There is nothing better in my opinion than growing and cooking something for yourself. It just so happened that this evening everything has come together perfectly, the weather was just the right level of springtime warmth. Still needing to wear a coat and scarf to walk to the allotment, but once there it is just warm enough to get away with a t-shirt. The clocks have gone forward so now the lighter evenings mean I get to spend longer down there before it gets too dark to see what I am doing, plus as it is slightly later I had the site to myself, which is far more of a treat for Pip my dog as she gets free rein of the place.

The jobs on the cards this evening was supposed to be getting the seed potatoes in the ground, my first earlies a variety called ‘Casablanca’ but unfortunately on drawing back the covering on the bed they are going to be going into. My weed suppression had not been as effective as I had hoped which meant there will be a few hours of digging over and weeding to do before it is ready. I did maybe a third of the bed tonight (that’s being generous) then moved on to the easier jobs. 

The site had had a trailer load of wood chips delivered, and as I am trying to be more ‘no dig’ than ‘dig’ if that makes sense, I am following Charles Dowdings design and using it for my paths, it also really helps to give the plot a more finished look. I did 5 wheelbarrow loads from the top of the site and called it a day for that.

Growing Rhubarb has been a slow process, even though I have only had this allotment for a year, this Rhubarb has followed me through the past four homes we have lived at. Fingers crossed this is where they can now stay permanently. Growing them in containers has still been successful. It just requires slightly more care especially through the summer when they would desperately try and dry out. If you remember to water them however they can give you a fairly decent harvest.

Last year I got them into the ground as one of the first plants in the plot. To prepare the ground I weeded it thoroughly, then mixed in some well-rotted horsed manure.  Rhubarb are hungry plants so putting in some manure or compost is always helpful. Then this winter just been I mulched them with a two inch layer of horse manure, this wasn’t fully rotted down, but it was all I had access too for free so I made do, and it has seemed to work very well if the crop I am getting is anything to go by.

I have three plants, I think they are all the same variety, sadly I can’t tell you exactly what they are as I bought them second hand off FB marketplace. They all seem to grow at a similar rate and crop at the same time. This is not ideal as now I am getting more than I can eat. At least when I poach it, I can freeze it to have later on, but it is just not the same as when it is fresh.

To produce sweeter stems, I have forced on of the plants; to do this I picked up second-hand a couple of old chimney pots and coupled with a big black bucket it works very well as a forcer, for about a tenth of the price. It is working very well, this is the first time I have tried it.

Currently I am getting what I would describe as two portions of rhubarb a week, from these three plants, and they haven’t got going fully just yet. I am what I would describe as a half decent home cook, and that would be high praise for me, but I am trying to get better. Stewing rhubarb could not be simpler and is bloody delicious.

I give the stems a good rinse off, then remove all the leaves, this is very important as they are toxic! Chop the stems into about inch long sections, stick them into a saucepan, and sprinkle over some sugar, I don’t use very much as I really enjoy that mouth shrinking sharpness you can get from fresh rhubarb. So, at this point I would sweeten to your preference. Add some water to the saucepan, (not much just enough the cover the base). Put the saucepan on a low heat and give it a stir and keep stirring and in about 5-10 minutes, you have stewed Rhubarb.

I like to let it cool, then this on some thick Greek yoghurt, with a dash of honey is to die for.

Enjoy!