From garden to kitchen

Welcome. A garden catch up today. Here we have three beds of potatoes coming along nicely. Not sure if they are earlies or lates, or what sort they are. They all go in together in no particular order, and come out as and when I want to eat them. Looking healthy, looking good.   

One bed of broad beans. Not quite ready to eat, waiting for the pods to fatten up. Some of the plants have not grown as high as last year, so maybe they are a different kind. I put the pieces of wood across to stop the cats from using it as a toilet.

Runner beans at different heights, some planted early some late. I have wrapped the outside in net curtains, again to stop the cats getting onto it. It will be another month before they are ready.

Six courgette plants showing signs of flowering. Another couple of weeks and there should be something to eat. Bits of wood, and plastic and anything else, to keep the cats off. Looks untidy but needs must.

This is the chuck it and see bed, chuck the seeds on and see what comes up. Something is growing. Think I used three different kinds of seeds. Radishes and turnips possibly.

 And last but not least, the bed occupied by frogs. I have planted a few dwarf beans in here, let's hope they start showing soon. I grow just the basics, not faffing around with anything that is too complicated, haven't got time.

Has anyone got one of these gizmo's? It's a wotchamacallit thingy. You know, a wotsit that you put in your saucepan to steam vegetables. Now this one looks like a shiny new one, but it isn't. If you had seen it 24 hours ago, it looked 'orrible. Even though I wash it each time it is used, the limescale in the water builds up on it. Time for action. I soaked it for 24 hours in the saucepan that I use it with, in a solution of diluted vinegar. A scrub with a wash up brush gets rid of all the gunge and it looks shiny new again. 

I love my steamer gizmo, would be lost without it. There are two sizes, I have the larger one which fits in a large pan. You can buy them for around £5, can't remember exactly, I have had this one for a couple of years.

The pan has also come up like new. Hurrah for vinegar :o))

All ready to go again. This is in constant use in my kitchen. An inch or two of water in the bottom. All the vegetables go in together, starting with the hardest root vegetables first, softer quick to cook ones next, and leafy ones on top. It only takes a few minutes to cook vegetables in this. Stick the fork in to test if they are done, switch the heat off when they are nearly ready, leave for a couple of minutes more, the steam will finish them off.

It was still warm as the sun started to go down last night, a good opportunity to take a walk in the park after dinner. The hall looks splendid.

And Rocky came too.

Looks like another nice day. A bit more playing with fabric, then playing outside. Enjoy your day. Toodle pip.