Bumper Harvest!

First I must explain the blog change!I returned to my blog after a lapse of a few days to find my background had disappeared and a floating box saying this video had been removed by Photobucket.I am not a member of Photobucket so thought it was a computer glitch which would rectify itself, not so!I visited Lynda's blog to find the same floaty box and Lynda has gone to the trouble of investigating.I had got my background from Cutest Blog on the Block who it seems have now removed this background and anyone who had this or other removed backgrounds had the same problem.I got a background from Blogger but the background picture refused to stay and reverted to black after a couple of seconds so now I have this one ,also from Blogger but so far so good!
I was able to spend most of today on the plot as I have no children this week, I weeded and watered and planted 3 short rows of swede turnips for the winter. Lots of delicious things to harvest but I had to bring them home to photograph as I had forgotten to take my camera.
Green and yellow courgettes,peas 100grms from 25 pods,dwarf french beans,I was delighted to see some of the tomatoes are actually ripening!Just 6 (2 were tasted immediately)the tiny ones are 100's & 1000's which should actually be sown in baskets as they have a trailing habit.The last of the raspberries and the first of the blueberries. 1 lb of blackcurrants from just two short branches,we will have to pick all of them ASAP as they are falling from the bush to the ground.
I pulled one of the swede turnips, not of EU regulation size but should be tasty added to roasted veg tomorrow.
The first parsnips of which about 6 germinated have huge leaves which are covering the later sown ones. I was wondering if there was anything actually under these leaves and pulled this one to check.They are growing long and straight and if they should be left in the ground until the first frost they will be way too big! Another addition to the roasted veg.
These 3 came from the same bed,we had planted the carrots in with the onions to deter the carrot fly and also planted one row of parsnips.The onions and parsnips thrived but the carrots are a disaster!They got the same treatment and this is the result,any ideas?
No self respecting carrot fly would even consider them!

Some baking and jam making ensued tonight, blackcurrant jam, I am going to look up some blackcurrant recipes and ideas online as it seems a shame to just make jam from all of them.
Blueberry muffins, there were 12 but 2 had to go the the tester (me).I love the way the blueberries burst open when baked. Lots of muffin recipes on Lynda's blog just type in muffin recipes in the search box on the blog and you will be spoiled for choice!
Courgette loaves, I made these from Angela's Courgette cake recipe but as I didn't have a 9" cake tin I divided the mixture between 2 loaf tins and they turned out fine. They will be frosted tomorrow with a cream cheese topping all of which can be found here I also have a recipe for courgette soup from Angela which I made last year and it uses 900grms of courgettes so that will account for a few of them.
I had intended to cut all of the lavender today and bring it home to dry it but there seemed to be hundreds of bees busy gathering nectar and I did not go near them. If anyone in the Tower/Blarney area has bees maybe they would contact me to arrange a mutual time to curfew them or does anyone know what time they start in the morning or finish in the evening?!

Comments

kathleen said…
On reading your blog tonight I remembered seeing somewhere that cutest blog on the block would be changing or curtailing your background for whatever reason at a certain time!Strange!Anyway it looks great,your harvest does too,save me some lavendar dried or otherwise!
susan said…
your veg looks great, excepting the poor carrots! I wonder did you manure the bed they were in too close to sowing/growing time, as I know that can cause problems for carrots..-probably you didn't as you seem up on the veg growing!- just a stab at trying to help solve the puzzle! Your parsnip looks so lovely I reckon the soil must be beautiful & not too stony. Happy eating :)
Peggy said…
Kathleen, you seem to do more web surfing than I do, I did not see anything about it or neither did so many other bloggers who were left in the same situation!Lots of lavender you can have either or both.

Susan, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, this bed was last years potatoe bed and had no manure added it was covered with black material all winter and everything went in around the same time!
Ann said…
I'm envious of your courgettes! Ours haven't done well this year. I was hoping to make more of the marrow/lemon curd again. That parsnip could win prizes!

The weather in Norfolk was beautiful, this is the best year for weather since we got the 'van.
Jerry said…
I find that if i plant the onions on the out side of the bed, along the total perminater, with the carrots in the centre, i don't have any problem with carret fly.
Planted parsnips for the first time this year with great results. As you said loads of leaves
Peggy said…
Ann, the courgettes are almost growing in front of our eyes!Our weather this week is back to sunshine after a misty start to the mornings.I am hoping to spend this weekend down in Robert's Cove so roll on the sunshine.

Jerry, that is the way we planted them, onions on the outside and parsnips and carrots down the centre but I don't think carrot fly is the cause as they just have not grown!Home grown parsnps are sweeter and much nicer than shop bought ones, which I think is the way with anything pulled fresh and eaten almost immediately.
Anonymous said…
Hi Peggy I read somewhere that carrots like very finely sieved soil any lumps or stones in the soil causes the carrots to split and go wonky and twisty, still looks like you had a great harvest, yum.
Matron said…
What a wonderful harvest! I am envious of your straight parsnip, I have stony, clay soil and they just fork badly. I might have a go at making courgette cake, or muffins when I get back from holiday. Who knows what size they will be if nobody has picked them!
I like your new blog background, Peggy ! Your harvest is wonderful ... and those blueberry muffins look really yummy, too :)

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