Strawberry Heaven. 22nd June 2018

We came back from holiday to a glut of strawberries. These must be an early ripening variety as I always think of English strawberries being at their peak when Wimbledon is on, whereas ours will be finished by then. We don’t know the variety  but they are delicious, juicy and sweet. You could never buy these type of strawberries in a supermarket as they are so soft and juicy that they soon start to disintegrate and wouldn’t have a shelf life.

The rhubarb is flourishing too, so I have made lots of strawberry and rhubarb compote which is great on breakfasts or for a dessert. One of my favourite puddings is in the latest recipes section on my website, a strawberry and rhubarb crumble. To die for! We have eaten lots of fresh strawberries, thrown them into smoothies and salads, given some away and put the rest in the freezer for using in winter. Berries are so good for you and it’s lovely to have your own supply of organic ones.

We were hoping to come back to a broad bean glut too, as before we left on holiday the plants were full of flowers. However a lot of the flowers didn’t set so we have a meagre crop. Hot weather, wind and a shortage of water seem to be the main reasons for the lack and the plants have been subjected to all of those. That’s growing – unpredictable but exciting.

We are now also picking lettuce, rocket, radish, chard, courgettes, kale, blackcurrants and a selection of herbs so lots of salads and fresh lemon balm or mint tea are on the menu. Happy days reaping the rewards of all that weeding and planting.