Green Tomato Chutney

I have been trying to make a chutney or jam this year from the veg/fruit at our allotment. This week I tried my very first batch of Delia's Green Tomato Chutney and boy do we have a lot of green tomatoes. With the help of advice and pickling spice from Freya's Ma Kate (thanks Kate!) I set about spending three hours or so chopping up onions, apples and tomatoes and stewing them in vinegar and other things til you get the most amazing brown goo in jars to store til Christmas and then eat.

I enjoyed it so much I have bought more jars to make some more -well we have so many tomatoes.....

The leeks are trying hard and the pumpkins are the most gorgeous deep orange. We are in the middle of an Indian Summer right now, perfect for ripening veg and fruit to eat before the clocks change and dark nights creep in for what seems like eternity.

Sausages and rain

We decided to have hot dogs up the allotment thinking we could sneak in a bit of gardening whilst the boys were busy. Unfortunately as soon as the sausages were ready down came the rain and that was the end of our trip! We had lots of fun cooking the sausages and the boys ate them in the shed whilst the rain came.

We had a chance to check the pumpkins which are turning orange beautifully and still there crucially.....Louis is very excited about this. It looks like the Gourds are finished but they have given us lots to eat over the Summer and the corn is almost ready to eat now. Our leeks are getting bigger and the cabbages are hanging in there, despite when you water them little cabbage flies are around all over the place.

Things are moving into a new phase getting ready for Winter and planting new veg to see us through. I can't believe our first cycle is almost complete, it's been fun and tiring and relaxing all at once. It is such a great secluded spot especially now we have our table up there, I find it very theraputic and I love it!

Grandma and more planting

Grandma came with us on Sunday as we planted out some new Winter Veg , carrots and red onions. Whilst Louis helped Grandma do that and Sammy pottered about talking about worms and weeds, Neil and I weeded and covered a big plot with black material to keep the bed warm and weed free this Winter. Let's hope that does the trick and we can plant potatoes there instead of have oodles of weeds taking over the place.

We tidied up a bit trying to keep the Sweetcorn up which keeps falling over and making sure the pumpkins were alright. What will I do if those Pumpkins don't make it?! The boys had a game of footer before we left ready to go home and have some lunch.
Super Gran raced us home (car versus the power of her legs). Louis and Sam envisage Super Gran flying through the sky and landing on her head in our garden before we can drive round to the house. More often than not she does beat us. Super Gran has now gone home and we miss her!

Neil went off to play cricket and later on I made a lasagne with our fresh Gourds and some Chard from Mark next plot up. Yum!

(We also took Super Gran to Blashford lakes and did a spot of bird watching - see pic above!)

School

Both boys went off to school this morning so what's a girl to do? Well, go up the allotment that's what. Poor little Sammy cried before bed and during the night and this morning all because of Pre School but the little monkey is fine once I have walked out the door (so the teachers assure me). So to keep busy is the best way forward and it is so lovely being up the allotment without negotiating two boys.

I put straw around the pumpkins in the hope they will survive being eaten. I put bigger cloches on the already nibbled Brussels, SAVE THE BRUSSELS! I found more Gourds, Yes more Gourds as I trimmed away at the dead leaves.

Mark at the neighbouring plot gave me some fantastic coloured Swiss Chard and three wonderful apples that had just been picked. Of course I could only barter with a Gourd but he accepted! I am making a veg lasagne so will add in some chard for good measure.

I trimmed around the table and benches so we could find our feet again and that was time up, gone in the blink of an eye. I did spy a toad but there were no little people to show. It's funny how you miss them when they're gone isn't it?

Super Gran and rain

Grandma has been here, tending to weeds and small children so the allotment is looking good. I took the boys up today and we had Gourds, more Gourds. Had to give some away to a passerby. They seemed very pleased! One of our five pumpkins has been eaten and is now a ball of mush on the ground. We now have 4 trying to make it through to Halloween. Project Pumpkin will begin on Saturday, laying down straw and cutting back leaves to ripen the fruit to an orange colour. If I don't save one of those pumpkins from near death then I will have two very sad little boys!

We have had rain and so the ground is muddy and the slugs are out. Our tender Brussels need a bit of help and so I will take some cloches up to stop them from the slug death too. Blinking Slugs!!!

The Sweetcorn took a bashing in the wind and it was all down but we propped it up as best we could.

All in all it is doing very well for the abrupt end to summer. Today was windy with rain so I am very impressed that any veg remains.

Onwards and upwards.