February
on the Allotment – 2016
It has been an amazingly wet December and January
with many areas suffering horrendous and very damaging floods. I can only
complain that my ground is too wet to work on and my poly-tunnel is a bit shredded.
I can’t really blame the damage to the tunnel on this winter’s storms. I’m
afraid it happened last summer and any repairs I have done to it have not held.
I will have another go at repairing the polythene when the weather brightens up
[I did say when!]. If I must replace the whole cover I shall then decide whether
to move the whole structure or to get rid of it. It is a wonderful addition to
growing on the allotment but does require lot of effort in carrying water.
Perhaps some plot holders with poly-tunnels have a better watering system
Maintenance
-
pruning although this job may
well have been started in the late autumn, it is important to prune apple and
pear trees while the plants are still dormant – plums and cherries are best
pruned in the summer to avoid silverleaf, blackcurrants are best pruned after
harvesting.
-
Keep the allotment tidy [please don’t
bring rubbish to the allotment to burn];
-
If you still have brassicas growing on
your plot – Brussels sprouts, cabbages, broccoli, etc. remove all yellowed
leaves and compost. Remove also, any plants which have finished producing
crops, to reduce the opportunities for pests and diseases;
-
If you have a poly-tunnel or greenhouse
it is important to clean and disinfect the inside of the polythene or glass to
reduce the likelihood of algae and diseases in the coming season. Check also,
the outside of the cover. Over time and especially in a wet season a coating of
algae will build up and significantly reduce the levels of light inside.
Preparation –
-
If you have not already done so during
December and January, plan what you intend to grow and where. It is important
to rotate crops, as far as possible, to avoid build-up of specific pests and
diseases.
-
If you have not already done so, plan
what you intend to grow this year and order your seeds – placing a larger order
can save time, money and anxiety. Sometimes it is economical to plan with a
plot neighbour or friend to buy your seeds. Remember that some types of seeds
will be valid for several years, while others, like carrots and parsnips lose
their effectiveness after the first year;
-
Mulch fruit bushes and trees and
perennial vegetables – eg. asparagus and globe artickokes;
-
If growing rhubarb, now is the time to
put a cover on your rhubarb plant to ‘force’ and early crop – some early
varieties are already showing new growth;
-
Prepare the ground inside your
poly-tunnel or greenhouse for early crops or seed beds – water well as it may
have significantly dried out during the winter months – check for destructive
pests like red ants and slugs;
-
Check for damage to fruit cages and
other structures which may be a result of the heavy snow and plan for the
coming season.
-
Potatoes – especially early potatoes,
should be chitted now. If buying from a seed house where they will be delivered
to you, ensure they are removed from plastic or net packaging and set to ‘chit’
[set out in a light, airy, cool, frost-free place to develop short, sturdy
shoots – if planting a small amount, egg boxes are useful]
Sowing
If you have a
propagator this month is the time to set it up although, I will wait until a
bit later in the month. An electric propagator where you can control the
temperature is best. However, before you sow seeds in your propagator, consider
where you will put your seedlings where they will have enough light and warmth
to grow on. Although tomatoes, chillies, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers can be
sown now in a propagator, it is too early to set them out in an unheated
greenhouse or poly-tunnel.
In your poly-tunnel or greenhouse you can think of
sowing some brassicas but do check on the varieties to see if they are suitable
for early sowing – summer cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts, cabbage. Try also leeks for an
early planting – they can then be planted out in late April to May. Carrots can also be sown in a
poly-tunnel. My ground, being heavy clay, is difficult for carrots but, my
friend and colleague, Pete, grows his in his poly-tunnel every year and every
year, he has a successful crop. It might be worth, if you like carrots, to
dedicate a small part of you green house or poly-tunnel to this crop. I have
tried this with an early crop – the carrots grew well but, I found that those
carrots closest to the doorway were still attacked by carrot root fly. They
don’t transplant well so, expect them to take up this space until June onwards.
While it is tempting to sow lots of seeds at this
time of year, remember that the ground and weather conditions may not be
suitable for transplanting outdoors and the young plants will become too leggy
and stretched to be worth planting out. While we can’t predict the weather, we
may always be caught out with seedlings ready at an inappropriate time so, it
is best to patient – a skill I am not good at!
A crop of early potatoes planted in the poly-tunnel in mid February can give you with a
small harvest of Earlies at least a month before they will be available
outdoors. I have found Accent to be particularly successful for this crop. They
can then be out of the ground before the area is needed for later crops.
