The Plot Thickens - No-Dig, Allotment Living The Plot Thickens

Just another morning of chatter about our week on the plots and a visit to work in the gorgeous hotel kitchen garden. 

We both have a few courgettes in all shapes and sizes so Karin is looking forward to cooking a ratatouille. 



Karin's Ratatouille Recipe

onion

garlic

butter

olive oil 

aubergine (1cm quarters) salted until shrivelled) 

courgette (1cm sliced) 

tinned tomatoes

water

salt

thyme




prep veg
fry onion and garlic with butter and olive oil
add aubergine, courgette, tomatoes, water and thyme. 
season and serve with rice



(or give it to a friend if you hate ratatouille like Vicky) 

The day that Karin has been waiting for has finally arrived; she has been offered another half plot in addition to her existing one, after a 2 1/2 year wait. At first glance it is an odd triangular shape, but this has advantages in terms of defining the compost set up of her dreams. Mimicking Vicky’s pallet compost masterpiece, this four bay baby will produce enough compost to cover the new plot in no time. With thanks to Alex Kizenkov for intro music

Mushrooms, mushrooms, mushrooms!

How do you grow yours?

Karin has some beautiful white oyster mushrooms ready to pick for a creamy pasta dinner. She's extended the mushroom theme throughout her plot like mycelium - she's now layering spores in her raised bed!

Vicky's been moving her mushrooms like the Hokey Cokey around her plot with not very impressive results, unlike her 4 small perfectly formed cucumbers.

So sorry people, the mic batteries started to fail so this episode is very short and sweet.



Back next week with a monster episode as we have NEWS!

A busy week in Hertfordshire with inspiring visits to both the Kitchen Garden and Groundswell, the Regenerative Agriculture Festival. On the allotments the growing has finally started after the hot weather, making all the hard work worth it.

We had a lovely natter on a sunny plot - the sun is finally beating down on us!



We’ve become Wildlife champions with Wilderhood Watch in St Albans but what does that actually mean?



Karin’s little one spotted what she thought was a possum on the plot, but no, it was a Hedgehog ! So the whole family are now fully focused on operation hedgehog home building this week!



Are you going to Groundswell? We’ll be there on Wednesday 26th June and are so looking forward to meeting so many wonderful people and talk freely about compost and soil ALL DAY LONG without boring anyone! 



Last week, we popped along to Folly Lane Allotment as part of Sust Fest's. We got a lovely tour of 3 carying plots insluding one focused on butterflies, one on apples and the 3rd on compost! We got to taste some Ashmead’s Colonel apple Juice!



We're also planning ahead; Johnson Su building, Hotbed creation and sowing for Winter!

This week Karin’s cooking up globe artichokes & potatoes and Vicky's eating raw peas fresh from the pod. 



Wilderhood Watch

Wilder St Albans

Did anyone say permaculture? Vicky deep dives into her online course and shares her new found fascination with contour mapping. Both have enjoyed a small first harvest from their plots, making all the work on the plots worth it.

With thanks to Alex Kizenskov for intro music.