Kitchen Garden Tips

Kitchen Garden Tips! By Richard Vine

Novembers Tip's

Pumpkins and squashes are best left for a couple of weeks in a dry frost free place to mature and fully ripen. Be careful not to bruise them or knock the stalk off. Cut the stalk approx 5cm from the base of the fruit.

HOW TO USE PUMPKINS: A very simple method is to evenly cut the top off the pumpkin to form a lid. Scoop out the fibrous core which holds the seeds. Fill the cavity with a good smoked bacon cubes and shallots adding herbs of choice. If you wish to be indulgent then top up the stuffing mix with cream. Simply replace the lid and bake, it’s delicious!

Octobers Tip's

HOW TO USE CELERIAC: The choices are many but here’s a few ideas for you….Soup, Puree, Roasted, Celeriac leek and Potato Rosti, Julienned with a mustard dressing etc.
There are many recipes available so just try one that appeals to you and discover a new and delicious addition to both your menu.

Septembers Tip's

Pick the runner beans when they are not much more than 15cm long they are so tender and delicious, the more you pick them the more they will flower and form again. Given some protection, a wind break or fleece it’s possible to keep these producing into October. If you do fleece remember to give access to bees to pollinate the crop. Freeze or pickle any abundance of runner beans, you can also eat the flowers, pretty up your salads! Tastes good too!

Three healthy ways to use Beetroot. When thinning the rows, very finely slice the beetroots and use raw in salads, a Mandolin is great for this but with care please as the blades are incredibly sharp! Looks amazing if you have 2 or more different colours and all taste different.

CHINESE  CABBAGE… A delicious, nutritious and versatile vegetable. Shred and incorporate into salads, Blanch in a gently rolling boil adding a knob of butter and a tiny pinch of salt, second to cook and it really is very tasty or you could add last minute to a stir fry. I love it blanched, shredded to make a “Sea Weed “nest for poached Salmon. Delicate, moist, very healthy and very yummy!

August Tip's

Beetroot stalks are delicious raw in salads. Finely cut across the stems and use in a mixed salad, or you could carefully cut down the stems and use them this way…very elegant and very Chefffy!

Leaves can be steamed of wilted cook in a similar way to Spinach and they do have a much more robust taste. All of this takes just minutes and if there are any unusable bits, then use to enrich your compost heap.

Julys Tip's

If you think you have too many Peas and Broad Beans, Flowers of both can be eaten, taste wonderful and liven up any salad. Put the flowers on as a final touch…they do not like to be drowned in salad dressing!

Pick Pea shoots from the rows in the ground if you have too many and use them in a salad or risotto….yummy!

Eat mini Mange Tout raw, you don’t need many to make a difference on a plate, allow others to grow on and finally if you haven’t eaten them all you will have peas in the pod.  

Broad Beans picked small, about 6 cm long are delicious….cook the whole pod for 30 seconds……wonderful.