Allotment?Veg Patch Thread 10 - Plotmenters busy into summer ! and loving James Wong

[bookbook]

Last thread has filled up so quickly! Thought I had better get one up and running before I get off to the plot.
Busy, busy people, just waiting for the harvests to start, fighting the bugs, slugs and weather :)
Last thread here
THREAD 9

book (or anyone else!) - do you have any good courgette recipes that would be good for a packed lunch? Or any snacky recipes?

Courgette muffins
10oz flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 oz cheese, grated
2 eggs
some milk
one medium courgette finely diced
one small onion, sliced
one clove garlic, crushed
half a chilli, chopped
handful of herbs, chopped

fry onions until golden add chilli and garlic. Add to bowl with courgette, season well and leave to cool.
Put eggs in cup, beat, add milk to fill cup (you will probably need a bit more) Remove two tbsp of this mix and put to one side for glazing, top up with milk.
Mix flour, baking powder, herbs and cheese in big bowl. Stir in cooled veg. Add the egg/milk mix and fold to make a soft dough (it is going to be dolloped not rolled).
Dollop into twelve silicone muffin cases (ice cream scoop really helps). Smooth tops slightly and glazed with reserved egg mix.
Bake.
Gas mk 6 20 mins approx

Working on an antipasti one today.
Also have a fruit cake one but only uses 250g of courgette.

Courgettes in oil and Bread and Butter style pickle.
Can you tell we have a lot.

Loving the courgette recipes. Mine are slow this year but the rain and then some warmth should help.

Afternoon!
quick dip in- just back home with DGS in tow...
clara - I do the overwintering banana shallots - ( basically chuck em in in October and forget about them :) ) - I use Jermor
Gin - I have a couple of muffin recipes which are nice as snacks
Gruyere and courgette muffins
best one is this though
multi veg muffins - these I just make proper muffin size these days - I used to do little ones for DGS
I do tend to use a bit more cheese in both though - we love cheese! ( and I leave out the pepper as DD is allergic to capiscums

I have just harvested my first outdoor cucumber, DD is very excited but she has to finish tidying her room before she is allowed to sample it . My first courgette is ready for picking but I will leave it for tomorrow as we have already eaten. I've only put in one plant this year DCs moaned when they had courgette 'hidden' in every meal a couple of years ago. Mine seem a lot slower to get going than all of yours. And I have a flower on one of my experimental outdoor melons. I spoke to a couple who have a nearish plot, they are growing thai vegetables, I will keep an eye on these 'exotics', a white climbing cucumber which is usually cooked, pak choi and a kind of spinach plant which is bright green and either cooked or used to wrap food in. Lots of others too but I can't remember the names.

I'm jealous of your cucumber elephant, that's the one thing I keep wishing I'd planted.

Cheers book, have written that down!

My nasturiums are covered in black fly! Gaahhhh. Doused with fairy liquid solution the other day but hasn't done the trick. Anyone got any good tips? We try to be organic in approach where possible.

Hello all, can I join in, very pleased I've found this thread.
My raised beds are being built as I'm writing, I'm very excited to get them planted. I got loads of bargains at the garden centre the other day so waiting to go in are:
3 types of cabbage,
bok choi,
carrots,
turnips,
swede,
black kale
sweetcorn
Loads of courgettes and tomatoes I've grown from seed.

I've got a ton bag of organic, specifically veg growing, topsoil on the drive ready to go in when they are finished. Should I add anything to it (manure, compost?) as I put it in? I've got a few massive bags of compost which I could mix in.

I've already got peas, climbing beans, borlotti, broad beans, tomatoes, courgettes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries (canes were hidden behind 7 ft weeds I cleared the other day and have fruit on them).

I'm very excited, this is my first proper garden after years of just growing stuff in pots in a tiny, north facing back yard. It's a massive job but I'm sorting it out bit by bit, drawing lots of sketches in my special garden design sketchbook. We've been here 18 months but I've had a baby in that time so didn't get much done last year.

I have a 4-stem tomato which is heaving.
the stems are really struggling with the weight.
I am sooooo looking forward to a glut!

Afternoon!
welcome Youremywifenow - sounds wonderful! If its topsoil for veg growing, has it had something added? If not then well rotted manure is always good, or as an extra feed I use organic chicken pellets. If planting fruit bushes etc I am still a firm believer in fish, blood and bone too ,( though maybe not if you are vegetarian?) Whereabouts are you - everyone knows how nosey I am , it sounds as if you have a garden too!
I have popped down to the plot this afternoon. I wanted to water, and start picking blackcurrants , check everything is okay. DH came and did some edge tidying/cutting .
I too am waiting for my tomatoes - the sungold is absolutely full, but no sign of ripening yet.
The squashes are starting to motor though - here is a picture of one of the crown prince :)

Hooray! Our allotment has been confirmed today. Can't wait to get started!

Congratulations Lightpurple do make plot friends and ask for any left over plants. I have a couple of spare pumpkins and all my friends are the same, those spare plants we kept just in case.

Hi all. So book and all those with blackcurrants, what are you going to do with them? I've got a lot on my 1 blackcurrant bush (which a fellow plotmenter gave me a few years ago) but haven't a clue what do with them.

Had courgettes and gnocchi for dinner.

I freeze the currants and then use them in my porridge all year.

Evening!
Welcome Lightpurpletulip - what a great time to start - long nights and warm! Is there much work to be done , and (nosey me!) whereabouts are you? Ask away at anything, and hopefully someone will be able to help .
Need - well, blackcurrants - I , make jam , Grouchy has a couple of really good recipes for muffins and cordial ( which I am going to attempt to make) I mostly use them with a mix of berries (raspberries/blackberries/redcurrants ) lightly stewed to make compote as an easy dessert with icecream , or yoghurt - they are lovely mixed with apples for a pie or crumble . My DH's favourite is Summer Pudding . I freeze a lot - It's great in winter to take some out to use - a lovely taste of summer .:)

I have no blackcurrants this year or gooseberries as the plants were put in this year but I do have the promise of some Autumn raspberries, we have gorged ourselves on strawberries and the rhubarb and japanese wine berries are going bonkers yay.
Question - when does rhubarb start to die back? Is there a cut off point for pulling some? I am trying to leave it as long as possible or should I just get it while I can?

tbh elephant I would take a bit more, maybe up to end of July- but keep an eye on whether new growth is coming through. If not, I would stop

Thanks Book

Evening all and welcome Lightpurpletulip. Happy new plot!

Had our first swiss chard today, I have never had it before. It was delicious!

berries: we like fruit compote here.
they freeze well, we freeze them in small portions and use them for more compote, crumbles, instant ice cream (kids love that!), porrige, gravy...

Gnome how are you cooking your swiss chard please? I've been pulling it and treating it like spinach but I am disappointed, it's a bit leathery. I grew some years ago and I can't remember it being so 'chewy'. I think the one I grew before had a red stem, the one I am growing ATM has a white stem which you can steam like asparagus apparently.

elephantoverthehill DH (he is the chef in our house) trimmed out the stems and roasted these with just a spray of frylight for 10 minutes. The leaves were torn into small (1 inch/3cm) size pieces and boiled in salted water for 5 minutes.

Thank you Gnome I've been 'wilting' it. Well, all the things I've read have said 'Use like spinach'.

no - as Gnome says - it needs a bit more oomph - I treat it as spring greens , so wash, tear up and put in a bit of salted water in the bottom of the pan , bring to the boil , turn down the heat and cook for 5 minutes, drain any water left then pepper and butter :)