A Recycled Somerset Garden - August 2015

Post author: My daughter Sophie from Somerset, England

"It all started it from a garden of brambles, that is it was full of rampant blackberry bushes and other long term weeds.  

We started clearing it just as I became pregnant with our first child. Home veg was the value we wanted our baby to experience and grow up with, healthy and pure. So it was a real labour of love (excuse the pun).

The first year we lived here, we only just finished the vegetable patch area as we were concentrating on renovating the house itself. Everyone told me it was too late at the end of August to plant veg, but I did it anyway and loads came up !

Our vegetable patch and the recycled greenhouse

This year, 2015, with the new baby on board the garden has become totally green !  

When I began to wean her, her first foods were from our own garden. She started with pureed carrots, and then parsnips, and so on.  

We got other people involved in the garden with the sunflower competition. Once they are finished, we will keep the seeds from the flower heads, to be dried and re used for flowers next year, or for bird seed during the winter and for cooking in the kitchen. Sunflower seeds can be a great snack on their own or in a nice homemade bread. Yummy !

When we initially cleared the old garden we saved some of the plants that were already there when we bought the house. There was a Day Lily for instance, which was beautiful when it came out this summer.

Never waste plants, they cost a lot to replace. We have a grape vine which we recycled from another house. We cut it right back when we got it first. It is now flourishing and is starting to work well in hiding a block wall at the back of the garden.  

In my next Wild Cottage guest post, I will tell you all about the recipes we use for our garden produce, how we preserve things for the winter and the yummy things we cook with it all.

Meanwhile, here are some more photos of this summer's garden (August 2015)."

The beginnings of our herb bed

The bay tree

Mint in a pot to keep it contained !

Runner beans grown up bamboo sticks

Our own chillies from the greenhouse

Red and white onions almost ready to lift

Some of our white onions

Rhubarb patch !

Elephant garlic - this is just one clove !

Normal and elephant garlic

My husband's precious fig tree

Lovely lettuce

Runner beans harvested for freezing and dinner

Sage bush with lots of new growth

Sausages, Mashed Potato and Onion Gravy

Wow more sunshine and pale blue skies ! Miracles can happen after all...

I am pottering in the garden on and off. I have a wonderful, very light and easy to hold Bosch battery strimmer which is perfect for me and my rheumatoid arthritis, as I can no longer pull start my petrol mower or brush cutter. The only problem is the battery lasts about 20 to 30 minutes and then takes 3 hours to charge ! So on my (very long) wish list are 4 more battery chargers and batteries... However, at least the battery running out means I rest like I am meant to, much to my frustration.

Yesterday I bought some sausages and bacon from The Friendly Farmer at Kinvara farmer's market. He is there every week and rears all his animals the old fashioned way with free range 'strip' grazing. He uses no chemicals and the absolute minimum of medications. He also uses mostly old traditional breeds, which are hardy and have much more taste (more fat yes as this is natural etc and you can always cut it off).

Tonight I am going to cook his sausages (80% pork) and eat them with some mashed potatoes and onion gravy.

Mmmmmmmmmmm.

News Flash

Next week Ronan has promised to 'pose' for me and this blog... so watch this space and be introduced to the 'real' Ronan, The Friendly Farmer, on location at Kinvara farmer's market...

Sophii's Mashed Potato

6 medium Potatoes
2 oz salted Butter
1 Egg
Dribble of Milk
Freshly ground Black Pepper

1. Peel, chop and cook the potatoes until they are cooked fully.

2. Drain the potatoes and return them to the warm saucepan.

3. Add the butter, raw egg, a dash of milk (be very careful not to put too much milk), and a good grinding of black pepper.

4. Mash the potatoes with the other ingredients until it is all totally smooth and creamy.

5. Don't panic about the egg being raw. A. I use only local organic, free range eggs, and I know the farmer, so I know they are ok. B. When in with the hot potatoes and mashed, the egg cooks fast anyway.

I personally am not fond of salt, and never add it to anything apart from on very rare occasions. This mash is perfect without adding salt, especially as you have used salted butter. Try it please, before you add extra salt, you will be very surprised.

Onion Gravy

Gravy
Onions
Olive Oil

1. Peel, slice and fry the onions in the olive oil until clear, browning and starting to go sweet and caramelised.

2. Make your gravy as normal (either from scratch or the instant Bisto kind).

3. Add the onions to the gravy and serve with the sausages and mash !

Disclaimer !
The writer is not responsible for the readers of this blog getting fat...

Onion Marmalade

If, like me, you have a tiny addiction to marmalade, you will love this savoury variation which is fantastic with cheese, as well as with cooked meats etc.

Onions are fit for digging up now, and this is a great way to use some up. I got mine from a friend who grows loads... it's a vegetable I have never grown myself, although I'm not sure why not ! My father and grandfather always grew them.

Onion Marmalade

8 (2.5kg) large Onions, sliced
260g (1 & 1/3 cups for those over the water) brown sugar
4 teaspoons Orange Rind (finely grated)
250ml (1 cup) Orange Juice
250ml (1 cup) Malt Vinegar
750ml (3 cups) Water

1. Mix the onion and water in a big saucepan. Bring it to the boil, uncovered. Stir it now and then.

2. Boil for about 20 minutes, or until the onion is soft and the liquid has evaporated.

3. Add in all the other ingredients.

4. Stir whilst still over the heat, but do not let it boil. Do this until the sugar has dissolved.

5. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

6. Remove the cover and simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring it now and then.

7. When the mixture thickens it is ready.

8. Put the mixture into hot sterilised jam jars and seal them whilst it is still hot. Jars with screw lids are fine, as long as no metal is on the inside as this will corrode with the vinegar.