What to do on the Allotment in January

January on the Allotment

It’s that time of year again. The bills are going out to allotment holders for the coming year and many will look at the bill, consider what they have achieved on their plots in the last year – or not - and how they can better use their money and their time. You just might be lucky enough to get that much awaited phone call or email to ask you to come to the allotment field to look over the plot you are being offered. Perhaps, you will have a choice.

If you already have an allotment, now is the time to take stock. How was last year for you? What worked well and what didn’t and why? Perhaps you could have done things better. Perhaps you could have chosen more appropriate varieties. Perhaps all the crops you grew were excellent but, some of the crops were just not eaten as you had something you enjoyed more at the same time [This is a constant failing of mine. While there are very few fruits or vegetables I don’t like too much, I find I grow some stuff successfully but don’t harvest it because there is something else I am growing which I prefer – eg. salsify and scorzonera are wonderful winter vegetables, delicately flavoured and easy to grow but, I often fail to harvest them during the winter as they can be set very deep in frozen ground and other winter vegetables are so much easier to harvest on a cold winter day with a blizzard blowing around me]. A couple of years ago as I arrived at the gate of my allotment field, an elderly passerby smiled at me with some condescension and asked ‘what can you possibly do on your allotment now?’ My reply, ‘Why, harvest vegetables for dinner, of course. That is what the allotment is about.’ He nodded in agreement and I felt better for his approval though, I don’t know why.

It is important, in January to grab every opportunity the weather and your other life allows to do essential work, including harvesting. It is not every day you will want to brave the worst of the winter weather to harvest, Brussels sprouts, leeks and parsnips for dinner so, harvest for a few days. The vegetables will keep well in the fridge for up to a week.

Maintenance around the Plot

This year the late autumn has been quite wet and there have not been many days when it has been possible to complete those basic maintenance jobs which could or should have been done in November. For example, I still haven’t cut back all of my old asparagus ferns nor have I put on the planned layer of compost. Neither have I divided my too mature rhubarb plant. There have been some bright dry days over Christmas when I could have done this but, I’ve had a houseful of visitors whose company I didn’t want to miss. If there are good days in January I might be able to complete the necessary chores. However, I feel relieved that most of my autumn digging has been done.

If the weather has been snowy, remove the snow from greenhouse, poly-tunnel and cloches to ensure your plants can access whatever light is available. Also from fruit cages if you have left the netting on as the snow can topple posts and break the netting.

-          In unheated greenhouses and poly-tunnels you might consider putting horticultural fleece over young plants or seedbeds.

-          Make sure perennial plants like globe artichokes, which can be susceptible to hard frosts, are protected by a covering of straw or fleece.

-          Keep winter brassicas tidy – remove yellow or brown leaves from the plants and the ground as they would encourage diseases and pests.

-          Prune apple and pear trees if you haven’t already done so, also currant bushes – black, red and white.

-          If you like early rhubarb, now is the time to start forcing it.

-          Don’t forget that birds are struggling to survive at this time of year, especially ground feeders like robins, when the ground is frozen. More birds will die from thirst than from starvation – make sure there is a source of clean, unfrozen water which they can access.

Planning for the coming Season

Those long winter evenings are excellent for planning what you will buy, sow and plant. This is one of my favourite occupations of the year and requires no pain whatsoever!

-          Decide on what you will plant and where you will plant. Think of a four year rotation, ideally, with your plot divided into four equal parts – with separate areas for perennial crops [rhubarb, globe artichokes, asparagus, etc] and fruit.

Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4
Brassicas Potatoes Root crops others	Potatoes Root crops Others Brassicas	Root crops Others Brassicas Potatoes	Others Brassicas Potatoes Root crops

Brassicas – Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers, Broccoli and Calabrese, Kale, Swedes.

Root Crops – Beetroots, carrots, parsnips, salsify and scorzonera.

‘Others’ can include alliums (onions, shallots, leeks, garlic), beans and peas, sweetcorn, salad crops, curcurbits ( cucumbers, courgettes and marrows, pumpkins and squashes).

Of course, I find that all sorts of issues can get in the way of this rotation, mostly the long growing seasons of allium [onions, leeks, garlic and brassica crops [cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and broccoli particularly]. These crops can also throw out your autumn digging plan as most of these plants will be overwintered.

