Curry Night and all about Leeks

Nights are getting colder and darker. This is the time where you want hearty and warming dishes. Butternut Squash are dead cheap at the moment so I decided it was time for a lovely curry night last night. Came home and dug up some leeks (yes I was wearing my wellies :-). Peeled and chopped (not too small pieces) the Butternut Squash I bought during the day, tossed it in olive oil and roasted it in the oven for about 10 mins (you want it slightly done but still have some bite). Cleaned and sliced the leeks quite thickly and pan-fried it in a bit of butter and olive oil (use ghee if you happen to have it in your larder). Chopped some green chillies - depending how hot you want it - and added it to the leeks after about 5 mins. Cook it for a minute or so before adding some roasted cashew nuts, plain yogurt (make sure not to use set yogurt as it will split) and cream. Adding the roasted Butternut Squash, I put a lid on the pot and put the pot in the oven for about 30 mins. The sauce will thicken a bit. I served this curry with spiced rice and naan bread. This curry is loosely based on a recipe I saw in Denis Cotter's Season Cookbook.

The curry needs some 'green' so add some fresh coriander if you have it to hand - parsley will do as well. And if you want to push the boat out, serve some side dishes with it like a tomato salad etc.

The curry was tasty but needed some salt to bring it up - I didn't add the coriander as it is one of my pet hates. We had a Rioja with it but I think a Gewurztraminer would have been a better choice.

All about leeks

Late Summer and early Autumn - a time of abundance. I just have worked up my beetroot (chutneys, pickled and the most amazing beetroot risotto) - now I am facing hundreds of leeks standing tall. Good thing so that I love leeks. Last year I made already a few different dishes with it - but mostly I love slicing them and sauteing it in butter with a bit of garlic and toss it through steaming pasta. But of course there are so many different options.

Pies are a great way of using up vegetables and it is a great lunch-treat. I panfried the leeks in olive oil and butter with some garlic. I added mixed herbs towards the end of the cooking.In a separate pan, I fried chopped mushrooms until they were coloured and added them to the leeks. Blindbaked short-crust pastry and filled the case with the leeks mixture and topped it with young goats' cheese. No egg and no cream - the leeks were moist enough and the cheese was melting nicely into the leeks. The result was a lovely tart and it didn't make it to lunch the next day as Terence demolished it the same night.

Another lovely idea of course is risotto. I have tried all kind of mixtures for risotto and have to admit that leeks (next to beetroot) is one of my favourite. I cook the risotto as normal and only add the panfried leeks towards the end as I want it to keep the fresh green colour. Lemon zest towards the end brings the risotto to new heights. May I say - yummy is not the correct word to describe this very simple but very satisfying dish.

What this space for more recipes coming up. And let me know if you have some more ideas on what to do with leeks - always looking for new ideas :-)

Beetroot - and the story goes on

Last night was soup night and since I am still covered in beetroot, yes you guessed it, beetroot soup was on the menu. It is easy to make - just like any other soup - but the colour again was amazing. The taste was quite sweet and I thought it needed a lot more seasoning but Terence was quite happy with the pure beetroot taste of the soup.

I boiled a big beetroot (and I mean big) until tender. Chopped it into cubes. Sauteed onions, garlic and celery until translucent and added a cubed potato and the beetroot along with vegetable stock. Brought it to a boil and simmered until the potato almost broke down. Pureed it in a food processor and returned it to a clean pot. Added salt and herbs and served with a dollop of cream. Denis Cotter served his soup with cabbage and vodka (don't like cabbage apart from red and used all my vodka for my blackcurrants). The result was a sweet and earthy soup that was perfect for the windy and wet evening we had last night - sat in front of fire and slurped happily.

We still have some beetroot left, so will have to find some more ideas and recipes. Any ideas?? Let me know.

