Stomach rumbles
I've been cleaning and clearing the veg garden. Removing old brassica leaves and planting more mild mustards and pale pak choi for the spring. I've thinned rows of rocket, mustards and komatsuna. The thinnings will make a lovely lunch time salad. It's that and baked beans as I forgot to put on a potato to bake in time.
Yesterday's lunch was far more superior. I bought a tin of curried chickpeas. I bought it more for its technicolour tin than the contents but they turned out to be delicious and at 59p a bargain. I added three carrots, one diced potato, star anise, a little cinnamon, a chili, some garlic and plenty of swiss chard and tat soi. It was lovely curry made in under 20 minutes from plot to plate.
I've also been eating lots of pak choi, mainly stir fried with ginger, star anise (a little obessed with that flavour at the moment) and various meats. I had a great udon terriaki beef broth swimming in oriental greens from my wineboxes on Sunday.
I have to admit what with dark nights and various weekend antics I haven't seen much of my garden in light. I flashed the torch around for slugs whilst going to the compost and other than the oriental clippings in my slippers, the garden might just be a figment of my imagination. I must try and plant some garlic and I need to build some raised beds at the bottom for the 'big 2009 self-sufficientish year' that I haven't really let my husband in on. I am sure he'll give up 'Lucky Charms' just like that.
Otherwise between Birmingham and here things are blissfully quiet. I intend to spend the rest of the week pottering before I tackle any larger projects such as muddy, boot wrecked, camera-worn lawns.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~55~RS~)
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I hadn't thought about currying my swiss chard, great idea. I have been meaning to plant Garlic for weeks, cleared a spcae just keep forgetting to plant it.
Gary
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Hello Alys!
Just wanted to enquire after your October 23 blog in-re 'Digitalis' - mine are all up now and doing fine, looks sort of like a tray of watercress at this stage. I was wondering when was best to prick them out? It's certainly not more Foxglove than I want but probably more than I need so how do I decide what to keep? Sorry if this is very basic, this is the first time I have sown Digitalis and first year as a gardener.
On another note I just wanted to offer thanks for your book 'The Thrifty Gardner'. I completely missed it's release but then I'm unsure as to where one would read about such things, you should have made a cheeky reference to it during the show. It's a fantastic read and has pretty much become my bible. I actually discovered it in the library which is rather apt given the general themes but I'm happy to report I have my own copy now. The damn thing is in pretty bad shape but it's certainly being made use of! For several days I was quite bewildered as to it's whereabouts as I simply couldn't recollect where I had put it down. Thankfully it was eventually found hiding from me under a pile of John Innes number 2.
Quite a fan of your work, many thanks for all the inspiration.
Best. jon
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Congratulations on your gorgeous book, Alys - I treated myself to it a couple of days ago, read it in one sitting, and I've already fished a mango stone out of the compost caddy to try and grow a free plant!
Mel x
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I bought a 'Grafiti' in a supermarket in Cornwall in September - I'd never seen it before. I was surprised how purple it stayed after cooking, unlike purple beans for instance. Tasted good too - not too cauliflower-y. Kids ate it for novelty value, so that was a result!
You've reminded me to look out for seeds for next year....
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Hello Jon
the rule of thumb for pricking out is when the seedlings are large enough to handle. of course that means different things to diferent people. Joe H manages to prick out things I can barely see (might just be my bad eyesight), I'm more picky and only go for the big ones knowing that I've predictably sown more than I need. I suppoed if you can pick up the seedling between your thumb and forefinger by its baby seed leaves (those are the first to appear, rather than the true leaves which appear later) then you can start pricking out. the trick is not to leave them so long that all the roots mat together as you'll inevitably damage the roots trying to prise them apart. Saying that a healthy seedling is suprisingly robust.
thanks for the kind words about the book
mel,
a word of caution, mangoes are hard to sprout if you go against the seasons. A spring mango moves fast a winter one can mope and rot. You've got too options, eat more mangoes in spring or open the stone, remove the seed, let is dry out a bit somewhere cool and then pop it in an airtight container in the fridge and plant it in spring.
trillium
I agree on the taste and colour keeping. I sort thought it was too much of a novelty when I first grew it, but its become a staple now. Good size as well, not one of the monster versions where you think 'argh cualiflower cheese for the next week'
a
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