Last Produce

Yesterday (New Year's Eve) I went to the allotment with my daughter to see if there were any potatoes left - there were still 1½ rows that had been "earthed up" and not dug. We wondered if the slugs and snails had had a really good Christmas dinner and whether they had left any potatoes for us to eat in the new year.

They have had quite a good dinner, but gladly have left us with at least 10lbs of the most delicious potatoes, which we had great delight in digging up. As the fork turned over yet another plant we were squealing with delight as we picked out potato after potato to add to the sack. We have enough potatoes for the next month or so, and then the cycle begins again as in a few days time I shall be doing my potato order for tubers to plant in the spring. Hopefully this year we will only have a few months of "non-home grown" spuds.

We also had a bonus when we were there - we found an onion (one white and one red) on each of the childrens plots, so we harvested those too and they are now drying in the greenhouse. On the subject of onions in the greenhouse we still have quite a few lbs left (especially of the red variety), which reminds me that I have discovered a marvellous receipe for using red onions. Here it is:-

Caramelised Red Onion Tart with Cheddar Cheese

2 red onions peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic peeled and finely chopped
1 handful of fresh (if possible) thyme
1 tbsp sugar
balsamic vinegar
shortcrust pastry
Cheddar cheese (grated)

Heat a small amount of olive oil and butter in a saucepan and add onions, garlic and thyme and cook for about 15 mins. Add the sugar to caramelise the onions and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Allow to cool a little. Make (or buy) pastry and place in fridge for 30 mins.

Roll out pastry after it has "rested" in the fridge and cut out discs. Place each disc of pastry into a bun tin and put in heaps of the onion mixture and flatten down a little. Sprinkle each tart with grated cheese and bake in oven gas mark 4 for 10 mins. Delicious!

We had these tarts as starters on Christmas Day and everyone enjoyed them immensely.

2007 was a great year for us as it was the year that my dream of an allotment was realised. We have had some trials (bindweed, rock solid earth, no rain, too much rain, potato blight, tomato blight), but it has been more than compensated for with the satisfaction of growing delicious crops to eat, being out in the fresh air and meeting new people. Am I glad that we started on this venture? You bet! See you in 2008 for more allotment stories - meanwhile I have a few fruit and vegetable catalogues to go through.......