The other night I got the first midge bite of the year, on my head as usual: it’s summer!
Weeds and Friar’s Beards
I was pulling weeds here and there – a lot of grass tufts around – wondering why my barba di frate never got to come out (ok that it is a low germination seed, but…) when I realised that what I was pulling might well not have been a tiny tiny tuft of grass but actually the elusive agretti! In fact it was tinier than grass usually is when it emerges, so watch this space…
Most seedlings are out now
Suddenly al the seedlings are coming out together: this is the most difficult stage for me as I am not too good at potting on – a very delicate phase, with a lot of pressure to find suitable space.
I have prepared the greenhouses for the chillies already, and the tomatoes that I transplanted straight from the seedtrays to the ground under a tent seem to be doing fine. The cardoons that I planted out to save from slug & snails look on the mend as well.
Strawberries, redcurrant, gooseberry and blackcurrant are flowering. I wish someone got the shoots and self-seeded soft-fruits off me before they die in the small pots. I also have borage seedlings and plenty of mint that I could give away.
As I really loved the soup the other night, before leaving I decided to try some more nettles: you are only supposed to pick them while they are young in spring – which is now. It was already darkish, and an odd, gloomy feeling took hold of me, as if I was in the process of stealing, much as little Eliza must have felt in the childrens’ story “The Wild Swans” by H.C. Andersen.
Anyway, I decided to make an omelette this time. It was lovely and I have some leftover for lunch today. For the recipe, I proceeded as per the soup until just before the flour/milk/stock step and added a sprinkle of white wine instead. I then whisked 6 eggs with some parmesan and mixed it with the wilted nettles straight in a pan, where I had heated some e.v. olive oil.
Another recipe I found suggested to chop the nettles finely and add them raw to the batter instead.
— Post From My iPhone
First produce of the year!
Today I picked some rhubarb, which I will be turning in compote tomorrow, and some nettles.
I have been growing nettles to attract ladybirds, as I read once that they particularly fancy nettle aphids, and saw nettles on the canal that were full of ladybirds after that.
But nettles are also a nutritious food: my Food for Free booklet says that “they have high levels if Vitamins A and C, 2.3% by weight iron, and a remarkable 5.5% of protein.”
So I decided to make soup, and after browsing a few recipes I mixed them to get this:
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped
- e.v. olive oil q.b.
- 2 tbs of white flour
- 150 gr nettles tops and young leaves
- 1 glass whole milk
- 500 ml chicken stock
Soften your onion and garlic in a pan with some oil, then add the nettles (washed, with stalks & all) and stir until wilted. Stir in the white flour, the milk and the chicken stock. Bring to the boil for a few minutes and then turn off the hob and blend the soup into the mixer.
Living the Good Life?
I am doing a lot more than last year at the allotment but that means I am so tired when I get home and leave reporting and keeping track of things, which is not very “professional” of someone that is trying to assess whether she is successful!
Also, as I mentioned last week, I have lost inspiration to write about what is going on: full-time work, housework and studying on top, all together take their toll.
So I was intrigued when I read this article referring to a hypothesis of alternative life where the working week would consist of 21 hours and so much more free time for the rest (with the side benefit of less money for consumerism)… The article also refers to the price of bed frames (which I mentioned last week) and how the Good Life is now being sold as a marketing exercise…
Of course I am thinking of the possibility of living in a more self-sufficient, sustainable way: somehow working the land triggers reflections on responsibility towards what’s around you. In an attempt to cut on the effort towards it, I had even considered applying for the new BBC reality show on setting up your own farm (but it is not clear what you commit yourself for and what you get for it, so I suspect it is only attractive to pretty desperate – or very brave – people). In the meantime, I will be attending a breadmaking course.
Incidentally, I have received my first horticulture paper results, and it seems I have cracked it, even though it took me all that long.
Is the Good Life any closer? For sure it’s a hell of a lot of work to get there! And I cannot see many realistic shortcuts…
Maybe it’s just me being more alert…
… but both at the allotment and at home there are plentiful spiders, ladybirds, (bumble)bees of several types and even a couple of butterflies (a peacock – bit battered, and a comma)…
I made another bed today and started planting out some peas. More tomorrow, when some sunshine is forecasted. Need to clean up the shed once again or I will miss some of the seeds that I have not catalogued by month as they were used already and stored in tins.
More raspberry shoots today, if anyone is keen on experimenting, they might even fruit this year if transplanted quickly enough.
Talking of clearing up…
I arrive at the plot, climb to the shed and…
My gosh it’s light and airy!
gobsmacked, jaw dropping… there is virtually no holly on the bank over the plot on the left, and the elders whose flowering I was looking forward for my cordial have mostly gone too!
Maybe the new neighbour, maybe the council following my request to clear the banks from evergreens (mental note: leave the council alone in future)…
I was not sure whether to be pleased – which I really was – or disappointed – which I was also, a bit. But I spent most of the time looking at it. It was beautifully clean, light and airy, so different from before and will help a lot with the establishment of my besties’ hotel -which I forgot to tell you, I finished last weekend: voila’!
But the elders were a sorry sight after a rough job, and technically in my plot – I always feel a bit possessive of my plot as you should know by now…
No new signs of slugs on the seedlings tonight.
About Me
M.Paola Andreoni
I got the first allotment in 2007 (in the UK) and started growing my own food for the first time. Learning as I went along was not enough, so I studied some horticulture. I am striving to abide by organic principles. Brexit gave me a new life in the Netherlands, and two new plots by a nature reserve.
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