What to do??...

Good morning, well in comparison to previous years growing, this year has been pretty rubbish, failed crops and eaten crops being the main reasons. 

I've been getting quite down, disheartened and fed up with the plot and was contemplating giving it up - it's just so much work plus working and family life. But yesterday I took a walk through the site (to marvel at the wonders of the other plot holders) and you know what? Mine isn't the worst one!  And a lot of them aren't perfect... imagine that!!  So I guess I shouldn't aim for perfection, not have such high expectations - I'm no monty don or Charles dowding. 

From now on I will just enjoy the time I spend there. I've decided to start clearing small sections at a time, clear the big weeds, top each section with manure/compost/seaweed (whatever is available) and then cover with sheeting until spring. 

My tomatoes, chillies, corn and pumpkins are still growing. And I'm planning on planting some lettuce, radishes, Spring onions and chard today - I'll take some photos later.  Oh and I have some cavolo Nero kale seeds in the post, plus some brassica plug plants - not my usual way of doing things but the slugs ate everything I've tried to grow so far!  I'm thinking nematodes might be worth a try next year. 

That's all from me this morning, the sun is shining so I'm off to the plot. I'll leave you with a picture of a little harvest from this week. 

Allotment delights and cooking.....

Allotment delights and cooking.....

So between the wonderful August downpours I managed to get to the plot, with the aim of watering my greenhouse tomatoes - however as quite often happens at this time of year, I ended up harvesting a huge hall!

Runner beans - I just can't get enough of these, unfortunately I think mine are coming to an end, but this last batch will go wonderfully with a big family favourite, sausage and mash.  And of course the potatoes were also dug up this afternoon, 'Desire' grown in a potato bag - a little disappointed at how many there were, but its enough for a family of fours sausage and mash.

I also picked a wonderful assortment of tomatoes - flavorita, floridity, red pear, tigerella and some big crinkly looking ones that I can't remember the name of, but they were all delicious (obviously the nicest ones were the little yummies that I ate straight off the plant).  The rest I had plans for.... I made a yummy tomato salsa to go with last nights tea - thankyou to +Jamie Oliver for the recipe, even the children ate it :o)

Tomato salsa recipe

Today I've made a delicious courgette and ginger jam, first time I've made it, it should have been made with marrow but I think large courgettes will do just the same, can't wait to try some on some toast.

We're off camping this week so have also made a tomato and onion relish to go with our first nights BBQ, another first for making this and its delicious, recipe from here, but I also added 1/2 a diced red onion and used 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika with some hot chilli powder as I like it hot!

Finally, I've started off a fizzy pink champagne fermenting - yet another first so fingers crossed it turns out well... it was very easy to make, heres the recipe if you want to try it for yourself : Pink Fizzy Rhubarb Champagne

Is there anything better than....

....a Sunday roast? Well actually yes - certainly one where you've grown from seed, nurtured and harvested the veggies for it - and priceless to see your children's smiling faces at every stage of this. I'm also pretty sure that it encourages them to have a healthy appetite for fresh veggies and respect for the wonder that is nature. 

So here's what we picked today from our plot - 

Carrots - my daughters loved pulling these up. 

More delicious runner beans. 

Maris piper potatoes - today's dug by the  hubby. 

All served with roast pork and stuffing - a true family effort. 

I just got carried away!

Well I went to the plot this afternoon with 2 jobs in mind - water the greenhouse tomatoes and dig up some spuds. 

Firstly I watered the tomatoes - tick! 

Secondly I pulled up the bolted lettuce and dug over the bed, then as I was getting dirty decided to put new edging around it. Then I spotted the untidy corner that annoys me every time I look at it - waterbutts and compost bins, it is now a weed free neat and easily accessible corner - nice. 

As the wheelbarrow was on the path I though I'd make use of it and weeded around my chillies, peppers, out door toms, pulled up the last of my red spring onions and dug that bed over... 2 wheel barrows of weeds!!! Isn't if amazing how fast things grow when we've had a drop of rain?

I stood back and admired my work and realised how much the grass on the edge of the paths had grown, and since my strimmer is out of string I used the hand shears to chop down the foot high grass.

My cape gooseberries which I didn't expect to grow seem to have taken off, I've never grown these before so it will be interesting watching them develop - they have a few flowers at the moment and quite unusual ones at that. 

After all that I decided to pack up, leaving the allotment without digging a single spud! There's always tomorrow I guess.

 

First job of the day - Thai sweet chilli sauce

Now I don't know about anyone else but this sweet, sticky, spicy sauce goes down a storm in my house, even my 8 year old likes it! 

My plans for this started way back at the beginning of the year when I planted chilli seeds, they grew, they flowered, they fruited - hoorah!

Thai sweet chilli dipping sauce is delicious to dip your prawn crackers in, poured over spring rolls, or even a yummy salad - my hubby likes it over a king prawn salad, I like it slathered over a chicken and tomato salad - it turns what could be a boring salad into something to look forward to. 

So after a little research with my friend Google I've come up with my own version, which even if I say so my self is very tasty, here's what I did - i'd love any comments if you try this yourself. 

Sarah's dippy-chilli sauce

Ingredients 

6 cloves of garlic

4 chillies (heat level of your choice, I like them hot, but you can make it milder by removing the seeds)

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1teaspoon salt

2" root ginger

2 tablespoons corn flour

4 tablespoons of water 

Method

Firstly add all ingredients apart from the last two to a food processor and process until everything is small enough for your sauce. 

Transfer the blitzed up sauce to a pan and bring to the boil. 

Keep stirring and simmer for 5 mins to soften all the ingredients. 

Mix together the last 2 ingredients - then add the water/cornflour mixture slowly whilst stirring, simmer for another 30secs. 

Remove from heat and pour in to sterilised jars - this makes enough for just over 500g jar. 

Enjoy!