Carrot-sized Radishes...!

Forget those tiny half-bite radishes, and grow some you can really get your teeth into! And if you think these are big, you should have seen those we dug up the day before!

This the German salad radish, Raphanus sativus 'Ostergruss Rosa'. Not only superb in salads, but the perfect nibble to go with your glass of beer.

We've been growing these for a couple of years now, and they really are delicious. Fast and easy to grow, they're always the first spring veg we harvest, along with early salad leaves. In a few days, we'll be sowing again for a summer crop. If you haven't grown them before, give them a try - you won't be disappointed!

A Return to Normal Life and other stuff...

It's spring, the weather is glorious; and after a very difficult ten months, life is slowly getting back to normal. OH is back at work full-time, though still having to take time out for two hours of physio each day, and we're almost on top of the gardening. Well, the back garden at least - we're still having to employ a gardener to keep the front tidy, but hopefully for not too much longer. We may even be able to let the cleaner go next month.

The bathroom renovation (after the storm-damaged roof and collapsed bathroom ceiling episode) will be on hold for a while. We'd planned to get it done late last autumn, but the need for OH to have a second operation has meant a temporary delay.

Despite all the catching up we've had to do, I've somehow managed to make and launch a range of Kindle cases. All in gorgeous fabrics, like the example pictured here, and all padded and fully lined. Available in my Folksy shop so do take a peek and let me know what you think. :)

Well HELLO, big boy!

Meet Carl 'Big Boy' Carrot, fresh from my veg patch, and complete with carefully maintained punk hairdo. When not entertaining Mrs Carrot, he loves nothing better than reclining on a bed of kitchen paper in the warm autumn sun. He remains blissfully unaware that a pan of boiling water will be his ultimate doom, and that his large appendage will almost certainly drop off as he softens.

So enjoy it while you can, my orange friend. We're rooting for you.

Yummy Green Bean Salad

Our bean plants are producing fruit like there's no tomorrow! We've also got lots of mint, so here's a salad I'll be making tonight:

Serves 6 to 8

600g trimmed green beans (if very large, cut into manageable lengths)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

1. Steam the beans for 10 minutes, then refresh under cold running water. Shake well and pat dry. Leave to fully cool.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small pan, add garlic and fry quickly till crisp and lightly golden. Leave to cool.

3. Whisk together remaining oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, and stir in the mint. Pour the mixture over the beans and mix well.

4. Tip into a serving bowl and scatter over the garlic in its oil. Chill if desired.

Steps 1 and 2 can be done the day before if wanted – put the beans and garlic (in its oil) in separate bowls, cover with cling film and store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Swiss Chard Recipe

Like so many veg growers, OH and I have an enormous glut of Swiss chard (and other beets), thanks to the cold spring we experienced this year, conditions they apparently love. So here's a recipe I'll be trying out today:

Ingredients

2 large bunches Swiss chard
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 strips thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

Slice the stems into 1-inch pieces and reserve. Stack the chard leaves into a pile. Roll together into a bundle and slice into 1/2-inch ribbons.

Heat oil to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute until browned, rendering the fat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add chard stems, cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then season with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.

Begin to add the chard ribbons in batches. Once the chard wilts down, add the next batch and the balsamic vinegar. Stir occasionally until completely tender, about 5 minutes.

Serves 3 to 4.

(I'll be serving this for dinner with braised lamb's liver and red peppers. Yum!)