Keeping a spreadsheet or diagram of your plan can be helpful though, I have found a spreadsheet of my seed choices with varieties, from where, when and how sown, when planted out, success rate, etc. to be invaluable over quite a few years.

-          Cover areas where you are planning to plant out early crops with environmesh, cloches, black plastic or horticultural fleece to warm up the ground prior to planting. Black plastic will also encourage slugs near the surface where you can catch and deal with them.

-          The seed houses and plant providers will by now, as long as you are on their mailing lists, have sent you their catalogues. If you are new to the plot, do have a look at the list of seed and plant providers. While most of these have on-line catalogues, they will also send out paper copies of their catalogues on request.

-          Order fruit bushes and trees, potatoes and perennial plants like rhubarb, asparagus and artichokes for spring planting.

-          Set potato seed to ‘chit’ – sprouting in a cool, light environment which will allow the potato seed to develop strong, short new growth sprouts. When your potato seed or other young plants arrive it is most important they are taken out of plastic bags on arrival to ensure they don’t rot in the airless confines of the plastic wrapping.

Sowing and Planting

o   In a poly-tunnel or greenhouse – in pots, trays [or seedbeds – but remember that some plants don’t respond well to transplanting and those that do can still be occupying space later in the season that you will need for indoor crops, you can now sow:

-          broad beans in pots for transplanting when the ground is not frozen;

-           Summer cauliflowers can be sown in potting compost in pots [allow pots which are large enough to allow the plants to grow on until conditions are suitable for planting outdoors – I usually all 9cm pots and sow several seeds into each pot to leave one plant once they have germinated], or in prepared seedbeds;

-          Leeks can be sown in pots or seedbeds for planting out/transplanting in late spring – this will provide leeks for harvesting from September onwards;

-          Onions from seed can be sown from January onwards for planting out by April.

Bare Root fruit bushes and trees can be planted out in prepared, ground which is not frozen no waterlogged at any time during their dormant season – from the end of October to March.

Harvesting in January

If you have organised to plant and care for them – you can now hope – if not expect to harvest:

-Brussels sprouts, winter cabbage, kale, broccoli, swedes;

- carrots [I haven’t achieved this yet!], salsify/scorzonera, parsnips,

- leeks

You can also hope to eat all those fruits and vegetables which you have preserved to enjoy over the winter and spring seasons – by freezing:

- peas, beans, artichoke hearts, sweetcorn, courgettes, tomatoes, peppers, chillies, raspberries, blackcurrants, herbs, etc

By pickling/jamming:

- tomatoes, beetroot, apples, peppers and chillies, onions, plums, pears, redcurrants, gooseberries, blackcurrants, sweetcorn, etc

By cool, dry storing:

- potatoes, pumpkins and squashes, carrots, onions, shallots and garlic.

By drying:

- beans, peas, herbs, chillies

All of the above fruits and vegetables can be produced [ mostly easily ] on an allotment and with a little planning and effort,  provide a huge range of home grown, healthy, produce for much of the year

A few Seasonal Recipes

Celeriac Soup

1 celeriac [you may need 2 if they are small, on my allotment they never grow a large as those you can buy] – wash, peel and cut into dice

1 large or 2 medium potatoes – wash, peel and cut into dice

2 leeks – trim, wash thoroughly and slice thinly

1 onion – peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed

50gm [2oz] butter

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 litre [2 pints] vegetable stock

150ml [¼ pint] single cream or milk

Juice of 1 lemon

Little chopped parsley

Method

·         Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan and add the vegetables and garlic.

·         Sweat for 10 or 15 minutes.[cook without colour over a low heat].

·         Add the stock and the seasoning.

·         Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 – 30 minutes or until the vegetable are soft. Stir occasionally to ensure the soup doesn’t ‘catch’.

·         Allow it to cool a bit then put the soup through a blender and return to the saucepan [or use a hand held blender – very useful for whisking soups].

·         Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary –[will need quite a lot to avoid the soup seeming bland].

·         Add the lemon juice and the milk and stir in.

·         Bring back to the boil and serve immediately.

·         Swirl a little cream into each bowl [optional] and garnish with chopped parsley. 

