Plot Revival

This was the plot at the end of my fourth day of clearing the weeds.I have started at the far end and worked my way backwards towards the shed end.The purple Broccoli is still growing and needs clearing once it is fully harvested.Amazingly over the Winter this Garlic has grown through the Soil to form these lovely glowing green leaves.The white rot stopped the Garlic growing last year.It stunted the root growth and caused the leaves to wilt before any cloves were formed.It was sunny when I took the photo.It makes weeding more pleasurable when the sun is on your face.

This Rhubarb is growing slowly on the corner of the plot beneath the gigantic Gooseberry Bush.I like its off coloured leaves growing from the crown.I have about five crowns growing on.

The weeding and digging is like riding a bike.Painful at first,but it gets easier as time goes on.I am trying to clear as much as I can before my raised beds are delivered.I have also ordered two new Compost bins for the plot.I have nearly filled a 330 litre on already!I have three large green garden waste bags filled up too.The plot generates a huge amount of green waste.I will compost it all and then dig it back into the soil.

I dug up a row of Parsnips today and have tried to make some Parsnip Soup.I harvested the rest of the Swede too.The question is what to do with all the Leeks that remain?

I could make some Soup but the freezer is already full of Carrot soup,and Tomato Soup.I need to limit what I grow to what we can use.There always seem to be gluts of certain Veg at certain times.

I have spent the past two days at the plot.Tomorrow I will be spending time shopping at Asda,and planting our Silver Birch Tree.My legs and back ache from all the digging over.

Pink Champagne And Jazz

When we went shopping yesterday we found tents,stalls,and hot food for sale.It was the sixth food,drink,and Rhubarb festival.Wakefield is one corner of the Rhubarb triangle,famed for growing its early Rhubarb in darkened sheds to produce sweeter stalks(the other two places are Leeds and Morley).The nickname for early Rhubarb is Pink Champagne.I have heard that the Rhubarb is picked by hand in candlelight.The sheds are apparently full of creaking stems as they grow in the dark.The leaves are small and pale yellow coloured.The stalks are long and lusciously pink.I had to buy one packet to try and cook with.
The festival had local chefs showing their audiences how to cook a variety of dishes with Rhubarb.Here it has been used as a fruit for crumbles and pies although it is a vegetable.The pink forced stalks (grown in the pitch black sheds) are one of the earliest crops.The council is using the food festival as an early stop for foodies.There were plenty of Yorkshire food stores selling sweets,cakes,jams,pies,and game meat etc.A brass band played in the precinct under the spire of the Cathedral.There was a man dressed like a pantomime dame called Ruby Rhubarb walking around.There were also a variety of bands, theatre events,and talks around the district.Its good a local food is being championed,and that the festival had drawn people to visit.The pink Champagne we bought was cooked down a little,sweetened with sugar,and turned into a crumble.We will have it with some custard once i have blogged.I am back to work tomorrow so no more gardening until Tuesday.
My amazon order came so I'm listening to some Jazz Cd's.Louis Armstrong is playing as I type this.I got a compilation CD from Starbucks in the World Financial Centre and it has inspired me to buy some old Jazz Cd's.It goes well with the pink Champagne.