Purple sprouting broccoli

Finally, our purple sprouting broccoli is ready to be consumed! We sowed it in March last year and were getting pretty desperate to:

1) eat it
2) get the space ready to prepare the vegetable patch for this year's crop


One thing is sure is that the taste is DIVINE. It is unbelievable how tasty and good it is. For a start, I ecould smell the broccoli whilst picking and cooking it. Then the cooking water was bright green, as if grass juice, which probably means that there are millions more nutrients and goodness in these than the ones we buy from the greengrocer.


I really recommend growing purple sprouting broccoli. It sure takes a lot of space (over 1 m2 per plant) and it does take up your space for at least a year, but it is well worth it if you have the space. We will be growing them again this year for sure!

Touch of spring

Seeing these crocuses in the morning make me feel really happy :)

Menu week 2009-09

Chickpea & vegetable korma (NEW!),
with basmati rice

Creamy pasta bake (NEW!)

Beansprouts and vegetables enchilladas

Cheesy vegetable chowder

First snowdrop

Last year the daffodils and crocuses came en masse right at the beginning of February, and this year, with all the cold and snow we have had, even the snowdrops haven't come out properly. I captured the first one in our garden on Saturday morning:

Menu week 2009-08

I don't know what exactly but something went wrong and only half of last week's planned menu was actually cooked. Something to do with both of us being out and coming back late and then we had no time to cook a full meal. Usually it ends up with grilling some Cauldron organic veggie sausages, making some mashed potatoes, and boiling some peas: not very healthy :-(

So, here is our attempt for this week. We will try to stick to it this time! Although I will probably have to fly to Belfast for a couple of days, not sure yet if and when it will happen though...

Stuffed mushrooms,
served with broccoli and mashed potatoes

Carrot and parsnip bake

Tofu & noodle stir-fry

Lentil paté (NEW!)

Menu week 2009-07

Stuffed mushrooms,
served with broccoli and mashed potatoes

Carrot and parsnip bake

Spinach and lentil curry, with basmati rice
based on creamy spinach curry

Cauliflower and broccoli soup