Successful Autumn harvests

On a personal level, 2015 has been difficult, sad and very challenging. One thing that’s kept me going, kept me grounded and kept me sane is my veg plot. And this year, after putting no-dig into action, I’ve had one of my most successful growing years ever. One of the greatest successes of the veg plots has been the arch.

Munchkim pumpkins and Spanish Flag (mina lobata)

Climbing munchkin pumpkins and Spanish Flag (mina lobata)

I’ve been growing Spanish flag (mina lobata) up and after a very slow start, they’ve been romping away with wild abandon. I’ve also weaved in the munchkin pumpkins, hoping to have a little crop later in the year. The munchkins are also a bit on the late side and have yet to flower, but I have hope that they’ll get there eventually. If not, then we’ll just have some pretty squash leaves adorning the arch too!

Spanish flag scrambling

The raspberries have been producing fruit for picking on a daily basis for the last fortnight at least, and we’ve got more than enough in the freezer ready for some jam. This year I’m going to try seedless jam so it’s a case of getting a few bits and pieces before the jam pan comes out again.

Polka raspberries

The peas came out and straight away, in went some salad leaves and leeks so I have a ready supply for some serious soup making later in the autumn. There’s nothing like snuggling down with a steaming bowl of leek and potato soup and a chunk of crusty bread on a cold but sunny Saturday lunchtime.

Knucklehead pumpkin

I’ve been digging up monster sized Picasso potatoes, but they’re not the only super-sized produce we’ve been growing at The Smallest Smallholding. The knucklehead pumpkin has grown about six metres long and is looking to produce some hefty fruit for the Autumn, with leaves about twice the size of my head. Meanwhile, the yellow courgettes have been popping out fruit for harvesting, but Rich isn’t eating them fast enough. Courgette cake may well be on the menu.

Yellow courgettes

Back to School with Organic September

Organic September

How can it be September already? This year has gone quicker than any other and already I can feel Autumn creeping in with the dewy mornings, the dawn and dusk twinkling bird song and the flutter of leaves as they start to fall from the trees. I don’t mind one bit, as I find late summer and the heat tiring, and the freshness of Autumn is invigorating… and boy, do I need some of that right now.

September has a distinctly back to school feel, and I often use this month to get myself ‘squared up’ – back on track ahead of the long, dark nights of winter. My life seems to go from a comfy plateau of bumbling along in my own bubble, to a whirlwind of work, and I often lose myself and any kind of rhythm in my life. The first thing to go is planned meals, and by ‘planned’ I mean home-cooked, healthy and hearty meals. I start eating oven food and the take-away bills add up, along with my fat, sugar and calorie counts. It’s not the way I want or like to live but it’s so easy to slip into it.

 

So I’m pre-empting the chaos, and have set myself up with a scribbled meal planner for the week. But one thing I realised is that I eat pretty much the same five things on rotation. Bean-based thing with rice/quinoa/bulgar wheat and green veggies, veg and gravy with mash/roasties, chilli, curry, lentil bake, homemade pizza (vegan, yes it’s delicious!) as a treat. I’ve become stuck in a rut. As a vegan, there’s a whole world of food out there for me to explore but I’ve lost my mojo in the kitchen a bit. I think at least once a week I need to have a ‘New Dish Day’… a day where I try to cook something interesting, tasty and out of my comfort zone (difficult, since I am a bit addicted to spice and curry). Monday seems to be the best day for this as it gives me a chance to do some research over the weekend when it’s quieter and calmer, and I can also use the weekend to get in any extra ingredients I might need.

growing organic

It’s also Organic September, so I’ll be making a point of opting for organic ingredients. I already grow a little of my own food organically, but we still buy in a lot. It seems crazy though that organic, as one of the most natural and sustainable ways to grow and farm food, should require certification. Surely, it should be the other way round? These days cost and profit seems to supersede everything, including common sense, but I’m sure that if we champion and encourage people to buy organic, it will start to be seen as the norm and demand will increase. That can bring down cost and the supermarkets should reconsider their position on adding a premium for more naturally grown food, somehow making out it’s a luxury. Organic food should be a staple in every house. But how can we make that happen?