I do hope the weather forecast for this week is correct, if it is I’ll have to resume watering in the greenhouse and Polycrub. I was at the Armadale Market on Saturday where it rained almost all day. It wasn’t midgie though and not as windy as forecast (I’m searching for the positives here!)
This week I dug up the Pink Fir Apple potatoes. These are an old French variety, prized by fancy restaurants for their flavour. I wasn’t expecting a great crop after all the rain but they are surprisingly good. Pink Fir Apple are very knobbly so there’s no point trying to peel them, just scrub and boil.
I’m managing to resist the urge to start picking the autumn crops. It helps that the the French beans and courgettes are still growing well. This time last year all the French bean stalks had been bitten through by voles. I know that in theory vole populations go in cycles. There will be a few years where the population slowly builds up, then one year where the numbers explode, followed by population collapse. This appears to be population collapse year, there is an almost eerie absence of voles – what’s happened to them all? The buzzard population must be in sync with the voles too. Last year there were a few buzzards hanging about the croft, this year there’s hardly any. Next year I’m sure I’ll be complaining about voles again. For now it’s very pleasant to be able to plant purple sprouting broccoli for next year and watch it grow rather than see it all eaten by ravenous rodents.
Small – Pink Fir Apple potatoes, French beans, tomatoes, chard or salad leaves, carrots or beetroot and herbs.
Medium – Pink Fir Apple potatoes, carrots or beetroot, mange tout/sugar snaps, courgettes, tomatoes, broccoli, a green cabbage and herbs.
Large – Pink Fir Apple potatoes, carrots or beetroot, French beans, mange tout/sugar snaps, courgettes, tomatoes, kale, salad leaves, onions, a green cabbage and herbs.