vegetable garden

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August 30, 2011

Courgette muffins

Posted by glanbrydan under Recipe, vegetable garden
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It’s the courgette time of year again! I made these and took them to the summer fair at the Brecon Beacons mountain centre yesterday. They caused a few raised eyebrows but we sold them all. I did try one myself to make sure they tasted ok first. I saved T.W.O a bit saying ‘ here try this’ and waited to say ‘courgette muffin’ until he’d eaten it. He agreed they made a nice moist, tasty muffin and that you didn’t taste the courgettes. I likened them to carrot cake in texture when people asked me what they like. I did forget to take a photo though!!

A good way to get a bit of 1 of your 5 a day and a fun way to get children to try out courgettes.

I picked the courgettes from the tubs I have growing by the kitchen door. I was going to make a pasta source or put them in quiches but thought no why not do something a little bit different.

60g raisins
250g courgettes skin on

2 eggs
125ml / 4fl oz sun flower oil
150g caster sugar
225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
half a lemon
100 g butter at room temperature

200g icing sugar

Makes 12
Preheat oven to gas mark 4 (180C)

  1. Put the raisins in a bowl & cover with boiling water – leave to plump up.
  2. Grate the courgettes (use a grater not a food processer) and leave in a colander to drain.
  3. Put the flour, bicarb & baking powder in a bowl. Stir well
  4. Beat the eggs, oil and sugar in a bowl until slightly lighter.
  5. Fold in the flour, then the courgettes to the batter. Drain the raisins & fold them in.
  6. Divide the batter between 12 cupcake cases or muffin wrappers placed in a muffin tin
  7. Bake for 20-30 minutes until firm and slightly golden
  8. Leave to cool on a wire tray
  9. Whisk the butter until light and soft.
  10. Thoroughly mix in the icing sugar.
  11. Grate the lemon zest into the icing & add half the juice of a lemon
  12. Whisk again until you have a slightly softer icing.
  13. Either spoon on the icing to the cooled muffins and level with a palette knife or pipe on.
 

April 14, 2009

More gardening fun

Posted by glanbrydan under Gardening Calendar
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Is it really a weed

Is it really a weed

In the greenhouse the spinach seeds have popped a few leaves above the soil, the cabbages are coming through and we have pots of tiny cherry tomato plants.  In the beds the first row of broad beans and peas are creeping through the protective barrier I laid. Garlic and onions are well on their way and I think we have some Brussels spouts sprouting (I hope they are not weeds but not 100 percent sure yet).

I added a few things to greenhouse this afternoon leaving behind my laptop with a headache and a bit of a saw throat I hoped a bit of fresh air would do me a bit of good. I’ve added courgette and pickling cucumbers to my pots along with some sun flower seeds.

I must go and put my two apple trees as well as a plum tree  in situ along with my early potatoes. It would appear rain is forecast for tonight so it would seem a good time for a little planting. The poor fruit trees have been waiting to go in since they should have been planted so we hope they will settle into the new orchard, three lonely twigs until the autumn when we will add to their numbers.

 

April 5, 2009

Our first ever food festival – Llanwrtyd Wells

Posted by glanbrydan under farmers market business, Gardening Calendar, Glanbrydan business
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img_0004

After the Llanwrtyd Wells food festival yesterday we are having a catch up day in the house. It seems the cleaning of our home as well as the animals won’t wait for us to have a day off so we’ve knuckled down and now the house at least looks a bit more welcoming.

When we arrived at the festival to unload there was a mass of producers all jostling for the unloading spaces needed. We were lucky though as we like to get there with a little time to spare, once we had finished and moved the car to the parking area more and more vehicles piled in to the limited space. Eventually it became a car park, those at the front hemmed in by those at the rear. It all goes off in good humour and everyone makes the starting time.

The day was a warm day all the food producers were in a marquee while the craft producers occupied the hall. The warm day brought the shoppers out to enjoy a pleasant stroll round the wonderful mixture of delicacies on offer. Next to us was a fascinating couple who import and roast coffee beans. They then sell hot drinks, some home bakes and of course the beans. A good choice of neighbour! On our other side a lady selling spices all bagged up in tiny amounts lovingly labeled and displayed in exotic looking baskets.

Love spoon ice cream http://lovespoon.wordpress.com/ were opposite us and we were able  to sample their wonderful vanilla ice cream. Other stall holders such as the chili stall, the pickles man, the couple who make bread  and the french patisserie lady we recognised from Brecon farmers market. There was another spices lady we know from Llangynidr farmers market and a couple of  nice looking cakes stalls. This year we noted the huge array of beer, cider, whisky and other alcoholic beverages produced by micro breweries . Our Brecon neighbour who makes cheese was on the other side of the room and lastly there were some meat stalls, a veg stall and a few others dotted about the place. 

