On the plot - autumn harvests
Pea shoots
A great way to add a new flavour to your salads and to add that little touch of restaurant quality - try pea shoots. They’re an easy addition to grow for the kitchen table.
Specific seeds for this purpose are available to purchase from many seed suppliers but by far the most economical way is to obtain some dried marrowfat pea seeds from the supermarket. 250g should cost you less than £1.
In a seed tray or old fruit punnet add a two inch layer of potting compost. Sow a layer of seeds over this - they can be quite tightly spaced. Place half an inch of compost over the top of these seeds, water them well, and place on a windowsill or greenhouse staging. Shoots should appear within a week and 5-6 inch shoots will be ready to harvest in another week or so. Warm bright conditions will produce the most tender shoots. In the colder months grow them on the kitchen windowsill, a heated greenhouse, or in a plant propagating unit. For use in the kitchen, wash them and they’ll be ready to be used alone as a salad leaf or added to your favourite mix. They can also be incorporated into stir fry dishes.
Winter salads
During the autumn and winter many of us have spare space on our plots or within our greenhouses that is under utilised. Winter salads can be a useful addition to the kitchen and can be quite prolific when given the right conditions. We’ve always grown ours in the space that’s made available after the tomatoes have been taken out of the greenhouse. After the demanding requirements from the tomatoes, the soil is rejuvenated with the addition of compost from the heap.
Winter salad seed mixes generally contain some of the hardier options which include komatsuna, rocket, mizuna, mustards, and Pak Choi. They might also contain spinach, beetroot, chard, and some herbs such as parsley. Suppliers can sometimes be a bit shy as to what their mix actually contains so you’ll sometimes need to play detective and work out what to expect from the photograph shown in the catalogue or website.
Simply broadcast the seeds where they are to grow and lightly rake them in followed by a can of water. Sown in early autumn they should appear quite quickly but as the season progresses germination will take a bit longer. Seeds sown outside should be given protection from a cloche of or a layer of horticultural fleece.
Using scissors or a sharp knife take a crop when they’re of the size you require. Most will come again after cutting, giving you a source of salad leaves right through until spring.
Globe Artichokes
We’re not great consumers of globe artichokes in the UK. They seem just a little bit fiddly and require a certain amount of hard work for very little return. However, when eaten in the south of France with an extra cold dry white wine or a freezing cold vodka you might be hooked - they’re a lazy-hot weather-take-your-time, kind of pre-dinner amuse-bouche.
If you haven’t eaten them before, there is a method. It's a bit like approaching your first whole cooked lobster or crab. Where to start, where to go, and how to finish. To cook, simply boil or better still steam the artichoke head for around 30 minutes. It’s ready when the leaves can be pulled away easily from the head. To eat, pull off the leaves, dip in vinaigrette or melted butter and scrape the fleshy part off the base of the leaf with your teeth.