Lemon Balm Pesto

A few days ago I posted about my herb garden and the lemon balm that started taking over the whole space. I search a bit around for ideas on what to do with it and came across this easy recipe for lemon balm pesto. I thought it sounded just too good and with my love for pasta the perfect solution. So yesterday, as Wendy came over for dinner (she is one of my favourite Guinea pigs) I made the pesto and mixed it with ricotta cheese, more garlic, onions and some seasoning. The recipe called for 3 cups of the pesto but since it was just Wendy and myself I thought I get away with just one cup. So I picked the leaves of the stalks (which took longer than to actually cook the dish), whizzed it in my super food processor together with olive oil and garlic. I tasted it and it was awful. Simply awful as if I took a spoon full of grass. So more garlic and whizzed it more finely. Drained the ricotta and started mixing the pesto in - a spoon at a time (there was no way I was using the whole lot of it). I added very finely chopped onions (the recipe called for minced onions but I wanted some texture in it), more garlic and my herbal salt. After a few spoons full the ricotta started to taste quite nicely, so I added some grated Parmesan and et voila we had a mixture that I could use. Cooked pasta shells (there is a lovely little Italian shop in Ballincollig called Pane E Vino ) and filled them with the cheese mixture. Arranged them in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top. Bake it until the Parmesan crisped up a bit. It was lovely, light and fresh - next time I will add a tomato sauce to it and bake it with the sauce. I am not sure if the pesto on its on would be nice (like tossing it with spaghetti or covering fish with it) but in the ricotta mixture, it was lovely. And thanks to Wendy for being so brave and always trying my experiments

Beetroot and more beetroot

I love this time of year - where you can reap the fruit of your hard labour in the garden. Only problem is that it all comes at once and you are left trying to figure out what to do with it all. Of course, you can freeze some of it but there are some vegetables that don't freeze that well (at least I don't like them when thawed again). Beetroot is one of them. I already made jars and jars of Beetroot Chutney. This is a yummy relish that goes so well with most types of cheese and it looks so pretty with its dark reddish colour. Prepare a cheeseboard and have the chutney in little dishes in the middle of it. It is easy to make, just chop raw beetroot and put it with a chopped red onion in a preserving pan (I also added chopped apples), add vinegar, sugar, salt and let it bubble away until it becomes syrupy and the beets are cooked and tender. Fill sterilised jars and let mature for about a month before you eat it. Stores for up to a year. Keep in fridge when opened. Another option is of course, pickled beetroot which is so much nice than the shop-brought stuff.

As all of my friends know, my favourite restaurant is Cafe Paradiso and I think Denis Cotter is one of the most talented self-taught chefs I have ever come across. Last year I went with a friend of mine and I ordered the beetroot risotto - amazing is a too small word to describe it. Anyhow - I remembered the risotto when I looked at the 'mountain' of beets I had and decided to give it a try. I cooked 2 medium beetroots until tender, peeled and chopped it into cubes. Tossed the cubes in olive oil and roasted it for about 15 mins. Took half the cubes out and pureed it in the food processor. The rest went back in the oven for a further 10-15 mins. The pureed beets went into hot stock and stirred together (keep it warm). Chop an onion, heat olive oil in a pot and fry until soft but not coloured. Add the risotto rice and toss until all grains are covered in the oil. Stir for a few minutes and add some red wine. Stir until the wine has vanished. Now continue as with 'normal' risotto using the beet-stock (that gives the risotto the amazing dark-pink colour). When the rice is cooked, add the left cubes of beetroot and mix it up. I topped it with young goats cheese. Denis Cotter had a recipe with broadbeans and lemon-fennel-oil. Next time I try the beetroot risotto I will make some lemon oil beforehand and will drizzle it over the risotto - think the lemon will lift the dish to a different level - but I have to say, it looked amazing, tasted fantastic and I was proud as Larry of it....

Tonight I will try a beetroot soup - watch this space

Herbal Connection

My herbal garden is taking over at the moment and I was in urgent need to either cut it back and feed the compost or come up with some ideas on how to use a glut of herbs. Lemon balm and lemon verbena were the most dominant herbs and needed to be dealt with first.

