Day 9: Vegetable Delight
My Head Gardener, who is always right, insists that food is the best form of winter fuel. On a cold day there is nothing better than a bowl of hearty vegetable soup, a rich casserole or a tray of roasted root vegetables to restore the inner glow. Winter food needs rich earthy flavours: the sweetness of beetroot, carrots or parsnips, the slight mineral tang of kale, broccoli and spinach, the heat of garlic and horseradish tempered with creamy cauliflower or buttery leeks.
In January my vegetable garden begins to look a little depleted and weather worn, but there is still sufficient to feed us and have a little to spare for a friend in need. I think a box of winter vegetables on the ninth day would be more useful than “nine ladies dancing”. I will even tuck in a recipe from the croft kitchen to inspire you to eat your greens. Enjoy.
I can only aspire to your vegetable production! How satisfying to be fed from the garden still at this time if the year, in the depths of winter 👍💕
Just a matter of time to sort out the soil and the varieties, with luck about 20 years? I’m sure you’ll be enjoying some of your own winter vegetables next year.
Couldn’t agree more, veg gets me through winter!
Wonderful veg photos. Nice link to crusty bread and soup recipes too!
It all looks wonderful. I now have itchy fingers to get seed sown for the next season!
Do you grow your own horseradish? I have become a real aficionado of horseradish sauce in recent years…
Yes, it so much nicer to have it fresh than the “creamed” variety in jars. It can be a rampant thug, like a giant dock on steriods, so you need to have somewhere to keep it contained. I’ve not tried it in a big pot, but provided you can keep it fed and watered it should be OK. Would you like a piece?
I had heard it could be thuggish, but if it could work in a big pot I wouldn’t mind giving it a try, thank you. I could put it out of the way in the fruit cage as I suspect it is not an especially attractive plant – aren’t the leaves a bit dock/sorrel like?
The plants are in a bed next to the compost, which is “under-going maintenance”, so as soon as I can get to it I’ll find a piece for you. It really does look like a dock and the best way to keep it inder control is to eat it!
Haha 😁 Thank you, and there’s no rush of course
Amazing