Patio Clean Up

The British heatwave continues with regular temperatures approaching 30ºc, and I've decided to use THIS weekend to tidy up the garden, paint fences and sweep up the patio. With all the potting up of chillies recently, there's soil all over the patio, and it's attracting woodlice and ants. I don't want the ants sapping the strength of the chillies, so I've swept up and attacked their trails with ant powder.

Tomatoes all seem to be fruiting well, both the cordon and the many container types I'm growing. I lost a lot of my labels this year, the permanent ink was no match for the British elements. I've MONEYMAKER against the back wall, and Tumblers in front. I think I tried TUMBLING BELLA this year, not being able to get Tumbler. The plants are perhaps quarter the size of last year, but I have got my first ripening fruit here. It's a good size. This might be down to watering, although they get a regular soaking every evening at 7pm. I'm wondering if morning watering is better?

I was interested in the MICRO TOM seeds this year, but I'm not over impressed by the size of the plants, even though they were described as being the smallest container tomato plant there is...

For the size of the toms, I'd much rather wait for my HUNDREDS and THOUSANDS to ripen. I only had two plants survive, and then they struggled to get enough water in the hanging baskets, so I've repotted them up into this container. Plenty of flowers! I should get a couple of hundred toms certainly.

I've never grown peppers before. This variety is MIRA SWEET PEPPER. I was worried by how close the flowers were. Do Pepper plants normally put on more height than this? I think these are small snacking peppers anyway, so perhaps this is how they grow. They are all yellow, I'll wait and see if they change colour before I try any. (Hector Cornelious from Twitter suggests I remove the King fruit, the first fruit that shows, and allow the plant to develop and grow on... I have a few more smaller than this, I'll try that!)

I have a few Baker Creek Radish Rat's Tails left (on right), but they will be eaten tomorrow (or pickled!). James Wong's version (on left) are just coming into flower. I know they are in small pots, but they do seem to grow later than the Singara type. I'll grow them in a larger container or growbag next year, as I do like snacking on them.

Clematis DR RUPPEL is growing well. I've had more flowers this year than the total of the last five years! Plenty more fresh growth, and I had to nail up a new trellis. Do clems prefer to spread southwards, or northwards? The new trellis is on the north-eastern side of the main plant.

I've looked up KOREAN MINT online, and haven't found any recipes yet. I imagine you just use it like normal mint, but it is more anise like.  Its official name is Agastache… It's also grown as a bedding plant, popular for its bee-friendly flowers. Both can be used for tea I believe.

Finally, a little update on my ARBI / EDDOES growth. I planted the three sprouting ones in one pot and the other (non-sprouting ones in two other pots). The first ones have put on leaves, but no sign of the others yet. I also have a stray one from last year's compost, which survived the winter and is now growing in a container with one of my chillies. I won't move it, will see how the growth compares.

Slugs and Snails... and Rat's Tails

It's been a bad year for slugs and snails on the patio, too many hot days, and the pests have decided they like my juicy foliage and even chillies at night time… A sprinkle of pellets and I got my revenge today, however it's too late for some plants.

Growing well is the HEBE - it's awash with purple flowers and the bees are loving it, to the neglect of my tomatoes and chillies which I'm having to hand-pollinate with cotton buds. There's also a unplanned BORAGE in the foreground for the bees later on. (NB I think this is the best year for Hebe flowers in 20 years...)

I've potted up some MAMMOTH BASIL today and some KOREAN MINT. They're looking a bit tired after the repotting, but hopefully will spring back to life. I must make a pesto from the Basil, the leaves are so BIG, and ASAP I must sow some more... I've not seen any recipes using Korean mint yet. It's not the most attractive smell, but seems to be a strong plant.

The bedding plants I bought in May from the Oak Tree Farm Rural Project near Stone are all doing well especially the NICOTIANA which are just passing their best, and I am deadheading, hoping for more. Also the FUSCHIAS, LENA and the boys (HARRY GRAY and ERNIE) are doing well and also the LOBELIA that Keri gave me.

The Strawberries I grew from seed last year were a bit disappointing. They seem to be WILD STRAWBERRIES, and I picked about 5 pea sized fruits, never on the same day, so I'm not expecting to make a jam just yet. That's the end of season it seems, so they are off into the shade for the plants to recover.

My Abbotsholme Rose is still in full bloom. All being well I should get a second bloom later in the year.

Finally, I'm very impressed by Baker Creek's SINGARA RADISH RAT'S TAILS... They are long, knobbly, and full of flavour. My two plants seeded well, and I'm going to see if I can sow some more for a later harvest. These are TOO good to have just in one month a year. I've had good success with James Wong's Radish Rat Tails before, but these are several times longer, although maybe not so many on the plant.

It's All About Alberto

My beautiful boy has all grown up and has given me my first harvest of 2018... 6 ripe plump pods of ALBERTO'S LOCOTO Rocoto from Peru. The fruits were all hand-pollinated indoors in March so will be viable for saving for next year. Being a Capsicum Pubescens variety, they shouldn't cross-pollinate with other varieties anyway. They were started off early indoors but have been outside in a pot for 9 weeks, since mid-April.

