Allotment Update

Just a quick update, those of you who follow me on Instagram or facebook will know that a couple weeks back the allotment site was victim to another arson attack and 2 sheds were burnt out.  We dont have a shed (the plot is too small) but sadly the direction of the wind meant the top third of our plot was burnt and so we have lost these 2 beds of strawberries (I know many years ago farmers used to burn their crops to clear top growth so hoping the strawberries grow back for next year, just bad timing as we had just started to pick them for this years crop!)

the cloches all burnt and with that my beetroot, carrots, spring onion and lettuces

as well as the cabbages, garlic, onions, shallots and some sweetcorn

This was the lettuce etc all burnt through the cloche

HOWEVER-cutting off the burnt tops we noticed the crowns appeared to be intact and what a difference a couple of weeks can make!  This is my little gem now!  They have sprung back to life and I have now started to transplant the thinnings to another couple of beds so they can heart up over the coming weeks.  The burnt garlic we dug up and used as a wet garlic and the same with some of the japanese onions badly scorched, we have dug them up and are using them now rather than storing them.

On the positive, it also means that I now have almost an entire bed now clear after the fire so somewhere to plant some late summer/autumn crops!

Kyla

Allotment Update

So, my Instagram (kylacotterell) page has my allotment haul but I thought I would put a picture on the blog as a general update too.

The photo is from a couple weeks back as now all my broadbeans have been picked, blanched and frozen for the winter and I am now officially fed up with both green and yellow courgettes!!! We have made fritters, ratatouille, griddled and also in salads

Now I have also made some spiced courgette chutney.  Never made this before (usually make rhubarb chutney) but it used up several of our onions and courgettes (especially the marrow like ones) so it has to be worth it.

Any other ideas for courgettes always welcome!

kyla

Plot 12 update

 Hello peeps, thought I would do an update on the allotment.

As you may have seen a couple of weeks ago I made a plot sign from an old wooden stamping block and it is now in situ (having had a couple of coats of varnish).

Now all my strawberries I inherited with the plot have finished for the year I will take some runners with a view to starting a new bed as they are quite old so need replacing.

With the strawberries I made Strawberry Vinegar for the first time.  It is a recipe from Pam Corbin, known as Pam the Jam and is the lady behind the River Cottage preserves.  

It is similar to the Elderberry vinegar I make but is lighter and more fragrant, perfect for salad dressings throughout the summer and cost me pennies to make!

I have also started to harvest my potatoes.  No main crop for me but lots of 2nd earlies which I love as new potatoes, boiled or in salads.  I have 15 plants to dig up which I plan on digging up one plant a week so hopefully they will see us through the summer.

I have already harvested my garlic so I started to harvest our red onions

I am drying them out, though to be honest I am also eating them rather than buying any onions straight away. I have another couple rows still in the ground so I am hoping they will last us through the summer too

I was shocked as to how big they had gotten too!!

I am loving the allotment, it is very much a learning curve as I am growing different produce than I used to grow 20 years ago and having to understand what I can do with my Rheumatoid Arthritis and work arounds-like they say every day is a school day!  Luckily in this day and age there are some amazing instagram pages, youtube videos etc that have so much advice and suggestions so I am slowly working out what will work.

Kyla