Rhubarb ruminations and recipe ideas

March 19, 2017March 12, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 8 Comments

Homegrown_forced_spring_rhubarb — Spring rhubarb. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

At last, my forced rhubarb was ready to pick this week! Now I feel the season of Spring has begun. Long before all other fruits in the garden are even formed, forced rhubarb gives us a flavour of all the sweet delights yet to come.

To me, rhubarb is associated with fond memories of my childhood. My grandparents used to grow “forests” of the thick, leafy stems in the summer – no summer holiday was complete without one of Grannie’s rhubarb crumbles.

If you fancy having a go at growing your own, now is the best time of year to buy yourself a rhubarb plant (or “crown”) and get it in the ground ready for next year.

Forced_rhubarb_ready_for_picking — My first rhubarb harvest of 2017. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Rhubarb grows best in an open site, ideally in the sun, but it will grow anywhere. It likes a good mulching and needs plenty of soil depth as the roots, once established, run deep. Give it a good feed once in a while and it will do well. It is very easy to grow and a single plant will provide a good yield for a small family. Rhubarb is really a vegetable, but most of us regard it as a fruit because we serve it mostly for pudding. Only the stalks are edible – the leaves are high in oxalic acid and are, subsequently, very toxic.

Hold yourself back and avoid picking any stems in the first year of planting a new crown. In the second year, pull a few stems, leaving about half of the plant untouched. Once a plant is established – after 3 years – you can pick as many stems as you want. A rhubarb plant can be “forced” at this age, ready for an early crop in spring. You can buy special rhubarb forcers – very tall, slim, terracotta pots – which go over the crown in late winter. These are very expensive; I use the tallest pot I have and this works fine – as you can see in the image above. Although the pot covering doesn’t produce really long stems, they are good enough for me. I’ve put the pot back over the crown again, ready for the next batch of stems to grow – usually the plant produces four good batches of stems before I leave it to recover and rejuvenate for next year.

I have 3 rhubarb plants in the garden now. Each year, I rotate a plant for forcing, and the other 2 are left for summer eating rhubarb, and for freezing. Here are a few tips and ideas for cooking and serving rhubarb:

High in acidity, there are a few flavours that help temper the tartness of rhubarb: ginger, cinnamon, orange rind and juice, coconut, banana, angelica and liquorice.
Trim the leaves from spring rhubarb and discard, then rinse the stems well and slice off the base. Cut into 3cm pieces for really quick cooking, but leave in longer pieces for gentle poaching and using to top tarts or desserts. Spring rhubarb takes barely 4-5 minutes to cook. I usually place the pieces in a frying pan and sprinkle with sugar and add 1 – 2 tablespoons of water. Once it begins to steam, cover with a lid and cook gently.
Preparing spring rhubarb. Image: Kathryn Hawkins
For a tangy sweet and sour sauce, cook rhubarb in a little water with sufficient sugar to make it edible, then add a dash of raspberry or balsamic vinegar. Served cold, it goes well with roast duck, smoked mackerel or pan-fried herring.
A favourite simple dessert of mine is to mix mashed banana, coconut (non-dairy) yogurt and vanilla extract together and layer in glasses with poached, vanilla sugar-sweetened rhubarb. It is absolute deliciousness guaranteed!
Rhubarb, banana and coconut pots. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
For an easy pastry, bake-off a sheet of (gluten-free) puff pastry and allow to cool, then top with thick (dairy-free) custard and lightly poached stems of sweetened rhubarb. Always a winning combination…..rhubarb and custard.
Rhubarb and custard tart. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

I have posted a couple of other rhubarb recipes in my blog over the months, here are the links Rhubarb, raspberry and custard crump (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan) and Rhubarb and custard ice lollies (gluten-free)

Tender pink stems of forced rhubarb. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Brussels sprouts

December 27, 2016March 12, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 2 Comments

Love them or loathe them, you can’t get away from Brussels sprouts at this time of year. Believed to be a descendent of the wild cabbage, we have been eating these tasty and nutritious winter greens since the 18th century.

