the allotment we have been busy picking and harvesting.
It has been a good year so far.
There have been lots of salad leaves. This year, I grew them under netting which kept off the flea beetle, but the hot weather meant they bolted very quickly.



There were yet more gooseberries and blackcurrants.
I made a lot of the blackcurrants into a puree by lightly cooking with a little sugar and then sieving; nice for breakfast or pudding stirred through yoghurt.



Then there are the beetroot; this year a variety called rainbow, which are a mixture of white and stripey roots though I still think I prefer the normal crimson beetroot despite their ability to turn everything within sight a deep purple.


With the idea that simple is best, I mixed grated beetroot with a little creme fraiche and creamed horseradish and we ate it with smoked mackerel.


The revelation this year have been broad beans, a first on the lottie.
A fresh, young broad bean eaten straight from the pod soon after picking is a thing of joy!
Nothing like, it turns out, the slightly bitter, tough-skinned ones available in the shops.


As a change, after several meals of eating them lightly steamed, I also made them into a dip -  a recipe called garlicky broad bean puree from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's book Veg every day.


Yesterday was a day of almost continual, torrential rain; excellent for the gardens and allotments but not so good if you have just set out on your summer hols.

Wishing you a good weekend, rain or shine.



Comments

  1. I've never had a broad bean from a shop I've had them from my garden & I love them. I have a few bags in the freezer not that they will last until winter. Love what you've done with your beetroot I shall have to try that x

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  2. Lovely post, lovely photos, lovely produce! I do wish we had an allotment.
    Beetroot and horseradish is one of my favourite combinations. Hope your plot continues to yield many more delicious things!
    S:)

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  3. Yes, those first tiny broad beans are utterly delicious aren't they. I was just thinking yesterday that I prefer the purple beetroot. I've grown some cylindrical ones this year, and the skins slip off so easily after they've been cooked. I've also got some golden ones that have grown beautifully, but the purple ones are just a tad nicer. I know what you mean about it having been really dry. All the grass near us has gone brown. Plenty of rain today though. CJ xx

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  4. You've done really well with all of that lovely produce. Our plot has been a disaster zone with the heat and drought. That rain is much needed, though maybe less so if you are going on holiday. I'll be packing a raincoat, alas.

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  5. I have just picked the last of the broad beans for the freezer, nothing beats the taste of growing your own. I must look at the dip, sounds interesting.

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  6. Delicious! No store bought veg can compete with picked straight from the patch veg.

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  7. Looks like your plot has been deliciously productive. I optimistically planted blackcurrant and redcurrant bushes in the little back garden here which have produced absolutely nothing. In fact, I don't they've grown at all since the day they went in. Maybe next year.

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