Of course, broad beans can be sown in November for
an early crop in springtime – try Imperial Green or Aquadulce but, do check out
the varieties recommended for autumn or spring growing on your plot. You will
also need to check if they are tall varieties [not suitable for windy plots] or
bush varieties. Autumn sown seed will give a crop in May/June, though of
course, the young green pods will provide an excellent vegetable some weeks
before that when there is little else fresh available. They can be sown directly into the ground
from February onwards but early sowing, in pots in a poly-tunnel or greenhouse
in February onwards in pots will allow the young plants to germinate and
develop before planting out. If sowing directly into the ground, especially as
the ground is already well ‘watered’, a cloche could help the germination of
and development of young plants.
Some brassicas –
Brussels sprouts, summer cabbage and cauliflower can be sown under cover.
Brussels Sprouts and parsnips can be sown outdoors in February but later
sowings are likely to have a better germination rate except in particularly
kind years. I might follow Pete’s advice this year and wait until late March or
April to sow my parsnips, although this year I’m not so sure we will have much,
if any, very cold weather. But the ground, while not cold, is much too wet.
Indoor sowings of
leeks in modules or seed beds will give them an early start.
Aubergines,
cucumbers, peppers and chillies and tomatoes can be sown in a propagator in
February which should give them a suitably long season for ripening and cropping,
but an appropriate growing on environment is required which will provide the
required warmth with the demands for light.
Some salad crops can now be sown under cover – lettuce,
radishes, and spring onions.
February is an excellent time for planting rhubarb
fruit trees, bushes and canes.
Harvesting
and Cooking in February
–
Fresh from the plot
– Leeks, parsnips, kale and winter cabbages are good, as well as over-wintering
varieties of broccoli. Spring cabbage used as spring green and grown under cover
should be harvestable. Brussels sprouts and parsnips should still be good.
This year, parsley has continued to grow and has
provided an excellent harvestable crop all winter. My sorrel has also been in
good harvestable condition – an excellent addition to salads and useful for
soup.
From your stored produce
– carrots, garlic, onions, potatoes, shallots, squash and pumpkin, apples.
From the freezer – chillies,
courgettes, parsnips, peas, peppers, sweetcorn, tomato pulp, blackcurrants,
blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries, herbs,
Dried – beans, chillies,
herbs.
In
the kitchen –recipes
Bean
and chilli Hotpot
200gm [7 oz] dried beans or chickpeas
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes – or even better – a ½
litre [1 pint] tub of home-frozen tomato pulp
2 – 3 medium onions finely chopped
2-3 red peppers -finely chopped
1 -2 finely chopped red chillies [I like Joe’s Long
– leave the seeds out if you don’t want it to be too hot]
2 – 3 young courgettes [try Orelia or other variety
of yellow courgette – much dryer and denser than Zucchini]
Garlic – 3-4 large cloves peeled and well chopped
Spices - ½ tsp allspice, 2 tsp cumin,
¼ tsp ground black pepper, ¼ tsp
ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground coriander
Salt – sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
! Tblsp freshly chopped parsley, 1 Tblsp freshly
chopped coriander leaves, 1 Tblsp freshly chopped orinago or marjoram
2 Tblsp good olive oil
¼ Litre [½ pint] red wine
Method
·
Soak the beans or chickpeas overnight or
until soft. Drain, wash and cover with water then bring to the boil and simmer
gently until the beans are cooked [the older the beans, the longer it will take
them to cook so, consider your supplier].
·
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the
onions, garlic, peppers, chillies and courgettes.
·
Allow to sweat – cooking without colour
for a few minutes – until the veg is soft.
·
Drain the beans or chickpeas and add to
the pan.
·
Add the tomatoes, wine and seasoning.
·
Simmer gently for 30 – 35 minutes –
until the beans are soft.
·
Add the herbs and stir in well.
·
Serve topped with grated cheddar or
parmesan and with warm crusty bread.
Herby Bean
Rissoles
The dried beans
can be quite bland and colourless but, they are very nutritious and lend
themselves beautifully to providing a base for your favourite flavours. These
rissoles will freeze well. Put a layer of greaseproof paper between each
rissole. Use within a couple of months.
275g
(10oz) dried beans – kidney, butter, borlotto, yinyang (chickpeas are good too)
50g
(2oz) butter
50g
(2oz) plain flour
1
large onion – finely chopped
2
large garlic cloves – crushed
Salt
and freshly ground black pepper
Small
bunch each of lemon thyme, marjoram and tarragon – finely chopped
1
dsp. finely chopped parsley
2
Tblsp oil for frying
Method
·
Soak
the beans overnight. Drain off the water.
·
Put
the beans in a saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil then
simmer until the beans are soft.
·
Cool
the beans then mash or put through the food processor.
·
Put
the chopped onion in a saucepan with the butter and sweat (cook without
allowing the onion to brown) until the onion is soft.
·
Add
the garlic, thyme, marjoram and tarragon and mix in.
·
Add
the beans, season to taste then stir in the parsley.
