It’s very definitely autumn on the allotment now although the last lingering memories of summer survive in the greenhouse; tomatoes, still in production but much slower to ripen, and peppers and chilli peppers seem to find a new lease of … Read more

Camping this weekend we made our dhal in Kirsten’s Hungarian kotlich cooking pot. We really need to expand our menu – as we mostly cook the same thing…but it’s very simple… Kotlich Dhal Serves eight to 10 people. 1 cup … Read more

The Potato Famine occurred in Ireland in the years between 1845 and 1849 when the potato crop failed in successive years. The Irish famine was the worst to occur in Europe in the 19th century and the crop failures were … Read more

At the end of July I was sowing turnip seeds for planting out and expecting a September harvest. Some of the plants went in under fleece and some in the open air and, as expected, those under the fleece did … Read more

Composting is at the heart of the recycling activity which returns fertility to the soil on the allotment and as the season turns, it’s time to turn the compost heaps to mix the contents, check the activity and correct the … Read more

I mentioned last week that the well-known cook and writer Jane Grigson took a dim view of the culinary value of the humble swede. Not everyone agrees of course and I find them very acceptable! This year, for the first … Read more