Hugettes

Sandy, Hissy the boa Constrictor and me popped down on a sunny sunday to catch up on the courgettes progress.

After last year's haul of plum and courgette chutney thanks to my brother's Simon plums from East Belfast flat, from which he has moved from (albeit four streets up the road) and therefore no longer access to , I was left wondering a) what was I to do with more bloody courgettes and b) what's maggie going to have on her cheese sarnies for the next three months. However luckily just as the courgettes have turned into hugettes over the past fortnight, Kim and Tania's new house has a plum tree square in the back garden. To be boiled collectively next weekend...

I planted out the last of the lettuce a fortnight ago. Meanwhile the beetroots were cropped first on Sun 22 May, after a couple of rows failing to germinate early in the year. The first french beans were collected today and the kale planted out a fortnight ago after the first earlies are looking decidedly ravaged by caterpillars. Lots of blackberries, and the first inklings of the autumn raspberries!.. Hissy couldn't contain himself.

garlic harvested

No, its not one of my paintings, it is in fact the autumn planted garlic pulled tonight and left to dry in the shed - took a handful of fresh green bulbs for garlic soup. Meanwhile the Olympia broccoli has grown to gauarantuan propotions - seems awful early to me? However (NB for next year) they were planted on 7 March, and were probably ready to start picking in July, providing enough for two months - a second sowing at the end of April/early may would be worthwhile as it produces through to Nov.

Homecooked productions - Beyond Rhubarb and Custard!

Good thing about allotmenteering is sharing the produce round when the glut comes. Having received the rhubarb, good pals Matt and Kate spent a long time at their kitchen table, chopping and trying things out before coming up with the following - Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble!

Check out their new animation, produced in much the same way, for further seasonal, homecooked delight!

Primos - summer cabbages

Progress: Primo summer cabbage

Planted: 7 March

Potted out: early April - photo from 24 April

Planted out 22 May

Coming on..., 9 Jun

Hearting up, 17 July. (First picking on 2 August)

Savoys planted late april , potted on 22 May

Responding to being in pot, 29 May

Planted out, after the broad beans - last picked tonight, 2 August