The tastes and smells of Summer

One of the most useful veg plants I grow are courgettes. You only need a few plants (I have three this year) and the give you a fantastic yield. They also seem really versatile. In the beginning, I pick them when they're really small & use them whole in stir fries and curries.

They're great to eat raw with good healthy dips too. And as much as I try, there's always the odd few that turn into massive ones, which I use in the same way as marrows - I've got a couple like that now. My favourite way to cook them as marrow is:

1. Cut in half length ways
2. Remove the seeds
3. Stuff with grated cheese (red leicester is good)
4. Add some slices of tomato (thick, juicy Italian ones are best)
5. Bake in the oven for 40 mins
6. Enjoy with some good, crusty bread!

The herbs are doing well at this time of year too, with some great smells in the garden. I have some mint, rosemary, sage & lavender just outside my back door & it smells wonderful as you go past. The lavender has been a real attraction for the bees too. The colour is wonderful!

Thanks for reading x

sweet smelling sweet peas

I've tried red cabbage this year & it seems to be doing well. I've got a raised bed full of it.

I've seen a few cabbage white butterflies around, so I'm trying to shoo off any that I see! I expect they would love a taste!

The runner beans are doing well. I always plant them with sweet peas & they look lovely growing together. The sweet peas encourage the bees into the garden & so more runner beans are pollinated. You have to keep picking the sweet peas on a daily basis though, to stop them going to seed. On the up side, it means you always have a vase full of beautiful smelling sweet peas on the kitchen windowsill.  The runner beans are starting to flower, so I'm hoping the beans will start to grow shortly.

We've had a fair bit of rain, but could do with a bit more sun though to get some more things along. My tomatoes have started to fruit though, so I'll post some pics of them the next time.

Thanks for reading x