Lemon balm is a lovely herb but - I think - limited to a few uses; tea comes to mind. But there is only so much tea you can drink. I tried to dry it but it loses a lot of its fragrance. As I was cooking dinner the other day, I thought of a dessert that includes lemon balm. The most quickest was lemon balm sorbet (Darina Allen has a lovely recipe). I left the raw egg white out as I didn't like the idea of it. Made a sugar syrup and infused it with the leaves of the lemon balm. Juice of 3 lemons went in as well and then off to the ice cream machine (no worry if you don't have one, you just needs to freeze it and take it out every hour or so and fork the sorbet up). The result was a very refreshing and soothing sorbet. Not bad at all. While searching for some ideas, I came across a recipe for lemon balm pesto which I will try next. So watch this space.

Lemon Verbena is one of my favourite herbs as the fragrance of it is so soothing, fresh, calming and is simply the essence of Summer. While my first verbena bush died a frosty death last year, this one is strong and growing as much as the lemon balm. You can eat the leaves uncooked as the taste is very bitter but infuse it in cream and you have the most aromatic smell going through your kitchen. It was my neighbours anniversary at the weekend and I wanted to give them some homemade chocolates. I had already finished a batch of cinnamon truffles but wanted to use the lemon verbena. So, brought some cream to the boil and added a handful of lemon verbena leaves. Left it to infuse for 15-20 mins, returned the cream to a boil and strained the cream into a bowl with white chocolate. Stirred until everything was combined and poured the cooled mixture in my prepared chocolate moulds. The result was a creamy fragrant truffle that - at least I thought so - was the essence of elegance. For more ideas and recipes - click here

My next herbal project is a variety of herbal oils and of course the lemon balm pesto.

100 ways with Courgettes

In case you are growing courgettes in your garden, you might be overwhelmed with the glut of fruit one plant can produce. I am currently very overwhelmed as the courgettes grow faster than I can eat them and obviously, I don't want to give them all away. As I don't like freezing courgettes (my dad used to do that- I find they get all gluey afterwards). Anyhow, what else to do with them..... here are some ideas.

Chutney: I have come across a really nice recipe for spiced courgette chutney the other day and had to try it. Onions, courgettes, apples, cider vinegar and a spice bag of ginger, gloves gave the kitchen a wonderful smell. Cook for 2 hours or until darkened and thick and pour in sterilised jars. Leave for at least 3-4 weeks before eating it so that the aromas can develop nicely.

But since there is only so much chutney you can make and eat, I made stuffed courgettes last night. Cook mince with onions, carrots, mushroom, tomatoes (I also added some peas), add some tomato passata (seasoning and herbs to your liking), cook until done and the liquid of the meat has evaporated. Cut the courgette lengthwise and scoop out the seedy part (bigger courgettes are better suitable). Chop the scooped flesh and pan-fry until the liquid has evaporated. Add to the meat mixture and stuff the courgette halves. Place courgettes in an ovenproof dish and add some water (or stock - I always mix a bit of water with tomato passata). Cover with tin-foil and place in medium-hot oven for 30-40 mins (depends on the size of the courgettes). In the last 5 mins, take off the tin-foil and sprinkle some grated cheese over the courgettes and return to the oven until the cheese has melted. Et Voila - stuffed courgettes.

I love going to Avoca in Dublin. The display of food in their cellar cafe is amazing and always inspires me to try new things and to forget about pretty and neat. Rustic is the way to go for homely food. I tried that last night with a courgette tart. Blind-bake shortcrust pastry. Chop courgettes, onions, red pepper, garlic and pan-fry in olive oil. Layer in the baked pastry shell. Mix cream with a bit of pesto and whisk in an egg. Season to you liking and pour over the vegetables. Crumble goats cheese on top and bake until egg mixture is set. Looks lovely and rusty and is comfort-food at its best.

