 I was up early and made tea and checked on the edit of A Week at the Plot so far, and in doing this I know what running time I’m currently up to.
Richard and I were both up and at it pretty swiftly this morning, which did for an early filming of Sunday Chat, followed by the recording of a podcast for Ko-fi members for which we'd asked subscribers for questions in advance. After lunch, I was at the plot. I’m really enjoying my time at the plot this growing season... despite this week being mainly weeding jobs of one type or another, mainly bindweed and couch grass. I really feel just where I need to be in terms of preparation and what’s been sown and is germinating. I was delighted to see further tomatoes had germinated, and all else is doing fine. I’ve also been offered some Verbena Bonariensis that's self-seeded on a fellow plotter’s plot, and a marjoram, so I’ll get those tomorrow. Very late in the afternoon I made my way home, to get in and make supper before some TV… and bed with my book! Weather: Moving between overcast and sunny, and feeling cool in the house though lovely outside in the sunshine. However, the clouds rolled in about 5pm and it felt chiller at the plot. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, sultanas and a banana Lunch: Lidl No-Steak Bake and baked beans Supper: Linda McCartney Mozzarella Burger, bough bun, homemade chips and coleslaw
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15 April 2025 (Tuesday) I popped to Lidl first thing, as I had a £5 voucher that I need to use within a week. Stupid me… I didn't activate it in my app so it wasn't used and I'll have to shop again later in the week, which was likely anyway. It was a desk work work morning, and with Easter at the end of the week there were various social posts to ensure were scheduled for For Earth's Sake and its Easter opening hours. Bank holidays also bring a change in the usual delivery pattern, so I spoke to Vanessa about that too. We had Richard's rather delicious Soya Burgers for lunch - tasty and rather burger like, firmer in texture and really flavourfilled. He did say he overdid the miso and yeast extract, though I still loved them! Late afternoon, I popped to the plot and was delighted to see quite a bit of germination, including a few of the red kuri squash. I gave all the seedlings a good water, whilst everything outside was getting one too as it was raining pretty heavily; and yes, I got rather wet as I hadn't expected any heavy rain in the hour or so I was to be at the plot. I hadn't intended to do a segment of A Week at the Plot today, though I ended up doing one about germination and the rain, though with a day at Vanessa tomorrow it will have to wait until Thursday before it hits Planet Vegetaria. Recipe: Richard's Soya Burgers 
Weather: Wet as it rained overnight. Day remained grey with periods of drizzle, clearing up mid-afternoon giving sunny spells and then really poured late afternoon! Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, stewed rhubarb, sultanas Lunch: Richard’s Soya Burgers and tinned baked beans Supper: Hmmm… will have to think on what we had!  14 April 2025 (Monday)
We were both up by 6.30am, and I made a tea, had a few cups, did some work work at my desk then popped down to open fully the door of the poly - it’s that time of year where the nights can be cold, though we really need the warmth of the sun and the sunshine in the poly during the day. A desk morning with work work, and then in the late afternoon I popped to the plot… and the mood took me and I filmed for A Week at the Plot - weeding bindweed out of well trodden paths! At home I was inspired to use up a vegetable I had in the fridge, hence… Broccoli, Pea & Tomato Pasta I had a full head of broccoli and a separate stem to use, and inspired a bit by a Waste Not recipe by Tom Hunt in the Guardian, I decided to use it as a basis. Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped (I used a red onion) 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tbsp miso paste (or a block of vegetable bouillon, two tsp of bouillon powder, or one of salt) 2 tsp Mediterranean herbs 4 tbsp water 1 head of broccoli, florets cut in half if large and stem peeled and chopped 100g frozen green peas 6 cherry tomatoes, halved 75g cream cheese (optional. Though adds creaminess) 250g penne (I used fusilli, though would always prefer penne) A splash of liquid aminos or a squeeze of lemon juice Grated parmesan or other cheese - we often use cheddar Method Heat the oil in a saute/frying pan and add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the miso paste and herbs and combine all. Add the water and the chopped stem to the pan and gently steam for five minutes, then add the florets, peas and tomatoes, stir and put on a slow simmer for five minutes. In a saucepan cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water until al dente (I overcooked the fusilli - something I so rarely do though do find it goes over quicker than penne). When cooked, drain fully leaving a small cup of the cooking liquid for use if necessary. With the sauce mixture over a very low heat add the cream cheese and stir through, then add the pasta and stir until all is coated. If the mix looks a bit dry add some of the cooking liquid (a tablespoon at a time) and stir through until you are happy with the consistency. Take off the heat and serve in warmed bowls, splash over some liquid aminos or squeeze some lemon over, add a good twist of cracked black pepper, and if you like some grated cheese on top. I think next time I would add a few halved olives, about ten or so, as I think this would help lift the flavour. Weather: Sunny though also pretty overcast. About 16° again, though no rain. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, stewed rhubarb, sultanas Lunch: Microwave Omelette with cucumber and radish Supper: Broccoli, Pea & Tomato Pasta  9 April 2025 (Wednesday)
