All That I'm Eating

Recipe ideas for budget meals, everyday cooking and a little indulgence. Travel inspiration and restaurant reviews too.

Growing Herbs with Dobies of Devon

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Growing Herbs - Rosemary

Whether you have a garden, maybe even a dedicated herb patch in your garden, a window box or windowsill you always have room for growing herbs of your own. I love using fresh herbs in cooking, especially in the summer but I can’t believe the price of buying them from a supermarket. I have a sunny little corner in my garden now where I have a few herbs in some pots but before that I grew them on my kitchen windowsill.

Dobies of Devon got in touch to see if I’d like to share some suggestions and ideas for growing your own herbs. Their website is definitely worth checking out as you can order live herb plants as well as seeds depending on how you want to grow. read more

Rocket Gardens

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I’m not going to lie. I haven’t been donning my gardening gloves recently as much as I have done in the past. Apparently as you get older you get inexplicably busier and growing my own fruit and veg took a back seat while I was getting on with many other things. Rocket Gardens got in touch to see if I would like to try out one of their kits. Their Patio Container garden seemed like the ideal one for me; lots of it can be grown in pots or grow bags which means minimal prep and digging for me! read more

Grow Your Own Tomatoes with Heinz and a few other garden developments

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Tomato seedlings growing and planting out
I love this time of year; everything is happening and alive. Things are changing colour or from flower to fruit and there’s nothing like watching that happen to something you’ve spent time nurturing. I have a few fruit trees which are easy because other than a quick drink in a particularly dry spell I just leave them to their own devices. It’s only the birds and bugs I now have to find a way to deter from my booty.

The above left picture shows my Heinz tomato seeds after about two weeks inside on a sunny windowsill. The right picture (I’m not sure if they’re that visible) are the happy seven plants that went in last week. They’re in a south facing veg patch which has a brick wall behind to reflect some of the heat; I’ve found this is the best patch for tomatoes. There’s a few more plants coming along indoors which were on a less sunny window sill so I’ll hopefully be planting them out soon. read more

Grow Your Own Tomatoes with Heinz

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Heinz grow your own ketchup 2
Growing my own fruit and veg is something I immensely enjoy. I have to admit I have rather a ‘chuck it in and let it get on with itself’ attitude but it’s served me very well in the past. I don’t let myself get bogged down in specific seed insertion depths, lopping off this and tying up that. I figure that if something wants to grow then it will and I only help it along with a bit of watering, weeding and the occasional addition of manure.

When Heinz got in touch and asked if I would be interested in receiving a kit to get me growing my own tomatoes I couldn’t refuse! Spring blossom on my fruit trees, the first unfurl of my rhubarb and the wonderful smell of tomato leaves are my favourite things in the garden. As well as the sound of birds, the seed caught on the edge of the first courgette leaf and the unavoidable acquisition of a suntan. Basically, I wholeheartedly encourage you to get growing!

I’ve planted twelve seeds inside on a nice sunny windowsill and will be planting a few outside under cloches later this week. I’ve never grown tomatoes from seed before so I am looking forward to seeing the results. The warm, sunny weather we have had recently will have set them off to a good start so I can’t wait until they’re ready to pick.
Thank you to Heinz for the goodies and seeds. Disclaimer: there is an incentive to post about the Heniz GYO project as I will receive a hamper if I post three times this year. read more

Vegetable Patch Update

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Apple Tree - small apples

Oh how the garden doth not grow. If you partake in any form of gardening and live in the UK you’ll know how I feel. I took these pictures about a week ago so they’re slightly old now but it’s not much improved from then due to the persistent, relentless, miserable rain. Normally rain doesn’t bother me because it means my vegetables are happy but June and July have been the worst I’ve ever gardened in. Still, it’s not all bad…