Soon after setting up we munched on a fantastic sausage sandwich each and this kept up going through quite a busy day until we stopped for a kitkat mid afternoon. Exhausted but happy we had only a couple of things left at the end of the day so we treated ourselves to a fish and chip supper.

So it’s a thumbs up for our first ever food festival

I’ve planted up a box of spinach in the greenhouse today & a few more broad beans

 

March 15, 2009

We have pea shoots

Posted by glanbrydan under farmers market business, gardening, Gardening Calendar, Uncategorized, veg garden, vegetable garden
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My lettuce box

My lettuce box

At long last we have a germinated tray of peas. The tender little shoots appear to be the only living things  in the greenhouse at the moment. My improvised heated propagator a.k.a. the radiator is working a treat on the aubergines while the chili seeds are taking a bit long to push through we have a few front runners making an appearance. I’ll be glad when they are up as they are living on my bedside cabinet which is a bit cramped.

The Brecon farmers market went well yesterday as the shoppers made an appearance which we think may be down to a bit of sunshine. It was a steady day rather than spurts of shoppers which makes our lives easier. The pork pies are popular so we will increase production for future markets. I must also get round to making up sausage rolls although for us they cost about the same to make as a pork pie just a bit less meat and we sell them for less so I’m still not convinced about the economics but they make a good option for the younger children.

My knitting has had to be put to one side as we prepared for the market so I’m eager to have a go at finishing off my first little baby cardigan. The parts are all finished it just needs putting together with a collar and borders. I say ‘just’ but this is the bit I muck up normally. I shall be searching for help and advice before I pick up a needle.

The planting continued today

Unwins 1 horseradish root – I have never grown this before. I put it in one of my recycled tyre planters which was composted last autumn.

Unwins pink garlic – a pack of two also in a tyre. They work well planted in a circle

Unwins Red Sun shallots – another tyre full.

Unwins Asparagus Bachlim F1 Hybrid – a pack of two crowns, another first for me I’ve put them in corners of the raised bed.

The real seed company Brussels Sprout ‘Sanda’  – I have planted up a tyre as a seed bed and I’ll move them into a raised bed later

Johnsons Purple Top Milan turnips – A tyre full again

The real seed company Giant Limousin Turnips - A tyre full

Unwins Bunyard Exhibition Broad beans – I’m trying a bed with a weed suppressant cover. I cut little windows, make a little hole and pop the beans in.

Unwins allsorts lettuce – in a lettuce box in the greenhouse

Mr Fothergills  red Cherry tomatoes- in 3 inch pots in the greenhouse

Mr Fothergills Greyhound cabbage – in cell trays in the greenhouse

The real seed company Serpette Guilloteau climbing peas – The weed suppressant cover covered bed and a tyre for comparison.

Lastly I have followed the advice of vegplotting and I have my parsnip seeds on some damp kitchen towel . http://vegplotting.blogspot.com/2009/01/guide-to-parsnips-you-ask-we-answer.html

Unwins Avonresister and The reel seed company tender and true parsnips.

I’ve planted modest amounts of everything. The idea for most things is to plant again in two weeks so we get a cycle of cropping.

My next ‘job’ is to get some herbs for a bargain basement pot I picked up this morning. The pot is quite large and some tiled decorations had dropped off the rim. I like it better without them anyway and my £7 pot should hold a couple of things. We found the pot when we went to a department store first thing to pick up a couple of basins they had in the sale. Compact & modern for our new bathrooms (the ones that have yet to be built).  We are buying up a few bargain things as we see them for the new rooms, there are lots of offers around now.

 

March 12, 2009

Lettuce boxes

Posted by glanbrydan under gardening, recycle, vegetable garden
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Just hanging around

Just hanging around

As part of the big spring planting we will do a box or two of lettuce. T-W-O like Romain and I’m not even sure this is technically a lettuce but it is very tasty compared to a flat leaf lettuce (and it’s one of the only ones he’ll eat). We have a bit of a wet climate out here at the foot of a mountain (hill for US people), refer back to the precipitation diagram you drew at school. The sun over the sea, the land and the mountain. The water evaporates from the sea and makes a cloud that gets blown over to the mountain. The cooler air makes the cloud into water again which falls on us!