I planted several seedlings (variety Brodie F1) back in early June, but sadly most succumbed to pests and the plants have been dwindling as the months have gone by. However, I managed to keep a few plants unscathed, ready for the Christmas table and a couple more meals on top of that. Some of the stems have lovely tops which have developed into small cabbages with pretty pink veining, so I have them to cook as well.

Brussels_sprouts_on_the_stem — A fine stem of “fairy cabbages”. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

I was told a story a few years ago by a lady who had been struggling to get her little daughter to try a Brussels sprout. There was something about the humble sprout that her daughter wouldn’t entertain even though she would eat every other green vegetable without hesitation. Her mother, in exasperation, said that they were simply tiny cabbages grown by the fairies, and from then on, her daughter ate them with gusto!

Freshly_picked_homegrown_Brussels_sprouts_and_tops — Still life of Brussels sprout stems and tops. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Pick sprouts when they are small and firm as larger sprouts have less flavour. Smaller sprouts will be crisper in texture and have a sweeter, nuttier taste. Don’t forget the tops – these can be cooked just liked cabbage. Ideally pick sprouts just before cooking, trim away any loose leaves and leave whole if small, or halve if bigger. Rinse in cold water, and then cook in a little lightly salted, boiling, water for a few minutes until just tender – they should have some texture when cooked, and not be slime-green coloured, full of water and soggy like the ones I remember from my school dinners – yuk!

Ready_to_cook_fresh_Brussels_sprouts — Picked sprouts ready for cooking. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Here are a few of my favourite ways to serve fresh Brussels sprouts:

Brussels sprouts go well with blue cheese, goat’s cheese, chopped nuts and seeds, crisp bacon, chorizo, chilli, sage, thyme, garlic, onion, orange, wholegrain mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.
Serve small cooked sprouts on a bed of crushed, seasoned peas in Yorkshire puddings and flood with gravy or a tasty cheese sauce.
Shred or roughly chop sprouts and stir fry with shredded leeks and very finely sliced white cabbage. Finish with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and some melted redcurrant jelly.
Stir fry chopped sprouts with finely chopped garlic and add sultanas, a pinch of chilli, cinnamon and cumin, and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Blanch 300g prepared larger sprouts in boiling water for 1 minute and cool quickly in cold running water. Drain well, cut in half or quarter, and mix with wedges of eating apple, fresh sage leaves and finely chopped onion. Toss in 1 tbsp each of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey or maple syrup. Spread across a lined baking tray, season well and cover with foil. Bake at 200°C (180°C fan oven, gas mark 6) for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 10 minutes until tender.
Ready to bake, sprouts with apple, sage and onion. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Baked coconut apples (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)

December 17, 2016March 12, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 4 Comments

Cooking_apple_harvest — Late September harvest Lord Derby cooking apples. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

It seems like a long time ago since I picked all these apples from the aged tree in my garden. I still have plenty, stored in a fridge in the back kitchen, and every now and then I bake something suitably fruity. My apple store makes the perfect “turn-to” choice when the fruit bowl is running low, and cooked apple is so very comforting when it’s cold outside.

This variety of cooking apple, Lord Derby, is not particularly tart or exceptionally flavoursome but it retains texture when cooked which makes it the perfect choice for baking. I have often eaten the smaller ones like a crisp eating apple and they taste rather like a Granny Smith.

My recipe this week is a very simple dessert which tastes as good warm as it does at room temperature. I often bake a batch to have for breakfast accompanied with coconut milk yogurt. Delish 🙂 Add ground cinnamon or cardamom for a more seasonal flavour. If you don’t like or can’t eat coconut, vegetable margarine (or butter) is fine to use, and replace the coconut flakes with your favourite nuts or seeds, or use dried cranberries for a fruitier alternative.