Another wonderful idea is courgette soup. Smaller courgettes go better here as the flavour is so much more intense yet delicate. Sweat some chopped onions in a pot, and the chopped courgette and stir around for a few mins. Add vegetable stock and cook until tender. Blend in a food processor until smooth (or chunky if you like that). Return to a clean pot and reheat. You can add crumbled goats cheese when serving. I like to add orange zest and juice before processing. Orange and courgette go so well together.

For more ideas for courgette recipes - click here

P.S. Courgettes, tomatoes, peas and onions all came from my kitchen garden

The Kitchen Garden

The weather had been very bad in the last few days with the rain just pouring down. The only ones who really love this type of weather are the weeds and the slugs...so having the first dry afternoon in ages yesterday, I went to work trying to win the battle....let's say it this way, the war is still going on with no winner at the moment.

The slugs haven't managed to eat all the beans but they have been busy. I don't like slugs pellets but they are needed in this instance. These little buggers even like potatoes. Anyhow, I am determent to win the war against the invaders ...watch this space.

The potatoes - despise the slugs - are coming on nicely and I am so looking forward to the first new spuds in my kitchen. Courgettes and pumpkins looking good so far as well, red & white cabbage are steadily growing, onions are standing proud and the leeks are getting stronger as well.

When my mum moved in with me in 2004/05, she planted strawberries and she used to wait for me in Summer when I came from work with a bowl of freshly picked strawberries and it was just us two chatting about the day we had....my mum passed away in 2008 and I hadn't had any strawberries from the garden since and I thought the plants died in the hard winter we had but to my big surprise and delight, they have survived, so I worked a whole day to free them from all weeds and grass and they look beautiful again...just have to keep the birds away. Sunny afternoons are awaiting me again and my mum would be proud seeing her strawberries in their pride and glory.

First Asparagus

My asparagus showed up the other day in the garden and I couldn't wait to get them into the kitchen. I know I am a bit boring but the tender green stems invite themselves into a risotto and since I love risotto - guess what I made.....yeap: Risotto...I had peas in the freezer and goats' cheese in the fridge and let me tell you - it was a yummy meal.....

Yaya, I know, I could have done so many other dishes but look at them.....don't they look gorgeous in the risotto........

Dandelion Preserves

The other night I was watching the River Cottage and that gave me an idea to make use of the vast amount of dandelions I have in my garden (yes, I know it is a weed and should be removed but the lawnmower broke down and I didn't have a chance to cut the grass - I swear). I collected the flowers (do it when the sun is out as they close the heads when the sun is gone) - leaving the blemished ones behind for the lawnmower. Soaked them in cold water for 24 hours.

The next day I rinsed them and put them in a pot with a few slices of lemons, poured boiling water over and kept it on the boil for about 15 mins. The water turned a lovely golden yellow colour. I drained the flowers, reserving the water. Poured the water back into the pan and added jam sugar, kept it boiling until the water turned a deep amber golden colour - made the setting test and poured it in sterilised jars. The colour is really amazing and the taste is sweet but summery..... I will never look at dandelions the same way..... Find more dandelion recipes here

Some things you might not have known about dandelions:

1. It is the official flower of the University of Rochester
2. Dandelions have a high level of potassium
3. Its taproot will add nitrogen to soil (important for gardeners)
4. The roasted, ground roots can be used as a caffeine-free dandelion coffee.
5. Dandelion leaves contain abundant amounts of vitamins especially Vitamins A, C and K

My Kitchen Garden

The weather was quite gracious for a few days and Terence and myself were very busy continuing our kitchen garden. We are now the proud parents of 9 raised beds in which we have onions (red and white), beetroot, cabbages (red and white), peas, broccoli, carrots and lots more.....

