A new year ,a new start and great food .

Well here we are again another new year and yet another new start.We had Christmas and New Year in Feuraventura where we have gone for the past 4 years.It is a wonderful island for us at it is everything we need…Rest,walks,peace and quiet ,all the good books I have been meaning to read and most of all wonderful sunshine and warmth when we need a winter boost.

Using winter vegetables & preserving

Suddenly having loads of winter vegetables from your garden or allotment that are all ready at the same time is a joy  , but  how do you find enough recipes to use them all to the best advantage.How do you preserve them if you have a glut?This year I have such an abundance of red cabbage , savoy cabbage and leeks.

Vegetarian recipes

Having an allotment there is no shortage of vegetables.

Sometimes you have to wonder how you are going to use them all,as nothing is wasted.Something always comes to mind though. These recipes are great even if you do eat meat and fish.You don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy them.

More good old fashioned gardening tips…

As these old gardeners tips are so popular I thought I would add a few more that I have found. It is surprising how many of the tips from years ago are really not to be scoffed at as they have a lot of truth in them.My grandfather was a great allotment holder in his time and he believed in a lot of these.

Update on allotment

The weather yesterday was not as good as it has been recently but we managed to go up for a couple of hours..even though it was quite damp and windy.At least we managed to blow away a few cobwebs.

About my gardening

Let me talk about my gardening.I started my first allotment 5 years go after seeing an advert in a local mag.At that time nobody wanted them so I had a choice of plot.

It was the start of a different life.In fact if I was to be truthful it changed my life for ever…Including my husbands as he started out by just helping with the tough bits and ended up working the ground every weekend.

A glut of fruit & veg

This time of year there is always a glut of at least one fruit or vegetables & it is such a pity to waste them if you have grown them If you grow your own you get more & more that you hate waste.Try a few of my recipes for excess fruit & vegetables.Try my plum ketchup.

Too many cabbages

This year I have been overrun with cabbages ..They are huge and possibly the best I have ever grown.There is only so much cabbage you can eat, although if shredded,blanched and spread out on a tray they freeze very well.I decided though to try a pickled red cabbage recipe with a white cabbage and it has turned out surprisingly well.I changed the red wine vinegar for cider vinegar and added red apples to give it a bit of a lift.

Tackling an allotment

If you have ever considered taking on the task of tackling an allotment..He who hesitates is lost! They are coming so popular now that you will probably have to go on a waiting list but it is well worth the wait.When I started 6 years ago nobody wanted them ,now because of people wanting to know where their food comes from they are in demand.On the following page are a few tips on where to start.

Good old fashioned gardening tips

I was looking through some old books and came across some old tips for gardeners.I had forgotten how important they were.So instead of passing the book on to some one else which I intended to do I might keep it now and pass a few tips on.Of course you can probably find these tips else where but you also may pick up a tip or two that is new to you that you might like to try.These old gardeners knew a thing or two..