Makes 6 – 8 servings

Juice of 1 lemon
750g cooking apples
75g coconut oil, melted (if you are not dairy-free, unsalted butter works well)
50g Demerara sugar
½ – 1 tsp ground vanilla pod (use a clean, old pepper mill/grinder and put chopped up dry vanilla pods inside – it works so well ground over fruit for baking)
A handful of raw coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven, gas mark 4). Line a large shallow baking dish with baking parchment. Pour the lemon juice into a mixing bowl and half fill with cold water.
Peel and core the apples. Cut into thick wedges. Put the prepared apple wedges in the lemony water and mix well – this will help keep the apples from discolouring too much. Drain the apples and blot dry with absorbent kitchen paper.
Arrange the apple wedges on the baking tray and brush all over with the coconut oil. Sprinkle with the sugar and vanilla.
Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through. Sprinkle with coconut flakes and continue to bake for a further 20 minutes or until tender and lightly golden. Best served warm with the cooking juices spooned over.

Coconut_baked_apples_step_by_step — Steps to making baked coconut apples. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Baked_apple_wedges_with_coconut_and_vanilla — Freshly baked coconut apple wedges with vanilla. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Cranberries & Cranberry Jam recipe (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)

December 8, 2016March 12, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 2 Comments

Cranberry_plant_and_berries — Cranberry plant with fruit. Plant images: Stuart MacGregor. Berry image: Kathryn Hawkins

In my humble opinion, there is no fruit nor vegetable that looks more festive than the cranberry. The fresh berries have just started arriving on the greengrocer’s shelves these past few days. The season for fresh cranberries in the UK is quite short, so I’m stocking up my freezer for a year round supply.

The cranberry plant is low growing and creeping in habit, and likes damp, acidic soil; it is a member of the heather family. A few years ago, I grew my own plant in a deep pot. Once it was established, it made a lovely trailing plant in a hanging basket for a while, until I forgot to water it (!) and sadly, it met a very sorry, shrivelled, end. I hope to try again this spring if I can track down a suitable mature plant.

The waxy-looking, scarlet berries are rich in Vitamin C and a staple of the Thanksgiving and Christmas menu. I’ve just made a batch of jam to serve with the Christmas roast; very easy to make and much nicer than anything you can buy in a jar. Add finely grated orange rind for a zesty flavour, and/or a few spoonfuls of Port at the end of cooking for a richer taste. I put the jam into small jars which then makes it ideal for gifting.

Jars_of_homemade_cranberry_jam — Jars of my freshly made cranberry jam. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Makes: 5 x 200ml jars

500g fresh cranberries – the recipe will also work fine using frozen berries
175ml water
600g granulated sugar

Put the berries and water into a preserving pan or large saucepan. Put a lid over the pan and begin heating – the berries will start “popping” and may jump a bit as they warm up.
Bring the contents of the saucepan to simmering point and cook gently for about 10 minutes until the berries are soft and pulpy.
Stir in the sugar over a low heat until dissolved, then boil rapidly for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and the liquid has reduced. Cranberries have lots of pectin so this mixture will set readily without having to test that a setting point has been achieved.
Spoon whilst hot into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately. Once cool, label and cover the jar lids if preferred. Store in a dry, cool, dark cupboard; as with most preserves, cranberry jam will keep for several months.
Homemade cranberry jam. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Pear perfection

October 25, 2016March 12, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ Leave a comment

Freshly_picked_homegrown_pears — October pear harvest. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

The temperature has been dropping these past few days so I decided it was time to pick the pears before a frost spoils them. It’s been a good year for most of the orchard fruit in my garden, and although I only have 2 small pear trees of differing variety, both produced 7 or 8 fruit each. One tree is a Doyenne de Comice which grows against an old wall, espalier-style, and the other is a Concorde pear, more of an upright tree but still sheltered by a wall.

Most pears ripen off the tree but I find it a challenge knowing exactly when to pick them, some time between the wasps disappearing and the cold weather arriving. If you want to store your harvest, unlike apples, pears don’t require wrapping, just arrange them in a single layer, not touching, on a shelf or tray, in a cool, dry place. You will need to check them frequently, and once the fruit begins to soften at the stalk end, keep them at room temperature for 2 to 3 days to complete ripening.