Yellow courgettes are coming on nicely in their pots and also my little pumpkins are looking lovely. In a few days I am hoping to plant them out soon. In the greenhouse, we are trying to grow cucumbers, chillies and tomatoes (which are looking good at the moment). Leeks are taking longer than I thought but they are showing also promise... but the star of the garden at the moment is of course my herb garden - which includes at the moment rosemary, sage (green and purple), tarragon, mint and thyme..... I am still looking for lemon verbena (I lost my old one due to the bad weather over Christmas) and will extend the assortment over the next few weeks.....

By now we also have 5 rows of potatoes in.... planned are now to bring out beans and I am hoping to get broad beans this year.....

All in all it is looking good and I am eager for the weather to get warmer so that we can continue our kitchen garden adventure. Watch this space...

My Kitchen Garden

My dad is an amazing gardener and as green-fingered as one person could and up to last year, I was very lucky to have him showing me the ropes of a good kitchen garden. He left Ireland in 2010 and my great kitchen garden laid bare until now. I was so used to my dad doing all the work and me just helping out at weekends but coming with my little basket and pick my vegetables straight from the ground - I missed that so much last year that I decided that I will give it a go. And lucky me - a wonderful man is helping me with it. Since I am quite lazy at heart, I asked Terence to build some raised bed and we started with 4 (more to come of course). So far we have set our potatoes (not in a raised bed tho - but 4 rows already), beetroot (have to give you a great recipe for beetroot chutney - yum), onions (white and red), peas, cauliflower, salad and cabbage. My courgettes are coming on nicely in the greenhouse as well as the pumpkins. We have different types of tomatoes as well as leeks..... more to come as the months progress. I am so excited about getting my kitchen garden back - watch this space for updates.

If you want to start your own kitchen garden - make sure you tune in Monday's at 8:30 on RTE1 where Kitty Scully is transforming a plot at Fota House into a kitchen garden. You can follow her blog here . Her garden will be completely focused on food - her partner in crime on the other hand will create a family garden with only a small bit of fruit and veg. Kitty is working with several experts who help her choosing the right varieties. Yesterday, she worked with Jim McNamara from Co Limerick V.E.C.s Organic College in Dromcollogher and planted some interesting types of potatoes in a lazy bed (didn't look that lazy to me). Kitty also explained the importance of crop rotating - therefore it's a good idea to have a layout plan of your garden so that you know what you planted where for next year's planning. You can watch some the videos on their website.

GIY Week

Interested in Growing your own Food this year?

Interested in growing your own food this year? GIY Week (March 12^th to 19^th) is the moment you have been waiting for! GIY is a not-for-profit organisation which started in Ireland, that aims to make home-grown food the norm – during GIY Week the organisation is trying to encourage people that have never grown anything at all to sow a seed for the first time. Whether you would like to be self-sufficient or just want to grow some herbs and salads on a windowsill, GIY wants you get growing!

GIY Week 2011 is timed to coincide with the start of the 2011 growing season - GIY groups around Ireland will be hosting events, demos and meitheals to provide would-be GIYers with the skills that they need to grow their own successfully. On Facebook, GIY plans to get over 100,000 people to take a pledge to grow something they can eat (www.facebook.com/giyireland).

To mark GIY Week, GIY patrons such as Clodagh McKenna, Ella McSweeney, Klaus Laitenberger and Joy Larkcom are all hosting events. There will be expert web-chats each evening on the GIY website; a "meitheal Mor" in Seven Oaks Community Garden in Dublin; yoga for GIYers in Darthmouth Sq in Dublin; new GIY group launches in Offaly, Drumcondra, Leitrim and Donegal (including the first off-shore GIY group at Árainn Mhór). GIY will also be at the Inish Food Event in Donegal (organised by the Irish Food Bloggers and Harry's Restaurant supremo Donal Doherty) and the Potato Day in The Organic Centre, Rossinver, Leitrim. There will also be visits to some of Ireland’s most inspiring vegetable gardens, including Mount Congrieve in Waterford and the OPW’s Victorian Walled Garden in the Phoenix Park. Local GIY groups will also be working with schools around Ireland to support them as part of the Incredible Edibles programme.

