The Good Life

It's that time of year at the allotment when all the hard work starts to bring its rewards.

I've forgotten to take my camera on the last few visits but we've been busy eating all the gooseberries. We made Gooseberry & Elderflower Fool as per HFW's first book, and at the weekend we had a lovely Gooseberry Crumble. The remainder I'm going to make into a sweet syrup to go on on ice-cream over the summer.

You don't seem to get gooseberries in the supermarkets. I guess they're just not popular anymore. I can't remember what variety I planted but they're sweet enough to eat off the bush (just) and they get an attractive pink hue to them if you leave them on long enough. People don't know what they are missing.

We've also had beetroot and spring onions, and when I went up to water on Friday I was delighted to find the first courgettes ready to pick, along with a handful of French climbing beans and a few carrots. I added the carrots and courgettes to a roasted vegetable lasagna and served it with the green beans and crusty bread rolls. Delicious.

To round it off, friends came over to enjoy it with us (one of whom works for Fullers brewery in Chiswick) and he brought along a case of London Pride for me. Great food, great company and a few beers in the sun. Life's good.