Polly Wood'sKitchen Garden School - Seasonal Recipes & Blog

August and everything after

8/6/2019

Time on the turn...

Shortening days is not all bad news!

As the nights start to noticeably draw in, it's easy to feel like summer has peaked and the season is coming to an end.
Whilst this may be true for some things in the allotment, shorter day length means we can again start sowing those 'long day' plants which over the summer months have been nearly impossible to keep from running to seed..

Take a look at the list opposite for an easy list of things to sow now. All seeds available for around £1 each at Tamar Organics.
Organic veggies on a budget!

Sow all of these in the next few weeks and they'll be perfectly behaved autumn crops.

Rocket (not wild)
Radish
Spinach (leaf beet and/or salad types)
Oriental leaves (cut & come salad mixes)
Coriander & Dill
Pak Choi/Tat Soi/Bok Choi
Lettuces and Salad Leaves
Turnip

If you've got a spare patch or bed, divide it into 8 sections and sow a small patch of each of the above. All of these are happy in regular garden soil - no need for extra compost.
Sow seeds shallow and thinly.
Autumn greens sorted!

Respect Your Elders..

5/17/2017

It's almost that time again.. The perfect excuse for a walk in the countryside this weekend.. Eldeflower Cordial Recipe here

APRIL FORAGING!

4/17/2017

See what and how here..

Alliums.. Not just for flowers!

10/30/2016

Alliums as garden flowers have continued to soar in popularity, year on year.. And no wonder; the brilliant array of colors and forms available, plus an reliable appearance at Chelsea Flower Show, mean that these ornamental members of the ever-brilliant Onion Family are being planted in their droves right now.
So let's not forget their functional cousins! The ones we can actually eat!

Garlic, Shallots, Red, White and Brown Onions.. All of these can and should be going in the ground now too. Yes, they can be planted in Spring, but for the fattest results (and the greater choice in variety) then you should be looking at an autumn planting.
They are some of the easiest, tolerant, most well-behaved veggies you can grow.

Try it for yourself. Need help or planting tips? Click here for a separate post, which gives all the info you need.

August and Everything After

8/21/2016

Shortening days is not all bad news!

As the nights start to noticeably draw in, it's easy to feel like everything is coming to an end.
Whilst this may be true for some things in the allotment, shorter day length means we can again start sowing those 'long day' plants which over the summer months have been nearly impossible to keep from running to seed..

Take a look at the list opposite for an easy list of things to sow now. All seeds available for around £1 each at Tamar Organics.
Organic veggies on a budget!

Sow all of these in the next few weeks and they'll be perfectly behaved autumn crops.

Rocket (not wild)
Radish
Spinach (leaf beet and/or salad types)
Oriental leaves (cut & come salad mixes)
Coriander & Dill
Pak Choi/Tat Soi/Bok Choi
Lettuces and Salad Leaves
Turnip

If you've got a spare patch or bed, divide it into 8 sections and sow a small patch of each of the above. All of these are happy in regular garden soil - no need for extra compost.
Sow seeds shallow and thinly.
Autumn greens sorted!

Hey Pesto!

7/23/2016

I've had enough Basil-gluts now to say with some confidence, I have a pretty decent Pesto recipe under my belt.

It's all about balance with Pesto - the right proportions of acid from lemon, sweetness from Parmesan and pine nuts, and punch from garlic. Plus super fresh, home-grown Ligurian Basil, where at all possible!
Even if you haven't got home grown basil, a home made pesto using any fresh basil cannot compare with the slurry that comes in a jar.
So simple but somehow rather splendid.

#easydecadence

This recipe is so simple you really want quality ingredients; it's a celebration of these simple flavours, so choose those that shine..

Makes approx 1 small jam jar.

100g Basil leaves
60g Parmesan, cut in small chunks.
50g Pine nuts, lightly toasted (with a few chili flakes, if desired. I do desire)
2 fat cloves of garlic (Roast for 10 mins where desired, for less 'heat')
Juice of 1/2 lemon
50ml approx Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

1. Add the basil, Parmesan, Pine nuts, and garlic to a food processor and blitz in bursts, till you have coarse crumbs.

2. Season with lemon juice and S&P then blitz again, adding the oil in stages, until desired consistency is achieved. EASY!