About GIY

GIY is a registered charity (CHY 18920) that inspires people to grow their own and gives them the skills they need to grow successfully. They do this by bringing GIYers together in the community and online so that they can learn from each other. There are now nearly 100 GIY groups around Ireland and approximately 7,000 people involved between the groups and our online network.

GIY group activities include monthly meetings, talks and demos; garden visits, seed and seedling swaps; produce bartering, mentor panels and grower’s meitheals. Meetings and membership are free of charge, and open to all – beginners and experts, young and old.

GIY Ireland was founded by author and journalist Michael Kelly. Patrons of the organisation include Diarmuid Gavin, Darina Allen, Duncan Stewart, Ella McSweeney, Klaus Laitenberger, Clodagh McKenna and Joy Larkcom and the organisation is proudly supported by The Arthur Guinness Fund, Woodies DIY and Garden Centres, Ashoka and AIB. For more information visit www.giyireland.com. To take the GIY Pledge, visit www.facebook.com/giyireland.

GIY Week Activities:

• Tie-in with Agriaware on the launch of Incredible Edibles Initiative in Schools – local GIY groups helping school-kids to grow their own

• GIY Groups hosting events, talks, meetings during that week

• Live GIY expert web-chats each evening on the GIY website

• Guided Tour of the OPW Walled Garden in Phoenix Park

• Butter-making demo with Ella McSweeney, Live Streaming to GIY site at 7pm on Wednesday

• Meitheal Mor in Seven Oaks Community Garden in Dublin

• “Grow Your Own Vegetables” author Joy Larkcom talk in Cork

• Yoga for GIYers in Darthmouth Sq in Dublin with Victoria Mary Clarke

• “Grow your Own” talk with Klaus Laitenberger in Bray

• “Grow it/Eat it” event with Clodagh McKenna and Klaus Laitenberger in Offaly

• Inishfood Event in Donegal

• Potato Day in Leitrim

• New GIY Group Launches in Offaly, Drumcondra, Leitrim and the first off-shore GIY group in Arrain Mhor

For more information on GIY Week Events, visit www.giyireland.com/markets/events

New Garden Centre open in Cork

It is close to the official first day of Spring - although it is hard to believe with the temperatures we have currently - and we all are thinking again of our kitchen garden. We have started to dig the ground again, started uncovering the strawberries (which I should have not done as the frost set in again after that, grrr) and the first seeds have been set in propagators. The greenhouse has been tidied up and the tools are out again.

And just on time, a new garden centre has opened nearby. Maria and Billy O'Connor have taken over the old Phelan's Restaurant and B&B and transformed it into a family friendly garden centre and restaurant. The garden centre includes a kid's corner where a big bronze gorilla is watching over the kids. The corner includes a pet zoo with chickens and rabbits - more pets to be added - and 2 big blackboards where kids can amuse themselves while mum and dad are discovering the centre itself.

Maria has created a beautiful gift shop which is in calm light colours and full of wonderful art and craft items. If you are on the lookout for a lovely gift for a special person - this shop is a must. Walking through the shop, you will come into the bar area with its open fire. The restaurant is located off the bar in the conservatory - with a fantastic view over the garden centre.

The menu is aimed at families as you have a good selection of dishes to suit all tastes. Starters include homemade soup of the day (€4.00), Seafood Chowder (€5.50) and Egg Mayonnaise Salad Plate (4.50). Main courses have a Roast of the day (€9.95), 6oz Steak Sandwich (€12.95) and Seafood Parcels (€9.95). The vegetarian options are not an afterthought but carefully put together. You can have Vegetable Curry (€9.95), Pasta in creamy Garlic Sauce (€9.95) and Vegetables Tarts (€9.95) - let me ensure you these are more options than you get in most restaurants. The Kid's menu includes Half Roast of the Day (€5.00) and the usual favourites of sausages, burgers and chicken goujons - all served with chips (€4.95). Desserts and cakes are homemade ( I tried the carrot cake - yum).

