It's annoying that these guys can be so destructive! What an amazing design.
Not a lot to report on this week as I've been suffering from the various symptoms of the dreaded S word!
I did manage to get down over the weekend though and harvest a wonderful selection of fresh goodies.
I used them with this weeks recipe. The Broad Beans are plentiful and were great with the Beef. I didn't have any Chard so substituted Spinach, but I'm going out today to buy some Swiss Chard seed.
Made a Cauliflower Cheese and steamed Brocolli, French Beans, baby Carrots and the Kestrel Potatoes which are new to me this year but very tasty.
Well worth a try, it's from an Egyptian recipe I saw recently on TV.
Enjoy,
The Captain
Broad Beans with Beef & Chard
For 4.
2 Beef steaks (Sirloin for preference) 2 good cups of shelled Broad Beans, Bunch each of fresh Coriander & Dill Heaped teaspoon of Ground Coriander Large bunch of Chard or Spinach. 1 medium Onion 6 cloves of Garlic. Olive Oil. Salt & Pepper
Method.
Cut the Beef into 1" cubes, rub with Ground Coriander salt & pepper and brown in the Olive Oil. Add the chopped fresh herbs and fry for 5 mins Add the Broad Beans and cover with water. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat to simmer and cook until Beef is very tender. 30 mins at least. Crush Garlic Cloves and add to chopped Chard/Spinach. Mash together in a Pestle & Mortar and add to the Beef mixture. Add more liquid if necessary. Cook for further 10 mins.
The original recipe added rice to the mixture, but I served the stew with a mix of fresh seasonal veg; Potatoes, Brocolli, Carrots, Courgette.
Another great week for growing conditions. Loads of sunshine then a good splash of rain. It's so much better to have natural rain water than using a hose. I don't know about anyone else but I can really see the difference. The brassica cage is in full flow now. It's strange, even though I tried to stagger the sowing and planting they're all hearting up and arriving together.
My Carrots in Choff's plastic trays are really tasty. Suttons Parmex variety. Rounded roots so they grow well in the trays in compost.
I've tried to keep regular sowings going and because I put the lid on during the early days it
seems to be keeping the Carrot flies at bay!
I emptied my potato barrel and found these beauties. I remember Matron advising to make sure it was well watered, and there was evidence that more moisture was needed at the bottom, soI'll take heed and make sure that doesn't happen again. I'm going to sow some more for Xmas in the potting shed.
My friend The Earl of Edgbaston donated a bookshelf for the shed after his visit to No87. It's now residing in the Flght Deck laden with pots, seeds and fertilizers. Bless you M'Lord!
And finally a couple of flower images.
My Lilies have bloomed for the fist time so deserve a mention.
And this is the Elephant Garlic showing off.
Time to savour the fruits of all that hard work last year. Broad Beans, picked young are sweet, Courgettes, Brocolli, Cabbage, Carrots, Onions and fresh Garlic.
Until next time,
The Captain.
This weeks recipe was from The 2 Fat Ladies. A tasty Potato dish which can be served with any meat roast or as part of a vegetarian spread. Enjoy!
2 Fat Potatoes
Thinly slice 4 large waxy potatoes. (Possibly using Mandolin but mind your knuckles!)
Dry potatoes with kitchen towel.
Put glug of Olive oil in ovenproof dish then layer of potato slices.
Sprinkle with chopped Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic.
Season with Salt & Pepper.
Add another glug of Olive Oil.
Another layer of Potatoes, more herbs and moisten with Vegetable Stock.
Well that was wonderful weekend and I hope everybody managed to get down on their plots and enjoy the weather. Looks like we're in for a "splash" later today, but maybe it'll save me going down to water later.
I had my first cos lettuce yesterday. Oh the taste!
The Brassica cage is looking good and healthy. There's a couple of cauliflowers hearting up already. Also as it's enclosed I can use slug pellets without worry. Although I've still got the copper bracelets down. Saturday was spent doing an intense weeding on the Asparagus bed, the Beans and Peas and Herbs and flowers.
Rain + Sun = WEEDS!
It shouldn't be too long before the first Garlic can be harvested. I forked up a tester and they're looking good.
My Carrots in the plastic trays are really tasty. I've used Suttons Parmex which are the small round variety. Keeping them in the containers has avoided the Carrot fly and because they're round, I don't have to worry about the depth of soil.
My neighbour Danny has got 12" high mounds which he flattens the top and plants his carrots ready started in 1/2 toilet rolls. He does the same with Beetroot. I'll keep an eye on that for future reference.
I'm hoping to acquire some stable manure. As much as I've been digging compost in, I think a good heap of manure will add that bulk to the soil and help it retain more moisture. I think my Onion & Garlic beds will definitely benefit. Also to readjust my rotation system, I'm going to leave the Brassica cage in place next year and just swap the Peas and Beans with the Spuds. So a good dose of manure will help.
