Hello again. I hope you are keeping well. It’s been a busy month for me which has meant that I haven’t had much spare time to put a post together. Now as the season feels like it is shifting, I thought I would take a look back on what’s been happening out of doors this past month.
The garden is showing signs of Autumn now with leaves changing colour and a crop of pale lilac crocus appearing in a shady border. Earlier in the month I went to visit my family in Sussex. The weather was very warm and we spent most of our time together out of doors. On one walk, I was delighted to find some blackberries untouched in a hedgerow and was able to carry my precious cargo of black jewels all the way back home to Scotland to make into a compote with apples from my tree. Delicious.
As you can see, it’s another good year for apples. I’ve only picked a few so far, but I think with the weather turning cooler this weekend and a predicted frost,, I will be picking the remainder in the next few days. I’ve also harvested a lot of potatoes, and put many more in storage. I’m feeling pleased with myself, after years of giving up on carrot growing, I’ve had a fair crop this year. The variety was called “Rainbow” and I had high hopes of a multi-coloured batch, but in the end, they were mostly yellow. No matter, they tasted fresh and spicy, just as homegrown carrots should do.
I’m over-run with tomatoes too. Dehydration for the small ones, and tomato sauce for the larger ones. I haven’t started my annual chutney making ritual, but once the apples are picked, the preserving with begin.
Back in the garden, my lovely scented rose bush is back in flower, and the orange lupin is flowering for the third time – I didn’t know this was possible! Another splash of orange in the garden comes from the carnations I planted a few years ago. Back in the spring, I moved them to a different spot, in a raised bed by a sunny wall, and they are thriving.
I’m pretty sure that I mentioned the Japanese anemones in my last garden post back in August. They have gone from strength to strength, and I think this year is the first time they have grown en masse to create such an impactful display under the apple tree.
That’s me for another month. I wish you well over the coming days, and look forward to sharing a recipe with you next time around. Until then, my best wishes to you.
My Virtually Free-from Kitchen 
Hello Kathryn! It is good to hear that you have been busy with your garden, collecting such a bountiful crop! I am sure you know that blackberries can be frozen. The ones that grow around here are all dried up now, of course, after the horrible drought we have had, so I was very wise to pick them last month. Our children are here for a week and tomorrow they will be treated with a « tarte myrtilles et mûres ». I prepare a lightly sweetened jelly with the blackberries (removing all the seeds) and then fill it with blueberries before it sets. I usually serve the individual pies with a little whipped cream (dairy or non). So delicious!
Do you remove the seeds for your blackberry apple compote?
Congratulations on your carrot crop! A gardener should never give up.
Thank you for sharing, have a great weekend!
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Good morning. It is a sunny start to the weekend here but much cooler of late. Those tarts sound divine. What a lovely treat for the family. To be honest, the blackberries I picked were too small to remove the pips. Lack of rain meant that they weren’t that juicy. The flavour was good but there were a lot of seeds. Most of the compote is in the freezer. I hope you have a lovely time en famille. I look forward to catching up with you again soon😊
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