The Garden Larder

At this time of year, finding something to eat from the garden, is not easy.  So in the gloom of early morning I had a good look around to see how many edibles were left.  As well as a dozen cabbages I found a small patch or two of self-seeded leeks,  the leeks that I planted proper haven't done too well - they are still quite small and one or two have already gone to seed.  Instead of pulling them up I have been slicing them off at the base, and there is a fair amount of re-growth, which I am hoping will mature into proper leeks.



Self-sown Leeks



Curly Kale

There is still a fair amount of curly kale, both scarlet and the ordinary green type, and although they stand well in the winter, I find it surprisingly tasteless - but, it does provide a bit of vibrant green on the plate once cooked.  I rip it into small pieces, steam lightly, then stir fry it in butter and nutmeg for a couple of minutes, to try and inject a bit of flavour.
 

Carrots

I still have a few carrots in the ground, leftover from a late sowing, I doubt whether they will amount to much when I pull them, but I still have some in store in dry earth - not enough to see us through till the next harvest though.  This September I will make sure I sow enough to last the winter.

Sage Parsley Thyme



Rosemary Oregano Thyme Chocolate Mint and Spearmint

I have herbs in  several locations in the garden, some in containers which are in the greenhouse for safekeeping.  Thyme, Oregano, Curly Parsley, Chocolate Mint and Spearmint as it turns out I needn't have bothered, with this mild winter.  The mints are just pushing through new shoots, but there isn't enough left on the old plants for a picking.  There is also a large container outdoors containing several varieties of thyme, sadly one or two are now very woody, regardless of my chopping them well back, so they will be dug out and replaced this year.  Further up the garden I have a sunken sink full of herbs as well and sage cuttings in the raised bed plus a pot of flat-leaf parsley that has rooted through the pot and is firmly anchored into the soil on which it sits.

Only one of the Purple Sprouting Broc  plants is producing florets at the moment which means that there isn't really enough for a serving, so I pick them and mix them in with whatever else I can find.

Rainbow chard is still doing its thing but it very tough and motheaten and not really worth eating, it still provides a nice splash of colour though. 





Finally there is the Garlic growing well in amongst the spring onions and self-seeded California Poppies.  I have been using the same method with the spring onions as I have with the leeks, slicing them off at ground level, so that they keep on growing.

I am pleased with the amount of winter crops that I have managed to grow - all the above plus the parsnips below ground, should last us for another month or so - then will come the notorious 'hungry-gap' when I will have to rely on the supermarket once more.  Maybe this year I will be able to rectify this shortfall with a bit of careful planning.

Finally, the first signs of buds on the blackcurrant  bush - there's hope yet!  Do you have much left in your winter garden larder?