Serve stirred through fresh Spaghetti, and ideally, accompanied by a large glass of Chianti

Keep any leftover pesto (unlikely) for about a week in the fridge, keeping the surface covered in oil.

Watering you plants? STOP! Water the...

7/23/2016

SOIL!!
Image on the right? NO NO NO! This is such an inefficient way to give your plants the drink they probably desperately need right now..
Plants take in 95% of their water form the SOIL. They are wilting because the SOIL is dry.. so.. Water the SOIL!
Most of the water applied as shown opposite will likely evaporate before it can be absorbedf Plus, you risk scorching delicate leaves in strong sunlight. It also usually flattens small plants too, watering them in this way, so all round, a pretty nil-point approach to hydration.

ALSO, remember that the roots (where the plants draw their water from..) are not just around the base of the plant. In fact, better to water away from the base, around the peripheries where the edge of the root system will be seeking out H2O.

As if to prove the point - BASIL; Supermarket Basil always dying on you?
Stand the pot in a saucer; water in the saucer (basically, directly at the roots) Don't water from the top (other than the occasional dribble to keep the soil edges from shrinking). It'll last for months and months and months and...

Pesto recipe anyone?

What's wrong with this picture..?

Happy Basil

Lettuce Vichyssoise

6/29/2016

Ok, I know; it's just cold lettuce soup, but vichyssoise sounds so much more inviting! There's something a little uninspiring-sounding about 'lettuce soup' - like a description of how the veg patch looks right now!
So let's be posh, and delicate, and delicious, and serve our guests Vichyssoise (and use up that salad glut at the same time!)
The METHOD is simple; Sweat the aromats in the olive oil, then add potato, bay and stock. Simmer till potato is soft then add your greenery. Cook for only a few mins, so the lettuce softens but doesn't start to loose it's colour.
Blend with stick blender then stir in Creme fraiche if using. Chill down for a couple of hours before serving.

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 25 min

50ml olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 floury potato, diced
1 bay leaf
500 ml fresh, good quality veg stock
300g green lettuce (small gem ideal)
Handful of rocket leaves, if you have
Handful of tarragon/fennel tops, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
Dollop of creme fraiche (optional)

May; Bug, Blossom & Bloom

5/22/2016

The word May is thought to come from the Sanskrit 'mah', meaning 'to grow'. Sounds pretty logical to me..! Even the most office-bound of us cannot fail to notice the huge change in the landscape that happens over this month, as the last traces of brown give way to green and the countryside becomes alive with bug, blossom and bloom,,,

Well Hello there! Close up of adult male May Bug

May Bug. Despite being known rather unfortunately as a 'Cockchafer' (uh hum) men need not be worried...
The largest member (no pun intended) of the Scarab Beetle family in the British Isles, this cute little chap is quite harmless. They can be a pest in Plum and cherry orchards in southern Europe but their short life cycle (6-7 weeks) means they really are the 'May' bug and are not a major pest.
They are often heard before they're seen, buzzing noisily on May evenings and clumsily flying into window panes..

Mayflower. Said to be the first flower that the Pilgrim Fathers saw when they arrived at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, this is how Epigaea repens got it's colloquial name.
For this reason, it was chosen as the State Flower of Massachusetts.
A small, spreading, evergreen shrub, the flowers can be pale pink or white. It is rarely seen outside of its native situation on the East Coast of the US and has been in decline in recent years due to loss of habitat.

May Blossom.
By the middle of May much of the British countryside is snowy white with blossom. The small white flowers of The Hawthorn form ribbons of may blossom as far as the eye can see, making one of the great natural events of our landscape.
These billowing lines of white mark what little remains of the 200,000 miles of hedgerow planted in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Enclosure Act of that time created much of the patchwork of fields and hedges that we recognise today as the quintessential English countryside. Hawthorn was the perfect 'boundary' choice, being prickly and quick growing, and tough enough for all situations.

Hawthorn was one of the most conspicuous victims of the 17th century adoption of the new calendar in Britain. In the 'good old days' it's blossom heralded the beginning of the month and everyone knew that at last 'the May was out'; now it blooms when the month of May is almost halfway through.

Go Wild!

