Contrast

Unlike last week when all was dark and sodden, this Sunday was blue skies, sunshine and glowing colours. I'd resolved not to do any work at the allotment, because I'd been working all morning in the garden. With a ferocious pace at work just now I knew I needed a few hours on Sunday afternoon just to read, rather than to be in perpetual motion all weekend.

But it was impossible not to do just a little bit of tidying up. I thought the dill should come out, and then I could tackle the field beans, and before I knew it I'd been working for an hour. Just before I pulled out the dill I took this last shot of its autumn glory. After that I broke off the stems of the field beans and left the roots in the soil. Next week, if it's fair, I'll dig over that part of the plot and let the roots rot down and keep their nitrogen in the soil.

At home I finally managed to plant out the wallflowers I'd been bringing on from tiny plug plants. In the spring they'll be a fragrant lemon and orange splash of colour alongside scarlet and yellow tulips. The copper tape round the pots had successfully repelled snails and slugs, so I'll definitely use that again. I just love that extra touch of the sharp points along the bottom edge!


But oh dear, look at what I found poking through the soil.


Crocuses. In November, in Scotland. Wrong.

Why?

Why, on a day of non-stop rain, did I squelch along to the allotment? Rain pooling in every slight hollow in the soil. Everything sodden, and no-one else in sight.

This shot has come out much brighter than it actually was. We had lights on indoors all day, and by 3 o'clock daylight was fading.

The path through the trees shows it like it was.


But I needed some chard for tonight's meal, and having made up my week's menu it was somehow easier to plod out in the soaking rain than to think of an alternative. In the end, I was glad I'd done it.

Found

And indeed it is.


After taking these shots I put my camera in my pocket and forgot to take it out again as we worked at the plot this afternoon. The grass just keeps growing, so there was a major strimming session. I weeded the strawberry bed, which was being invaded by couch grass. All around, leaves were falling from the ash trees that border the site. When we're next back - which will be in a couple of weeks now - I'll rake them up and bag them for leaf-mould.

We agreed that we needed to use the winter to get the borders of the plot under control, and to reclaim more ground from grass. That depends on having a relatively snow and frost-free winter. The Winter Olympics might be crossing fingers for snow, but we're not.

Naughty

Bad enough, but when it comes to holes dug in the middle of newly planted overwintering onions...



I've been unable to visit other blogs much lately. Hope to emerge from this busy spell soon and see what's happening elsewhere.

Glimpses

My walk to work takes me past an allotment site. Every morning it tantalises me - here am I, heading into an office, when just the other side of the fence is where I would rather be.



Still, it makes for a good start to the day.

Only three

Strange only to be pulling three beetroot instead of four. These little reminders that I now have a son away at university pop up in the most unexpected places.

Rainbow chard - THE receipe

For a while I've been searching for something else to do with rainbow chard than steaming or sauteing with chilli flakes. I like it this way, but the rest of the family is lukewarm about it. Now, at last, I've found THE receipe, which everyone likes, which makes chard into a meal, which is as good cold as it is hot, which can be taken to work for a packed lunch...

It's by Thomasina Miers, from the 'Soul food' section in The Times newspaper.

"Swiss chard pastilla pie

Serves 4-6

6 sheets filo pastry
50g currants
50g raisins
1 bundle of chard, about 600-800g
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp pine nuts
100g Parmesan
2 lightly beaten eggs
75g feta, crumbled
zest of a lemon
70g melted butter

Pre-heat oven to 180C/Gas 4. cover the currants and raisins in boiling water. Brown th epine nuts in the oven until golden brown. Run a knife along the chard stalks to remove the leaves. Wash and slice the stalks into strips (you may need to use only half), then wash and cut the leaves into large strips.

In a pan heat the oil and soften the onion and garlic, seasoning with salt and pepper. Meanwhile blanch first the stalks and then the leaves in boiling salted water until tender and drain well. Add this to the onion mixture and heat through to evaporate any excess liquit. drain the currants and raisins and add to the chard along with the pine nuts. Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan, feta, eggs and lemon zest and allow to cool.

Grease a frying pan with an ovenproof handle or shallow round baking dish (about 20-25cm wide) with melted butter. Lay five sheets of filo pastry in the pan at angles, brushing them with butter as you go, making sure that some of the sheets hang over the sides. Now fill the pastry with the chard mixture.

Place the last piece of filo on top of the filling and fold the overhanging pieces of pastry over the filling. Brush again with the melted butter and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden. If you like, transfer to the hob and heat for a few minutes to ensure that the bottom is crisp.

Serve either from the pan or slide out onto a large plate, dusted lightly with cinnamon. Good with a mixed leaf salad."

I didn't use currants and raisins, as we don't like sweet/savoury dishes. I didn't use feta, as we had Wenslydale cheese in the fridge which is a bit like a British feta. It still tasted good!

Things are busy just now, and while I'm keeping up with other blogs I'm not managing to leave comments very much. There's so much out there to enjoy, and so little time!