What a difference a few days of sunshine make. After our
several weeks long storms, high winds and unseasonally cold weather, these last
few days have been sunny and – dare I say it – warm! Lots of people outside,
smiling and chatting to each other and enjoying the summery weather. Allotmenters
are assessing the damage which has been done by the high winds and slugs mostly
– and that damage is obvious everywhere but, as always, as soon as the sun
shines, we start seeing the positives. And there are lots of positives.
Over the last few days I have been picking punnets of
raspberries. Two punnets today. These are from last year’s canes which I don’t
cut back until they give me a crop in the early summer. The new canes are
already a metre high and looking very healthy, which gives the lie to the
suggestion that the canes are cut down in autumn to ensure the canes for next
year are strong.
I did treat my canes to a good dose of Epsom salts [magnesium sulphate]
a couple of months ago as they had been showing signs of magnesium deficiency. Apparently
these can also be caused by too much potassium when using artificial fertiliser
which prevents the uptake of the magnesium – not likely to be the case on my
plot. While the most likely cause of this affliction on many plants is
magnesium deficiency, it could also be a shortage of iron or zinc.
It should be borne in mind that very acid ground [lower than
pH – 5] will prevent the uptake of the necessary nutrients by the plants. Over
the last 2 – 3 years, I have been trying to raise the pH of my plot to
somewhere between 6 and 7 [7 being neutral. The optimum pH for growing is just
below 7 for most plants.] However, for
me, the simplest remedy has worked this time. With the dressing of magnesium
sulphate, the plants are looking very healthy and productive. A friend also
suggested that the canes are looking well this year because it has been so wet
and somewhat cooler than the few previous years – raspberries don’t like it too
hot and dry. I have also picked a few strawberries. They are slow to ripen this
year and are being ‘trimmed’ by blackbirds which will eat the red side out of
the ripening fruits and leave them unusable for me. I did see a neighbour with
an enormous bowl of luscious red strawberries this morning. I am tempted to put
a net over mine to give them a chance of ripening properly though, I’m afraid
of the blackbirds finding their way in but, being unable to find their way out
again and dying a miserable death. In my fruit cage I make sure there is a gap
in the top large enough for the birds to be able to escape.
I also picked my first couple of courgettes. I’m not a great fan
of Zuchinni – I find them wet and tasteless but, I have discovered Orelia –
golden courgettes which are much drier and have denser flesh which for me, is much
more acceptable. I had thought the high winds were going to destroy them but,
they are still looking good and each plant has lots of little courgettes coming
on quickly.
My globe artichoke plants are looking good, having weathered
the winter with a fleece coat. I have now got nine plants of which 4 are quite
mature and producing multiple heads. One of these was badly damaged in the
storms but, I don’t doubt it will recover. I’ve already harvested several heads
and as I’m expecting a heavy crop, I must come up with a variety of ways of
cooking and serving them. I think I will have lots this year.
Globe Artichokes
Artichokes are a pain to prepare but totally delicious to eat.
I guess it could be argued that the effort needed to prepare this very
expensive vegetable far outweighs the eating value of the vegetable. For me,
they are only available for a few months in the summer and are well worth the
effort.
They are a great starter for dinner parties as eating them
takes almost as long as preparing them and gives guests time to chat and enjoy
a glass of wine or two without spoiling their appetites for a more hearty main
course.
To
prepare
Cut off the stem and the
base, also removing the smaller outer bracts [scales] of the artichoke, as
close as possible to the main head – be careful not to remove too much of the
heart which is the best part. Cut off the outer bracts until it is apparent
that there is a useable swelling at the bottom of each – the bases of these
bracts are edible. Using a pair of kitchen scissors cut off the top of the head
so that you can gain access to the centre or ‘choke’. I also like to cut the sharp
tops off each of the bracts as they can be quite thorny.
A Peruvian friend tells me
that in Peru, no further preparation is needed. They are cooked whole and
diners must remove the beard or choke for themselves. I did try this method
but, it quite spoiled my enjoyment of eating them so, I always remove the
choke..
Using a sharp spoon or a
noisette spoon [ a strong melon baller] I dig into the centre of the artichoke
and remove the small bracts and all of the the beard.
To cook
Bring a large saucepan of
salted water to the boil and place the artichokes in the water. Simmer gently
for 20 – 30 minutes [depending on the size of the heads]. Remove from the water
and drain well. Serve with Hollandaise sauce or with butter, lemon and black
pepper.
An
Alternative Method
I have also found this
method quite successful and much quicker to prepare: -
Cut off the stem, part of
the base and the outer bracts as before. Then, using a strong sharp knife, cut
away ⅔ to ¾ of the top leaving the choke and the centre
exposed. Cut the head in half down through the centre. This gives easy access
for removing the choke and the fibrous inner scales or bracts and they can be
easily removed with a sharp knife.
Place these artichoke
hearts in a large sheet of greaseproof paper or tinfoil. Sprinkle with sea salt
and cracked black pepper. Add some fresh lemon zest and a knob of butter or
two. Wrap the tinfoil or greaseproof paper to make an envelope. Bake in a
preheated moderate oven [180ºC] for approx. 45 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges
and warm crusty bread.
Give me a little time and I will come up with or find some
other good recipes for using globe artichokes.
I did try an idea, where I included them, with other vegetables in a chicken
dish. I really didn’t think the flavours worked well together.
There are more cold temperatures, high winds and further rain
forecast for the rest of the week. I don’t mind the rain but, I’m not so fond
of damaging winds.
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