The Saturday List #229 - Ten Tasty Treats growing in my garden right now

I'm lucky. I have a rather beautiful garden, even if it does have the Thameslink mainline railway and the M1 motorway at the bottom of the garden. It is something that I not only love, but is a resource that helps our household budget. So I thought I'd go out and show you the pick of the picks!


Here are the top ten tasty treats currently on display. Many will be on our plates for breakfast/lunch and dinner in the coming weeks.

1. Runner beans. These are in flower and will soon be ready for the frying pan. My tasty tip. Slice thinly, fry with olive oil, garlic and chop in a few chillies.

2. Broccoli. I used to agree with George W. Bush on the matter of Broccoli, but I found that it is a great way to eat hummus! 

3. Blackberries. We've had a fine crop of them this year. Great in the morning bowl of porridge.

4. Peas. We've had a good crop of peas this year. They've gone rather nicely in the Paellas we have. 

5. Sweetcorn. In a couple of weeks this will be ready for the barbeque.  Sweetcorn is delicious when charred.

6. Cox's apples. These are nice and sweet and also go well in the porridge.

7. After a couple of years where a fungus wiped out our crops, they are back and thriving.  I love fresh tomatoes on toast, with a bit of black pepper and sea salt.

8. The courgettes are also in full bloom. We've had a couple already. I love courgettes fried in olive oil with garlic. They are also great for dips.

9. These greens are most tasty, especially finely chopped and stir fried in olive oil and chilli.

10. I planted a pear tree about ten years ago. It gives a fine crop most years. They are great in porridge and we'll be having a pear tart in the not too distant. 

We probably have a crop worth £2-300 a year from the garden, all fresh and all organic. A special thanks to my neighbour Pat who does all the hard work for us, in keeping it spic and span.