We added a new venue for our safe places to visit last week. Nostell Priory is about nine miles from our home but is somewhere that we only visited once several years ago. It's strange isn't it how we often neglect places almost on our doorstep? We wanted a fairly mud free place where we could walk with Ruby over winter so we decided to check it out. It's a National Trust property that is dog friendly. As members we have free admission although even for non members the only charge for the parkland is a £5 parking fee. Admission to the house and garden is extra but both of these are dog free zones.
We wondered whether the park would be displaying autumnal colours. In fact it appeared to be in transition. There were lots of signs that it was autumn but many of the trees were hanging on to their summer outfits
On the allotment some of the plants still were making an attempt to carry on producing.
Having had a broad bean failure earlier in the year we planted a variety called Luz de Otono. It's claimed to produce a crop in November which it appears to be trying to do. Will it or won't it? We will find out in due course.
On the other hand, I think the strawberry plants attempts to produce late fruits will be in vain. I was surprised that the low night time temperatures hadn't affected the flowers as it had certainly affected the courgette plants.
It had also put paid to any new growth as far as the squash fruits that we didn't harvest last week. The larger of the Uchiki Kuri survived but it's little sister wasn't as lucky.
My reports on our plot activities are becoming very repetitive. We weeded and turned over more beds. It's a strange fact that whenever we have had a day on the plot that has involved some degree of physical exertion, our weights go up. It's hardly fair is it?
If you are a regular visitor you may remember earlier photos of the cracked and parched area that was our old strawberry bed. This was far too hard to work and so for over a year now it had been hidden beneath a mulch of wood chippings. Last week, Martyn scraped it off and roughly turned over the ground. Due to its covering it was very wet and so it will now need to be left over winter for the weather to hopefully break down the lumps.
The Safari dwarf french beans that I was concerned about last week survived the cold and we had our first harvest from them.
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29 September
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We thought that our small Fiesta apple tree was having a year off but found two lovely apples that we had missed. I'd also missed a couple of courgettes that had morphed into marrows.
A bunch of basil, a few sprigs of rosemary and some San Marzano tomatoes joined some of the smaller courgettes in a risotto.
It was based on this recipe. I stirred in some cheese before serving to make it creamier.
We are now lifting some interesting carrots. Does anyone else think this one looks like a rocket?
It didn't manage to launch itself into orbit - just managed to get as far as a vegetable bolognese
based on this recipe
I had some pastry left over after making a chicken and mushroom pie so I used some odds and ends of vegetables and made some rustic looking - Martyn's description, I said messy looking - vegetable tarts.
I used, onion, courgette, tomato, red pepper and mushroom but you can use whatever you have.
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2 October
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Another tree that we weren't expecting a harvest from was our quince. It didn't produce a large harvest but it did give us some fruit.
I had expected the dahlias to go the way of the courgette plants and curl up their leaves so I was pleased to see that they were still flowering away meaning I could cut another lot of flowers.
As always Stay safe and well
I'm linking to Harvest Monday on Dave's blog
You don't have to have your own blog in order to join in conversations. It may seem that everyone who comments knows one another but bloggers always welcome new commenters, after all that is how we all started.
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Those large courgettes and carrot had me smiling. Fancy the strawberry flowering at this time of the year. I love your recipes, I've tried a few, please keep them coming.xxx
ReplyDeleteI hope that you enjoyed the recipes, Dina. I haven’t used the giant courgettes yet.
DeleteThat is one wild looking carrot. Love seeing your harvest and all the work that goes into it. I would like to hire you as my chef. Gosh it all looks good.
ReplyDeleteI’m sure you make a perfectly good chef yourself Lisa.
Deletelovely harvest! I've been missing my courgette zucchini
ReplyDeleteWe’ll be missing them too from now on, Endah. I don’t think that we we’ll harvest many more.
DeleteI've been told Kuri squash are absolutely the best for eating. Seeing the broad beans brought back fond memories of my father pinching out the tips to prevent blackfly. It never worked well, but I doubt you'll have blackfly issues now.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't tried a Kurd squash yet, Deborah. Strangely we don’t usually get blackfly on our beans but this year we did. Maybe it was because the plants were weak.
DeleteThere are flowers on my strawberry plants and some of them have been producing really good fruit the last couple of weeks. Better fruit than earlier in the year. I don't know why this is.
ReplyDeleteWe had taken the nets off ours, Margaret so the late ones that they did manage to produce were nibbled.
DeleteI do see the resemblance to a rocket in that carrot. The root veggies can make interesting shapes sometimes. That strawberry must be an everbearing type to make flowers this late in the season.
ReplyDeleteThe strawberry variety is Sweetheart, Dave and is described as a June fruiting variety, so I’m not sure what it is playing at. We certainly dig up some bizarre shaped vegetables.
DeleteOoh, fresh broad beans in November? I hope that works out for you! The risotto looks delicious
ReplyDeleteWe enjoyed the risotto, Belinda. I’m sure I’ll be adapting it using different vegetables. Maybe some of the November broad beans if we are lucky enough to get any.
DeleteIt's good that you have found somewhere new for safe visits Sue and how true it is that we often ignore what is almost on our own doorstep. Love the carrot and your risotto looks rather delicious.
ReplyDeleteWe are gradually increasing our bank of safe places, Anna. The risotto was as tasty as it looks but I think the cheese improved the taste.
DeleteI love the vegetable tarts. Things look fabulous. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThey tasted better than they looked, Bonnie
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