A bit of a mixture

Lovely warm weather but getting colder with some frosts threatening!  It's not a problem, the vulnerable crops won't go out yet.

We are coming into the 'Hungry Gap' now - this is the gap between the coming of all those wonderful tender summer veg and the end of the hardy spring crops that have done so well for us but are now reacting to the longer days and warmth by going to flower and on to seed.  The greenhouse and poly-tunnels will help to fill the 'Gap' but there is always a gap!

In the box this week will be fresh garlic, white cabbage, mushrooms, celery and lettuce.  The potatoes will be a bit of a mix but whatever you get will be a good all-purpose potato variety.

This week's veg box 24th/25th April

Lots of growing activity as you would expect at this time of year.

We've just finished planting the main-crop potatoes and our parsnips are sown.

There is a constant round of seed sowing taking place in the big greenhouse.  Most of our veg is sown into compost modules which, once the seedlings get to a more robust size, can be planted in the fields without too much root disturbance.  As you can imagine with 250 odd boxes going out every week this is an ongoing activity which doesn't relent until the Autumn.

The potatoes this week are Javelin.  It's not the prettiest potato but it is a good all-rounder.  As well as the onions and carrots in the box there will be calabrese, cauliflower or 'hungry gap' kale (if you got one of these last week you will get the other this week),  lettuce, spinach, and either salad onions, radish or parsley.

In the fruit bag there will be kiwis and pears as well as the usual apples, oranges and bananas.

Lovely sunshine - almost tempted to shed the thermals!

Just when you think it is warm enough to shed a few layers the papers warn us of an ozone hole over Britain!

This week's potato is Desiree - another versatile potato and according to Thompson and Morgan "the world's most popular red potato".  As well as the carrots and onions the box will also include a selection from the following list of veg: - leeks, parsnip, lettuce, mini cucumber and either cauliflower or 'hungry gap' kale.

potato correction

Apologies, the potato variety is Romano - also a good all rounder

This weeks veg box 10th/11th April

In your box this week you will find potatoes (Milva again) onions, carrots, beetroot (some of you may receive a yellow variety called 'golden globe'), spinach, mushrooms, either parsely or spring onions and either spring greens or purple sprouting broccoli (whichever you didn't have last week.)

The fruit bag contains apples, oranges, bananas, pears and grapefruit.

We have just sown the leeks in a seed bed in one of the polytunnels where we raise young plants to be lifted in June and planted outside. One of the varieties was called 'Bandit' !

What's in your veg box this week - 3rd/4th April

I can see that writing this blog may become a dreaded last minute job!  Sorry, it's newsletter/invoice week which is always quite a tight deadline.  I will try to be more enthusiastic next week!

This week's potato is Milva which is a good all-rounder.  Apart from the onions and carrots, this week's box will be a selection from the following veg:- fresh garlic, parsnips, leeks, purple-sprouting broccoli, spring greens, lettuce or salad.

You will recognise the garlic by its distinct smell and so you are unlikely to mix it up with the leeks which it superficially resembles.  We have also bagged the garlic to maintain its freshness.  This fresh garlic is mild and yummy.  Use the entire plant - stalk and all.  Chop finely and use to garnish mashed potatoes, mix in salads, add to mayonnaise, sprinkle on hot buttered beetroot/carrots . . . .

If you get purple-sprouting broccoli be aware that the warmer weather hastens it's demise and development into flower and it is getting warmer!  Great while it lasts though!