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

Pickings and cookings...

So yesterday I popped down to the plot - just to water the tomatoes, but ended up coming home with bountiful harvest - love that my allotment has fresh organic produce just when I need it, who needs a supermarket?!

Well, 'waste not want not' as the saying goes, so I've made even more sweet chilli sauce (I think I now have enough to keep us going for at least 6 months!), and for lunch today I made carrot and courgette fritters - even my girls (6&8) loved them, which in my book is always fantastic when they're eating veggies and enjoying them. 

'Is there a recipe?' I hear you ask, of course - and here it is...

Carrot and courgette fritters

Ingredients 

1 large courgette - grated

An equal quantity of grated carrot 

2-3 finely sliced spring onions

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons flour (I used gram but you can use any you like)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian mixed herbs

Coconut oil for frying (you can use other oils including butter)

Method

1. Mix all ingredients apart from the oil in a large bowl. 

2. Heat a frying pan and add oil.

3. Add spoons of the mixture to make inch thick patties and press down. 

4. Fry on each side for 3-4 minutes on quite a high heat - coconut oil is great for using at high temperatures as it doesn't smoke and retains all its nutrients.

5. When ready serve as a light lunch or as a side dish. I had mine as a quick lunch with some home made chilli sauce. 

Now all I need to do is figure out what to do with the rest of the allotments offerings....