·
When
the mixture is cold divide into even sized rissoles (this mixture should make 6
– 8) Roll in flour and shape.
·
Fry
in a little hot oil, turning over when the first side has browned. Drain well.
(I like these cooked on a griddle without oil.
·
Serve
with vegetables in cheese sauce or fresh vegetables with a salsa sauce.
Variations
Spicy Bean
Rissoles
Replace
the herbs with curry spices – 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp
garam masala, ½ tsp turmeric (add a
little Harissa paste if you like it hot)
Fry
the spices with the onion then continue as before.
Serve
with slices of lemon and a fresh mixed salad.
Vegetable and
Bean Rissoles
Replace
the herbs with - 50g [2oz] frozen peas, 50g [2oz] frozen sweetcorn, a small
finely chopped or diced carrot.
In
the summertime when fresh vegetables are available from my plot I will use
those, otherwise I will use ones I have frozen in the summer.
Cook
the vegetables in a microwave or a little water until soft. Cool and add with
the mashed beans. Continue as before. Serve with chips, grilled mushrooms and
tomatoes.
Don’t
freeze if using frozen vegetables.
Pakoras
Although you can
use a tempura batter, I do prefer the sublime spicy batter of Indian cooking –
higher calorie perhaps but, so delicious.
You can use
potatoes, cauliflower florets, mushrooms, onions, carrots, mooli [white Asian
radishes], etc
For the batter:- 100gm( 4oz) gram flour / besan flour
2 tsp ground cumin (jeera)
3 tsp ground coriander (dhania)
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp
turmeric
½ tsp
salt
¼ tsp
baking soda( bicarbonate of soda)
Water to mix
Oil for frying
200ml water approx.
·
Mix
the flour, salt, spices and baking soda in a bowl
Vegetables: wash - potatoes – peel and cut into slices;
cauliflower – cut into smallish florets; mushrooms - cut in half; peel and cut
into rings; carrots – peel and cut into batons or rings, mooli – wash and cut
into rings.
·
Add
the prepared vegetables and the water and mix until the vegetables are coated
generously with the batter( ensuring there are no pockets of dry ingredients
and that all parts of the vegetables are covered)
·
Add
the coated vegetables to preheated oil in a deep-fat fryer or wok. If using a
deep-fat fryer, don’t use the basket as the batter will attach to the wire.
·
Turn
the pakoras over as necessary
·
Fry
until the pakoras are evenly brown, then remove from the pan and drain.
Serve with a
suitable dipping sauce.
Broccoli and
Cheese Flan
For
the pastry For the filling
175
gm (6 oz) plain flour 225g
(8oz) broccoli [purple or green are best]
75
gm (3 oz) butter 1
medium – large red onion – peeled and chopped
6
tsp. cold water (approx) 3
medium eggs
Pinch
salt sea
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2
Tablespoons milk
110
gm (4oz) mature cheddar cheese
40gms
(1½oz) butter
Method
·
Prepare
the pastry – sieve the flour and salt the work the butter into the flour until
the texture is like fine breadcrumbs.
·
Add
enough cold water to ensure the mixture binds ( approx.1 tsp for every oz of
flour but, a little more may be needed – don’t add too much water or your
pastry will be hard and tough)
·
Roll
out the pastry fairly thinly, to line a flan dish or suitable plate (grease or
oil well before putting the pastry into it). Trim. ( If you have added too much
water the pastry will shrink when cooked).
·
Bake
the pastry case ‘blind’ – without filling – in a fairly hot oven – Gas 6 or
200°C for 15 - 20 minutes until the pastry is golden.
·
In
the meantime, ‘sweat’ the onions in the butter until soft – don’t allow it to
brown.
·
If
using solid heads of green broccoli, break into florets and simmer in a littler
salted water for a couple of minutes until starting to soften [don’t overcook].
Drain well. For broccoli sprouts – trim and wash... it should not be necessary
to precook it.
·
Beat
the eggs, seasoning and milk together in a bowl and grate the cheese.
·
When
the pastry is cooked, remove it from the oven and fill the flan with the cooked
onions and the prepared broccoli. Add the egg mixture and top with the grated
cheese.
·
Return
to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Lower the heat and continue to cook until
the filling has set and the topping cheese is golden.
·
Serve
with a mixed salad and onion marmalade.
Note
This
dish can be served hot or cold, is good for a main meal or in small slices as a
starter, or for a picnic.
Cheddar
can be replaced by any blue cheese, gruyere or any other suitable ‘melting’
cheese.
Squash and Chicken Breast Parcels
This
is a low fat main dish par excellence, but very, very tasty and satisfying.
