Ticking the list

With some unexpected guests here at Genus HQ over Christmas we had a busy time laughing, entertaining, playing games, and of course cooking.  On the catering side we’re lucky that we live where we do and on several occasions visitors were sent out into the garden, list and trug in hand, to collect some homegrown additions for the next meal.

Despite the recent cold snap the vegetable garden has fared well and it’s here that our guests were sent.  Our sprouts, although quite late to go in, made good progress and with a protective tent of horticultural mesh avoided any attacks from butterflies and caterpillars - sprouts therefore made it into the trug.  Cavalo nero the Italian black kale has also done well this year (pictured) and with just the lower leaves picked the crown continues to produce new leaves for several more months - tick number two.

Tick number three were the carrots - large and mis-shapen they might not have looked beautiful but there were plenty for several meals and plenty more left in the ground to last us for several more weeks.  Tick number four was supplied by our chard which although only grown in a small row has continued to send out new leaves giving us plenty to wilt down as an addition to the green vegetable bowl.

Finally a vegetable that simply gets on with it, is number five on our guests shopping list - Jerusalem artichokes.  We’ve had them in a corner of the garden for over a decade and no matter how much we pick them they return with equal vigour and abundance each year.  Roasted with plenty of garlic and rosemary they always receive enthusiastic comments from first time artichoke eaters.

After eating we all gathered around the fire gently snoozing and looking like a well fed pride of lions after a successful hunt.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our Genus customers.