Tuesday, July 20, 2010

From the Garden

It's that time of year when the garden starts to produce lots of lovely goodies; not just for us but the wildlife too!

We have lots of cabbage, some new potatoes and courgettes to eat.

Also lots of gooseberries - I love sitting in the sun to top and tail gooseberries it reminds me of when I was a child and my job was to sit on the back steps and top and tail the gooseberries or pod the fresh garden peas into a colander ready for Sunday lunch. I always had to move for a while so Dad could sharpen the carving knife on the step ready to carve the Sunday joint.

We've already made gooseberry jam as well as a gooseberry crumble or two.

The tomatoes are ripening in the greenhouse or on our kitchen windowsill when they fall of the plants a little early.

Yesterday we collected enough blackcurrants to make both jam and cordial.

I also made some apricot conserve with some cheap apricots I saw in the supermarket. The cupboard is beginning to fill with enough jams and jellies to take us through to next year and to provide us with little gifts for people too.

13 comments:

  1. It looks like a great time to be in your garden. It'll keep you busy for a while. xxxx

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  2. I love Gooseberry Crumble...and Gooseberry Fool!
    My, you have been very industrious!!
    Hope you are keeping well ;-)

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  3. It all looks lovely,I haven't picked my gooseberries yet but am hoping to get them this weekend providing that the blackbirds haven't beaten me to it!

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  4. I love gooseberries but hate top & tailing them! so tedious, but you're right it does bring back memories of my granny too! xxx

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  5. Wow, what a busy time you have had and all that lovely homegrown produce.
    I must make some jam again this year too!
    Love
    LYn
    xxx

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  6. I should be outside picking redcurrants and gooseberries instead of catching up on blogs! Gooseberry crumble is a favourite of mine, and I love blackcurrant jam on toast, although apricot jam is my very favourite. I haven't had one vegetable from my garden yet. It's most odd, nothing seems to be happening? x

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  7. Lovely produce Rosie! I would love to make jam but it has been so hot and humid down here in the South East. I love gooseberries and may have to invest in a gooseberry bush! I will have to keep a look out for some fresh apricots in the shops so I can make an apricot conserve. Yummy. I am quite envious of all your homegrown fruit!

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  8. I have never had gooseberries! It all looks beautiful and kudos to you for being so industrious. My dad used to sharpen the kitchen knives on our cement steps, too. Now I have five or six sharpening gadgets and dull knives!

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  9. What a very productive time you've been having! Everything looks very tasty!
    Love Kathy xxx

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  10. Wow - everything looks delicious. I have been taking handfuls of my blackcurrants every morning. Sharp but lovely.

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  11. How do you get everything done and still work too? You're a marvel, Rosie! Everything looks delicious... especially that gooseberry crumble. Yum!

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  12. Wow. That gooseberry jam looks really yummy! I would love to know the recipe for that! LOL. Anyways, garden fresh ingredients for recipes are the best things a garden will give you. I also get my recipe ingredients from my garden and they really taste better than those you buy in the supermarket.

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  13. You are really working hard in your garden as I see your recipes. I really love gooseberries jam! My gooseberry plant is just starting to produce fruits and I can't wait to make my own jam with it. Hope that my tomatoes will grow as huge as yours.

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