I found some Scarlet Lily Beetles last week. The RHS has a form where you can report sightings. It's a vivid red colour about 1/4" - 1/2" long. If you can, squash it with your fingers before it lays its eggs. The larvae will eat all the leaves very quickly. You can get a spray, which seems to have done the trick, called Provado Ultimate Bug Killerfrom B&Q.
This weeks recipe is a fabulous Roast Monkfish tail. I was down the fishmarket the other day and there were some fresh in, which prompted me to share this. Not a cheap meal, but great for a dinner party.
Until next time,
The Captain.
Gigot de Mer / Whole Roast Monkfish
INGREDIENTS:
1 monkfish tail - about 18 oz.
12 thin slices prosciutto - enough to cover the fish
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms - about 8 oz.
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup dry white wine
2 lb. vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped or 2 large cans chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons sour cream or crème fraîche
a handful of basil leaves, chopped
coarse sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Set the prosciutto on a work surface with the slices slightly overlapping each other. Put the monkfish on top, belly up. Wrap it in the bacon with the ends overlapping across the belly.
Turn it over and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until browned, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then add the wine, and cook over high heat for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Pour this tomato sauce into a baking dish just large enough to hold the fish. Set the fish on top and roast for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 400°F and roast for 30 minutes more. Remove from the oven and put the fish on a plate. Stir the sour cream and basil into the tomatoes. Set the monkfish on top and serve. Serves 4-6.
Well Gary's back from "basting the Turkey" so we're off on another Monday Madness!
I was chatting with a neighbour as she watered a bed and it was amazing how after 5 minutes only the top surface was wet. We do have a low water table, but it just shows how much it takes to get down to the roots.
The spuds in the barrel are doing well. Not long now until the first earlies with a knob of butter!
Mysterious tracks left on the table after our BBQ on Saturday.
The Asparagus bed has finally got going, so it's patience until the crowns get established.
Can't wait!
This very attractive specimen arrived the other day and posed wonderfully for the camera. Does anybody know what kind it is? I think it's a Peacock.
And finally, here's the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and his Lady wife onstage with Steve Gibbons and yours truly performing Jailhouse Rock!
As for Man Utd, the least said the better!!!
The Captain
This weeks recipe was suggested by my neighbour Carol.
Rhubarb & Ginger Crumble.
Ingredients for 4
About 1lb rhubarb, trimmed and sliced into large chunks (about 7 1/2 cups)
8oz brown sugar
1 orange, juice and zest
8oz flour ( 4oz White & 4oz Wholemeal )
4oz cold butter
4oz rolled oats
2” piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
Directions
1.
Preheat your oven to 350°F Put the rhubarb and half the sugar into a pan. Add the orange juice and zest, put a lid on top, bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for around 5 more minutes, until the rhubarb has softened slightly. Spoon into an ovenproof baking dish and spread out evenly across the bottom.
2.
To make your crumble topping, use your fingers to lightly rub together the flour and butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the oats, the rest of the sugar and the ginger. (If you like, you can make the crumble topping in a food processor. Just whack in the flour, butter, sugar and ginger and whiz up. Add the oats for the last 10 seconds.) Sprinkle the crumble over the rhubarb and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the rhubarb is bubbling up and crumble is golden.
Serve with your own choice of Custard, Cream or Natural Yoghourt.
Well there's no Gary James Show this week as he's away in Turkey, but the work still continues apace down on No87. More maincrop spuds going in and transplanting cabbages, sweetcorn, peas & beans. The first Broad beans are in flower and looking healthy, although the Black flies are never far away. I've planted French Marigolds as a companion so lets hope they do their job. I had a trip down to Malvern on Sunday and thanks to the Country Bumpkin, came back laden with cuttings from Cherry and Hazlenut trees so fingers crossed I might get a couple that take. Then yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure to work with a Midlands Legend, Steve Gibbons, at the Lord Mayor's Show in Birmingham. It even stayed fine while we rocked the Council House!
As can be seen in the photo, Captain Tongo's pee does not help Parsley grow!!!
And finally we seem to have a couple of resident Ducks. They just appear and stroll around quite unfazed by us all working away.
Gary & I will be back next week with more fun so until then,
It was a fantastic day on Saturday when Captain Tongo had a Gazebo Party on Plot 87 to help celebrate Cissy Stone's Birthday. Lots of friends turned up with a Bottle, a Brolly and a Sense of Humour. Gale force winds and torrential rain one minute and baking sun the next ensured there was never a dull moment. The shed will NEVER be the same again.
I think I'll rename it "The Spud Diggers Arms"!!!
The new Barbi was called into action and the burgers, chicken, beer and wine were all dispatched as can be seen below. We even had a couple of friendly ducks drop in for a chat!
