Roasted Vegetables

This little lot, fresh from the veg plot, will be going into the oven at 190 degrees for about 45-60 minutes. I’ve just chopped it all roughly – courgettes, aubergines and peppers – thrown in a few small tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper and herbs. It will be served with some of our home grown sausages, a chunk of bread and a large glass of red wine. If there is any left (we have visitors too!) then I’ll keep it in the fridge to go with salads, or whizz it up for soup. Yum yum.

Learnings:

So many different things to do with excess veg, apart from give it away of course. It all depends on how much you like your neighbours :D

Sunflowers

I usually plant giant sunflowers on the veg plot to accompany the runner beans and French beans, and to add a colour splash. The added bonus is that the dead flower heads attract sparrows and other small birds to feast on the seeds. Win-Win. Composting them is another matter. If you do this, you'll need to cut the stems up quite small so they rot at the same rate as the rest of your compost - and you will need a sturdy cutter and strong hands!

Learnings:

On an exposed veg plot you may need to stake your giant sunflowers. If you tie them to your runner bean poles and the wind catches them, you will be in danger of losing the lot!