Espalier_growing_Comice_pear — Comice pear tree growing against a wall. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Still_life_homegrown_Comice_pears — Pear: Doyenne de Comice. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Pear_tree_Concorde_variety — Small Concorde pear tree. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Still_life_Concorde_pears — Pear: Concorde. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

5 recipe ideas for pears:

Peel and core firm but ripe pears, sprinkle with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar and bake along side a ham or pork joint for the last 30 minutes of cooking; baste occasionally to prevent them drying out.
Mash soft, ripe pear flesh into freshly prepared mashed potato along with salty, sharp blue cheese – delicious served with roast chicken or ham.
Blend chopped pear with fresh blueberries, unsweetened apple (or pear) juice and plain soy or coconut yogurt for a creamy smoothie.
For a decadent sandwich, toast gluten-free bread and fill with freshly sliced pear, a few marshmallows and chocolate chips. Spread butter or margarine on the outside of the toast and press the sandwich into a preheated hot griddle pan for a couple of minutes on each side – or pop in a sandwich toaster if you have one – to heat through and melt the chocolate.
Halve a perfectly ripe pear and scoop out the core. Brush with lemon juice and fill the centre with grated marzipan. Flash under a hot grill for a few seconds to melt the marzipan and serve immediately, scattered with toasted almonds and chocolate sauce – my favourite!

Apple crumble cake (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)

October 20, 2016August 9, 2017 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 2 Comments

Old_Scottish_apple_tree — Lord Derby cooking apples. Images by Kathryn Hawkins

A couple of weeks ago, I picked a bumper crop of cooking apples from the old tree in my garden. I have no idea how old the tree is, but it’s gnarly and interesting to look at, and each year produces large, bright green apples with a slightly tart taste. The variety is called Lord Derby. The apples keep their texture when cooked and are perfect for thinly slicing and layering in a deep filled apple pie or peeled and quartered for a tart tatin. Kept in the cool and dark, this variety of apple stores for about 3 months – until about Christmas-time.

This is one of my favourite apple recipes. It keeps well if you can leave it alone, and becomes more cake-like as time goes on. Serve the cake hot or cold, for pudding or with coffee. I guarantee you’ll love it!

Serves: 10-12

225g vegan margarine ( or lightly salted butter if you prefer), softened
165g + 2 tbsp Demerara sugar
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
350g gluten-free plain flour (such as Dove’s Farm)
10g gluten-free baking powder (such as Dr Oetker)
500g cooking apples
Juice 1 small lemon
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g thick milled oats
1 tsp icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven, gas mark 4). Grease and line a 5cm deep x 23cm round, cake tin. In a mixing bowl, beat the margarine with 165g sugar and the vanilla, until well blended and creamy.
Sift the flour and baking powder on top and bring together to form a crumbly mixture. Press about two-thirds evenly into the base of the tin to make a smooth, thick base. Prick all over with a fork and bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden and slightly crusty.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Put the lemon juice in a bowl. Thinly peel and core the apples, and chop into small pieces. Toss in the lemon juice to help prevent browning. Drain away the excess juice and toss in the cornflour and cinnamon.
Spread the apple evenly over the baked base. Mix the oats into the remaining crumble and spoon on top, making sure all the apple is covered. Sprinkle over the remaining Demerara sugar. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Preparation of apple crumble cake. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

If you want to serve the cake as a pudding, leave it to firm up for 15 minutes before removing from the tin; otherwise leave it to cool completely and enjoy cold. Dust lightly with icing sugar just before serving. Enjoy!

Freshly_baked_gluten_free_apple_crumble_cake — Homemade gluten-free apple crumble cake. Images by Kathryn Hawkins

My harvest festival

October 16, 2016March 12, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 2 Comments

Homegrown_apples_pears_raspberries — Today’s harvest of homegrown apples, pears and raspberries. Image by Kathryn Hawkins

Today has been my first opportunity to get into the garden for a while. Work has got in the way, and the weather has been pretty grim, so I seized the opportunity this morning and spent a couple of hours getting some fresh air and taking stock.

