Autumn planting and a recipe

With frost about to make it presence felt, I decided it was time to give baby bear pumpkin and the spaghetti squash a home in doors.

There still a bit 'green around the stem' but hopefully with a spell on the windowsill they should be orange in no time.

A couple of big pots going spare, I chose to plant them up with something that would come in very useful in our house- and that's garlic.  The hubby and I are big fans of spicy food, so if we get a few bulbs growing then they'll be more than welcome, and judging by this picture of a weeks growth we might be in luck!

 

 

 

Writing of garlic has quite neatly brought me up to my recipe, a quick and simple passata, which I made using my home grown 'tumble tom yellow.'

 

 

I didn't exactly get a bumper crop of tomatoes this year, but I really wanted to give making passata a go, so I wasn't going to let a little thing of only having a hand of toms put me off!

 

Tomato Passata 

First wash the fruit and cut into halves.

 

 

Put the tomatoes into a pan with a splash of boiling water and two cloves of garlic

(shop bought garlic this time I afraid!)

 

 

Boil tomatoes and garlic until the fruit is a pulp and until most of the water has evaporated.

Once slightly cooled push the mixture through a sieve to produce a smooth paste.

 

 

And there you have it!  A small but perfectly formed portion of passata! 

Back in the garden

I've not been out and about in the back much recently, what with rain and hurricanes (there was even a tornado down the road from where we live!) I haven't really felt like venturing out.  The has also been another reason why I have been a absentee gardener.  At the ripe old age of 39, I have decided to learn to drive.  I've had a few lessons and last week I sat my driver theory test. I don't think I revised so much in all my life!  Not even for my G.C.S.E's!

Anyway the hard work paid off and I passed!  Coming back home from my test, I decided not only to treat myself to some chocolate but also some gardening. 

It was nice to see that my Asters are starting to flower

 

 



Baby bear has produced a baby!  Fingers crossed for an Indian Summer to give it some much needed sun shine!

 

 

My spaghetti squash is still hanging on in there!  Again fingers crossed!

 

And finally

 

 

I have tomatoes!  I best stick to gentle watering to prevent any splitting!

 

So that's me pretty much up to date in the Pot luck garden, drop by again soon! ;)



Growing my five a day...

In my previous post I made a start on growing my pot luck collection of flower seeds, well now I am starting on the veg.

The selection I bought from ebay contains the unusual round courgette, a mixture of aubergines and tomatoes for a hanging basket.  There is also miniature lettuce, dwarf beans and cabbage.

I most admit I did grumble to myself when I saw the aubergines and tomatoes, I don't know what it is but I've never had much luck growing them.  The tomatoes are either tiny or non existent and when I have attempted aubergines, the plants put on a great flower show then drop off taking the potential veg with them.

If there's anyone out there reading this who is an expert in tomatoes and/or aubergines, please drop me a line and tell me were I am going wrong.  That would be fantastic :D

Dismal efforts aside.  I must say whenever I have grown beans and lettuce I always had an abundance, and when I grew long courgettes I would blink and it would be a marrow!  Never mind!  Me and the hubby would eat it all the same!

Anyway I started growing the tomatoes, aubergines, courgette and lettuce on my now crowded windowsill, the beans and cabbage are still sat waiting in their packets until the warmer weather...