Roasted Red Pepper and Squash Soup

Now that October has arrived I've started to harvest my pumpkins and squash. Some like the outrageously orange Turks Turban are already curing on a sunny windowsill others such as Honey Bear and Crown Prince still have a few weeks of growing to do.

After I've cut my squash I either leave them to cure in the sunshine, turning daily or alternatively bring them indoors to sit,safe from the rain on a sunny windowsill.

Once the pumpkins and squash are cured I store them on a well ventilated shelf in either my garage or in a shed.

One of my favourite ways to eat squash particularly the Butternut variety is to make large quantities of soup which I then freeze for those days when I just can't be bothered to cook but want to eat something hearty and healthy. This is my recipe...just add cream and black pepper to serve

Roasted Red Pepper and Squash Soup

3 long Red Pepper (I used Thor because that's what I've been growing)

Butternut squash or squash/pumpkin of your choosing

2 large shallots 

Clove of garlic

Vegetable stock (approx 1 1/2 to 2 litres but this depends on how thick you like your soup to be)

Salt and Pepper

Cream to serve 

Pre heat your oven to 180'

Peel and then chop your squash into chunks.

Sweat the shallots in a pan with olive oil until translucent then add the chopped garlic right at the last moment to ensure you don't burn it. Now add the squash. Sweat the squash with the onions and then cover with veg stock and bring to the boil. Simmer the squash until softened.

Whilst the shallots and squash are cooking roast the red peppers in a hot oven until the skin is blistered, then remove the skins by either placing inside a plastic bag and rubbing or (if you've got asbestos hands like me) just pull the skin away from the flesh. Remove the stem and seeds and chop into large chunks. Set aside.

When the squash is softened and the stock reduced add the peppers and cook together so that the squash takes on the flavour of the peppers. Allow the soup to cool slightly before blending until smooth...at this point you can add additional stock until you achieve your preferred consistency. When blended return the soup to the pan, season and heat before serving. Stir in some cream before serving if you wish. Eat with crusty bread and a big smile.

Beeswax Furniture Polish

One of the many bonuses of being a Beekeeper is that along with any honey that I harvest I also end up with lots of wax at the end of the season. I use the wax to make salves,lip balms,candles and furniture polish.

The polish is made from a mix of Olive Oil and Beeswax which is gently melted in a Bain Marie. Once the oil and wax are combined I add Grapefruit Seed Extract to prevent the mixture spoiling and an essential oil of my choice; both Lavender and Orange are really great for this. I then pour the mixture into sterilised tins and leave to set.

Ingredients 

400g of beeswax 

1.2 litres of olive oil

Grapefruit Seed Oil (60/80 drops)

Essential Oil of your choice (30/40 drops)

Meet the Herbs...

This year the herb patch is positively flourishing, the wet weather seems to suit most of the plants and even those that traditionally favour the summer sun and dry soil are lush and plentiful. Lucky me!

I grow the majority of my herbs in Belfast sinks; the exceptions being Basil which I grow in huge quantities in the poly tunnel and Parsley which I direct sow in rows in the veg garden. I use the herbs in so many of the dishes that I cook and also add them chopped to salads for added interest and extra flavour. The Basil is turned into pesto and frozen; I freeze without the cheese and simply add the Parmesan after defrosting and any herbs that won't survive the cold weather are gathered in summer and dried in my dehydrator.
This is what I'm growing this year;

Flat Leaf Parsley
Direct sown in the veg garden; this is the most versatile herb, we eat it added to omelettes and chopped into salads.

Coriander
Sown in modules in the poly tunnel in March then planted outside in late May. Great for salsa's and in guacamole...the essential herb for Mexican cooking.

       

Tarragon
Grown from seed. I only grow French Tarragon; the Russian has a far more bitter taste which can be quite unpleasant.
The essential ingredient in a Bernaise Sauce

Sage
Module sown and raised in the poly tunnel until the threat of frost had passed. I dry this in my dehydrator or in bunches hung from the ceiling...the perfect herb for comforting winter casseroles

Chives
Sown in trays then planted outside. I love the subtle oniony taste in omelettes, chopped into salads and added to recipes that need a hint of onion without the full on onion flavour. The flowers taste wonderful too and can be used to flavour vinegar

Thyme
As good dried as it is fresh...the bees love the tiny pink flowers and just brushing against it releases a heady scent.

Mint
I grow Apple Mint, Peppermint and Chocolate Mint, all the bushes are well contained within their own pots to prevent them taking over the garden! I love the Apple Mint infused to make a refreshing tea and the Peppermint torn over new potatoes

Basil
Module sown then planted directly into the soil in the poly. Harvested in late summer and used in my kitchen to make Pesto and to add to pasta sauces and risottos

Oregano
Grown from seed, used almost daily in sauces and with pasta...along with Basil this is the herb I wouldn't be without

 

Rosemary and Lavender

The Rosemary was grown from cuttings taken from a friend's plant; the lavender I bought as plug plants. Both woody herbs are used sparingly to avoid any hint of soapiness. I dry the lavender in bunches hung from the ceiling.

I also grow Lemon Balm (the bees love it and I add it to homemade balms and salves), Feverfew, Dill (self seeds like crazy! Fab with fish and chopped into potato salad) Bay (for bouquet-garni and added fresh to hearty stews and casseroles) and Fennel (strong aniseed flavour used in much the same way as Dill, and in addition I save and dry the seeds and add them to the store cupboard).

