Now that the redcurrant jelly has cooled completely I can hazard a slightly better guess as to how it has turned out – clear & rich, with a softish set, I think.
The jury is out until Sunday when I cook lamb shanks – marinated in red wine, redcurrant jelly, garlic & rosemary, I’ll brown the lamb & add finely chopped shallots & the marinade & cook in a low oven, I think.
I took mum to the Hill tonight for her to pick some PEAS (newick) & BROAD BEANS (crimson flowered) when Julie (2nd best plot) came down & turning to mum said “I’m taking young K to the caravan for a few days, & although Phil may come & pick some veg for his & S’s dinners, he most certainly won’t be picking flowers - please come & help yourself to some sweet peas!”
So we picked a couple of portions of PEAS (newick) & BROAD BEANS (crimson flowered for mum & a bag of PEAS (stephens & newick) & BROAD BEANS (barry plot 19) for shelling & freezing we went to Julie’s plot to pick an enormous fistful of sweet peas.
On the way home mum looked at the bags of peas & broad beans and asked the perspicacious question “why do you grow so much?” which has given me some pause for thought.
The best answer I can give is that you sow more than you need because in the dark days of early spring when you are sowing seeds, you still cannot believe that these 10 little peas in the palm of your hand are possibly going grow to give hundreds of pods with 10 peas in each in the space of just a few weeks.
Amazing, isn’t it?
The jury is out until Sunday when I cook lamb shanks – marinated in red wine, redcurrant jelly, garlic & rosemary, I’ll brown the lamb & add finely chopped shallots & the marinade & cook in a low oven, I think.
I took mum to the Hill tonight for her to pick some PEAS (newick) & BROAD BEANS (crimson flowered) when Julie (2nd best plot) came down & turning to mum said “I’m taking young K to the caravan for a few days, & although Phil may come & pick some veg for his & S’s dinners, he most certainly won’t be picking flowers - please come & help yourself to some sweet peas!”So we picked a couple of portions of PEAS (newick) & BROAD BEANS (crimson flowered for mum & a bag of PEAS (stephens & newick) & BROAD BEANS (barry plot 19) for shelling & freezing we went to Julie’s plot to pick an enormous fistful of sweet peas.
On the way home mum looked at the bags of peas & broad beans and asked the perspicacious question “why do you grow so much?” which has given me some pause for thought.
The best answer I can give is that you sow more than you need because in the dark days of early spring when you are sowing seeds, you still cannot believe that these 10 little peas in the palm of your hand are possibly going grow to give hundreds of pods with 10 peas in each in the space of just a few weeks.
Amazing, isn’t it?
True. I never believe that all my seeds will flourish. Generally 90% do - but you just have to sow a few extra for Belt and Braces purposes.
ReplyDeleteIt all looks very good Hazel - the proof of course will be in the pudding (or main, as the case may be).
ReplyDeleteI have got so many lettuce plants I can't get rid of them - and I only sowed a very small handful, thinking (cleverly) that I would make repeated sowings through the summer...... hmmm. Didn't quite work that way!
the perspicacious question “why do you grow so much?”
ReplyDeleteand just as I (nearly) contain my vegetable envy remembering your advice "next year that will be me" I know that in respect of the surplus crops problem "next year that will be me" (or certainly the year after, fnar, fnar, as Flummery would say!)
Is it the 'belt & braces' seeds that you sow the ones that tip the balance from 'plenty enough to eat' to 'overwhelmed', I wonder?
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by, Wendy - I thought I'd got lettuce sowing sorted by sowing 8 lettuce seeds each month, but somehow I still have 3 nearly ready, 12 seedlings to come on and another 16 seeds just come up...! You'll be picking french beans already, I think - and maybe your tomatoes?
And yes, next year it will be you, Bilbo!
Yes, picking beans, tomatoes are nearly there (although nearly had a disaster by putting them out too early - still I will learn for next year), lettuce aplenty and herbs for Africa. Went to a super Farmers Market this morning and acquired an aubergine plant. Not quite sure what to do with it as I have never grown one before. My "Bell Boy" peppers are SO SWEET on the plant - hope they taste good too eventually.
ReplyDelete