  My apple tree had a pretty feeble blossom this year and I wasn’t sure it was going to fruit but there are quite a few of these little apples adorning the tree so I’m hopeful for a few apple pies. My herbs are doing well but the sage is trying to take over the whole herb patch so I think I’ll need to be a little more ferocious with the cutters than I have been. The rosemary seems to have grown almost a foot so it must be a thirsty plant. I’m not sure you can see it too well but I think that little dark fluffy thing is a potential quince. Let’s hope so anyway, even if I had just one I’d be very, very happy. My golden gages are doing exceptionally well, I planted the tree last Autumn. I thought the frosts and early blossom would have left me gagging for gages but I have a pretty healthy amount considering the size of the tree. I didn’t realise they were russeted but I think that makes them even more charming. With the lack of warm weather I’m not sure when they’ll be ripe for picking. My rhubarb seems to be happily sucking up all the rain and has grown massively considering it’s in the shadier part of the garden. It’s overshadowing my other rhubarb plant though so come Autumn I’ll have to move it. My broad beans are happily growing although there are a few with unwanted blackfly. I love growing broad beans just for the flowers let alone the magnificent and plentiful pods that come afterwards. My tomatoes seem pretty miserable. Normally very thirsty when the weather’s hot they seem depressed at the lack of sunlight. Here’s hoping they’ll perk up and deliver some delicious fruit. My courgette patch is the largest it has ever been with 12 plants gone in and growing well. They do seem almost as upset as the tomatoes so I’m not hopeful of getting any fruit. It’s a shame because these were all heritage varieties; baby blue, flying saucer shapes and knobbly yellow ones. Fingers crossed. I ate the above peas straight off the plant and out of the pod. People say that the peas you grow yourself will be the sweetest. I’ve always thought it’s probably true but would you really notice? It turns out that yes, it is so noticeable it almost smacks you in the face. Not only are they like little drops of nectar but they are so fresh it’s hard to explain. Until you’ve had a pea as fresh as that, you haven’t had a pea. My peas are what I’m most proud of; the reason being that this is the first time I have ever grown them and they are doing magnificently. Well, as far as I’m concerned one pod is a triumph but I’m inundated with them and am waiting for the peas to form.

If you’re thinking about growing your own I have a few tips for you: read more

Vegetable Patch Update

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broad beans growing
Vegetable seeds started to go in to the soil and under the cloches back in March and now, in May, all sorts of things are happening. Since the first year I started gardening I grow what I know and always something new. This year I’m growing: beans (broad and purple), peas, courgettes (patty-pan, cousa courgette and bent Summer squash), tomatoes and maybe something else I’m yet to decide on. Peas are the newcomers in the patch this year.

Beans have always worked for me, especially broad beans. Purple beans were a bit hit and miss last year but I’m trying again this year. I plant the beans under cloches a row every two or three weeks from March until now. 

This year is the first year I am growing peas; they seem to be doing well so far. Although tying string around every pea or bean stem is monotonous, I actually quite enjoy it. The peas and beans are successfully avoiding slug and cat attack so far. 

I thought my rhubarb was gone forever; nothing seemed to be happening in the corner where I’d planted it. Finally and with much enthusiasm it has come up and looks fantastic. I think I’ll wait a little longer before I pick any. read more

Vegetable Patch Recipes

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Home grown vegetables
Recently it has become apparent that most of the meals I eat are vegetable orientated. There are two reasons for this; firstly I have a cornucopia of vegetables in my garden at present and each one needs celebrating in its own way and secondly meat is so expensive.  

I can go into Sainsbury’s and pick up four chicken breasts for £6. Not the extra special ones, not the organic ones, just the standard ones. My alternative is to go to the farmer’s market and pick up two whole chickens for £10. These are free range chickens and I would still get four chicken breasts but I would also get four drumsticks, four wings, four thighs and two carcasses for making beautiful stock with. It’s a no brainer really.  read more

Purple French Beans with Steak

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Purple French Beans
I planted eighteen broad bean seeds under their little cloches back in March and I had eighteen successful broad bean plants come up giving me lovely green pods all of July and early August. I planted eighteen French purple bean seeds under their little cloches and I had two plants come up. I’m not sure it was my year for these little chaps.

