A
perfect weekend - for the office, and with great good luck I was
dispensing gardening advice to the multitudes at Wisley this weekend as
the wintry showers swept across Surrey. Usually, days are balmy when I
am working.
Even so 'cabin fever' struck after three days indoors and I did squelch round the allotment emptying the last compost pit.
Then
the onion sets went into some ground dug and fertilised in February.
Weeding onions on weed-seed rich sandy allotment soil is deeply
unappealing, so the sets were put out through slits in black polythene
and, as an experiment, white polythene, which is black on the lower
side to suppress weeds. The white polythene is not exactly beautiful,
but with luck should reflect light back into the canopy and boost the
onion crop.
Two
new sets for 2008: ‘Red Supreme' to see if it is better than the rather
unsatisfactory ‘Red Baron' and ‘Stur BC 20', a brown onion said to be
long keeping.
Rather
annoyingly I have used the last of my onions from last year. They
usually keep until the end of April and I had some seed raised ones
that keep better than set grown onions. I can only think that dull
weather at ripening time last year, a mild winter and downy mildew
infection compromised the keeping quality of my onion crop.
I
just have to pat myself on the back yet again for planting so many
leeks last year - it is truly amazing how the late planted leek
‘Toledo' has bulked up since the turn of the year. Just as well
because the F1 hybrid leeks, ‘Sultan', ‘Apollo' and ‘Oarsman' have all
been consumed. The next batch of F1 leeks for 2008/9 are now growing
in modules and ‘Toledo' seed being vastly cheaper will follow beneath
fleece as soon as soil dries up enough.
With
all this cold weather, warming stews are in order based on leeks, with
what is left of the onions, garlic and loads of root vegetables. The
root vegetables are about to go over and indeed have much less flavour
than a month ago. However, with the help of braising steak and Polish
smoked sausages satisfying casseroles and stews can be made.
I
woud be sorry to waste any of my root crop, but due to my enthusiasm
for vegetable curry this is unlikely. Cubed root veg and the very last
winter squash were softened in the microwave mixed, with curry paste
and finished in the oven. Consumed with yoghurt, the dregs of the root
crop are quickly made palatable.
Unfortunately
curry paste is mainly fat and sugar, so for a less fattening
alternative, potatoes were treated in the same way, given a mere spray
of oil and seasoned with Cajun seasoning before going in the oven. I
have two big sacks of spuds to go, so there will be plenty of
opportunity to develop this recipe.
Greens
have not been neglected. The purple sprouting brocc has begun to come
in, but without my white sprouting broccoli there would have been a gap
after the purple cape cauliflowers. White sprouting broccoli has been
a revelation. I thought I would renew my acquaintance after many years
because I have heard that the plant breeding companies, having improved
purple sprouting, are turning their attention to the white sprouting.
And well they might - it has been very early, very productive and
delicious. Unfortunately I have neglected to buy seed for 2008 - but
last minute purchases are what seed merchant's web shops are for.