Herbs can be grown in the smallest of gardens, in window boxes or even on your kitchen windowsill...there really is no excuse not to get growing!

Why is it always Jam tomorrow?

Having harvested a huge amount of Rhubarb from both the plot and the veg garden this year I've been jam making with earnest. I know that I probably won't eat half the jars I've made but it won't go to waste; friends who enjoyed it slathered on crusty bread last year will no doubt be pleased to be gifted jars of this years 'vintage' and if all else fails I'll spread in in between sponge cakes with lots of buttercream...yum!

Here's what I did...
I took 2kgs of chopped Rhubarb and gave it a good rinse

I then added the same amount of Jam Sugar and 1/2 pint of water
After a good stir I gave the sugar and Rhubarb time to get to know each other...

After an hour I split 4 vanilla pods lengthways and added to the pan before gently heating to allow the sugar to dissolve

When the sugar was thoroughly dissolved I increased the heat until the jam was at a rolling boil and checked the temperature using a jam thermometer
When I was confident that the jam was a good set (put a plate in the fridge and spoon some jam on it; if it forms a skin it's a good set)  I poured it into sterilised jars that had been warmed in the oven.

This jam should keep for approximate 6 months in a cool dark place. Once opened I kept mine in the fridge.
Enjoy!

So many plants, so little space...

It's mid April and I find myself in the same situation as I do most years at this time; there is no room left in the polytunnel or either greenhouse & both coldframes are crammed full of plants...

In order to water successfully in the polytunnel I've perfected a crablike walk worthy of Bear Grylls down the centre of the tunnel whilst holding onto the roof bars for support...so far I haven't over but surely it's just a matter of time before I face-plant into a tray of lettuce! The other half keeps mumbling something about Day of the Triffids and my neighbour has twice asked me if I'm opening a nursery...there's no doubt that the plants are taking over!

The problem is completely self inflicted...the pessimist in me never expects anything to grow so I over sow...I may also have drunk ordered far too many perennials but that's a different story!

Whilst we're not short on space itself I've now run out of anywhere undercover that will give my tender plants and burgeoning seedlings protection from the Great British weather and find myself scouring the free adds in the early hours of the morning looking for coldframes and greenhouses! Every windowsill is occupied and I'm even utilising an old shower cubicle as a makeshift coldframe...and so the first job of the weekend will be to build yet another coldframe, and to keep my distance from any seed packets, garden centres and websites selling plants! 

In another month the problem will be over; most perennials will have been planted & my seedlings should have grown into robust plants. The greenhouses will be home to tomato plants and the tunnel full of peppers,chilli's and aubergines...but until then I'll continue treading very carefully between the seed trays! Happy gardening!

My Father's Inheritance

We all inherit certain facial features, quirks and mannerisms from our parents; some welcome, some less so...I've heard it said that men should take a good look at their wife or girlfriend's Mother to obtain a glimpse into the future and see how their beloved is going to look when they get older...heaven help my other half! I know that I have my late Father's smile, his thick hair and hopefully his easy manner and sense of humour; but my greatest inheritance from him was without a doubt his love of nature, his constant sense of wonderment the natural world and his passion for gardening.

When he and my Mother first moved to our family home he was quick to dig over two thirds of the back garden in order to grow enough veg to feed his growing family. Like his Dad before him he grew regimented rows of potatoes, leeks and carrots. My Mum sowed lettuces and other salad crops and they planted fruit canes and strawberry plants. By the time I was born the vegetable garden was supplying the majority of the fruit and veg that my parents needed.

Dad in his vegetable garden in the1970's 

As I got older I helped my Dad in the garden and planted a little garden of my own growing sunflowers and radishes. I may have resented the lack of space in the garden to ride my bike but I loved eating the spoils of my Fathers hard work!

Many a Sunday was spent watching my Father digging up the vegetables that accompanied our Sunday roast, it all seemed quite magical to me that such a small seed could grow into a leafy cabbage or an abundant tomato plant. That feeling of magic still remains each time I watch a plant grow, each time I pick something from my garden and turn it into supper. 

Dad's garden in the 1980's

Years later when we my partner and I bought this place it was Dad who helped build beds, erect greenhouses and put together the polytunnel. He taught me about companion planting, gave advice about what to plant and where and poured over seed catalogues with me, both dreaming of spring in the depths of winter. We were gardening partners in crime...

My Dad is no longer here, but his passion for gardening and nature lives on. Many of the tools I use in the garden were his, some belonged to his Father before him. The fruit canes he planted continue to crop each summer and I still refer to the gardening books he bought me when we first started out here. I miss my Dad tremendously but it's in the garden I feel closest to him, his passion for gardening was one of his greatest gifts to me and for that I'll always be grateful.

January Harvest

It's a fresh crisp January morning, but the sun fools me into believing it's much later in the year. It's my first trip to the plot since New Years Day...

The weeds are plentiful, testament to the mild winter we've enjoyed so far this year and the paths around my plots could do with mowing. It's peaceful, only one other hardy soul & his dog on the entire site, we exchange pleasantries & he returns to cutting his red cabbages.

I dig up some leeks, pull a couple of fennel bulbs and weed around the rows of Kale and Chard.

Then I see them...two beautiful milky white cauliflower heads amongst a sea of green. They're not all that big but they are perfect; possibly the best I've ever grown, the florets are tightly uniform, blemish free and the most beautiful creamy white.

What they taste like remains to be seen but moments like these make this gardener a very happy girl