Fruits of our labour

We will really miss the fruit trees and veg patch when we move and heres the reason why!

We didn't get any cherries last year as the birds beat us to it so this year I suggested we threw a fruit net over the tree to see what happened and as you can see it worked, we didn't get many as it is a small tree but at least we didn't lose them to the birds as I LOVE CHERRIES!

Also you can see we are now starting to pick raspberries with loads more to come, loganberries, gooseberries, our dwarf beans are starting to produce and our first runner bean! The bean plants look like they need to grow a lot more but hopefully they will continue to produce well into the summer and fingers crossed once we move too as we will be taking them with us (suggestions on how to do it are welcome!).

x

In all the madness...

Alot of you will know that I am having to move house. I have loved living in my little paradise where the kids can run free in the paddock, we can enjoy the sunshine in a beautiful garden and enjoy the fruits (and veg) of our labour from the fruit trees and veg patch. Unfortunately our landlord has now sold the house and we are currently looking for a new house to call home (hopefully for only a year whilst I get my PGCE and then its onwards and upwards!).

Even with all this happening we decided to continue to grow some fruit and veg for this summer (hopefully we will be able to harvest some of it and take the rest with us) so we have planted strawberry plants (of which we have not had any strawberries!) we had other soft fruit already planted and are eagerly awaiting the raspberries, gooseberries and currents that are ripening beautifully.

We also planted some dwarf beans

some runner beans

Some tomatoes (which I have been sending plants out in the post to several other twitter and blog favs of mine so would love to know how theirs are doing)

We have also got some other bits and pieces but this was a complete surprise and was saved from being strimmed and how pleased I am now that it was noticed and yes it will be dug up and taken with us!

x

Fruit and chutney

The house we live in has a paddock out the back that has fruit trees growing in it and earlier this year we had a plum tree that produced and we ate loads of stewed plums and plum crumbles. This unfortunately had to stop when the plums ran out, but we have another 2 trees with plums ripening as we speak and also a damson tree which is looking rather full. We also have some apple and pear trees which aren't fairing so well with the wet weather but I'm sure that there will be enough to get us through a few months.

However what I really wanted to talk about was the old cooking apple tree in the back garden, it has been dropping apples every day for weeks now because of the wet and slightly windy weather and I couldn't sit around and watch all those apples go to waste so I've been collecting them and the nice big ones have been made into apple crumbles which have been going down very well with Rob (unfortunately the children don't seem to like them but with time I'm sure they will come round!) but I have also attempted some chutney, and I thought I would share it with you here. Its a version of Christmas Chutney and whilst cooking it makes the house smell just like Christmas, which I absolutely love. Cloves, oranges, cinnamon, apples, mixed spice, ginger, mmmmmmm can't wait for it to mature (2 whole months) and then I can try it on some freshly aga baked ham!

Am going to have to buy a preserve book, any recommendations would be great. Am now going to look through my cook books for a runner bean chutney, something to make with damsons and plums. Will let you know how it goes

xxx