Fenel, flowers and more at the allotment

I finally got some quality time at the allotment over the weekend, and boy did I enjoy it. The recent rains meant there was some serious weed growth, but everything was so lush I didn't particularly care. I was most pleased with the late-sown sunflowers, which are in full bloom at the moment, the fennel, grown for the first time this year, which is going a treat, and the rather lovely oak leaf lettuce, which has been turned into a couple of gorgeous gren salads. And there was lots, lots more to harvest, as you can see from the trug pic below.

I am now on the lookout for good fennel recipes, although the first thing I'll try is a simple orange and fennel salad in a vain attempt to emulate something we ate in Umbria last year.

There were also several beetroot and the last of the tomatoes, which have now been transformed into a fab beetroot and feta soup (as classic Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe as magicked up by Rick), a few lovely little egg-shaped white aubergines, and a half dozen Sweet Hungarian Wax peppers. The only thing I am sick of the sight of is marrows: I have chutneyed them 'til I am blue in the face and have resorted to giving them away to colleagues. There's only so much marrow a girl can eat ...

Comments

[mtp]

ooh lovely. Will you keep all of them for yourself? How long do they keep usually? I have 10 butternut squash, 8 Futsu, and 6 or 7 Uchiki Kuri - just wondering how long I will be enjoying pumpkin soup.

[mtp]

sorry that post was supposed to go on the 'pumpkin haul'.

[Kate]

Your fennel looks great. I've been trying to grow it for the past few years but never had much success. It seems to grow but doesn't bulk up at all, not sure what I'm doing wrong! Love your pumpkins too :-)

As for fennel recipies, my favourite is roasting it with thyme, cherry tomatoes and garlic. You boil the fennel quarters for 10 mins then place it in a dish with thyme, garlic, some butter, olive oil and white wine, and some skinned cherry tomatoes, and put it in the oven on 220C I think for about 30 mins.

[Mildew]

Tell me about the marrow glut! My last huge one was picked yesterday and I'm still not sure if I can be bothered to cook with it, I've still got bags of the stuff in the freezer to use up.

I like fennel chopped very thinly along with some peppers and chopped parsley marinaded in vinigrette. Good with seafood salads. Fennel be very tasty roasted too.