Per person you
will need:
1
chicken breast – without skin – left whole
3
slices of butternut squash (1cm thick - ½inch) skinned and sliced – OR - use
the flesh from a range of squashes or pumpkins instead with excellent results
1
piece of fruit – a pear, apple or peach / nectarine – washed and sliced – leave
the skin on.
3
– 4 medium mushrooms – wiped and sliced
3
– 4 mini tomatoes or one regular sliced
Herbs
– be generous (my choice is for a mixture of lemon thyme, tarragon and marjoram
with parsley, but do use you own favourites)
Sea
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
A
knob of butter – if you must!
Method
·
You
will need a sheet of tinfoil or greaseproof paper for each portion. Spread it
out and add the prepared ingredients – it really doesn’t matter what order you
add them to the pile.
·
Season
well and add your chosen herbs.
·
Close
the parcel and put in an oven proof dish.
·
Bake
in a preheated oven 180ºC, No 5 gas for
about an hour.
·
Remove
from the ‘parcel’ onto the plate and serve with mashed or baked potatoes and
green vegetables.
Note This makes an excellent supper party
dish wrapped in greaseproof paper where each guest has their own parcel.
·
The
flavouring ingredients can be changed – spices and chillies, peppers, curry
spices, a different range of fruit, grated lemon or orange rind, etc. You can
put sliced or tiny potatoes into the parcel. They will take longer to cook and
will absorb the juices from the ingredients making a drier dish but, the upside
is that the whole dish is cooked together.
Gooseberry
Sponge Pudding
1
bag/tub of frozen gooseberries [ 350g or 12oz approx] – fresh are good too.
2
Tblsp sugar. You may need a little more as freezing can make the fruit sourer
1
spoonful of water
Method
·
Defrost
the gooseberries.
·
Put
them with the sugar and a spoonful of water into a saucepan and heat gently
until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer until the fruit has cooked and is pulped.
Don’t allow it to ‘catch’.
·
Place
in a greased pie dish and leave to cool
The
topping
80
gm [3oz] butter – softened
80gm
[3oz] castor sugar
2
eggs
110gm
[4oz] self raising flour
Method
·
Cream
the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.
·
Gradually
work in the lightly whisked eggs.
·
Fold
in the sieved self-raising flour.
·
Spread
the mixture over the gooseberries in the pie dish., ensuring they are
completely covered.
·
Bake
in a moderate oven [180°C, No 4 Gas] for 40 – 45 minutes.
·
Serve
hot with crème fraiche, cream or custard.
·
Blueberry Pie – from Frozen
Blueberries
Of
course, this dish is much better made with fresh blueberries when they are in
season
Ingredients –
for a 22cm [9inch] pie dish – a round dish is easier if you have one
Approx
750g frozen blueberries [1½lb or I would use 3 x 1 pint tubs of frozen fruit]
3
Tblsp. sugar 3
Tblsp. cornflour
½
tsp ground cinnamon Juice
of 1 lemon
Method
Allow the
blueberries to defrost. Then add the sugar, lemon juice, cornflour and cinnamon
and mix in. Leave to sit until the pie case is ready
Short crust
pastry
300g
plain flour (12oz) 150g
butter (6oz)
Good
pinch salt
12
tsp cold water approx.(this amount may vary slightly depending on the weather
and the flour you are using – you need the ingredients to bind together without
being sticky).
1
egg – well beaten a
little caster sugar for dusting
Method
·
Sieve
the flour and salt into a baking bowl. Add the margarine and rub in with your
finger tips to create a texture like fine breadcrumbs – don’t allow the mixture
to become sticky.
·
Add
the water slowly to ensure the ingredients combine without becoming too soft.
·
Knead
gently to combine the ingredients for a short time – 1 minute.
Making Pie
·
Preheat
the oven to 180°C, Mark 6 gas.
·
Using
about two-thirds of the pastry – roll it out to about ½ cm thick and large
enough to fit into the pie dish and cover the edge. Ease the pastry into the
greased/oiled, pie-dish, allowing it to cover the sides and overlap the top
edges. Take care not to break or pierce the pastry. Trim the top edge.
·
Brush
the top with beaten egg to ensure the two layers of pastry will seal.
·
Roll
out the remaining third of the pastry to the size and shape of the pie dish.
·
Spoon
the blueberry mixture into the pie dish then put the pastry on top of the pie.
Trim and seal the edges. Put a small slit on the top of the pie to allow the
steam to escape.
·
Brush
over the top of the pie with beaten egg and dust with caster sugar to give an
attractive glazed top.
·
Bake
for about 15 – 20 minutes then reduce the temperature [to 140ºC, No 5 Gas] and
bake for a further 15 – 20 minutes to ensure the fruit and the bottom layer of
pastry are cooked. Don’t allow the top pastry to burn.
·
Serve
with cream, ice-cream or crème fraîche.
http://feastingfromallotments.com/