I was delighted to pick a bowl of late ripening raspberries – a delicious breakfast treat for tomorrow morning. I had expected that the birds would have been tucking in during my absence, but they are obviously feeding elsewhere.

Scottish_raspberries — Autumn Bliss – late fruiting raspberries. Image by Kathryn Hawkins

We have had an unusually mild September, and it’s really only been these past couple of weeks that the temperature has gone down a few degrees, but we have yet to have a frost. As a result, my runner beans flowered again, and tonight I will be enjoying freshly picked, homegrown beans with my supper – a first for me at this time of year.

Homegrown_Autumn_runner_beans — Second time around, October runner beans. Image by Kathryn Hawkins

Scotland has an ideal climate for growing potatoes, and the Pink Fir variety I planted this year have done very well. Not usually a high yielding potato, I have been pleasantly surprised by how many potatoes the plants have produced so far, and I have plenty more to dig. Their cream coloured flesh is flaky and dry, and the pink, knobbly skin adds nuttiness to the flavour; they boil and roast well.

Homegrown_Pink_Fir_potatoes — Trug of freshly dug pink fir potatoes. Image by Kathryn Hawkins

Last year, I didn’t get the chance to try any eating apples from the garden. One of my trees produced no fruit at all, and the apples from on other tree were enjoyed by the birds before I got a look in! I have victory over my feathered friends this year, although I did leave a few of the really wee ones on the tree for the colder weather, when the birds do finally get peckish. I am looking forward to trying the apples; they are quite small but look very enticing with their shiny scarlet blush.

Homegrown_red-skinned_eating_apples — Cute little eating apples – variety unknown. Image by Kathryn Hawkins

Homegrown aubergine (eggplant)

October 12, 2016March 12, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ Leave a comment

Fresh_aubergine_(eggplant)_fruit — Freshly picked aubergines (eggplant). Image by Kathryn Hawkins

I have been working away from home for a few days so that means no cooking or enjoying homegrown goodies from the garden. Whilst I was happy not to cook for a while, I did miss my garden. No matter, what a fabulous treat awaited me when I got back: 3 ripe aubergine.

I only planted one wee seedling back in June, so these 3 fruits are a somewhat mammouth production for one plant. And, even better, there are a couple more fruits to come.

Growing aubergine (eggplant) fruit — Homegrown aubergine (eggplant) fruit.

The plant itself is a beauty with glossy black stems and bright green, soft, downy leaves. The delightful purple flowers of “scrunched up tissue paper” petals, appeared back in August, followed by the first tiny, fairy-sized fruit a couple of weeks later. The plant has thrived unprotected in my unheated greenhouse all summer.

Fruit_forming_in_aubergine_(eggplant)_flower — Aubergine (eggplant) flower. Image by Kathryn Hawkins

Aubergine is one of my favourite vegetables. I love the melting texture of the flesh once it is cooked, and the mild, nutty flavour. I don’t do anything special, no pre-salting or soaking, just trim, slice and griddle. Most usually I chop them up with onions, peppers and courgettes, scatter them with oil, fresh herbs and salt and pepper, and then roast them to serve hot as an accompaniment to serve with meat or fish, or leave them to cool and serve cold with fresh tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Mmmm……

Assortment_of_ vegetables_and_herbs_freshly_roasted — Tray baked vegetables. Image by Kathryn Hawkins

Smoky Tomato Jam (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)

September 25, 2016March 12, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 1 Comment

Late_ripening_homegrown_tomatoes — Homegrown early Autumn tomatoes. Image copyright: Kathryn Hawkins

This is the time of year when I often get very busy with my work and have little time to spend in the garden or the kitchen (outside work hours). However, making preserves is something I try to find time for no matter what else needs to be done. There is so much produce around at the moment, practically begging to be put in the pot and made into jam or chutney, I can’t ignore it.