I was awake and up early, just before 6am. No reason, other than I was. A friend wanted to go to Lidl and do a bigger shop than usual, so I said I’d happily carry things back for her. She’d suggested we go in the car, though with me having gone to do a big shop yesterday (earning £5 off next week when I spent £30 in one shop this week!) I needed very little… so we walked; me with all my bags so I could carry items back for her. There was quite a chill in the air, which neither of us had expected, though by the time we were walking back from the shop the air had warmed as the sun was doing its job. With her ‘big shop’ she got her £5 off bonus for her shop next week too. In this day and age of ever increasing prices, it makes sense to bulk buy things that you will use if you have a) the storage space, b) the cash to bulk buy, and c) things that you want that will store well and not go off! With so much going on, I hadn’t done a FES/GGB Newsletter for some weeks, so cracked on with this first thing. Despite often using the last version as a template, it can take time.. writing, rewriting, checking dates, checking links, re-checking it all, printing it out to read slowly away from my desk to ensure it reads and is all spelt correctly, back to my desk to make any changes, writing the Subject line, setting the time to send… it was all done and dusted within four hours, though that’s quite a chunk of time in my book. I’m using Mailchimp, and for the first time using their suggestion of what time to send the email… I think 2pm or around 4pm is a good time, though the platform’s suggesting 8pm… we’ll see. I had another call with Vanessa, talking about lots of things though particularly the Greek event… an assistant of hers is in on Friday so those questions will be finalised and sent off then, and there are further costs to get too. I was at the plot at about 4.20pm, sowing the tomato seeds I didn’t sow yesterday. I’ve used two half trays and my markers to split the trays into sections; one has three, with Mountain Magic, Black Krim and Rose de Berne, the second has Amish Paste and an Isle of Wight Yellow - it’s called this as the seeds were saved from a yellow tomato in a box we received as a gift from a subscriber, grown by growers for Isle of Wight Tomatoes, hence… The current warmth and being in the greenhouse meant that all the seeds sown yesterday needed a good water, and quite a few of the plants outside too, whether in pots or newly planted out. I have done the switchover of swapping gravel trays with holes for gravel trays without holes - in the summer it’s best to conserve moisture and water, so gravel trays are best - I think it’s the first year I’ve not shown this on camera, though will mention it in a segment this week. I harvested some lettuce, noticing that woodlice seem to particularly like the endive style; they don’t seem to be doing any damage, though they were in numbers when I was harvesting the leaves. And on harvesting from the curly endive, I must remember to hold the base as it’s not an easy picker in terms of taking off individual leaves. Weather: A bit hazy, though warm in the sunshine. It’s going to be cool overnight again… Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, banana, sultanas Lunch: Leftover Vegan Shepherd's Pie and tinned Baked Beans Supper: Lidl Caramelised Red Onion Tart, lettuce, cucumber, radish and cherry tomato p early as Sophie needed to get off to her event in Chiswick, though Richard did bring me a cuppa in bed which is always a good way to start the day.
Toast, as Richard had made a loaf with the Panasonic yesterday, and then off Sophie went for what would hopefully be a successful day for her. Richard walked her to our local bus stop, ever the gallant uncle! When they left, I popped upstairs and went through the full edit of A Week at the Plot, knowing I needed to go down and do top and tail bits for today's segment which will include a Wednesday flashback to additional work I did that afternoon following our visit to Kew. At the plot by 9.30am an l did the bits needed to top and tail today’s segment - few people were around at this time, which was grand. I’m really pleased with how much I have got done at the plot this week, and especially having broken the back of the front area. Very Happy Days! Weather: Warm and sunny, much of the day, topping out around 17°. Expected to be cooler again overnight. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, banana Lunch: Microwave Mix Veg Omelette, pitta, radish and cucumber Supper: Quorn Steak & Kidney Pies, sauteed carrots, peas and Dazzling Blue Kale sprouts (as they’re going to flower now)  The usual Saturday… up early though no alarm set, breakfast and then making the list for Sunday Chat! Filming takes place in the morning, then I get lunch ready and do a few things around the kitchen, including making an Instant Pot Bolognese as we have Sophie of Sophie Stock Art staying overnight, so this will make a tasty and quick supper for later.
After lunch I do a post for the 6th birthday of For Earth's Sake, then get to the plot and plough on (almost literally!) with the front area I uncovered on Wednesday; lots of bindweed, grasses and Cinque Foil, three whole 30 litre planters full in fact. It’s really taken me far, far too long to get on with this area, though the job is being done now… coulda, woulda, shoulda get no one anywhere! Obviously, I go through what I did in this week’s upload of A Week at the Plot, though you’ll have to wait for the Sunday segment to see what I did, though the above photo shows the work that’s been done, even if in a little bit of shade!. When I got home having spent longer at the allotment than anticipated, Sophie’d arrived, and it was lovely to see her and give her a hug, albeit I didn’t squeeze her as I had dirty allotment hands still. After a thorough hand wash, I popped on the pasta, heated up the sauce in the microwave, grated some Cheddar, and we had supper on our laps in the front room chatting away, as we continued to do all evening. Off to bed around 10.30, and a few chapters of The Woman who Walked into the Sea. Weather: Warm and sunny, much of the day. Cooler again overnight. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, banana Lunch: Last night’s leftover pasta bake added to a tin of Minestrone soup, pitta, thin slices of cheese and some leftover coleslaw Supper: Instant Pot Bolognese with wholewheat spaghetti and grated cheese |
Paul SavidentFollowing on from A Guernsey Gardener in London, I've decided to try and write a regular blog, and we'll see how it AND 2025 go! Archives
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