Autumn arrived this year on the allotment at a nice gentle pace. There was a pleasant overlap as summer held on well into October. The food from the allotment follows this slow transition in a lovely natural way. Basil mixes with the first tomatoes in late summer, chillies show up just as the nights get cooler to add some heat to your dishes, and then the squashes slowly replace the tomatoes in your soups and sauces as Autumn settles in.
This year tomatoes were in danger of losing a guaranteed
spot on the allotment. But after finding a few varieties that seemed to tolerate outside conditions, I have decided to double my effort next year to ensure I have a steady supply for the kitchen. Super Marmande, Tumbling Tom, and Roma varieties will feature heavily in next years plans.
I planted approximately 5 different varieties of chili and about 5 plants of each one. Being still a bit of a novice at documenting however, I mistakenly wrote the variety and date in pencil on my biodegradable pots, which vanished very quickly after repeated waterings! All of the chilies that were harvested were delicious and provided some nice warmth in pastas, curries, and even a homemade chutney!
Squashes can really make you feel like a professional gardener. The picture to the left is the result of about 1 or 2 plants that I had scrambling about underneath my corn this year. There is both a Barbara Butternut and an Avalon variety. Other than clearing a few weeds, they were virtually effortless. They are the best case for the idea that vegetables want to grow, your primary role is to let them! I have put them to good use in an absolutely delicious soup recipe from Jamie Oliver. Anyway I have quite a few posts coming up on how to use all this great food we are getting from the ground!
PS I found a great blog for Chili lovers in the UK http://blog.chilliupnorth.co.uk/ .
This year tomatoes were in danger of losing a guaranteed spot on the allotment. But after finding a few varieties that seemed to tolerate outside conditions, I have decided to double my effort next year to ensure I have a steady supply for the kitchen. Super Marmande, Tumbling Tom, and Roma varieties will feature heavily in next years plans.
I planted approximately 5 different varieties of chili and about 5 plants of each one. Being still a bit of a novice at documenting however, I mistakenly wrote the variety and date in pencil on my biodegradable pots, which vanished very quickly after repeated waterings! All of the chilies that were harvested were delicious and provided some nice warmth in pastas, curries, and even a homemade chutney!
Squashes can really make you feel like a professional gardener. The picture to the left is the result of about 1 or 2 plants that I had scrambling about underneath my corn this year. There is both a Barbara Butternut and an Avalon variety. Other than clearing a few weeds, they were virtually effortless. They are the best case for the idea that vegetables want to grow, your primary role is to let them! I have put them to good use in an absolutely delicious soup recipe from Jamie Oliver. Anyway I have quite a few posts coming up on how to use all this great food we are getting from the ground! PS I found a great blog for Chili lovers in the UK http://blog.chilliupnorth.co.uk/ .