4/22/2016

WILD GARLIC PESTO

Wild Garlic Pesto. Makes 1 small jar

50g wild garlic leaves, washed

30g pinenuts, lightly toasted

30g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 clove garlic, crushed

100ml olive oil, plus extra to cover

Good squeeze of lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

WILD GARLIC is a real treasure to be found at this time of year. The younger the leaves, the better.. Certainly try to pick them before they flower – after this the flavour becomes fainter and less aromatic.
See picture below for perfect picking size!

The picked leaves wilt very quickly so either use them as soon as you get home or keep them covered in the fridge.

This recipe is approximate; scale up or down depending on your taste.

The simplest method is to put everything except the oil in a food processor, blitz for a few seconds, then continue to whiz while slowly adding the olive oil through the funnel.
Transfer to a jar, pour sufficient olive oil on top to keep the pesto covered, close the lid and store it in the fridge. It will keep for several weeks.
If you prefer a coarser texture, (I do) blitz the elements individually (cheese, then nuts, then garlic and wild garlic together) Blend the oil into the greens, as above, then stir in the nuts and cheese at the end. Top with a layer of oil, as before.

S(t)ing For Your Supper

4/17/2016

We’ve all heard about NETTLES and the virtues of ‘nettle soup’ but did you know that nettles beat both spinach and broccoli for vitamins and minerals? I didn't!
Not only that, they are rich in iron, they help arthritic pain, act as a natural liver detoxifier and are even an antihistamine! And they are FREE! Whats not to love?!

Get them in the next few weeks before they get tall and tough. The flavour changes when they approach flowering. You can use nettles anywhere you would use spinach; in a Risotto (add some sorrel, if you have it) in a Frittata or Omelette, or a Greek Spanakopitta.

Polly’s Recipe for Nettle Soup (V) Serves six.

Approx 150g nettle tops (half a carrier bag full)
40g knob of butter
1 smallish onion, peeled and diced
1 large leek, trimmed, washed and finely sliced
1 celery stick, chopped or 1 carrot, chopped
1 large clove garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp white rice, such as basmati
1 litre vegetable (or chicken) stock
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 heaped tbsp thick, plain yoghurt, to finish
1 small bunch chives, to garnish, or a few drops of Tabasco/Hot sauce

Pick over the nettles, wash them thoroughly and discard the tougher stalks. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-low heat, add the onion, leek, celery (or carrot) and garlic, cover and sweat gently for 10 minutes, stirring a few times, until soft but not brown.
Add the rice and stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the nettles, stirring them into the stock as they wilt, and simmer for five minutes or so, until the rice and the nettles are tender (very young nettle tops will need only two to three minutes). Season with plenty of salt and pepper.
Purée the soup in two batches, reheat if necessary and check the seasoning. Serve in warmed bowls, topping each portion with a large dollop of yoghurt and a generous sprinkling of snipped chives.

If You Go Down To The Woods Today...

3/22/2016

Be sure to take your loppers!

Let me just say that I'm not advocating cutting down our native woodland willy-nilly, no sir..
But if you, or someone you know, has even a small patch of woodland, there will no doubt be hazel growing somewhere in it.. Get your hands on it now!

Make it your TOP JOB for this gardening weekend we call 'Easter', and coppice yourself as much as your arms can take! Hazel will be coming into leaf any moment now, and you really want to catch it before that happens (it may root in your garden if it's already too lively!)
Not just useful for peas; use these versatile, bendable beauties on anything that requires support or protection through the summer, in the allotment, and the flower borders. Even something quite rudimentary, as above, still looks charmingly rustic, but get creative and try your hand at hoops and domes - it's easier than you might think..
Make sure to cut a mixture of feathery tops, for protecting & supporting twining plants (like peas), and longer, straighter poles, for structures such as below.
I never think I'll use all the piles and piles of sticks I lug into the barn each February..
But I always do...
For further tips and weaving methods check out this helpful page from the gardeners Upton Grey (which is a totally charming garden to visit during the summer months).

Consrtuct a cage over your tall-growing perennials in April and allow stems to grow through.. It'll be hidden by May and no floppy plants!

Pea 'Alderman' will easily reach 5ft plus; this hazel wig-wam makes a perfect and beautiful climbing frame. Use in the same way for climbing beans, sweet peas or even clematis.