Parsnip Rissoles

1 kg [2 lb] parsnips – washed, peeled and cut into smallish chunks

½ kg [1 lb] potatoes – washed, peeled and cut into smallish chunks

Small bunch spring onions – trimmed and finely sliced

1 medium heat fresh red chilli - chopped

1 dsp finely chopped parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Plain flour for coating

2 eggs

Some extra flour for coating the rissoles.

Rape-seed oil or olive oil for frying

Method

·         Simmer the prepared potatoes and parsnips until tender then mash them well.

·         Allow the mixture to cool then add the prepared spring onions, chilli, parsley and seasoning.

·         Beat the eggs and add them with the flour – mix all the ingredients well together.

·         Chill in the fridge until you can easily handle the mixture.

·         On a floured board, form the mixture into little cakes/rissoles – 6 – 7 cm [2-3 inches] diameter and about 2-3 cm [1 inch] thick.

·         Fry the rissoles in the hot oil in a shallow non-stick pan for 3 – 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Turn them over when the first side has been browned.

·         Alternatively, to keep the fat content down – cook them on a griddle.

·         Serve hot.

Winter Beef Curry

1 kilo [2lb] approx. lean braising beef [trimmed and cut into cubes]

2 large onions [peeled and roughly chopped]

1 medium to large pumpkin [seeded, peeled and cut into chunks]

2 large onions

2 -3 good sized tubs frozen sliced courgette from last winter’s crop equivalent to 3 – 4 courgettes [fresh from the shop is good too]

1 large or 2 medium potatoes [washed, peeled and cut into large chunks]

½ a medium sized cauliflower [ broken into smallish florets]

3 Tblsp. redcurrant jelly

2 Tblsp. rapeseed oil

850 ml [1½ pints] beef stock

Spices – 2 large Tblsp. coriander seeds         )

             1 large Tblsp, cumin seeds                ) toast together in a dry pan

             1 large Tblsp. yellow mustard seeds  )

             3cm length cinnamon stick

Grind the spices together with a pestle and mortar or in a spice grinder.

Add 2 tsp. Garam Masala

       1 tsp. ground allspice

       ½ tsp ground black pepper    and mix in

3 – 4  large garlic cloves             )

2 in cube fresh ginger – peeled  ) – chop together until fine

2 dried red, medium hot chillies )

[Fresh chillies from the shop are good too]

Salt to taste

Method

·         In a large, heavy saucepan, sweat the onions together with the garlic, chilli, ginger mix in a little of the oil. Remove from the pan.

·         Add the rest of the oil to the pan and fry the prepared meat until browned on all sides.

·         Mix in the ground spices and fry lightly – don’t allow them to burn.

·         Return the onion mixture to the pan then add the redcurrant jelly and the stock.

·         Add the prepared vegetables. Bring to the boil then reduce the temperature, cover and simmer gently for 1½ - 2 hours.

·         Check regularly to make sure the curry is not boiling dry, add more stock if necessary.

·         Add salt to taste before the end of the cooking time.

·         Serve with raita and a sharp, hot pickle [eg lime pickle] and steamed Basmati rice.

[If you are planning to freeze this dish, leave the potatoes out – they don’t freeze well].

Irish Potato Bread

There is no way that anything bought in a shop or from a bakery can taste anything like as good as freshly cooked potato bread. There must be millions of people who have tried shop-bought potato bread and wondered why anyone would want to eat this. Fresh, homemade potato bread is definitely one of life’s best comfort foods.

This bread needs a griddle or a heavy flat pan for cooking.

Ingredients

225gm (½lb) cooked potatoes approx. The floury varieties are best. Use the potatoes while still hot.

50g (2 oz)  plain flour

25g (1oz) melted butter

½ tsp salt

Method

·         Mash the potatoes really well or put them through a ricer

·         Add the salt and melted butter and mix well.

·         Add the flour to make a workable dough – not too dry. (don’t add all the flour at once, in-case it is  not  all needed).

·         Roll the dough out into a round approx ½cm - ¼in thick. It might be helpful to divide the mixture in 2 to give smaller ‘farls’

·         Cut the dough into ‘farls’ or use a plain round cutter.