The slugs love our garden and despite the best efforts of Donald duck to eat them all even he is defeated by the shear numbers. I confess that I do resort to slug pellets every now and then, usually when I’m on my second lots of seedlings as the first lot have been devastated by the beasts at which time I will have lost my temper. The problem with pellets is that I have to keep the chickens and Donald off them so I then cover the plants in chicken wire. It all gets very complicated and they are not good for the wildlife either.

After all this I decided to plant my lettuce seeds in a box in the greenhouse. After a bit of thought and some luck I found that our local supermarket leaves old wooden apple boxes for customers to recycle as food carriers. I was elated (really I was, it strange the things that please me) and I secured one by filling it with shopping.

The boxes are made of thin strips of wood and stapled together. To help retain moisture I lined the boxes with old news paper or cut down layers of chicken feed sacks and filled them with a mixture of shop brought and home made compost. I scattered the seeds onto the compost and finished it with another fine layer of earth. Left to germinate in the greenhouse they quickly sprouted. The lettuce box only works if you remove lettuce to eat at various stages of development. Take small juicy young lettuce from the box to eat and let a few well spaced heads mature.

Once the weather has improved a bit the box gets moved outside. I either set them down in front of the greenhouse where I have a bit of a graveled area or by the side of the path. on a few stones. The idea is to stop the slugs making the climb into the box somehow, the gravel helps enormously and I also grow my courgettes in this area.

The boxes are not unattractive for a recycling idea although I appreciate they are not quite pretty terracotta tubs. The best bit is that once the season is finished the boxes starting to rot and then they can be used again. I empty the spent compost and paper onto my compost heap. Then if the bottom of the box has rotted away I brake it up a bit more and chuck that on the heap as well. It does take a while to rot down but it’s already on it’s way remember. 

Any wood that is ok I brake up and use as fire lighters or kindling on the wood burner. The bits of metal staples drop into the ash box and can be removed then if you wish.  I have collected a couple of boxes in preparation and I am considering planting spinach in the same way as it has become so expensive in the shops and again would suit the growing cycle where you take young leaves first.

 

March 10, 2009

Gardening Calendar for March & how Simon the sourdough starter is doing

Posted by glanbrydan under gardening, Gardening Calendar, Recipe, vegetable garden
[4] Comments 

 

where's the odd one out?

The black sheep of the family

Simon the sourdough starter has a life of his own now, I’m fascinated to watch the bubbles burst as I look into the jar. He will be fed again and then move into the fridge tonight in preparation for some bread baking later this week. The next stage is making a sponge which I gather is an extra large version of the starter.

The idea now is to keep Simon alive and use him as when I need him until  Peter pushers him out  or he peters out (ha ha couldn’t resist that).  I have to get through the sponge stage first to know if he really is going to make a proper loaf of bread. If it all works I’ll do a complete post on the subject.

We have a friend coming over for dinner this evening (and she is bringing cake with her) so T-W-O will be making a prawn risotto. We have been freezing reduced price prawns from the supermarket for a few weeks now and it’s time to make a bit of space in there.

I have been reading up on what I should be planting in March and I’ve petrified myself:

 

Asparagus

Beetroot

Broad beans
Carrots
Cabbage

Garlic

Jerusalem artichokes
Leeks

Lettuce

Onion sets
Peas

Potatoes
Radish
Spring onions
Spinach

Shallots
Turnips


I hope we get some good weather this weekend. I’m off now to order up some Asparagus and check what seeds I’ve got left

 

 

 

March 2, 2009

Update of the month

Posted by glanbrydan under farmers market business, Glanbrydan business, vegetable garden
[2] Comments 

img_00821Planting progress review – The beans and peas I planted a week ago must have been nicely softened by the water I gave them and swelled by the warmth of the early spring sunshine through the glass of the greenhouse. They were so tasty that a little mouse must have indigestion as it scoffed the lot! I now have 2 cell trays with lots of very neat little holes in. I will have to start again and bring them indoors to get them started. I am tempted to leave the greenhouse door open a little bit for a couple of days and see if Smudger the cat can persuade our little friend to go elsewhere, after all they only moved into the greenhouse as it’s one of  the only cat proof environments we have – supplied with ready meals! The pepper and aubergine seeds have not shown their heads yet either it may be just a tad too cool for the tropical peppers although they can take up to 21 days to germinate.

The red onions planted a while ago that were doing so well have undergone some disturbance at the hands of the chickens who love the soil in the veg beds. Not only have they been scratching the soil, which is ok as they get rid of the weeds, but they decided to pluck the little bulbs up and toss them out the way. I have had words with the ladies…..

