No allotment today

Had to dog sit today while everyone was at work so couldn't play on the allotment,I did a few hours yesterday and Friday. Got some more weeding done around the beetroot and sweetcorn,also weeded between the spuds well had to cut some down. Couldn't dig the weeds out just incase I damaged any of the spuds,now that I have removed the spuds don't look very good. Think I will have to take a lot more up rather than take them as I need them,I'll end up giving some of them away to family and friends. 

I've took home a few more bits over the last few days love this part,everything is picking up nicely and a bit quick on some things. I take a picture one day then go back the next and everything is bigger,just have to eat a lot more once I've picked it. I made some potato wedges the other day from first early spuds,so nice shame no one wanted any apart from me. 

My peppers have started to fill out a little and can't wait to eat them,the Spanish mixed ones are growing good and the Hungarian wax ones are coming on slowly. 

Gherkins are doing ok but the marrows are doing wonders,even the toms have started to turn red now. I don't think it's going to be a good year for toms for some reason for me,don't know why just doesn't feel right but it might get better. 

Not enough hours

Don't seem to be enough hours in the day or days of the week,that much I want to do but just can't find the time. Or it could be me just begin lazy and saying I'll do it in a minute, I try and blog every time i go to the plot but that never works. I go to the plot with a list in my head,but end up doing something else and leaving the original job. 

Anyway things that I've done is picked a little more veg to bring home,now that I try and make soup I'm trying new recipes. Even thinking what can I make wine out of that's simple to make,I'll have another couple of batches of rhubarb to bring home and some beetroot soon. I've just bottled some red wine and started some strawberry flavoured wine. I've got rhubarb wine already bottled but don't know of that's any good,in demijohns I have 2 rhubarb 1 pineapple 1 strawberry. 

I've put some guttering up along the new greenhouse,just have to put a container at the end to catch the water. 

I took a couple of picture of red cabbages and Lilly's in the pond,I do like the colour of the red cabbage and Lilly flower. 

I got given some gooseberries for filling someone water butts up,think I'll add that to some wine later on. Picked a couple of cucumbers up a little pale but both are fine,also some spring onion which are going quite quick. 

Courgette soup

With us getting loads of courgettes and not having enough time to eat them all,I decided to look around for some other ways to eat them. I found a website  www.mycookinghut.com with a simple recipe on making  soup and other brilliant recipes. 

Easy Zucchini (Courgette) Soup

Yield: 4 persons

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
800g courgettes/zucchini, cut into slices (reserved some and thinly sliced for serving)
2 bay leaves
700ml vegetable stock
50g freshly grated parmesan, optional (for serving)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Cook the onions for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the courgettes and bay leaves. Cook until the courgettes start to soften.

2. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil for a few seconds. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from the heat.

3. Use a food processor or blender to blend until smooth. Reheat the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with some thinly sliced raw courgette. Sprinkle with some grated parmesan, if liked.

My first pepper

Hey look my first Pepper of 2013 whoop whoop. 

Not much to report.

Been a bit busy at work again and the weather been a tad hot ,so not had chance to do anything on the plot don't like it hot. But since we have had the heat things are picking up in the greenhouse,but not had chance to take anything home from the greenhouse yet. The cucumbers are growing slowly and the smallest pots are doing better,the ones in large pots are getting bigger,one large pot is compost and feed the other is compost and comfrey the small pot is compost and feed. The small pot is only about 5 inches wide and the large one is double that size,the  small ones seems to be doing better that the large ones. 

The chilli and pepper plants are starting to flower so shouldn't be long before we some action,we did ok last year so hoping for the same or even better. 

I've taken up my winter onions i planted end of last year and dried them,was hoping for a few more but can't have everything also picked some spring onions. 

Little harvest

Went to the plot for a few hours but it was a little hot to do anything,so I ended up filling all the water butts up and picking a little veg. I was quite chuffed in what I picked,most of it will be gone in a few day so will have to pick a bit more. I haven't done a family pic just a picture of them all as I picked them,so the post Is more pictures than words. 

Pea pod soup

I made some pea pod soup for the for the first time,I didn't think it was going to be nice but it was bloody lovely. Can't wait to make some more and scoff it all,thanks to  www.vegblogs.co.uk/mylottie so one pea pod goes 3 ways Eat peas / soup from pods / compost when finished. 

Going. 

Going 

Gone

Cutting the weeds

On the allotment along the road and fence we have loads of weeds,so I've made a start cutting them down to stop us getting the seeds from the weeds. On a windy sunny day you can see all the seeds from the weeds floating across and infecting our plot,we have a few plots that are empty  with a lot of big weeds but most of them are on the other side of the bushes. It's a shame people cant see beyond the weeds for what it could be, people want it weed free and dug over and have soil like compost. It's not a TV allotment it's real life allotment that needs love and care putting into it,if you look after it you will reap the rewards later on. I cut the weeds down old school then got told we have a petrol strimmer. 

Good few days.

Had a good few days on the plot well if you call weeding a good job,I did two full half days then it was to hot and dry to finish. At least Ive got a 1/4 of the plot done again,so will finish it once its cooler or when it damp to pull the rest up. Will have to remember next year to leave more space between the veg,some of it is ok but the odd bit is a little tight to get in. The onions was about right to weed but first row was a bit tight towards the beans,courgettes and marrows had a little space but will leave a little more next time. But the sugar snap and pea onwards are a mess,I put some netting up and sticks,but the peas have knocked them over so all mixed together. 

View from the middle of the onion bed getting up and close to my veg,loving the onions now because most of them are filling up just like most stuff. Well apart from inside the greenhouse which things are going a little slow,might be something to do with trying to grow things in all sorts of stuff. Fingers crossed everything picks up and we have a good year. I picked a little veg to bring home for tea and for the wife's friend,don't mind helping people out if its appreciated. I also picked my second batch of strawberries yeahhhhhhh,think I had about 3 of them the lad ate the rest in a smoothie. Forgot to tell him to wash them first because of the slugs (I'm bad I know)

Carrots

Don't think I will win the carrot competition. 😂😂 

Worth the wait

Worth the wait I think well it was for getting my first strawberries in 2 years,think the slugs and birds have had more than me. Also my tubs of spring onions are doing ok,picked a few yesterday to take home maybe small but are ok. I sowed a few more the other week and I've just seen that we have growth,I should of planted more seeds earlier so I don't run out. I've made a mental note for next year to do some more a bit earlier.