Getting back to my roots

Been waiting for the first frost to dig up the first parsnips. Saturday morning the car was iced up. Yipee! They tasted so sweet.

Spud-U-Like?

I've been plodding along digging up a row of potatoes each vist (I can't carry more). Just one row to go. Here's some Sarpo Miro that have scrubbed up nicely.



They're just what I want at this stage: not so many but a good size and precious little disease or slug attack. Eating qualities yet to be tested properly. Their shape is a bit odd. Not only are they long, they're also flat!

Now for yield the Rooster wins the prize and they make wonderful flavoursome mash and roast well. I've been checking out the store in the garden shed for damaged tubors (of which there were few), and picked out some for baking:



Provided they are stored properly we should be eating our own well into the New Year!

Horseplay

The horseradish that I tolerated has been making an escape bid across the mutual path, so I had a war of attrition against it. The horseradish won - there's some stubbornly holding out. I'll be going back to finish it off.


Having dug out a couple of pounds worth I decided to preserve a good supply in vinegar. First of all it had to be peeled and then macerated in a food processor. Then salted, bottled and covered in vinegar. My error was to take too lightly the advice not to sniff the blitzed root. It nearly knocked me out, and I had to take the dog out for a walk to give myself some fresh air. Do not try this at home... After a break the process was completed. I've also kept some in the fridge without vinegar and some in the freezer just to see how they compare. I'll let you know how the test works out. Here's the one in vinegar:

It's bean too long...

Here are some Wisley Magic I grew just because I had some seed left over from last year. They don't taste as good as White Lady which has been this year's staple, but they are impressive! The White Lady are still flowering (see below), and producing beans for the table with the suplus going in the freezer.

Chuffennel

Never had such good fennel!





This second row has surpassed the first by not bolting. I guess it is down to the time of sowing, having sufficient nutrients in the ground, and the wet summer! Ordinarily we would just have it in salads but we have extended to braised fennel this year (and it was really good).

I'm fair chuffed.

My Way...

Well the gardening calender is drawing to a close. The runner beans are cropping by the shedload, the spuds are half lifted, the two remaining courgette plants (a third withered) contine to produce a steady stream of fruit. The earlier leeks are coming on stream and there will be cabbages, brussels, kale and more leeks to keep the table supplied over the winter. The fennel has been the 'most improved' with a second row looking fat and bulbous without bolting! There will also be beans for drying. So while there is a bit of cropping to be done before the cold winds of late September and the cold nights of October stop production completely the hustle and bustle, the heat and strain of summer are abating. 2009 has been a good year for nature watering the veg (and that's the third year in a row like that) so you won't find me complaining about the 'apalling British summer. I hsve some snaps still to post but I am now putting the blog into hibernation for the winter.

It's been a really good influence on me because I have been forced to think about what I'm going to do in advance. I've also had to listen to my own advice and test out the platitudes that I have picked up over the years and recycled. I'll admit to selectivity with my photos, but the shame of hiding the weeds from view has had a really good motivational effect and as a result I am sure I got more return than in any previous year. So thanks!

My recordkeeping has rather tailed off and I regret this, although photographs are easy and accurate they are not a substitute for a good gardening diary. Perhaps next year I will at least do some of the following:

Record the number of hours spent strictly.
Record the cash outlay.
Change the variety of crops to include items we use more of - eg parsley
Adopt more strict strategies for limiting disease - eg onions at greater distances, carrots with enviromesh to keep out rootfly.
I might even put something into the allotment show next year! No I think I will continue to grow for the table.

If you've got any suggestions, feel free to comment.

In the meantime all the best for the closed season.

Mal

Brassica Bonanza

Things have gone well under the net. My cunning plan of close planting to suppress the weeds worked pretty well, although I had some difficulty picking my way through the enclosure to harvest plants without causing any damage.



Visually the 'cavolo nero' has been the most dramatic:



But a word of warning - we expected our first picking to be very tender, but it was as tough as old boots! So allow plenty of cooking time for this Italian kale, or stick to the Scottish variety:


Here's 'Tundra' cabbage which we have high hopes for, come winter: