Tomato harvest

This is the first year growing in our new greenhouses and we've had a good summer with cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers and chillies. But the tomatoes are now almost finished. Last weekend we cleared out most of them, leaving just one growbag with three 'Gardeners' Delight' plants still ripening. The thing about tomatoes is that once they get going and start to ripen you often have loads ready all at once.

One of my favourite things to make with them is tomato soup.  I make a pot full and freeze it. On cold days later in the year it's a reminder of those summer days I spent picking tomatoes.

Last year when we didn't have a greenhouse on Plot 8, the tomatoes were grown in the greenhouse on  Plot10b which was Helen's old plot.  They were very slow to ripen and looking back in my allotment journal we were still picking them well into October. I finally made green tomato chutney with them, which was delicious and friends and family have been looking forward to this year's batch. They are going to be disappointed, no green tomato chutney this year.  Instead I used the same recipe but with the red tomatoes.  I hope it is as good, it took hours to cook and the kitchen smelled of vinegar for days after.

Here's the recipe:

Tomato chutney

2kg  red or green tomatoes

500g apples

500g onions

250g raisins

25g salt (I didn't use so much)

500g sugar

600ml vinegar

Spices of your choice eg. ginger, pepper, chillies 

(I used some grated root ginger and some chopped chillies)

Finely chop the tomatoes, apples and onions and place all the ingredients in a large pan. Heat gently, stir and simmer until a pulpy consistency is achieved. It took about 3 hours to reach this pulpy stage so allow plenty of time for cooking.

Jar up and seal.

 

The last of the parsnips

 
I dug up the last of the parsnips from the allotment last week and had just enough to make some parsnip soup.

A few years ago, out walking near Settle we stopped for a soup and sandwich lunch at a pub.I didn't realise until after the order had been placed that the soup was curried parsnip. This did not appeal to me at all as I am not a fan of curry, but by then it was too late to cancel the order. I was very pleased to find that the soup was really delicious.

I have since found a recipe for curried parsnip soup and it has become a favourite in our house. With just a hint of spice it is a very warming winter soup.

Curried Parsnip Soup

40g  butter
1 medium onion skinned and sliced
700 g parsnips, peeled and finely diced
2 or 3 small potatoes (optional)
5ml curry powder
2.5ml ground cumin
1.4 litres chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 fl oz fresh single cream (optional)

paprika to garnish

1. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the onions, parsnips and potatoes, stir round to coat in the buttery juices and cook very gently with the lid on for about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in the curry powder and cumin and cook for a further 2 minutes.
3. Add the stock, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for about 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
4. Cool slightly then whizz in a blender until smooth
5. Return to the pan. Adjust seasoning, add more stock if it is too thick. Add cream if using, reheat very gently. Serve sprinkled with paprika.

NB. The potatoes help to thicken the soup, but if you like a thinner soup you can leave them out

Soup and silence

Food is becoming quite important to us at the allotment. Yes I know it's important because we grow it, but I mean the food we take to keep us going for a long day of digging and hard slog.  I've written about food before so I may be in danger of repeating myself, but the right food can make the day so much better.

Cake is essential. Nothing sticky or messy--a wholesome fruit cake or banana loaf is ideal. The sort of thing you can munch on whilst wandering around looking how your seedlings are doing or counting the caterpillars on the brassicas or admiring the sweet peas.

Last week we had lunch down there. I took soup--home made leek and potato--made with our allotment leeks. It was perfect for a chilly day. We sat just outside our home made shed in the winter sunshine, enjoying the soup, watching the long tailed tits on the fence and listening to the silence. It was all very good, so good I just had to tell you about it.

Gluts

This year has been fantastic for growing vegetables, everything has done so well on our two allotments.  But some things we've had just a bit too much of.  First it was the lettuce—lollo rosso and little gem. We’d planted too many thinking some would get eaten by slugs or just not survive.  But they grew and grew, we ate what we wanted, gave some away and when they went to seed we threw them on the compost heap. At least they will rot down to make something good.

Then there was the rhubarb.  We’d moved it from our old plot last autumn and it had been a fairly new plant then, so we hadn’t expected great things from it. People told us not to pull much from it the first couple of years, but there was so much, so we just took what we wanted. They also say don’t pick any after July, but it was still growing like mad during August.  So I picked even more.  I froze most of it.  It freezes well, just wash it, trim the stems, cut into short pieces and bag up. We’ve had one or two rhubarb and ginger crumbles and in the next few weeks I shall be making rhubarb and gingervodka in time for Christmas.  It’s really easy to make and is delicious, it doesn’t last long in our house.

The beetroot has gone mad too. It’s lovely in salads cooked or raw. Helen has made some beetroot chutney and we have also pickled some of it. I haven’t yet tried roasted beetroot which I’m told is really good.

The biggest glut of all on our allotments this year is runner and French beans.  Much as I love this type of bean, I may get fed up with them soon and we’re running out of freezer space.  I have given plenty away to neighbours. The runner bean variety is Czar and the seed packet says any beans not picked can be left on the plant to dry and use as butter beans.  That seems a good idea, we like butter beans in soups and casseroles. French beans can also be used in soups if they get a bit too old to pick for boiling. I made a broad bean and runner bean risotto which was really good

I have also been making soups  full of allotment vegetables, turnips, carrot, kale, cabbage, broad beans, French beans and leeks.  It’s getting to that time of year when a big hearty soup is very comforting.

What gluts have you had on your plot this year?

Soup

I seem to be spending a lot of time making soup at the moment. Cold weather is soup weather. It's warming, comforting and healthy. I like to have a few packs of it in the freezer for an easy lunch or  dinner with crusty bread or dumplings. Some time ago my daughter and I had lunch out and I had a lovely celery and mushroom soup. I thought I would make some myself. I've made celery soup before but not with mushrooms. So I looked up some recipes and adapted them to suit what ingredients I had in at the time. This is good and easy to make.  I'm sure I'll be making it again.

Celery and mushroom soup

1 head of celery cleaned and chopped
250g  white mushrooms, chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 clove of garlic crushed
a knob of butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock

Melt the butter in a large pan, add the onions and garlic and fry gently for about 5 mins.
Add the celery, stir round. Put the lid on the pan, lower the heat and allow the onion and celery to sweat gently for about 5 mins.
Add the mushrooms, season and cook until all the mushroom juices disappear.
Add about half a litre of the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for about 30mins until the celery is cooked.
Turn the heat out and allow  to cool slightly, then put the soup into a blender or liquidiser.
Return the soup to the pan adding more stock if it is too thick.
Reheat and add the parsley before serving.

NB
I found I needed a litre of stock.
You can also add chopped fennel with the onions, but I didn't have any.
Fresh thyme could be used instead of parsley.
You could add cream  before serving too if you like.