Spongebob Square Pants was arrested for breaking into the shed on plot 53a. The Crown Court is considering the death penalty.
Tag: feature
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In the ‘plotlight’: Dave, plot 49
What’s your number one tip? Do little and often and learn to enjoy the “chores”.
What’s your earliest gardening memory?
I remember pulling rhubarb with my grandad and dipping in a saucer of sugar to eat raw – yuk.
What does a perfect day on the allotment look like to you?
Weeding all the beds then filling a couple of trugs with a mixed harvest, followed by a mug of tea and a bite to eat and watching the birds on the feeder.
What is a piece of ‘traditional’ gardening advice that you think is completely wrong?
“Double digging”. I follow the no-dig approach to gardening, feeding the soil biomes and disturbing the ground as little as possible.
What did this past year teach you about your local climate or soil?
Every year is different. Accept that some plants will thrive in some years but not in others.
What’s the most stubborn problem you’re tackling right now?
Either onion white rot or wood pigeons. The white rot takes 7 or 8 years to go, the pigeons never will.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made?
Planting/sowing too early. I have a natural impatience but a north facing slope doesn’t warm until well into spring. Late frosts have seen off several early efforts.
What’s been the biggest success?
Making the plot a nice place to be. A shed, seating, plus a pond, bird feeder and ornamental plants for interest. Every hour of weeding is rewarded with an hour of just “taking it all in.”
What’s your favourite crop/plant to grow?
I’m always excited by whatever is starting to harvest. I love cooking and get a buzz from the first broad beans, courgettes, etc of the season.
How do you strike a balance between encouraging wildlife and protecting your edible crops?
One of the beauties of St Margaret’s is the wide range of trees and hedgerows, along with the wildness of the perimeters. On the plot, the ponds are a major plus and the ornamentals are great for pollinators. Bug houses and bird boxes also help, as does a no-dig, chemical free approach to gardening, but the vegetable beds are mine – they don’t belong to the pigeons!
How has managing this plot helped your mental or physical health?
So much is now understood about the health benefits of gardening. Being in nature just feels good and the more I experience it, the more I believe it. Something as simple as weeding lets you switch off mentally and the physical aspect of gardening (the bending twisting lifting and carrying) helps with all round fitness. I’ve always been very active but gardening adds great variety to any fitness regime.
Describe the best view or moment you’ve experienced on your plot last year?
My favourite view was seeing the greenhouse full to bursting with tomatoes, cucumbers, chillis, melons and basil – the smell is incredible. My favourite moment was probably during the open day talking to visitors on the plot. It was wonderful to hear how much visitors loved looking around the site, meeting plot-holders, sharing experiences.
What’s the best advice a seasoned plot-holder has given you?
Failures are an inevitable part of gardening. Don’t be discouraged by them, just learn and go again.
If you had to rely only on your plot for food, which crop would be your lifeline?
Probably beans – runners and French. They’re consistently good croppers, super tasty if picked young and they freeze really well. We’re still eating last years crop going into March.
How are you adapting your growing techniques to handle extreme weather like floods or droughts?
Floods are not really an issue on our plot as it drains so well. Last year was extremely dry so a no-dig approach has helped, as the high level of organic matter holds moisture well. We also have lots of water butts to collect any rain falling on the shed and greenhouse.
What’s your ‘secret weapon’ tool that you couldn’t live without?
A little gas stove and a kettle.
What’s the biggest ‘gardening disaster’ you’ve had, and what did it teach you?
Sowing or planting too early on a cold site has led to failures. Whatever timings the experts recommend, you must consider the specific region in which you live and grow.
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Burmese beef and potato curry
1 tbsp sesame oil
100ml vegetable oil
3 tbsp medium curry paste (we tend to use a full jar of Patak’s Balti Paste)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
750g beef – shin is preferred, otherwise diced braising steak
400g potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1-2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
500 ml chicken stock
salt and pepper
fresh coriander to garnish
Heat the oils in a wok or deep sided frying pan over a medium -high heat. Carefully add the curry paste, reduce the heat to low and cook gently for about 3-4 minutes. If the mixture starts to burn add a little water. Stir in the cumin and coriander. Stir fry for 30 seconds then add the beef and stir fry for 3-4 mins. Season well with salt and pepper. Transfer this mixture to a slow cooker pot. Add the potatoes and pour over the stock. Cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 hours or until the meat is tender and the potatoes are cooked through. Alternatively, transfer to a casserole dish and cook in the over at 160 degrees for 2-3 hours. Serve with fresh coriander and rice.
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Kale and chickpea curry
(serves 8)
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
A little vegetable oil
1 heaped teaspoon medium curry powder
25g grated fresh ginger
2 green chillies, or 1 red, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
250g chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked or 2 x 400g tins
400ml tin of coconut milk
250g button mushrooms, halved
Juice of 1 lime
2 lemon grass sticks
15 medium cavolo nero leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
Large bunch of coriander
Fry the onion and garlic gently in the oil until soft. Add the curry powder, fresh ginger, chilli, salt and pepper, and stir. Next, add the cooked chickpeas, coconut milk, mushrooms, lime juice, and lemon grass sticks, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the stems from the kale and chop the leaves into strips. Steam them for 5 minutes and then add them into the chickpea mixture. Add the soy and fish sauces. Scatter with coarsely chopped coriander. This is best served warm, when all the flavours seem to sing out.
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Italian apple cake (Torta di mele)
(Makes one 24cm cake)
3 medium sized apples (golden delicious but any will do!)
a little lemon juice
2 eggs 100g sugar + 25g for sprinkling
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
200g plain flour plus a little extra for greasing the tin
2 teaspoons baking powder
125ml milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
25g butter plus a little extra for greasing
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F/Gas 4). Peel and core the apples. Cut them in half, and cut the halves into slices about 5mm. Sprinkle them with a little lemon juice while you prepare the cake batter. Whip the eggs with the 100g of the sugar and the vanilla until thick and creamy. Add the sifted flour and baking powder, and mix to incorporate. Add the milk and olive oil, and stir to make a smooth batter. Butter and flour a 24cm cake tin and pour in the batter, which will spread to cover the bottom. Pat dry the apple slices and arrange them on the top of the batter. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and dot with the butter. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden. The cake inside will be moist and spongy. Serve the cake warm or room temperature.