Billy himself has years of professional garden experience behind him and his selection of plants are based on season rather than beauty. He has already broad beans, peas, cauliflower and leafs ready for you to set out as soon as the frost is gone. Expert advise is also available from Aidan who is looking after the plants.

The whole atmosphere in the garden centre, bar and shop is relaxed, friendly and inviting - a great day out.

The centre is just off the Cork-Mallow Road. Coming from Cork, take the Blarney Exit and follow the signs. Coming from Mallow, take the Blarney exit and turn right at the corner.

Q & A with Joy Larkom

Q & A
with
 Joy Larkcom - GIY patron and veteran vegetable grower
who has spent 40 years or so encouraging people to grow their own,
to be adventurous about what they grow
and not to be put off by having a tiny plot.

15th March 7pm, Crawford Art Gallery, Admission 5 Euro

Joy Larkcom is the author of Grow Your Own Vegetables, the Organic Salad
Gardener and Creative Vegetable Gardening

Free Cork Choice Event

MICHAEL KELLY

Best-selling author and broadcaster,

Social Entrepreneur Ireland Award 2009

Arthur Guinness Award 2010

Founder of the

'GROW IT YOURSELF' movement

He will speak on self sufficiency, sustainability and how to get good food from the back garden.

Crawford Art Gallery Café

Thursday 27^th Jan at 7.30pm

Entrance 6 euro including tea & coffee

Homegrown Asparagus

Will you believe it, I actually was able to harvest our first homegrown asparagus this year. Very small but light and tender. There I was with my handful of green beauties and was wondering what to do with them. After about 3 seconds deep soul searching I decided that risotto is just the best base to let the asparagus shine. Just prepared the risotto as usual and steamed the asparagus for a few minutes, chopped off the bits that weren't too nice and added them to the risotto, a few slivers of lemon zest perfected this simple but amazing spring dinner. A glass of rose rounded the whole lot up to a perfect Sunday afternoon and I was simply amazed how easy it is to make me happy ;-)

Grow your own with Aldi

Aldi becomes more and more a location I am visiting these days and I always take a leaflet to show my dad. This weeks leaflet (starting today) offers a few items you might find interesting if you are planning to join the Grow Your Own movement.

Fruit Plants like raspberries, blackcurrents, blackberries, gooseberries, kiwis or blueberry are available for €3.99

Strawberry plants smile at you for €4.99 for a six-pack

Different vegetable Plug pack will cost you €3.49 each and a 3 plant growing bag is available at €1.79 (saves you digging).

So there is no excuse anymore not to give it a try ;-)

Our Kitchen Garden

The weather isn't really stable these days but dad is still out all day to tend to the garden. I try to get out of garden duty when I see the slightest cloud on the horizon. Anyhow, dad and I had something to celebrate the other day as we are the proud 'parents' of 4 duck babies (and the funny thing is that they were hatched by a chicken - nope that ain't a joke). They are still too small so that I was not allowed to take pics (so I hope you enjoy the photos of our last little duckies).

The unstable weather resulted in our onions going to seed (and that is not a good thing if you like onions). Our red cabbage is kind of lazy coming along and the slugs really loved the brusselsprouts I planted so carefully. Apart from this, our carrots, white cabbages, leeks, beans, spuds, sunchokes, blueberries, raspberries are coming on nicely. We had already a good harvest of strawberries but the wet weather in between is not doing them any good. We are actually going for a polytunnel for next year. Anyhow, the garden is still lovely to look at and the new potatoes are just the ticket. Can't wait for the rest to come along.

In our 'greenhouse', we have the most juiciest cucumbers, the tomatoes are rich but still green, the peppers are growing and have already their flowers on (so it's only a matter of time until we get yummy peppers) and the aubergines - which we tried the first time this year - are lovely to look at with their purple flowers.

In our 'autumn' corner we have pumpkin trailing along and I have already collected a fast amount of ideas what to do with them.....any ideas are welcome :-)