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This is the 'Hungry Gap' and so it's the hardest time of year to feed yourself, but the neighbours have a surplus of eggs and today I have collected rhubarb, asparagus, chard, spinach, and for salad, beetroot thinnings. lettuce, fennel shoots, rocket, chives, sorrel, mint and coriander. A handful of imported cashews, some dried apricot and a satsuma made a great meal.
The currents, strawberries and gooseberries are swelling - it will be a race to get last year's crop in the freezer eaten before the new lot arrives.
I know we've got a slightly larger garden than most (ok, a lot larger) but when you see how much can be produced from a small area one has to be optimistic about feeding through the future.

Great work! I'm on my way there, but it will be another 2-3 years. Have to get the greenhouse going and a couple of warm beds with asparagus. The climate here CAN be cracked so we get something fresh in late April, but it takes some efforts.

I read Carl von Linne about hens, and if you feed them with hemp and hemp seeds they seem to be laying eggs year around. Must try that next winter!

Own cabbage last night - well okay spring greens.... (2 more to go).
Rhubarb in crumbles and made into a dozen pots of chutney last week.
Starting to use onions from sets (still green but bulbs swelling already).
Bean tops from broad beans; steamed & served with butter and black pepper.
Cardoon stalks in an eggy batter.
Then all the usual herbs: parsley, chives, garlic chives, bay leaves, sage, rosemary, mint.
Baby salad leaves in the greenhouse for sandwiches.

Broad beans (overwintered) almost ready......

Things going slowly in the garden so far this year, but have already eaten some spinach beet, turnip greens and lettuce from the garden so far this year, as well as herbs.

Some radishes should be ready soon.

Went down Bury Market earlier on and blew ?50 on some meat - a couple of sirloin steaks, couple of pounds of mince, sausages, corn-fed free-range chicken breasts, a couple of tuna steaks.

The stallholders selling meat seemed almost apologetic as they were telling me the price for the weight I had asked for. "Oh, they're big steaks," was the pre-emptive strike at one stall.

Apart from herbs (chives, mint, parsley, rosemary) the garden's mostly a spectator sport at the moment. Beans, strawbs currants gusgogs elder and fruit trees are coming along nicely, mind. Sorrel cucs and celeriac have just begun to show.

Stir-fried aphids, anyone ?

RenewableCandy wrote:Stir-fried aphids, anyone ?

They're best milked, apparently, much more sustainable according to the ants.

Nothing from the garden yet. I didn't get my early spring
stuff planted in time. I have rapsberries (razzberries )
growing nicely and my tomato plants look devine.

I've decided to try trading my excess chicken eggs for
whatever folks have in their gardens.

RenewableCandy wrote:Stir-fried aphids, anyone ?

Wanna buy some, mail order?
Oops, just remembered, I killed them all... Maybe next year?

The other day we ate spinach and chard with broad beans fried up with onion and bacon, all from the roof terrace! Er, except for the bacon. Been "doing" a lot of turnips too (no stopping 'em) and plenty of lettuce, parsley and coriander...

Erik wrote:

RenewableCandy wrote:Stir-fried aphids, anyone ?

Wanna buy some, mail order?
Oops, just remembered, I killed them all...

Aphids in Garlic sauce might be a goer, after all the French eat snails in garlic sauce

This is my first year on the allotment, (well growing stuff anyway, last year was all about set up!) and as Biff says it is unbelievable how much stuff you get out of a small area!

We have had radish and lettuce ready to eat so far from under those sun tunnel like cloches you get from B&Q (stuff grows like buggery under them!). I swear salad stuff goes from seed to plate in weeks!

We havent had much else - but then its a learning curve, I did all the early stuff too early, too deep and I think the snow stuffed the germination of a lot stuff (grr!).

I have learned a hell of a lot already, for example , broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower etc are a piece of cake to germinate direct sown into the soil. Others like parsnip , carrot , courgette are not so easy! (or maybe I did something wrong! - next time I will start in trays on a windowsill!)

Anything not from seed, is really really easy! Peas, broad beans, onions , garlic, shallots, runner beans, potatoes (I am going to be seriously overwhelmed with these, I have earthed first earlies and main crops upto me knees - that is one hell of a lot of spuds!) etc etc

Trying some peppers, aubergines and chillies under sun tunnels, lost one to slugs (BAS*ARD things! )- but seem to be doing ok!

Strawberry plants are smegging enormous (never grown them in proper soil before) and there is setting fruit all over the place). The raspberries have new foliage and looking good! Hoping for something this year, but most likely next!

O - I have an issue with bird damage - I have now tied some old CD's to the canes above the plants to deter - I presume that is what they are for? (I would of thought some old Tom jones CD's would scare any bugger ! )

Once I get a way of getting some piccies on the net, I shall post them!

The only thing that got me a bit doomerish after all this is that I remember the conversation I had with a major seed supplier. All the veggy seed (well even the flower seeds) are supplied from all over the world, in fact , everywhere and anywhere but the UK!

Totally_Baffled wrote: The only thing that got me a bit doomerish after all this is that I remember the conversation I had with a major seed supplier. All the veggy seed (well even the flower seeds) are supplied from all over the world, in fact , everywhere and anywhere but the UK!

But I thought ALL Powerswitchers now bought their seeds from www.realseeds.co.uk ?? Even those of us who live in Spain

Good stuff TB! Sounds like you are making some good progress. Just one thing, I think you have to sow carrots directly - they can't be transplanted as far I am aware.

Home caught Rabbit, home grown asparagus and bought cornish new potatoes last night. Delicious!!!!

Followed by home grown strawberries. Yummmmy.

What method of rabbit catching do you use?

We've a few bunnies round here. Fewer than in past years, but still a good number.

<ahem>

I dropped a water butt on it's head

Next time I intend to use an air rifle.