The new greenhouse and update from the allotment and the kitchen

The new greenhouse is up and secured. The beds are being built on either side and the staging is in place at the end.

Not wishing to miss an opportunity to get sowing I have been filling the shelves on the staging with pots and trays with seeds. So far we have: Broccoli, Chard, Calabrese, Kale, Savoy Cabbage, Cauliflower, Leeks, Rocket, Spinach, Chives, Sweetcorn, Courgettes, Basil, Sunflowers, Lettuce and a tub of peas. This is in addition to the Peas, Salad leaves, Beetroot, Potatoes, Broad Beans, Carrotts and Artichokes that I have in the first greenhouse. The small greenhouse with the plastic cover has three Tesco canvas shopping bags planted up with potatoes, three tubs of Jerusalem artichokes, 8 tubs with Canna lillies and some sweet peas. And you thought I spent all my time at the allotment drinking tea and watching ducks.


There is not a lot happening in the ground at the moment as there is still the risk of frost but here is a long shot from the top of 52 showing the three greenhouses, the bean sticks that I have put in place and the globe artichokes. Talking of which, one has globes already which is a great surprise.






I am not sure how but I seem to have two different varieties of globe artichoke, one that is in flower and one with very silver leaves. It will be interesting to see how they develop as the months go on.








Looking back the other way, I have covered one bed to try to warm the soil. I have sown some carrots, beetroot and fennel as well as putting a row of onions in. As soon as the weather warms up I will remove the cover so that they can get the rain as it is not easy crawling in to water.






We seem to be averaging 6 or 7 eggs per day from the girls and I am just about keeping up with using them, although we have given away or sold quite a few. It is interesting how many people have never eaten duck eggs but reluctantly give them a try. They all come back with comments on how delicious they are and I think we are going to have some regular customers. One day this week we were shocked to find 10 eggs. I am inclined to belive that we may have missed a couple the day before as they have a habit of burying them in the bedding.



I am sure you have missed recipes from the allotment so here is the latest and the one that I find uses the most eggs.

Leek, brocolli and goats cheese quiche

- Line a quiche tin with pastry
- Lightly boil the leeks (having removed all mud and slugs) and brocolli (removing the wrapping as we have to buy it after the rabbits ate all ours)
- Tip them all into pastry case
- Beat four duck eggs and pour over the leeks and brocolli
- Add blobs of goats cheese
- Bake in the oven until brown and the eggs completely cooked
- Eat with home made chutney





I have decided that it is time for the bottles to come out. I have a couple of trays of little gem lettuce that need planting out so the first role of the bottles is mini-greenhouses.