Amazing seeds

I've started my seed planting in earnest. A few days ago I planted some Morning Glory, put them above the fire with a cover & like magic they have sprouted & are already substantial shoots.

Last year I squirreled away lots of seeds from the Butternut Squashes I brought. I was unsure if they would be viable so I put 2 batches on some wet kitchen towel, covered them with a plastic bag & put them somewhere warm. Hey presto, 3 days later they have lovely long shoots just calling out to be planted - how amazing is that. I have many batches & don't really need hundreds of plants so I'll grow on a few from each batch & give the remainder to the hens - no waste & all seeds appreciated.

It was a mildish sunny day today so I was pottering outside tiding-up pots & straggly over-winterers. While I was planting out the larkspur & pulling up some dead stuff I noticed some nasturtium shoots. It was down to -9C this winter for days on end, those seedlings have come from last years plants -I decided to let the seeds fall where they would. So here are some tender plants that have survived the rigors of a British winter- incredible.

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Earlier in the week I spent a happy few hours in a garden centre selecting seeds - my belated birthday present. This was followed by frothy cappuccino & cake - what a blissful few hours. And of course the pleasure continues with all the planting, the growing, the admiring, the harvesting & more collecting - perfect.

All images from Flickr

Surprising Things Come in Orange

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Well I never thought I'd say it - but I actually like swedes - and all because of a recipe from VegBox Give it a go. http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/recipes-index.php

Swede Soup
Ingredients
Serves 6
1 swede
2 parsnips
2-3 medium carrots
1 litre vegetable stock
1 onion

Method
Peel the swede with a potato peeler. Chop it into 1/2 in cubes.
Scrub the carrots and chop.
Peel the onion and chop.
Scrub the parsnip and chop.
Bring the stock to the boil and add the vegetables. Simmer for 20 minutes until the swede chunks are soft.
Add any herbs and spices of your choice.
Liquidise (if desired) and serve with crusty bread.

For a more filling version, top each bowl with about 30g grated hard cheese (such as Cheddar) and some toasted seeds and nuts.

And I've tried for the first time - Pumpkin Pie (actually Butternut Squash) - so give it a try .

Pumpkin Pie
ingredients

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (or butternut squash)
1 cup brown sugar (I used 1 tablespoon as there is a diabetic in the house)
2 beaten eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each of ginger, ground cloves and nutmeg
1 1/2 cups cream (I used milk)
1 8 inch pre-prepared pastry case or 250g shortcrust pastry lining an 8 inch pie tin

Method
Cook the pumpkin
Cut the pumpkin into quarters
Remove the seeds
Cut the flesh from the skin
Cut the flesh into chunks
Steam (or boil in a little water in a covered pan) for about 10 minutes until soft
Allow to cool slightly
Mash the pumpkin and mix together pumpkin, sugar, eggs, salt and spices.
Gradually stir in milk or cream.
Pour into prepared pie shell.
Bake in preheated 210 C oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 190 C and continue baking for about 40 minutes.
Serve warm or cold with cream/yoghurt


And in a bright orange book I've rediscovered a very very funny poem by Wendy Cope;

Strugnel's Haiku- here's the 1st haiku of the 3:


The cherry blossom
In my neighbour's garden - Oh!
It looks really nice.


Go get the book out of the library or buy a copy & read all her wonderful poems: "Making Cocoa For Kingsley Amis" Faber & Faber ISBN 0-571-13747-4

Non-Orange things

It's wild & blowy out there - a real March Day. Finally the daffodils are opening & I've seen lambs in the field - bleating & gamboling - aah.

Spring Cleaning must be "in the air". In the last 10 days the chicken house has been scrubbed & disinfected. The horse's stable has been completely emptied of bedding & disinfected. The kitchen has been blitzed twice - due to a blockage - fixed this morning. And because it has been too cold to work out doors for long spells, today Mr PoppyM "mucked-out" the sitting room, hoovered it AND washed the kitchen floor. He has retired to bed early complaining of feeling ill - let that be a warning -too much cleaning is bad for you!

It's been a busy few days with the chickens. We now have our own egg-boxes - sourced from a great place selling all manner of things for a small-holding. I have designed & printed off labels for the boxes. Mr PoppyM has made a "Eggs for Sale" sign - which has already generated a sale. The hens are laying really well considering it is a cold March & Alfie has settled in & is being a cockerel! The aim is to sell our surplus eggs to cover the cost of feed etc - the hens are our pets who happen to generate a few pounds a week. It would be lovely to have chicks but we are not set-up for them & don't have a broody hen - but who knows what the future will bring!

Today is the 1st day of my planting season - hurrah!