February farmers markets and St Davids day at Llangynidr market. – We enjoyed a good day at Crickhowell craft and food fair which was laid on as part of the Crickhowell walking festival. It was mainly attended by locals out on their Saturday morning shop, but having said that the dog treats went down extremely well. Whilst I went to Crickhowell T-W-O went along to Llandovery farmers market and attending his first committee meeting afterwards. Such a hardship spending an hour in the pub! We topped up our pasty production on the Saturday evening and managed to finish at a reasonable time (for us).

St Davids day, 1st April is celebrated here in the principality with the wearing of daffodil broaches and the national costume gets it’s annual outing.

The Llanganydir market on St Davids day swarmed with shoppers and tourists enjoying a nice Spring day out and gave us one of our best days takings ever. The hall was filled with stalls selling all manor of crafts and food delights. We were sandwiched between our chicken and bacon neighbours from Brecon with Susanne Chapman the  Chef doing cooking demonstrations on the other side.

 

February 23, 2009

Starting a seed planting calender

Posted by glanbrydan under gardening, Uncategorized, vegetable garden | Tags: , |
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img_0005I always intend to make a seed planting calender so I can better remember whatever I managed to grow or what conditions have affected the growing season. Last year I could have written ‘washed out disaster’ for most of it . I did make a tentative start in my on-line calender but life took over then I forgot to write up germination times, then progress and then I just forgot. I want to add it to the blog this year to encourage me to keep going.

So to kick off this weekends planting is as follows.

Planted Saturday 21st Feb

Living in the green house are;

40 x broadbeans ’ Witkiem Manita’  in cell trays . From Johnsons seeds

40 x peas ‘ Early Meteor’ in cell trays. From Unwins

Living on the bedroom windowsill are;

I packet of aubergine ‘Moneymaker’ , seeds in a seed tray. From Unwins

peppers ‘ Tequila Capsicum annuum’3 x 3 inch pots with 3 seeds to a pot. From www.reallycoolseeds.co.uk

peppers ‘Sweet California Wonder3 x 3 inch pots with 3 seeds to a pot. Mr Fothergills

chili peppers ‘ NuMex Joe E. Parker Capsicum annuum’ 6 x 3 inch pots with 3 seeds to a pot. From www.reallycoolseeds.co.uk

I have relied on Aubergine cast off plants in years gone by from friends or family so I am a  first timer from seed. I’ve never purchased from really cool seeds before either so I’m interested to see how the peppers progress, they were at the Abergaveny food festival last year boasting a stall full of great plants groaning with chili peppers and packets of seeds.

Normally I try to fine mist spray the compost once the seeds have gone in. This year I thoroughly soaked the soil, popped the seeds, beans, peas on top and then gave them a dry covering. I’m hopefull this will boost their chances of germinating. The spray will be fished out from the back of the under sink cupboard soon.

 

February 20, 2009

Spring into action

Posted by glanbrydan under gardening, vegetable garden
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Can you spot the bird enjoying some early pollen yesterday in the garden

Can you spot the bird enjoying some early pollen yesterday in the garden

Some weeks ago I was to test plant some early peas, beans and aubergines but having the old wrist in a cast curtailed that sort of behaviour. Now the cast is off and the hand is back in action I will make a start this weekend. The chili pepper seeds are now late in being planted but I think after the cold snap this may have been fortuitous.

My plan of intent is to start with a tray a week of broad beans and peas. Put the aubergine seeds into 3 inch pots, a few per pot to try the thinning out method, again a pot a week whilst I modular plant the parsnips and carrots so I don’t disturb the roots when transplanting. I have a couple of old wooden fruit boxes I intend to fill with compost and then start a few rocket seeds in  – lets see what I end up with on Sunday.

For the first time I am going to use the compost that is ready as my potting compost. I may also buy a bag of compost as insurance and plant 50/50. Last year I mixed my compost together with the shop bought version to bulk it all out but I am so pleased with last years compost I am going to risk using it on it’s own.

I have decided not to use toilet roll holders after comments last year that they may contain some anti fungicide that prohibits root growth – all too much risk when you pour your heart into the crop. I will however continue with old tyre cases as a means of lifting the roots off our heavy clay despite warnings that these too may have something nasty in them.

One of the other pressing jobs is to site my new veg beds. I hope at least to start to clear the soil and mark out where I want the sleepers to be laid and the paths to be made.

