Late September 2012
Isn’t it just wonderful when the only work you have to do with
your allotment is to harvest the vegetables then take them home, cook them and
eat them. A couple of years ago, as I arrived at the gate of my allotment field
in early January, an elderly gentleman, taking a walk along the lane asked me
with a tone of some amusement – what work
could you possibly do on your allotment at this time of year? - Well ! I replied, harvest vegetables for my dinner, isn’t that
the purpose of having an allotment? He smiled and nodded in agreement as he
walked on.
What to eat from the allotment is always easy and usually into
the autumn as well. Having a range of vegetables throughout the winter and into
late spring when new crops become available requires a bit more organisation
and some luck with the weather – not just throughout the winter but also
through the summer when these vegetables are establishing
I do seem to have a definite desire to eat green vegetables,
especially of the brassica family. It would seem that many people have to be
persuaded to eat this vegetable family as being the most important health wise
but, for me, I need no such persuasion. I feel quite wretched without them.
This year has been good for brassicas though, also for slugs
and snails which seem to feel the same about brassicas as I do. Of course, I
have lost a few cabbages – the snails and slugs have not been content to nosh
on the outer leaves but have burrowed well inside which meant that, even when I
trimmed off the outer leaves to remove the damage and the slugs themselves,
there was little left. It seemed they preferred some plants to others so, I
decided to leave their favourites and eat the rest myself – that left everyone
happy ...ish!.
I will use slug pellets but, I prefer to use only when really
necessary – on seed beds and young plants. I have used slug pellets
occasionally through the summer on more mature plants but, only where they have
been protected by heavy nets – which should discourage birds from invading the
plots. This has not always been successful. I have come to my plot, a few days
ago and shocked a female blackbird under my brassica net, with another in my
[now open] fruit cage. A young robin has followed me into my brassica ‘cage’
when I was weeding and I had to wait some time before he emerged and flew away
so that I could close it up again. I don’t doubt that the blackbird would have
escaped from the netting if I hadn’t surprised and panicked her. These birds do seem to find
their way in quite easily but, if the netting is too fine they can get their
feet caught in the fibres making escape impossible. Although, in the past, I’ve
managed to arrive in time to extricate a variety of birds caught in nets[including
a large and angry magpie], usually they will die a slow and distressing death.
For this reason I have now dumped all of my fine net for something much more
chunky and, it has to be said, much more expensive – this has taken me a little
time to afford.c
I am still enjoying summer planted cabbages which are
heartening up – not all together – great. Slugs have gone for one of them
majorly and I am able to harvest the rest. Golden Acre Primo which I sowed in mid
April then again in May. They have been reliably good this year, and even the
slug damage can be trimmed off.
I sowed Broccoli Typhoon, a Calabrese variety, like one of
those wonderful full green heads you can buy in your local supermarket.
Unfortunately, I can eat one of these heads on my own with my
dinner so, they don’t last too long.
I am still harvesting my courgettes though the production is
slowing down to a level I can use easily.
Of course, in my poly-tunnel, tomatoes are still producing
multiple kilos every week. At least my peppers and chillies are now beginning
to ripen usefully and I have been able to make several lots of hot roasted
pepper and tomato chutney. Still quite a few to go. I hope it doesn’t get too
cold before they all ripen. More chutney and relish making I guess – just as
well I have an eager market – my family – for my products.
Do try my recipes for using autumn vegetables.
Cheesey Baked
Chicken with leeks and Courgettes
4 trimmed skinless chicken breasts
4 good sized, trimmed, washed and sliced leeks
4 small to medium courgettes – [I am using Orelia which are
drier and denser than zucchini]
250 gm trimmed and wiped mushroom of your choice
½ litre milk [1 pint]
Salt and pepper
Sauce
100gm – [4oz] butter
100gm – [4oz] plain flour
½ litre – [1 pt] milk +
the milk/liquid from the cooked chicken fillets
Good bunch chopped parsley
Tsp chopped thyme, tsp, chopped oregano
Salt and pepper
Topping
75gm – [3oz] grated gorgonzola cheese
75gm – [3oz] grated cheddar cheese
Method
·
Prepare the vegetables and arrange over the base
of a large, shallow, oven-proof dish.
·
Place the chicken fillets on top.
·
Add the seasoning and the milk. Bake in a moderate
oven[180°C – 5 gas] for 25 to 30 minutes.
·
Prepare the sauce – melt the butter then add the
flour and cook out [without colour] to ensure the flour is cooked. Gradually
add the milk to give a smooth roux then sauce. Add the salt and pepper.
·
Remove the chicken from the oven and drain off the
liquid/milk [liquor] into the sauce mixture. Re-arrange the chicken and
vegetables in the oven-proof dish.
·
Mix this liquor into the sauce and bring to the
boil, stirring all the time. Check the seasoning and stir in the chopped herbs.
Pour the sauce over the chicken dish, ensuring all of the chicken and
vegetables are covered.
·
Sprinkle on the cheeses [ if you prefer make up
the quantity with just cheddar cheese]
·
Return to the oven and bake in a moderate oven for
a further 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
·
Serve with green vegetables[peas, Brussels sprouts,
cabbage] and mashed potatoes [do try mustard mash]
Mustard
Mash Potatoes
1 kg [2lb] potatoes – floury potatoes are best
3 good sized tsp whole grain mustard
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
75gm [3oz] grated cheddar cheese
50 gm [2oz] butter
250ml [ ½pt] milk
Method
·
Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into even sized
pieces. If you are using floury potatoes, it is best to steam them or they will
break apart. Cook until the potatoes are soft all the way through.
·
Mash or put through a potato ricer.
·
While still hot, add the cheese and butter and mix
in until well melted.
·
Add the milk, mustard and seasoning and stir in
well. Reheat over a low flame to ensure the potato is hot without overcooking
the cheese.
·
Serve with a topping of finely chopped parsley.
This morning I planted my first short ridge of new potatoes in
my poly-tunnel – Accent, 1st Earlies [from Thompson & Morgan].
This year they arrived in plenty of time for me to have had them chitting since
early January. The chits are sturdy and 1 – 2cms long. In previous years, I
have put in twice as many but I have found that I have been giving so many away
as I need the space in the tunnel for the next planned crop and, while giving
away is no bad thing it is also quite extravagant. If the weather does stay
fair well into next week I may plant a row of 1st earlies outdoors
and cover them with fleece or environmesh – I tried this last year though I
found that slugs ate the newly emerged tops under the fleece. This year I must
be more careful.
Some of the seeds I sowed in pots in my poly-tunnel in early
February are just beginning to show signs of emerging – winter lettuce. The hoped
for sunshine of the next few days should encourage the rest to appear.
