Cucumber Harvest and Glut

Its the first time I’ve grown cucumbers (marketmore) this year outdoors and I am very impressed with the results. I do love cucumber but I am the only one in my house that does so apart from having cucumber salad every day I was hoping to find other ways of using cucumber.

When there’s a glut I usually eagerly wait for another veggy blog on my google reader to post some recipe ideas and hey presto Greenfolks came in on target – thanks for that. Here is the recipe for Cucumber, Pepper and Onion Relish.

Below are a few other recipes to use up your cucumber gluts:-

• Val’s Recipe for Cucumber and Pepper Relish,
• Cucumber and Green Tomato Relish Recipe,
• Joanna’s Cucumber and Mint Salad,
• Jo’s award winning Cucumber Pickle Recipe at the Cottage Smallholder,
• Cooking with Cucumbers Recipes by the Cucumber Growers Association,
• BBC Good Food – Cucumber Recipes,
• Preserving Equipment and Jars – UK.

Also Harvesting on my plot this week:-

• New potatoes – charlotte and lady christl,
• Gardener’s Delight tomatoes,
• Lettuce Balmoral.

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This post has now moved to my new site iGrowVeg.com.
Please view the new post on the link below:

• Cucumber Harvest and Glut

Veggy Plot Makeover / Upgrade

Today I was mostly giving my Veggy plot a well deserved makeover by upgrading the visual and practical parts of my 2 raised beds. As the start of the sowing season is upon us, I wanted to make my raised beds a little more appealing on the eye by removing the rocks holding down the side of the netting over the beds and not spending alot of money doing it.

Today I will mostly be cooking Carrot Soup

One of my New Years resolutions was to learn how to cook with the vegetables I grow. I am a complete novice at cooking and usually I would just cut and steam them with a meat or fish dish, very nice but not very creative.

So today I harvested some carrots (Autumn King 2 variety) and decided to put my plan into action to make soup. I had already bought the 1 litre soup n sauce bags (heavy gauge, zip seal and gussetted so they stand up on their own) from Lakeland.

Easy Carrot Soup

Serves 1 – Heres what you need:

New Year 08 – same old plot just different vegetables

Its the beginning of the new year so what better time to plan and buy vegetable seeds, fruit and potatoes that I will be sowing and growing in my 3 back garden plots in 2008.

Heres a quick run down of what I will mostly be sowing this year:-

• Beetroot boltardy,
• Broccoli tenderstem green,
• Brussel Sprouts genus f1,
• Cabbage resolution savoy (winter),
• Cabbage tundra f1 (winter),
• Cabbage golden acre (summer),
• Calabrese ironman f1,
• Carrot amsterdam forcing 3 (spring/summer),
• Carrot james scarlet intermediate (summer),
• Carrot autumn king 2 (autumn/winter),
• Cucumber green fingers f1 (to be grown in mini greenhouse)

Week 23 16.09.07 Plot Report

This week I will mostly be harvesting yet more runner beans! and plenty of tomato’s.

My tomato plants dispite looking very dishevelled because I have occassionally forgotten to water them are still producing a harvest of red and yellow fruit.

My Maris Peer xmas potatoes have loved the recent warm weather and have shot up above the pot with just 3 weeks of growth. I have now earthed them up with compost to the top of the pots.

Crops Progress

• Mini Leeks - 10 weeks growth and growing strong as they are protected behind the chicory. Estimated Harvest Date: 27 Oct after 15 weeks growth.
• Chicory - 10 weeks with lots of leaf growth and no slugs!…. yet. Estimated Harvest Date: 13 Oct after 13 weeks.
• First sowing of Autumn King 2 Carrots - 10 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: 13 Oct after 13 weeks.
• Second sowing of Autumn King 2 Carrots – 3 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: 17 Nov after 13 weeks.
• Turnip (Atlantic) - 3 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: 27 Oct after 8-10 weeks.
• Pak Choi - 3 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: 17 Nov after 13 weeks.
• Cabbage – Advantage (spring greens) – 3 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: December after 20 weeks.
• Cabbage – Spring Hero - 3 weeks growth. Estimated Harvest Date: April/May 2008

Reminder of Cold Weather on the way.

After watching BBC1’s Countryfile on Sunday I saw the temperatures over the UK would be tumbling this week which reminded me to buy some fleece. I bought some Horticultural Fleece for the vegetable plot and my potato buckets 3m x 6m for £5.28 incl P&P from Ebay seller ‘All Seasons Gardener’.

Below are the Week 23 picture updates of my 3 vegetable plots.

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This post has now moved to my new site iGrowVeg.com.
Please view the new post on the link below:

• Week 23 16.09.07 Plot Report