of strawberries and summer salads....

There's always great excitement when the first strawberries ripen on the allotment and right on cue, here is the first bowlful, carefully carried home the other day.

The weather this spring has been perfect for strawberries - weeks of above average temperatures and lots of sunshine, (though virtually no rain).

Compare with this time last year when heavy rainfall meant the strawberries were either munched by slugs or went mouldy before they could ripen.

After the lottie overhaul earlier in the year when we removed several of the raised beds, these berries were grown in large pots, well out of the way of hungry slugs.

The unusually warm spring weather has certainly helped lift the spirits during this period of lockdown.

Pottering in the garden or on the allotment has been a very welcome distraction from the distressing news.

Along with the strawberries, radish are amongst the first veggies to be ready.  They are the sprinters of the veg patch. Just a few short weeks from sowing and they are ready eat.

I've sown two varieties this year, Sparkler and Diana, the latter, a radish with a more purple hue.

Whilst searching for new ideas for summer lunches, I found a recipe in an old Waitrose food magazine for a salad with radish, cucumber and red chicory in a mustardy dressing.

It was crisp and refreshing, but the red chicory, though very pretty, was too bitter and overpowering for my taste.

 If I make it again, I will use less chicory.

I'm off down to the allotment later to do a bit of watering and hopefully pick a few more strawberries.

Hoping all is well in your corner of the world.

Speak soon

Annie

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