There are plenty more fruit on the plant, some 15 or so still growing, and it's still covered in flowers. I'm hoping by harvesting these, the other flowers will fruit faster.

The chilli was surprisingly hot. No pith to worry about, and the seeds fall out easily. It seems hotter than a Cayenne or Jalapeño, maybe not as hot as a Habanero. It's a mainstay of Peruvian cooking so I will serve it with Prawns or Turkey later, perhaps as a Ceviche.

Here's a very tasty little lunch using a lemon juice and rocoto chilli marinade for the prawns, red onions served with fresh greens from the garden (purslane, thyme, mint, Mammoth and Thai basils, radish rat tails and broad beans) and potato slices and sweetcorn... So easy to put together. I'll have this again on a sunny lunchtime outdoors.

Chettinad Curry Powder Recipe

This will get some debate going, but this is only MY recipe, and not guaranteed to be better than your Mum's, Sister's, Grandmother's recipe etc. If you feel I've made a mistake, please let me know. I WILL try your version.

CHETTINAD CURRY POWDER

Roast:

                                             5 pc                      Cardamom Pods (Black /Tamil)

                                             10 sm                   Chillies (dried)

               1tsp       5g                                         Chilli Powder

                                             ½ pc                      Cinnamon Stick

                                             5 pc                      Cloves

               2tsp       5g                                         Coconut (desiccated)

               2tsp       10g                                      Coriander Seeds

               1tsp       5g                                         Cumin Seeds

                                             10 pc                    Curry Leaves (dried)

               1tsp       5g                                         Fennel Seeds

                                             1 pc                      Nutmeg

                1 tsp     5g                                         Black Peppercorns

               2tsp       5g                                         Poppy Seeds (white)

                                             1 pc                      Star Anise

               1tbs       5g                                         Stone Flower – Kalpasi 

                                             1 pc                       Bay Leaf

Add:

               1tsp       5g                                         Garlic Powder

               1tsp       5g                                         Ginger Powder

               1tsp       5g                                         Turmeric Powder

                                             1 pinch                 Asafoetida

Grind 

Store

Chettinad Curry

This is one of my favourite Indian curries! From the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, it has so many flavours and ingredients, no recipe can be truly authentic.

I first tried it in Kanniyakumari, then in Madurai and again in Thanjavore and Mahabalipuram… Every dish was slightly different. It's pungent, fragrant, spicy... the best mix.

Commercially sold, I think it's closest to the common place Madras Curry Powder commonly sold in shops.

Here's my take on it...

In the photo I forgot to add in black peppercorns, bay leaf and asafoetida...

Best served with Chicken? What do you think..?

I'll add recipe in the next post...

A Love of Spices

Welcome to my new Blog. All about spices...

Don't we love them?!

I've just found an old recipe book with all my tried and tested best curry blends and thought I would share some recipes and photos.

Let me know what you think of them. If you try any, please add a comment and send me a photo here or on Twitter!

At Loggerheads

I think the first week of June is the loveliest time for my garden. The hosta are emerging, the shrubs are filling out, and the blue Centaurea is filling every available gap. This is also known as Knapweed, and 'Loggerheads', strangely enough, which is also where I went to primary school.

It's difficult to negotiate the paths, but as soon as the bees grow tired of the flowers, I'll cut them back.

I've also recently sown these Eddoes which I bought in a Chinese supermarket in Birmingham's Chinatown. They grew well for me last year and the leaves are a delicacy too. They are of the Colocasia family. I think they are also called Arbi in South India.

One of my first meals of the year using garden produce was this: some Crab & Courgette baskets (made with wonton wrappers) with some homegrown Purslane and Pea Shoots. Purslane from Jekka's Seeds has a surprisingly good taste for an early salad.

Strawberries are growing quite well. I will never get a great crop from a planter, but I'm hoping some will flavour wine later this month. I quarter turn the pot every day to maximise sun exposure...

The mint I repotted last month is doing well. The predominant mint I think is Spearmint, the others Peppermint. I'm not sure if any Moroccan mint or other varieties survived.

I have never grown Bell or Sweet Peppers before.  These seem to be flowering well, but I don't know if there are too many buds here, or if the plant will know which ones to pollinate or drop... I think this is Sweet Pepper Mira.

This mini-Rose was given to me as a leaving present from Abbotsholme School near Uttoxeter. It has flowered well for three years now. It reminds me of happy times there and of their Summer Gathering.

Hurrah for my first full-sized RED chilli! This is Alberto's Locoto (a Rocoto type) chilli from Peru. He's been my favourite all year as he's very prolific. I'm looking forward to saving seeds and tasting him in some great Peruvian dishes this summer...

I also have these two varieties of Spilanthes Acmella, aka Electric Daisies or Toothache Plant. The top one is from Baker Creek, the bottom one from James Wong for Suttons. I'm interested in seeing the difference on taste and sensation between the two. These are the first two flowers.

Finally, a non-gardening photo or two... I get goose-pimply when I hear a A380 fly over... Surely the Queen of the Skies. I've never flown in one yet, but maybe, one day...