Rhubarb & Coconut Flapjacks

3/5/2016

Hope springs...

Better than a rhubarb crumble, these flapjacks are chock-full of wholesome oats, fragrant fruit and some special ingredients to add that extra bit of secret deliciousness.
Quickly roasting the rhubarb first intensifies its flavour and sweetness. YUM!

INGREDIENTS

250g Rhubarb Stems ('forced' is ideal but not essential)
170g Golden (or regular) Caster Sugar
200g Golden Syrup (or use some honey/agave if desired)
200g Butter (or Coconut Oil for dairy free)
400g Whole Oats
100g Desiccated Coconut (unsweetened)
Optional Extras
Natural Coconut Flavouring or Essence
1/4 teaspoon of Rosewater

METHOD

Line the base and sides of a 20x30cm (approx) tin with non stick baking parchment and preheat the oven to 180℃/Fan 160℃.

RHUBARBY BIT

Chop all the rhubarb stems into (1cm ish) chunks. Put about 3/4 into a small baking tin with 20g of the caster sugar and roast for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and add the Rosewater if using. Add the remaining uncooked rhubarb to the mix and give all a little shake/stir so evenly coated and sticky. (Resist the urge to eat at this stage...)

FLAPJACKY BIT

Place the remaining caster sugar, golden syrup and butter (or coconut oil) in a large pan. Heat, stirring occasionally, over a moderate heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves.
At this point add between 10-20 drops of coconut essence (taste dependent). I do 20. I like coconut..
Add the oats and desiccated coconut to the pan and mix well.

ALTOGETHER NOW...

Tip about 2/3rds of the flapjack mixture into the prepared tin and press down firmly with the back of a fork.
Distribute the rhubarb mix over the top of this then top off with the remaining flapjack mixture. Some bits of rhubarb poking through is ok. Good, in fact!

BAKE

...In the preheated oven for approx 30 minutes or until the outside edges are golden brown and the top golden.
TIP This is one of those instances where a little over baked is better than a little under baked. Extra chewiness is good, and there will be moisture from the rhubarb, so it wont dry out.
Leave to cool before cutting into squares - it's easier to cut the flapjack into neat(ish)pieces

Seedy Business

2/12/2016

Get yourself along to a Potato & Seed Day near you this month. Seed swaps, heritage and heirloom seeds, potatoes sold by individual tuber and advice on tap from the growers themselves! There really is no smarter way to get stocked up for the coming growing season.

POWER balls!

1/24/2016

Inspired by a post Christmas cupboard clear out..

If you made a Christmas cake or pudding last year, then chances are you will, like me, have random bits of fruit and nuts leftover, that have already been pushed to the back of the cupboard...
This recipe is a perfect re-hash of these bits into brilliant lunchbox bites, or a pre/post workout snack.

POP your POWER!!

Adapt the recipe to whatever you have hanging around - all quantities are approximate.

Makes approx 16

75g Good quality Peanut/Almond Butter or Tahini
75g Dried Fruit (raisins, sultanas, dates, prunes, figs etc) very finely chopped/food processed.
50g Nuts (Hazelnuts, Almonds, Brazils work best) toasted in hot oven for 5 mins and very finely chopped/food processed
1-2 tablespoons of Chia Seeds - lightly ground in pestle & mortar
1-2 tablespoons honey/agave (for vegan)
1-2 tablespoons Cacao
Optional extras - I've tried adding candied peel, stem ginger, spirulina, sesame seeds, ground cinnamon/ginger... Experiment with what you have, taste as you go.
Desicated Coconut &/or Cacao or other seeds/finely chopped nuts to roll in.

Start with the nut butter and add the processed nuts and fruit until you have a mixture that looks like you could work into balls.
Add the other ingredients as desired - the wet/dryness of the mixture should stay roughly the same with the addition of the honey/cacao & seeds. Taste a bit and add any 'extras' you might like to.
Shape into balls, no bigger than ping-pong size, then roll in cacao and coconut to seal.
Keep in the fridge for up to a week (in tupperware or sealed in tin foil).

Perfect fodder for a pre-breakfast run.

A version with candied lemon peel and chia. Power, Mexican-style!