Congratulations to Man Utd for winning the Premiership AGAIN. (Eat your heart out Rafa!!!)
And finally back to the real stuff, hopefully if it stays fine today I'm going to sow my Kerr Pinks which are patiently sitting in their egg tray.
The Brassica cage is full and with all the rain we've had recently they're all looking healthy. Also as it's completely covered, as well as my copper rings & crushed egg shells, I can use slug pellets as their won't be any birds in there. Hopefully it will defy the high winds and remain standing. Now I know what it's like to be a tent rigger at Billy Smart's Circus!!! I'm going to transplant my Nasturtiums and French Marigolds as companions and I've got more Sweet Corn and French Beans ready to go in. Thanks to Doug for pointing out that last week's photo quiz was Borage and also to Matron for your continued support and always welcomed comments.
And finally here's the Eggplant (Aubergine) Hummous recipe.
EGGPLANT HUMMUS
This luscious (but healthy) dip is great with pita chips or raw vegetables.
Makes about 2 cups.
Ingredients
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup drained canned chickpeas
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons (generous) tahini (sesame seed paste)*
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
*Available at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Middle Eastern markets.
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise, then score flesh in crisscross pattern at 1-inch intervals, 1/2 inch deep. Rub cut sides with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with salt. Place eggplant on rimmed baking sheet, cut side down; bake until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool slightly, then scoop flesh into processor (discard skins). Add chickpeas, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, tahini, and garlic; puree until mixture is almost smooth. Transfer to bowl; stir in parsley. Season hummus to taste with salt and pepper.
Add scoops of the hummus along with feta, tomatoes, olives and cucumber.
I've been working hard erecting my Brassica cage and after a couple of hairy moments with the wind it's finished. FINALLY I can get my awaiting plants in. Let's see if the Cabbage White's can get in THERE!
First results from my Parsley competition, the Boiling Water and the Normal method have taken the lead and are first to show. No sign yet of the Fridge method or Captain Tongo's Pee!
Does anyone know what this is?
I'm very happy with The Reds at the moment but I won't bore you with that!
"All roads lead to Rome!"
Today it's a major planting day. I'm going to try a little piece of Rhubarb in the hole with the Brassicas as well as a handful of Lime. They've all been sown in my plastic trays and then potted on, so no contact with the soil as yet.
Here's the Nettle Soup recipe. We've gone all Country-fied this week.
Enjoy, The Captain.
Nettle Soup
4 large handfuls of young nettle tops (Not with flowers)
1 large onion
50 g (2 oz) butter
2 potatoes 2 pints of vegetable stock
1 tablespoon of creme fraiche
Seasoning, including grated nutmeg
1. Strip the nettles from the thicker stalks, and wash.
2. Melt the butter and simmer the chopped onion until golden.
3. Add the nettles and the chopped potatoes and cook for two to three minutes.
4. Add the stock, and simmer for 20 minutes, using a wooden spoon from time to time to crush the potatoes.
5. Add the seasoning, plus a little grated nutmeg and serve with a whirl of creme fraiche
6 Or, if you would prefer a smoother soup, put the mixture through a liquidizer first. Reheat, and add seasoning and creme fraiche.
Happy Easter to all my friends! I hope the weather has treated you well and that you've all been able to get out on the land. I spent a very pleasant weekend planting my Asparagus crowns which arrived on Saturday morning. Heeding the advice to plant ASAP I got stuck in and dug out 2 trenches, made a mound of compost/sieved soil and then covered them in more sieved soil. I just have to patiently wait for a couple of years before I can try them.
I mentioned in a previous blog about growing Parsley and in particular 3 different ways suggested by readers of The Times. One is to put the seeds in the fridge for a week, Two was to pour hot water in the drill and the third was to soak the seeds in urine (Male of course!) Well I've prepared a bed especially for the experiment as can be seen in the picture using a bag of B&M multi-purpose compost. The seeds are Plain Leaved 2 from B&Q at 98p and I've split the packet into 3. The first lot are in the fridge and next week I'll sow them at the same time as the other 2 methods. Has anyone else done the trick of cracking the Coriander seeds? Here's proof of what the guy said on TV a couple of years ago on Gardeners World from an allotment site in Birmingham. If you carefully crack the coriander seed there are 2 seeds inside. So, without cracking them I sowed 5 seeds in the pot. And there are 10 seedlings! I know it's time consuming, but isn't that's what having an allotment is all about?????
Recipe: Baked Camembert
Here's a really nice way to bake Camembert as a starter or even a light snack.
Ingredients Camembert cheese in a wooden box. (Lidl or Aldi is the cheapest!) Clove of Garlic. Cut in half. Tablespoon of Dry White wine.
