Tomatoes and the HUGE Potato

Well… I decided to clear out the greenhouse at the weekend and give it a good old scrub out.

We picked the last of the tomatoes, including the green ones…. they look fab in the dish together, the colours are so vibrant.. I would really like to make some tomato and chilli relish, so if anyone out their has a tried and tested recipe that they would like to share, i’d love toi hear from you

Next I dug some potatoes from the 3rd bed for our dinner… and look what I dug up…. the organic Lady Balfour variety that I got reduced to 50p at the local garden centre turned up trumps…. with this whopper

I took it into my workshop to measure it … it was a whopping 6inches long and weighed in at 1lb 12.1 oz!!!

Peas and Broad Beans

Picked some more broad beans and peas from the garden for this evenings dinner.. I reckon there will probably be enough left in the garden for another two more harvests.

This is the first year I have grown broad beans and i’ll definately plant more next year.

Lettuce : Paris White Cos

I’m really looking forward to trying out different varieties of lettuce this year in the garden, this particular variety has been around for a great many years and is listed online as an heirloom variety.

A really tasty cos (barrel-shaped) lettuce with an old fashioned flavour.   Sweet and crunchy, ideal for summer salads.

• Sow Indoors March-April
• Sow Outdoors April-July
• Harvest – From may Onwards
• Cost £1.49 per packet
• Seeds Sown Indoors in the greenhouse on Sunday 26th April 2009

Squash – Sweet Dumpling

I have never tried growing squash before so this is a first for me and I’m quite excited about it 🙂

Sweet Dumpling – This small, mildly sweet-tasting squash resembles a miniature pumpkin with its top pushed in. Weighing only about 7 ounces, it has sweet and tender orange flesh and is a great size for stuffing and baking as individual servings. Sweet dumplings are tiny but great for roasting and presenting whole.

• Sowing Time : Indoors Mar-May & Outdoors May
• Harvest : October
• Cost £1.79 Per Packet
• Seeds Sown : Indoors in the Greenhouse on Sunday 26th April 2009

International Kidney (Salad)

A superb very waxy, new/salad variety introduced in 1879 and one of the oldest varieties still in commercial production, particularly in the channel islands. Smooth skinned, with creamy white, waxy flesh and superb flavour. The most important crop on Jersey produced and sold as the world famous ‘Jersey Royal’.

Plant : April/May

Harvest : July/August

Cost : £0.50 for 12 Tubers (at reduced counter in local garden centre)

Planted : Sunday 26th April 2009

Tomatoes & Chilli

Tomatoes & Chilli

Originally uploaded by T o w n i e

Tomatoes & Chilli

This is the last of my tomato crop.

The plants in my greenhouse are well past their best, so I have decided to pick whats left and clear out the plants. The lack of sunshine has not helped their growth and fruit production this year.

I think they were also hit by some kind of tomato blight as some of the stalks and branches had grey furry stuff growing on them, has anyone else experienced this on their tomato crops this year?

Food from the Garden

For tea this evening we are having a ham salad… but first we had to pop out into the garden to gather a few ingredients….

First we emptied a container of Fir Pink Apple Potatoes… and gave them a good wash

Then we popped into the greenhouse and picked some yummy ripe tomatoes….

I absolutely love growing my own veggies 🙂