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...

Hello Doctor!

Today, having come back from Wales... I noticed my Clematis Doctor Ruppel has woken up! Lots of strong vigorous stems... more flowers to come.

I've also potted up more patio plants, especially lots of salsola (agretti) some to keep and others to pass on. I've got lots of plants to donate!

More and more chillies... they all need potting up about every three weeks now! Plenty of sunshine, and I already have my first reddening chillies in Shabu Shabu. Alberto's Locoto is also darkening.

My sister also gave me a Chilli plant today, a Biquinho (at front) from Kent Chilli Farm which she bought (acquired) at the Kent Garden Show. It looks a healthy plant! But definitely in need of a watering...

Skirting the Storms in Llandeilo

It was a weekend of weather extremes with blisteringly hot sunshine and violent storms hitting the country, but South Wales had some of the best weather. The countryside near the Brecon Beacons was breathtaking and the castles imposing.

The skies stayed  clear to view three local landmarks:

Carreg Cennen Castle

Dynevor (Dinefwr) Castle

and Newton House.

The town of Llandeilo was equally stunning with its painted houses, local shops and businesses and beautiful church and graveyard.

The Welsh Countrymans Game Fair was in full progress bringing lots of people to the area.

Oak Tree Farm Rural Project

Anyone into local gardening and a good cause knows about Oak Tree Farm Rural Project situated between Stafford, Stone and Uttoxeter.

"Oak Tree Farm provides training and supported occupation for adults with learning disabilities, in a rural environment."

For the last three years I've visited their May Plant Day and have had the best bedding plants, herbs and veg possible. There is never an inch of spare space in the car driving home.

I didn't think to take a photo there, but here's a shot of some of my shopping having returned home. That's £15 worth on the table and more on the floor... (whoops... and a few of my own home-grown plants too in there)

Two years ago I heard about the Plant Day having driven past going to work. I had friends up for the weekend and we all decided to drop in. We were amazed.

Prices are typically a third off or even half of nursery/supermarket/building supplies merchant's garden centre prices... You can tell each plant has been loved and nurtured.

KUDOS go to Alan J Hartley of Hixon for his unusual and exotic herbs and vegetables. He also has a great website and gardening diary with tips on the unusual plants I tend to veer towards. Unfortunately this year, I was either growing them already or didn't have the space... I was tempted by that Chicory though.

Also, HIGH PRAISE to the Fuschia man! He took great pride in his small greenhouse, and there were lots of varieties on show.

I bought Lena. It's a delightful purple fuschia with a full frou-frou dress... (I don't know the technical terms here!) My friend Lena LOVES purple, I thought it was appropriate.

I also bought a group of Male-named plants... Ernie and Harry Gray. It'll be a show off for showiness between the girls and the lads...

A few more bedding plants planted. Some NICOTIANA for evening scent and lobelia for display. I've mixed some in with my tomatoes, but the pigeons are already having a peck or two... It might just end up being lobelia in there...

... and MORE hot and sweet peppers!

The patio is now full of plants which now have to stay put. Potting up just means less and less space each day.

These later chillies never took off like the BIG Six in growth or fruiting, and I'm a bit worried about them. I should never have snipped off growing tips on some at all. Yet, I did on the BIG SIX, and they have been brilliant. It must all come down to luck or timing, or a mixture of both. Aphids had been a bigger problem on the newer plants before they were moved outside...

At the moment, I can't see from the pictures what the labels say, but these are probably:

Mira Sweet Pepper

Joe's Long Chilli

Padron Chilli

Peter Pepper

Bulgarian Carrot

Pyramid Chilli Pepper

I will add in seed suppliers and links later...

Tomatoes and Chillies

I've grown 31 Moneymaker tomatoes which I bought in a discount sale at Wilko's last year for 10p. These all germinated and all but six ended up going to the School's Allotment club. I've potted them up into their final containers with bamboo supports and a trial plant frame for one of them. I'm not sure they will be needed. Last year I only specialised in cherry tomatoes, so it will be nice to have some bigger ones.

They should get lots of light and air on the patio. I've placed a row of chillies in front of them, and I'll finish off with some Tumbler variety of cherry tomatoes.

The chillies have continued to grow prolifically! My favourite Alberto's Rocoto (below) has many heavy fruits, full-sized, ready to ripen off. More baby fruits are just emerging. It has never put on much height, but is spreading well.

Shabu Shabu continues to grow thick and fast. I'm not sure how big these fruits will grow being a hotter variety. I'm ready to support the weight of the fruit-heavy branches though with these supports.

Nosferatu did have a problem before with pale leaves, but the upper leaves have put on some darker colour. The fruits are definitely black though, while not all of them are pointy as they should be. An interesting addition to my collection...

Peito de Moça was my tallest chilli when they were put outside, but has not yet any sign of flowers. Hopefully, they will appear soon.

And finally, of the BIG SIX, I have two unnamed varieties. None the wiser, although one has purple flowers. It might even be a taller growing variety of Alberto's Locoto... but it is far behind its sister then in fruiting.