 

November 9, 2008

Butter nut squash and cheddar pasties and a bit more about Brecon market

Posted by glanbrydan under Glanbrydan business, places to visit in Wales, Recipe, vegetable garden | Tags: , , |
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A Jerusalem artichoke flower

A Jerusalem artichoke flower

I took the photo above in our garden a few weeks ago just as the evening was closing in. After writing the blog below all hell has broken loose here with heavy rain, thunder and lightning and a big storm. The dogs house has flooded as has the perimeter drainage channel of the house and we have been out in the dark trying to clear the drains. No damage done (so far, fingers crossed, touch wood) just all very soggy! The water is cascading down both hills towards us but happily is going where it is supposed to go although we are continually having to clear the fallen leaves that block just about everything.

At the farmers market we met some of the other stall holders, quite a fascinating lot along with their fascinating produce.  Opposite us was a very nice Belgium chocolate stall man and all his produce. I was tempted to take my glasses off so I couldn’t see the shiny chocolates all crying out ‘eat me, eat me!’ He came over for a pasty late morning but we couldn’t chat as he had to run back to his customers.

 

Next to us a Dutch couple were selling cheeses their family produces. We indulged in a bit of old fashioned barter, cheese for a hot lamb and vegetable pasty. I now have a lovely piece of cheddar with seaweed in the fridge waiting for some nice crackers. They chatted away to each other in Dutch and also to their toddler son who didn’t seem that impressed to be there.

There was also a vegetable seller and a butcher who frequents the Llandovery market so we have friendly faces to say hello to. I make sure I buy something from the vegetable man at every market as he mainly sells what he grows. He’s a lovely man who has a kind but somehow happy smile. He is convincing us to attend the Lampeter markets next year.

I said hello to the meat lady that I was next to at the last Brecon market, Sue. She has rare breed pigs and makes a few pies and things from her meat. We are tempted to buy a couple of rare breed weeners from her and try our hand at bringing on our own meat.

Up the hall a ways is a chilli stall which sells all things chilli from jelly to the plants. They run a confirmed vegetarian kitchen. We chatted a little when he came and purchased a veggie pasty. Next to the chilli man is an apple juice stall making juices from the fruits of their orchard, also vegetarians who enjoyed a pasty from us.

Lucky for us our pasties make a handy lunch for the stall holders so we get to see many of them even if it’s briefly.  

For the pasties

Please note that the squash will need to be cooked and cooled off a bit before putting the pasties together and cooking so you can do this the day the day before and keep it in the fridge until needed.

This mix makes about 6 full pasties. You may get a spoon of the filling left over.

Oven to 180 degrees C, Gas mark 4.

2 onions, peeled and diced.

A clove of garlic, crushed and peeled.

A Butter nut squash. Peeled, seeds scraped out and the flesh cut into small chunks.  Or after removing the seeds, cut in the food processor using the knife blade but you have to be very careful and watch them like a hawk. As they can go from big chunks to mush in seconds. My squash left me with about 550 grams of flesh.

3 teaspoons tomato puree

2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder (I use Swiss bouillon, expensive but I believe it’s the best)

250ml of water

Twists of pepper and a bit of extra salt to taste

100 g cheddar, grated

A biggish potato, peeled

A small packet of Pumpkin seeds

You will need to make 2x batch of pastry http://glanbrydan.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/

Beaten egg

Gently fry off the onion and garlic for 5 to 10 minutes until it begins to soften.

Add the prepared squash flesh, stir and gently fry for a few minutes more.

Pour in the water, add the stock powder and the tomato puree, stir and bring to the boil.

Simmer on a medium heat for about 10 minutes. You want the squash to be soft on the outside but not all the way through and the water should have reduced by about a third or more.  Taste it and add the pepper and more salt if needed.

Take off the heat and leave to cool.

Stir in the grated cheddar to the squash mix.

Making a pasty

Flour a board, a rolling pin and your hands. Take a lump of the pastry, about 240 grams (give or take 20 grams) and roll into a ball shape with your hands.

Pat the lump to flatten it out, put it on the floured board and start to roll,  turning a quarter circle after each forward and backward roll. This should help it stay round.

Keep an 8 inch plate next to you and check the pastry for size with the plate. When the pastry is just a bit bigger than the plate use the plate as a template and cut round it.

Cut out all the pasties and if you have room lay them all out on a clean surface. Egg wash the pasties and then use the blade side of a grater cut the potato into slivers.

Divide the potato between the pasty centres. You should have 4-6 slices for each pasty. Sprinkle a tiny bit of salt over the potatoes.

Divide the squash mixture between the pasties, spooning over the potatoes. Keep it all well away from the edges.

Now bring the sides of the pasty together crimping the edges between your fingers. If your not happy doing this fold the pasties in half and crimp the edges with a fork.

Egg wash the pasty surfaces you can see thoroughly and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper or greased well with oil and cook in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes.

 

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