One of my most popular preserves is, thankfully, one of the easiest to make, so this weekend I got the large preserving pan out of the cupboard and set about cooking up this year’s first batch of Smoky Tomato Jam. It’s really a smooth chutney, but the texture lends itself better to being called jam. One of the best thing about this particular preserve is that it’s ready to be eaten immediately, as well as being a good “keeper”.

Fresh_fruit_and_vegetables_for_jam_making — Ingredients for tomato jam making. Image copyright: Kathryn Hawkins

Makes 5 x 325ml jars

700g fresh prepared ripe, but firm, tomatoes, roughly chopped
350g prepared red onion, roughly chopped
550g prepared cooking apples, roughly chopped
350ml red wine or cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
2 large sprigs rosemary
275g granulated sugar
2 tsp each of salt, ground cumin and smoked paprika

Put the tomatoes and onion in a food processor and blitz for a few seconds until well chopped and pulpy. Transfer to a large saucepan.
Put the apples in the food processor with half the vinegar and blitz for a few seconds until well chopped. Transfer to the saucepan containing the tomato and onion mixture.
Pour over the remaining vinegar and add the bay leaves and rosemary. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, and then simmer gently for 10 minutes until softened.
Stir in the sugar over a low heat, until dissolved, then raise the heat and simmer steadily for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the consistency of thick jam. Turn off the heat, discard the herbs and stir in the salt and spices.
Ladle into warm, sterilised jars and seal with non-corrosive lids. Allow to cool and store for 6-8 months in a cool, dark cupboard. Once opened, keep in the fridge and use within 2 weeks. Delicious with all cured meats, smoked fish, and cheese dishes.

Homemade_tomato_preserve — Jars of freshly made Smoky Tomato Jam. Image copyright: Kathryn Hawkins

Fresh turmeric root – how to grow

September 17, 2016March 12, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, a “foodie” friend came to stay. He lives in rural Yorkshire, and just before he left home to head north to Scotland, he was amazed to find fresh turmeric root in his local village shop.

I haven’t cooked with fresh turmeric since I left London, over 12 years ago, so to be gifted some of this wonderful root was a real treat. Turmeric is most usually used as a dry, yellow powder in a curry dish; it has a pleasant fragrant/pungent flavour, and gives a warm glow to whatever it is cooked with. Used fresh, it has the same qualities, but the flavour is more earthy, flowery and mellow. Take care when preparing, as it stains anything it comes into contact with. I peeled the root with a vegetable peeler and cooked a few strips with some Basmati rice (see below – it tasted delicious!). Realising how much I missed this fresh spice, I decided to try to grow the remaining roots to see if I might have my own fresh supply in the future.

Fresh_turmeric_rice — Cooked Basmati rice with fresh turmeric. Image copyright: Kathryn Hawkins

Keeping in mind that I live in central Scotland, I wondered whether I might have trouble getting germination underway – I discovered that the roots need 20-30°C to get sprouting and I don’t have a heated greenhouse or a propagator. However, I believed that time was on my side: I was given the roots in June. Here’s how I went about it.

How_to_grow_turmeric_roots — Image copyright: Kathryn Hawkins

Plant the roots, bud side uppermost, in loose, well draining, potting soil and cover with a layer of the same soil about 5cm deep. I wrapped the pots in fleece and them covered them with 3 plastic cloches. If you live in a warmer place, a plastic bag over the top of each pot would probably be sufficient. Keep the pots in full sun or partial shade. The pots need regular watering, and need a temperature range between 20 to 30°C to germinate.

So, all the above happened back in the middle of June. Finally, at the very end of August, I noticed 2 wee green shoots poking out 2 of the pots. Success! I have managed to germinate 2 out of the 5 roots I planted, and this is what they look like just now…….

Fresh_turmeric_plants — New shoots of fresh turmeric. Image copyright: Kathryn Hawkins

As Autumn is on the way, the days are shortening, and the nights are getting cooler, I will have to bring them indoors and try to keep them alive throughout a Scottish winter – apparently it doesn’t survive below 9°C. Fingers crossed….I’ll keep you posted.