When it comes to what you grow, it’s easy to stick to old favourites. I know beetroot do well in my raised beds, new potatoes and courgettes are always top performers, and chard never lets me down. So why fix it, if it’s not broken?
The Gardening Year
28 / 08 / 2024
Gill's Summer 24 Journal
On the whole, it’s been a pretty good growing season so far! We’ve had some delicious veg coming out the garden, and at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.
When it comes to what you grow, it’s easy to stick to old favourites. I know beetroot do well in my raised beds, new potatoes and courgettes are always top performers, and chard never lets me down. So why fix it, if it’s not broken? Well, variety is a good thing, the spice of life some say. So, mixing it up a bit keeps things exciting, and, of course, gives me something different to cook in the kitchen.
Broccoli has made its first appearance in the garden this summer. I know it’s not particularly adventures, and yes, like most veg, it’s relatively cheap, and readily available in the shops, but that’s not the point and certainly not why people like gardening. I hadn’t tried classic broccoli before (I had tried purple sprouting, with limited success) so the way I figured, it was worth a shot, it represented a challenge of sorts too.
I’m pleased to say, the plants grew nicely, and produced, to my surprise, some respectable florets. Not award winning by any stretch, but perfectly acceptable.
I grew about 12 plants in all, each ready to harvest at slightly different times, so we never had a glut to worry about. Once we’d cut the main flowering head, (the crown), smaller buds began to shoot from the lower stems, so it was possible to gather several servings from each plant before it bolted and went to seed. Some of the plants came under attack. Clusters of tiny grey aphid like insects made a temporary home in and around the florets, which, although slightly off putting, wasn’t a deal breaker. A short sharp blast with the hose seemed to dislodge the majority.
When it came to the cooking, I kept it all very simple. Steamed and served with butter and flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper is my favourite way to enjoy the flavour and texture of home grown broccoli. I make a point of cutting the stem long, because that’s just as tasty as the head itself. Sweet, tender and full of flavour. Just trim back the woodier outside before slicing and cooking with the buds. Beyond that, and during its season, broccoli featured regularly at ‘brunch’. That meant draping over a few salty anchovies, sprinkling modestly with dried chilli flakes, and topping off proceedings with a fried egg. For supper, a stand out for me was to grill the florets, over hot embers and serve with lemon, finely grated parmesan and olive oil. Just delicious!
Another veg that’s out done itself and my expectations, and another first for the Summerhouse veg garden are French beans. I’ve grown good old runner beans every year, but not tried French beans until now. I planted out a handful of seedlings in the raised bed that runs below and along the deer fence on the northwest side of the garden. They had a shaky start, but as the weeks flew on they began to weave their way up the fence, and before we knew it there were slender beans here, there and everywhere. Such a different vegetable to the imported alternatives you can pick up at the greengrocers throughout much of the year. They are sugary, snappy and particularly good raw straight from the plant, although, lightly boiled in salted water, they ta