Fortunately the two little plants that managed to battle the elements (and the neighbours heavy pawed cat) were rather heavily laden and so I had enough to make a meal. They are such a dark colour and look so lovely in the garden it was a shame to pick them. The plant is also a fantastic purpley green. 

I topped and tailed the beans and steamed them gently. I was hoping this would retain some of their purple colour but, unfortunately, they went entirely green! I find that beans are extremely happy with a little lemon juice. I melted a little butter and fried some chopped shallot then squeezed in a little lemon juice to sharpen it up. read more

My Vegetable Patch

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courgettes growing
Growing your own has become rather fashionable of recent years. It is now so easy to find interesting varieties, help and advice from all sorts of places. If you’ve considered growing your own but haven’t tried it yet I warn you now, it’s addictive. There’s not a market stand I can go by without having a nose around and come back with something new to try and grow.  This post doesn’t have much to say, the pictures speak for themselves. 

Courgettes. I’m growing a yellow crookneck variety, an orange patty pan variety and a baby blue round variety.

Beetroot. I cheated and bought plug plants as I was too late to grow from seed. 

Carrots. This is the first year I’ve grown carrots and parsnips. I’ve got all sorts of colours of carrot to come up, hopefully anyway.

Apples. The tree has been in the garden for years but this is the first year we’ve had proper fruit.

Tomatoes. I’ve got 7 different varieties this year; yellow, red, plum and beef. I always buy the plants when they’re young as I’ve not had much success growing from seed. Nothing like a fresh tomato. read more

My Farmers’ Market

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farmers market vegetables

Vegetables. There comes a point in everyone’s life where their view on vegetables changes forever. One day one gazes reproachfully at a Jerusalem artichoke, the next, it is seen as an adventure, a culinary experiment. It goes from a, “No way” to a, “Yes” all of a sudden. It creeps up on you and before you know it the vegetables are the star of the meal. The meats and potatoes are a garnish compared to the mighty, majestic broccoli dish that has been lovingly, carefully created. 

For some this new discovery takes on a whole other part of their lives. Growing your own. For me, it has been probably the best thing I have taken up. For those who want to have a conversation with me when I’m not covered in soil and have insects frolicking about in my hair it may not be, to them at least, the best thing I’ve ever taken up. It is an obsession. I can’t urge you enough to give it a try – you’ll be surprised at the success (if you choose cleverly).  I got a little overexcited this year and was so enamoured with my courgettes and tomatoes I wanted to let them have all the space and nutrients. This meant I planted nothing else and they are still going strong. Looking at my little beauties my eyes glaze over. When I take them into the kitchen I puff out my chest with pride. However, because of my idiocy I now have a gaping hole in my life that cannot be filled until next year. Fortunately I have a fabulous farmers’ market very near that is indispensible for my vegetable ventures.  These pictures I hope can capture the beauty, fragility and unctuousness of the vegetables I am fortunate enough to have access to. The marrow I admit does not come across as fragile but when you break its hard, crisp skin it becomes obvious that the seeds and wispy flesh are delicate and need care. Where else but a farmers’ market can you get such a striking purple cauliflower? Think how long it would take to make a man made cauliflower as intricate and uniform as a Romanesco cauliflower. Things that someone has taken the care to grow like this need to be sent off to our digestive tracts with dignity and poise.  It is not just the food that is way above even the best supermarket standards, it is the people. They are the reason I go. Imagine asking someone in a supermarket the best way to cook the marrow you have just proudly chosen. Chances are a blank face will be the most helpful response. At the market you can barely stop them talking about their vegetables. They are so proud. And rightly so.  The meat, the fish, the bread, the cheeses, the cakes, the plants, the fruit, the beers and wines and the pastries, what a selection and what a great atmosphere. For the quality and service that you receive I think it’s fantastic value for money.  And so to try and express my gratitude for the businesses that loyally turn up every other Sunday to sell us their wares, I am creating meals using as many ingredients as possible from the market. I listened to the advice given by the experts and made the most of my veggies. Furthermore I have found that carrying a marrow around with you will deter even the keenest of pick pocketers. Excellent farmer armour.   

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