With temperatures as high as the mid-30s (40 degrees in parts of the UK!) this past few weeks, it’s hard to consider putting the oven on or even cooking on the hob in this heat. Salads are the answer and fortunately the allotment has been coming up trumps with lots of salad leaves, broad beans, sugarsnap and mangetout peas, and now the courgettes are in full swing too.
I tend to go and water the plot after 7.30/8pm when it’s this warm, not least because that forms part of Leo’s evening walk and it’s still too hot on his paws to venture out before. After 8, it’s so peaceful up on the plot and watering/harvesting on balmy evenings is a delight. The builders have started work on the field next to the allotments so peace is shattered if you happen to venture up during the day – I felt as though I’d entered a rave when I popped up to drop something off the other day, with radios blaring, builders singing along at the top of their voices and a fair bit of swearing thrown in. Not what we’re used to in an otherwise tranquil spot on the edge of the village, but that’s progress, I suppose… I’m only usually up there in the evenings or at weekends, so it doesn’t really affect me at the moment, but I do feel for all the retired plotholders who have had their quiet haven invaded. Ho hum.
A month’s worth of going up every evening to water/harvest has allowed me to feel a little more on top of the plot after a slow start this year. It’s amazing what you can achieve if you weed just one bed an evening, or sow a few rows of seed. The peak soft fruit harvest is now over after baskets full of currants, raspberries and of course gooseberries, and the early plums are starting to ripen. A lovely time of year.
I tend to water my pots at home in the morning aand the allotment in the evening to spread the load. Our individual water usage at the allotments isn’t metered, although the allotment association is, so we are not allowed to use hoses, which is absolutely fair enough. At home, of course, I am metered and I had rather a shock last week when my bill came in at over double what it usually is! After some investigation and quite a lot of panic, it transpired that, not only was my meter covered in a thick layer of mud so clearly hadn’t been read properly for quite some time, but South-East Water hadn’t marked the reading as estimated and had clearly plucked a figure from thin air! The true reading was in fact slightly less than it usually is – much to my relief! Do check, even if your reading isn’t shown as estimated. My water butts only ran out a few weeks ago, after the alleged meter reading, and I had a new boiler installed at home in May, which heats the water up much faster than my previous model, so I knew I should be using less…
I read recently that barley straw is an excellent mulch for suppressing perennial weeds like couch grass and buttercups: https://www.gcplants.co.uk/barley-straw-weed-control.html. My soft fruit beds got out of control this spring when I didn’t have time to do any weeding, as did the paths between my raised beds. The wood chip I laid in previous years has now rotted down, proving a fertile growing medium for weed seeds and those creeping couch grass rhizomes. Anything organic is worth a try, especially if it doesn’t involve weedkiller (although another plotholder did suggest spraying weeds with undiluted white vinegar!), so a friend with a smallholding kindly ordered a bale of barley straw from a local farmer and I’ve now spread it on all my paths and soft fruit beds. We shall see – keeping my fingers well and truly crossed, and of course I’ll report back either way.
Anyway, on to those salads! My broad beans, mainly autumn-sown, have finished now but they were extremely plentiful this year so I’ve tried various salad combinations: my old favourite Broad bean & Halloumi Salad (or you could use feta instead), plus a delicious broad bean hummus or a fishy take with smoked haddock (or smoked salmon if you don’t want to cook). A summer spelt salad inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall also hit the spot. French-style salades tièdes where you quickly fry or cook the main ingredients and serve on a bed of lettuce are always very welcome too.
Broad Bean Hummus – serves 3-4
200g podded broad beans (you’ll need 500g of pods for this many beans)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp tahini paste
Juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Generous handful of mint leaves, chopped
Pod the beans (you can save the pods and use to make vegetable stock if you’re feeling frugal), and place in a glass bowl with a dash of water. Cover with a lid and microwave for 2-3 minutes. Otherwise steam for 4-5 minutes. Quickly transfer the beans to a colander and immerse in cool water, then remove the grey outer skins. They should have started to split and come away easily with your fingers. If you’re using very tiny young beans, you can omit this stage, but the bright green colour of the filleted beans is an added bonus.
Put the beans into a food processor with the garlic, tahini paste, lime juice, mint and seasoning, then blend to a very smooth purée. With the motor still running, gradually pour in the olive oil. Transfer to a pretty bowl and decorate with a sprig of mint or even a mint flower if you have any. Serve with good bread or crudités.
Another salad I discovered years ago but had forgotten about until recently is a Broad Bean, Smoked Haddock and Egg Salad, a hearty-enough meal for even the most salad-averse people! This entails simmering a piece of smoked haddock (preferably the natural coloured fish, not the dyed variety!) in water until it is tender, leaving to cool, then mixing with boiled new potatoes, just-cooked broad beans (filleted if you prefer), hard-boiled eggs, lettuce and/or rocket, sliced radishes and herbs of your choice. I like dill or fennel, but mint would work too. Dress with a Citrussy Garlic Dressing made from 4 tbsp olive oil, the juice and grated rind of 1 lemon, 1 clove of garlic, crushed, 1 tsp wholegrain mustard and 1 tsp sugar.
Last but not least is a summer spelt salad based on the recipe from the River Cottage Veg Every Day book, but based on what I brought back from the plot as usual. I haven’t given quantities for the veg as it very much depends what you have.
Summer Spelt Salad – serves 2-3
100g pearled spelt (or pearl barley if that’s what you have)
Handful of cherry tomatoes
Sugarsnap peas, chopped
Courgettes, thinly sliced and blanched in boiling water for 3-5 minutes
Baby carrots, chopped
Bunch of carrot leaves, finely chopped
Golden beetroots, roasted in foil or boiled
New potatoes, boiled
Spring onions or baby leeks, chopped (or chives)
Fresh dill (or mint)
Citrussy garlic dressing (as above)
Seasoning
Rinse the pearled spelt in water, then cook in boiling water for 20-30 mins until just tender, but with a slight bite. Drain and add 2 tbsp of the dressing, then leave to cool while you prepare the veg. Mix together and season to taste, adding more dressing as required. The flavours meld together as the salad stands, making this even more delicious if you manage to save some leftovers for lunch the next day.
Rhubarb & Raspberries 