Take the cheese out of the box and remove the plastic wrapping. MOST IMPORTANT! Put the cheese back into the box and rub the surface with the cut Garlic clove. Make a few small holes in the cheese and drizzle the white wine into the cheese. Put the lid back on and bake in a hot oven, 200C for about 25 mins or until soft and runny.
To serve, remove the lid and scoop out the cheese with carrot or celery sticks, crackers or bread sticks.
What a fabulous weekend. I managed to get in half a row of earlies, Arran Pilot. I'm seriously trying to stagger everything this year to avoid gluts. Also sowed loads of brassicas, sweetcorn and herbs and tidied up the plot. I've also used an old dustbin for a potato barrel. Just banged a load of holes in the base and put about 4" of compost from B&M (used to be Woolies), then 5 seed potatoes and then another 2"-3" of compost. I'm picking some lovely Purple Sprouting Broccoli. It's so much tastier than the supermarket stuff and is picked and on the plate within the hour. This is Ethel & Cecil who made an appearance at the weekend. It's amazing who you meet down on the land at times!
And here's a Spider from Mars! I found this in the cupboard in a bag I'd obviously forgotten about. I do have an issue with some of the shops selling seed potatoes with similar growths. Obviously stored at too high a temperature and with no thought. Avoid at all costs.
Congratulations to "allot of veg" who correctly identified last weeks mystery object as a Rhubarb flower.The full picture is seen here.It's amazing the colour of flowers vegetables and fruit have.
The recipe this week is courtesy of a great friend who is an actor in LA. This can be adapted to different themes by using alternative beers and rubs. It's really tasty and certainly a talking point.
1/4 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
Put the salt, brown sugar, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix.
First, pop the tab off the beer can and drink half of the beer!
Make 2 additional holes in the can just above halfway. Set the can of beer aside. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the rub inside the body cavity and 1/2 teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tablespoon of rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of rub into the beer through a hole in the top of the can. Don’t worry if the beer foams up: This is normal.
Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.
Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grill, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 75mins to 90mins. If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add fresh coals either side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter. If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill
Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off its support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve.
(This works just as well in the oven by standing the chicken in a roasting tray on the oven bottom)
Here are some alternative ideas,
The Roppongi Roaster
RUB
1/4 cup dark miso paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
CAN
12-ounce can of Sapporo (drink half, use the rest here!)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
a chunk of ginger
Toscana in a Can
RUB
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons diced prosciutto
2 tablespoons olive oil
CAN
6 ounces Prosecco poured into an empty 12-ounce beer can
Well what a fabulous day yesterday! The sunshine beaming down you'd think we were safe to get sowing outside. But NO. Along comes another cold night. I'm being cautious and cloching the row where I'm sowing my early Arran Pilots. I've used all my large glass panes in an attempt to give them a flying start. Opinion from my neighbours is give it at least another week before getting them in.
My mini propogators from Choff have really worked. I've already potted on some Cauliflower plants, and the Carrots and Leeks are coming on really strong. I've just sown some Brussels Sprouts and Cabbageready for the Brassica cage. Does anyone know where to get French Tarragon? The Russian variety that is widely available is nothing like the French, but I haven't found anywhere I can get the seeds.
The recipe this week is part of the GI diet, really tasty and with Lamb in the shops very current.
If anyone has any good recipes let me know. I'm always on the look-out for new ones.
Was in Minehead with The Legend last night and had the pleasure of meeting up with The Real Thing. I last worked with the guys 30years ago in my youth, so it was a surprise reunion.
And finally here's a test for the eagle-eyedones among us. Can you identify the pink object in the photo. The answer will be revealed next week.
Until then,
The Captain
ROAST LAMB WITH ROSEMARY AND CANNELLINI BEANS
This is good served with vegetables such as cabbage, carrots or broccoli.
Serves 2
335g extra-lean rack of lamb
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
1 sprig rosemary
1½ tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 shallots, finely sliced
410g can cannellini beans, drained
200ml good chicken stock
200g washed baby-leaf spinach
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Carefully cut away any fat and sinew from the lamb with a small sharp knife. Stab the lamb 5 or 6 times and insert a slice of garlic and a few rosemary leaves into each incision. You should have garlic clove left over. Put the lamb in a small nonstick roasting tray. Rub with tbsp olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the lamb in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes for medium-rare, 25 minutes for medium or 30 minutes for well done. Once cooked, leave to rest for 5 minutes in a warm place.
Meanwhile, heat a saucepan over a low heat, then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add the sliced shallots and remaining garlic, then gently fry for 10 minutes or until soft and golden. Rinse the cannellini beans and add to the shallots. Pour in the stock and, once bubbling, simmer for 15 minutes or until the stock has reduced. Season to taste.
In a separate pan, wilt the spinach. Slice the lamb and serve with the beans and spinach.
