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

Beetroot Pickle

One of my garden staples is always Beetroot. It may not be a particularly fashionable vegetable but I adore it's earthy sweetness and wouldn't be without it in my kitchen.
This year I've grown three varieties of the red root; Perfect 3, Cylindra & the candy stripped Chioggia. I sow in modules and then plant out when the beets have outgrown the module. Most seasons I plant a very early crop in the polytunnel too...see, I told you, I love the stuff!
Three of my favourite ways to cook with Beetroot are to use it in a fabulous bright pink Hummus along with Walnuts and Tahini ( There's a great recipe in the River Cottage Veg book), to make a traditional Borscht or to pickle it. This is my recipe for Beetroot pickle.
This pickle is great with strong cheddar & crusty bread

3lbs Beetroot
1lb   Eating apples
1      Large red onion
1lb   Soft brown sugar
1pt   Pickling vinegar
2tsp Maldon Salt
Spice bag containing Bay leaf, mustard seeds,allspice berries, peppercorns

It couldn't be easier...
Peel the beet, apples & onion & finely chop so they're all a similar size. Add to a large preserving pan and add the sugar, salt & vinegar. Place spices to your personal taste in a muslin bag and hang in the pan.
Slowly bring it all to the boil & then allow to simmer for approximately an hour or until most of the liquid has gone. Remove the spice bag and bottle in sterilised jars. Try to leave the pickle for a month before eating to allow the flavours to develop.
Happy pickling x

And the award for the laziest blogger goes to...

When I started my blog late last year I was full of optimism that I would blog weekly ( well, maybe fortnightly ) and really embrace the format.
It's now eight months later and I've written the sum total of six posts...
I could use the age old excuse of too  much to do and too little time to do it but to be honest the truth is far less complicated...
There are sooooo many blogs about gardening, smallholding & Urban Homesteading ( as they call it in the US ) out there that I'm not really sure where I fit in or if I've anything worth adding...in short I've suffered a crisis of confidence. 
Lack of confidence already stops me doing so much in life from not leaving a job I hate ( I worry that people will think I'm a quitter ) to not wearing what I want for fear of what other people might think...hell, I only jog after dark incase someone laughs at my bum! 
I'm not alone though; lots of fabulous women I know are their own worst critics. Madness! 
Having been quite poorly for a while now I've had a lot more time on my hands to think about my confidence issues and how to address them. I don't have a magic wand; ( if I did I'd be writing a self help blog and not tweeting about Broad Beans ) but I do know that the best way to beat your demons is to face them head on...so watch this space I'm going to give it another go. Please be gentle with me x