Lettuce and Radishes

As I've said, the lettuce is really going for it now, and I've eaten fresh salad from the garden or allotment every day for the last week or so. And a new addition to the salad bowl for us are these gorgeous 'Scarlet Globe' radishes. Aren't they quick and easy to grow!

But although I love the texture and the crunch, they're a little too hot for me. I'm not a fan of spice, and prefer flavour over heat, so I think I'll have to experiment with some different varieties. Can anyone recommend a radish that has great flavour without being too hot?

Flourishing

The water iris is in full flower...

...the potatoes have made a great comeback after the late frosts...

...the apples are starting to swell...

...and look at all this lettuce!

I think it's safe to say the plants are enjoying the warm weather and the rain showers!

Of course, the slugs and snails are enjoying the rain showers too, and I've had damage to some courgette plants, sweet peas and strawberries. Organic slug pellets have now been strewn everywhere. I read recently that bran is good for killing slugs - they love to eat it but it swells inside them or something... Perhaps I will give it a try.

Last week I finally got round to planting the pumpkins and squashes, which are growing away happily in their new positions now. The two in the 'hotbed' of old weeds at the far end are planted in piles of growbag compost. I'm looking forward (with only a tinge of scepticism) to seeing how this works...

However, one of the squashes is not doing so well; this is the only Waltham Butternut squash plant that grew for me, and it's really a rather poor effort.

I discovered too late how fussy butternuts are about temperature, and my first sowing germinated poorly, sulked for a few weeks then died. But my second sowing got far better - warmer - treatment, and still did nothing. I have given up on them for this year, but next year I will pay them even better attention. I want some butternut squash!

Also at the weekend I mulched the strawberries. I could have done with a bit more straw really, but I think it will do. The weeds are poking up through the straw already... And there hasn't been a lot more fruit - just one more strawberry since the first! But I'm sure they'll catch up with themselves soon enough...

A Little Piece of History

The Tesco store in St Albans' high street was the very first self-service Tesco, and has been trading since 1951. Today this little piece of history closed to make way for this new store just a few doors down, on the much bigger ex-Woolworths site.


In the meantime, just a few doors in the other direction, this shop has closed this week due to high rent and low support.


It was a lovely shop, providing all kinds of produce from around Hertfordshire - with notices giving details of the manufacturers and how far away the items were made - as well as a smattering of recycled, organic and fairtrade goods from further afield. It makes me a little sick that a shop like this, focusing solely on benefitting the local community and the environment, should be driven out by high rent. Shouldn't councils support places like this?? But I'm afraid I'm just as guilty as most of not giving it the support it needed. The trouble is, most of the products places like this stock are speciality 'made' products, like jams and pickles, meat pies, fancy cakes, sauces, and expensive bottled drinks - and I'm just not a big buyer of these things. Sadly, though they did stock a few basics such as local milk, eggs and bread, their meat and veg selection was never very impressive.

The new Tesco store, on the other hand, is boasting that it will supply more "locally sourced British produce". And most residents are rejoicing that Tesco will now NOT be building a much bigger superstore on the edge of town.

Meanwhile, the old store joins a lengthening row of shops sitting empty on the high street.

St Albans has a lot going for it. Sadly the shopping is not one of those things.

At least we still have our twice-weekly market, which always packs the town centre!

Asparagus and Spinach Frittata

We cut what may be the last of the asparagus for this year at the weekend, and enjoyed it in this lovely frittata - a really quick and easy supper. I would love to say that we used the first of the spinach too, as it's certainly ready! But I already had half a bag of spinach in the fridge at home, so I used that up instead.

I would have posted a photo of it cut neatly into beautiful wedges and served with butter-drenched toast and fresh green lettuce, but right after taking this picture I picked up the pan, remembered too late that it was very hot, and dropped the whole thing! Thankfully most of it stayed in the pan and we still ate well, but it wasn't pretty...

So remember, boys and girls; when handling pans straight out of the oven, use an oven glove. It ain't rocket science. Ahem.

Anyway, here's the recipe. Sorry, I measured nothing!

Asparagus and Spinach Frittata
(serves two)

• Quarter then slice a large potato and boil until al dente (3 or 4 minutes, depending on thickness of the slices).
• Cut asparagus spears into small pieces and boil until al dente (1 to 2 minutes).
• Finely chop 3 or 4 spring onions.
• In a bowl, beat five eggs with a dash of milk, a pinch of salt and lots of black pepper. Add a handful of grated cheese and mix in.
• Melt a generous knob of butter into an ovenproof pan and sizzle the spring onions, potato and asparagus for a minute, then add a handful of spinach leaves. When the spinach is wilted, add the egg mixture and stir in. Top with another handful of cheese.
• Cook on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the edges of the frittata are starting to set. Then place under the grill and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until it's golden-brown on top and doesn't wobble when you shake the pan!
• For a full meal, serve with buttered toast and a green salad.

Peas would be really great in this too - I think I'll try it next time!

Planting Out in the Home Garden

Did everyone have a good bank holiday weekend? A nasty cold kept me home, but I did get a few things done in the garden.

The tomatoes are finally starting to make an effort now, and I was all ready to plant them in their growbags, until I remembered you're supposed to wait until the first flowers open. No buds yet, so they will stay in their pots a while longer.


My rocket, mustard and cress shot to seed during the hot spell a couple of weeks ago - I'd only had two or three harvests from them! So I sowed some more, along with some mizuna too. This time I used one of those self-watering window boxes - perhaps it'll make my new crop less likely to dry out and bolt.

In the background of the photo above you can see the little gem lettuce coming on really nicely!

I planted out the peppers - three in a big pot, and potted the chillies on as well.

And I sowed some more french beans ('Delinel') since only about half germinated first time. The ones that did are looking good now and are about to produce buds, I think!

For the record, except for a couple of nights in mid-May when frosts were forecast, all these plants have been outside for weeks and weeks now, under the cover of my plastic greenhouse, although the greenhouse door has been left open since around 20th May.