AUGUST 2007

Early August.

Hi. It's August and at last the weather has got better. We've had a few heavy showers but the sun has made some decent appearances. Well what have I been doing this month? (Pictured right - Evening Primrose).

Last month was very wet, farmers and gardener's alike were having problems with blight in the potatoes caused by the wet weather. I had already lifted my 'earlies' but I wasn't sure what to do with my main crop which was due to stay in the ground until September however, the tops looked blighted and were turning yellow. As a novice potato grower I wasn't sure whether to lift them or leave them.

Anyway, I decided to lift the main crop during the first week of August and the potatoes were a very good size. The variety was Desiree, a red skinned potato with a waxy texture. There was some evidence of scab on some but overall they were in very good condition. Unfortunately potatoes that are blighted rot quickly and a farmer on TV was saying that potatoes that seem unaffected in a blight year don't seem to keep very well.

So far I've had a handful that have turned black and I'm expecting to lose a few more. I'm regularly going through my store checking for rot as I don't want it to spread. At the moment I have enough to see my family supplied well into December but it depends on whether they all begin to degrade or not.

On a more positive note, I've pulled up all the onions now and I'm pleased with my first crop. I planted the variety 'Sturon' from sets in March and there are a large quantity of well sized onions. I took advantage of some hot August weather and laid them out in the sun for a few days to dry. The majority are hanging in mesh bags but I tied a few up on strings for that authentic look! Onions are certainly a crop I'm going to plant a little more of next season, I have a fair few pound but we use onions a lot in my house so I'll be surprised if they last into the new year.

More generally on the allotment this month I have planted out the leeks I started off in trays in late April. I'm really hoping they will do well as I'm looking forward to them over the winter months. The brussel sprouts are looking green and strong, I've tied them into canes and have earthed them to stop them rocking in the autumn and early winter winds. I've popped in a row or two of early peas hoping to get a 'catch' crop in before the first frosts. The runner beans are producing madly and there a three or four pumpkins developing - hopefully we will have something to carve by Halloween!

I've picked most of the beetroot and decided to pickle it - as I'm partial to it that way. I wasn't sure what to do so I went for the easy option and bought a couple of jars of ready made pickling vinegar. I topped and tailed the beetroot, boiled it up and then the skin is easily removed. I sliced the beetroot up put it in the sterilised jars and poured on the vinegar and that was it. I gave it nearly a month and had to give it a taste and, I have to say, it was lovely.

I've been cutting a summer cabbage every week because I have found a lovely cabbage soup recipe. No, I didn't think it sounded too great either but I've been looking for simple and quick meals I can make from allotment veg. Anyway, this soup is surprisingly nice - honest! For a single large serving, chop up small onion and half a tomato and pop them in a saucepan with a little olive oil and fry them off over a medium heat to soften them. As they fry add two crushed and chopped cloves of garlic and mix in well ensuring that it's not too hot as the garlic mustn't become bitter. Once everything has softened up, shred half a cabbage and add it to the mix - it will reduce in bulk as it cooks. With the cabbage add a third of a pint of water with a vegetable stock cube and mix in. Turn the heat up until it boils then reduce the heat and simmer for eight to ten minutes. Add a little more water if you think it is required. Serve up in a large bowl with fresh bread. A tasty, easy, cheap and low calorie meal but you have to like garlic!

The winter Savoy cabbages are really growing well now and I've just sown some spring cabbages which will be planted out in a month or so. These will have to survive the winter and mature ready for March to May next year. I'm trying a variety called 'Durham Early', it's supposed to be reliable.

Late August.

The latter part of August has had nice weather and before I returned to work after a break I thought I'd do some more blackberry picking. I did two stints and picked a fair few pound. I added some to the remains of my allotment rhubarb from the freezer and fermented out three gallons of wine which has now been racked off and is currently clearing. Blackberry and apple goes so well together so when I received a carrier bag full of cooking and eating apples from my mother I decided to get four gallons of blackberry and apple wine on the go.

One thing I have always avoided is any form of vegetable wine, I suppose I'm a bit of a purest and consider wines and perrys should come from fruit. However, as I had a mass of courgettes I thought I'd use them up so I dug out an old wine-making book for a recipe. I'll let you know how it tastes in a year or so!

That's really it for August. I love Autumn and am hoping the mushroom and fungi season will be as good this year as it was last year. Fingers crossed! I'll see you in September.