As the season turns steadily through autumn, life on the allotment slows down as well – jobs which were put off during the growing season can now be tackled – a much needed coat of paint was applied to the shed during a sunny couple of days. One of our allotment neighbours even found time to tidy his shed – a rare event for him apparently! The work this week involves tidying up of the greenhouse – stripping out old tomato plants but leaving a few where there is still some slowly ripening fruit enjoying the relative warmth under the glass. The pepper and chilli plants have a lot of unripe fruits – but will be taken off as green peppers and chillis if a cold snap of weather is forecast. And salad rocket is doing very well in the greenhouse too – along with the Pak Choi planted into there a few weeks ago. Pak Choi is one of those crops which my grandfather – or indeed my father – would probably never of heard of let alone grown! It’s a brassica – and you will probably have seen or bought it in the supermarket if you make your own oriental dishes where it is used extensively. It’s low in carbohydrates but a good source of vitamins A, C and K. From the growers point of view it’s easy but works best as a late summer ra autumn crop in my view – the only problem is that slugs love it!

This week we lifted the first of the Jerusalem artichokes which we grew in a line along the back of the chicken enclosure. The form quite tall leafy stems during the summer but the edible roots can be lifted like potatoes from autumn onwards. Unfortunately they have a reputation for inducing flatulence so many people avoid them which is a pity because they have a delightful smoky, earthy taste. They can be eaten raw in salads or made into a delicious winter soup with spinach – which is described in the New Covent Garden Book of Soups. It’s very simple to make – 12oz well washed artichokes (no need to peel them) are cooked in butter with an chopped onion for 10 minutes and then chicken stock added together with seasoning and, essentially, freshly ground nutmeg. After cooking for 20 minutes 6oz spinach leaves are stirred in and the whole lot puréed in a blender. Add some milk or cream and serve with croutons!