Friday 19 October 2012

What's Up, Doc?

After last year's success with sowing carrots in the old bath on the allotment, we didn't think we'd have any problems this year. Cue rain and slugs. Even those seeds which managed to germinate were munched to the ground. We decided to make a late sowing in a container in the garden, and though we kept watch, the growth above ground wasn't very vigorous. We didn't have high hopes for what was going on underneath the soil but it came to the point where we had to bite the bullet and pull them up. We were right in our thinking, there wasn't much there. The photo shows the extent of the 2012 carrot crop. Oh well, like everything else, we'll give it another go next year.

I posted about the patty pan squash - Sunburst, in my last post. We ate it on Monday as an accompaniment to chicken stew; diced chicken with potatoes, swede, parsnips, carrots and dumplings, all done in the slow cooker, with mashed potatoes for me, and roast potatoes for the rest of the family, as well as French beans on the side. The preparation of the squash was simple, just cubed and drizzled with oil, then roasted in the oven. We all enjoyed it, so it is a definite for growing next year.

The weather is so unpredicatable at the moment. We can get up to a dark, damp day, but by mid morning, it's turned in to a gorgeous, bright autumnal day. I'm hoping for lots of sunshine over the weekend.


34 comments:

  1. Well they're bigger than mine (which I was too embarrassed to show)! Hope you have good weather this weekend :-)

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    1. It doesn't really matter what size they are, the taste is always there with home grown. Fingers crossed for a sunny weekend.

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  2. At least you have some and hopefully they'll taste lovely. x

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    1. The one thing about growing your own is that they always taste far superior to shop bought. I'm sure I can console myself with that.

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  3. I heard that we can expect an Indian summer towards the end of this month. I like to believe good forecasts.
    Carrots, home grown straight from the soil. Fantastic taste!

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    1. I heard that too, perhaps my squash will make it after all. I do love home grown carrots.

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  4. Jo, there may not be many of them, but they look like decent specimens - particularly the ones on the left of your photo.

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    1. I could have done with a few more like those on the left, I'd have been happy with that. Another thing to have another go at next year.

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  5. Glad you enjoyed your squash Jo...there's nothing worse than growing something new to find that you don't really like it!!

    If I had been having dinner with you on Monday evening I would have joined you with the mash potatoes...you can't have stew without something to soak up that wonderful gravy!!

    You may not have many carrots but they do look great!!

    Hope the weather's nice for us all over the weekend!

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    1. It's amazing that I've found something which all the family will it. Only too often, one of them dislikes something, so it makes it so much easier when we all like it. I'll definitely be growing it again next year. Mashed potatoes is another example of this, neither of the kids like it so I always have to do roast potatoes, even when I want mash. It's a good start to the weekend here, nice and sunny. Hope it continues.

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  6. Wow well done as our are tiny. Been a disappointing year for many things due to the weather however we shall, like you say try again next year.

    X x

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    1. I think I'd have preferred tiny ones if we had more of them, this was the extent of our crop. Let's hope we all have better luck next year.

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  7. WE seem to have gone topsy-turvy with one another - last year we had a poor carrot year but this year a good harvest. Some of the carrots are massive and unspoiled.

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    1. I'm pleased one of us has had a good year this year. Let's hope we can both manage a good harvest next year.

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    2. I hope so too, Jo. We grew one called Saint Valery this year which have grown huge carrots but still have small carrot flavour.

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    3. I'll have to look out for that one. I think there's so many varieties out there that you'd never get round to trying them all.

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  8. I had a few more carrots but quite a few have been attacked by carrot root fly. We didn't cover them this year. I just chop off the grotty bits. I've not dug them all up to freeze this time. I just intend to dig them up when I need them. Yours look pretty disease free.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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    1. I grew the carrots in a container and they were blemish free. There's no way I'd be able to grow them in the ground without covering them, the root fly have a field day on our site.

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  9. I've yet to grow any half decent carrots, but will try again next year.
    After a day of rain yesterday my plot will be well soggy again so needs a few days to dry out. I hope that yours is better. Flighty xx

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    1. I hope we have a better year weather wise next year, it will be so disappointing if we don't. My plot is no better, there's standing water on it at the moment.

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  10. That meal sounds delicious! How long did you roast the patty pan squash for?

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    1. The meal was delicious, you can't beat a good stew once the weather turns cold. I roasted the squash for a little over half an hour, turning it over half way through.

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  11. I never have much success with carrots (except for the occasional round one that does OK) so yours look superb to me.

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    1. Not do I. These were grown in a container. It's hopeless trying to grow them in the ground.

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  12. Hi Jo! I've just found your blog via allotments4you and am loving it! I am also in Leeds and have an allotment. Your carrots look great. Hope you're having a sunny weekend. Really interested to talk to you about blogging. Is your email address on your profile still valid?
    Anna :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. My email address is still valid. It was lovely and sunny yesterday but the fog hasn't lifted all day today. We took Archie for a walk this morning and couldn't see above a few feet in front of us.

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  13. It has been a lovely weekend here which has meant I've managed to get a few jobs on the plot and in the garden done. Mmmm that stew sounds good. One of the redeeming features of this time of year is a good hearty stew. Hope you've had some sunshine up there.

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    1. It was a lovely day yesterday, but the fog hasn't lifted at all today. Still, hubby has managed to get lots of clearing and tidying up jobs done, both in the garden and on the plot. I love stew, and it's perfect for this time of year when the weather has turned down.

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  14. You may not have many but they still look pretty good - maybe we'll all do better next year.

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    1. I hope so. I suppose some are better that none.

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  15. Now that old adage of it's quality not quantity that counts comes to mind Jo. They look most healthy and I'm sure you enjoyed them. Your Monday meal sounds quite delicious. It's been a lovely weekend here despite a foggy morning today. Hope that you have had a good one.

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    1. Well they were certainly quality, not a blemish on them. It remained foggy throughout the day here yesterday, though at least it was dry so that's something.

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  16. The foliage growth on my carrots doesn't look like much this year. I keep leaving them thinking they will grow bigger but maybe I should harvest. Decisions, decisions.

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    1. The foliage on most of my carrots wasn't much either, and unfortunately, there wasn't much underground either. These few were the best of the bunch.

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