Growing your own vegetables is both very satisfying and often very frustrating. Satisfying because your own produce always tastes better, frustrating because sometimes no matter how hard you try things sometimes just don’t work out. One of the biggest challenges are what to do with an unexpected glut or what to do with a new success. So here I have gathered a variety of posts on things related to cooking etc. using our allotment produce.
Homemade Elderflower Cordial
Each June I look at the blooming Elderflowers and think I really should have a go at making some Elderflower cordial and then promptly forget. However this time around I was with it and so set about making Elderflower cordial which is a doddle and knocks the spots off any shop bought stuff...
Sprouts and spaghetti is a match made in heaven that sprout haters should give a go
Sprouts are the marmite of vegetables with people either liking or passionately hating them. However I always take the view no matter how much you dislike a particular food thing, there is always a recipe out there that could change your mind. So if you run a mile when sprouts are mentioned then stop and give this Waitrose recipe a go as I think you will be pleasantly surprised - it is really a doddle to make, cheap and very very tasty and without that bitter taste are often associated with Sprouts...
Making a Mexican Lasagne with the last of the sweetcorn
Well it was back from the allotment with the last of the sweetcorn which to be honest wasn't looking its best so what to do with it? After getting out the recipe books and flicking through we hit on Nigella's Mexican inspired lasagne and wow it is really good and so easy...
Potato on pizza is a match made in heaven
We were looking for something different to do with the last of the new potatoes when a recipe that used potatoes as pizza topping floated into vision. Potatoes... on top of pizza... really who on earth would come up with that? Ah, of course those wonderful people who invented pizza! So if you like pizza then you really must try Pizza con Patate...
What on earth can you do with a Cauliflower in the height of summer?
It was going to be a seriously hot day and a quick spin around the allotment to sort the watering resulted in a neighbour offering us a lovely cauliflower because... they had lots spare... as you do... in July. Ask most people what they would do with a cauli at anytime and I am sure it is going to involve cheese or being boiled to within an inch of its life as a side veg. So in the height summer this might be a challenge, fortunately there is a wonderful charred cauliflower, lemon, caper and orzo recipe that might make you think differently...