On the Plot this Week!

This week, I've been a busy bee: tidying up the veg plot.  I've finally taken down the bean plants and composted the tops, leaving the roots in the ground for the nitrogen to set. I'm drying loads of beans for next year's seed and for cooking.


My kale is rewarding me with beautiful green leaves which I am planning to turn into smoothies or serve with dinner. Mr G has gone smoothie-mad so this will keep him happy.  See The Health Benefits of Eating Kale for smoothie and soup recipes.

The last of the beetroot and sweetcorn have been dug up before the frost hit.  Beetroot are lovely roasted, served with other veg and chicken for Sunday dinner.  They are even better turned into Chocolate Brownies :)





I planted lots of wild flower seeds this year and have enjoyed a noticeable increase in bees.  Some flowers are still blooming (see below).  I am saving wild flower seeds for next year and plan to grow a bigger patch...

 

I cleared  the courgette, pumpkin and patty pan plants.  The courgettes were poor this year, so there were few to give away or turn into jam.  It made great soup though and we ate it with home-made rolls for a healthy lunch. I also made several batches of Chocolate Courgette Muffins, which went down well with the kids!








The pumpkins are green, but slowly beginning to turn ...

Mum's windfalls have been stewed, turned into Apple Sauce and Apple Charlotte (looks more like  Apple Bread and Butter Pudding to me). See the upturned sauce jars?  I tried this trick and all 5 jars sealed perfectly.  We are testing the Apple Sauce tomorrow with pulled pork batches. Yum! 












We took the family foraging and picked rosehips and made Rosehip Syrup to ward off colds.   Unfortunately, Mr G has caught the first cold and is taking his medicine.  I'll let you know if it works!

Links to Older Posts, Recipes and Websites

Rosehip Syrup Recipe and Tutorial.
Squidgy Chocolate Courgette Muffins Recipe.
Best Ever Beetroot Brownie Recipe! by River Cottage
An earlier post on Foraging in Fields and Hedgerows!
Tips for Adding Kale to Your Diet: health benefits and recipes

Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog. If you can recommend your apple recipes,  please share below.  Have a lovely day!

Comments