Its soon got round to the time of year for drying herbs, I dont do that much but we really love sage and onion stuffings and having grown 3 nice big sage bushes in the garden its there for the picking. I try to do enough to fill a biggish jar then I know it will last all year.
Its a bit tedious as I prefer to dry it loose leaf in the microwave then scrunch it up into a locking jar. It takes me ages to do but I know the results are worthwhile. Its one of those jobs you do a bit each day, this is my third day of cutting a big colander full and the jar is still only about a third full... I will get there...eventually....then come winter I shall be jolly glad I did it :-) See this post for how I dry my herbs
It grows quite well under the shade of the apple tree and gets cut right back to encourage new and tender shoots.
The lettuce patch is doing well and we have eaten about 5 and given one to my Mum, I planted Webbs Wonderful, these are the big hearty green ones, full of flavour and crunch, Lollo Rosso for the beautiful colour and frillyness and from seed I have planted Salad Bowl, a cut and come again variety. Yesterday we popped into B&Q for some strimmer line and they had little trays of mixed red and green lettuce for 50p so I bought one and added it to the rest.
This small trough at the side of the greenhouse had the spare plants of salad bowl dibbed in and its grown like crazy! We also have some planted between the French Beans. I can't throw good plants away that I've grown so they just get stuffed everywhere! Trouble is when they're all ready at the same time we have it at every meal ..lol
Todays lunch..wholemeal bread, ham and LETTUCE!!! and fresh pineapple for pudd...yum!
We have had a few Courgettes and mini cucumbers from the greenhouse and today I noticed a couple of tomatoes on the turn.
The tomato plants have been poor this year, I bought them from the WI stall as my Dad wasn't doing any this year :-(
The new bed in the garden is doing great, I am so pleased with it, there are a few gaps but I intend to buy a few bits to try and keep it flowering for as long as possible.
Hubby has cut the grass round it and it was strong enough do dig the edge, it looks much neater and as if its always been there.
Its sunny and warm but quite blustery here today, I think we are forecast rain later. Yesterday we had thunder and lightening followed by a quick but heavy shower....saved me watering the garden!
Tonights dinner is meatballs and pasta with a tomato and mascapone sauce....out of a jar... :-) quick, easy, tasty and filling and everything from stock!
Whats on your menu today?
Love
Karen xxxx
Looking great. If I have too much lettuce, it goes into soup along with bacon and onion. As long as it is blitzed it is fine.
ReplyDeleteThats such a great idea, I will remember that one. We eat lots of homemade soup. We had BLT rolls yesterday and they were amazing.
DeleteThanks, I have a huge sage bush and I didn't know how to dry them.
ReplyDeleteHi Julee I have now added a link to another post which shows how I dry my herbs, I hope its useful xx
DeleteWhat a good idea, I have a lot of sage in the garden, do you think I can dry it in the oven as I don't have a microwave.
ReplyDeleteHi Penny, thank you for commenting. Try drying it in the oven when its been on for something else and been switched off otherwise it might cook and burn. You could try the old fashioned way of just bunching it up with string and hanging it in a warm dry place until it dries. You only need the leaves to be dry, the stalks are discarded. I would have a go, its a shame not to when you have it in the garden already.
ReplyDeleteThanks I will give it a try,x
ReplyDelete