Golden Chioggia Beetroot Curry and Beetroot Chutney

This Sri Lankan style Beetroot Curry is one of my husbands favourite dishes, in fact anything with beetroot he loves. 

This Beetroot Curry is a mildly spiced, earthy and a little sweet.  The sweetness comes from the golden beetroot.  

Here are the beetroots picked up from a farmers market in South Wales.  We have Golden Beetroot, Chioggia described by many Brits as the 'sticker rock' beetroot because of the pink and white striped on the inside and the more recognizable Beetroot that makes our hands stain when we peel and chop it.  It even stains our lovely wooden chopping board.

I was very careful stirring the different beetroot together upon cooking as I did not want to lose the colours.  It was a little difficult but with a wide pan, I managed, a little bleeding of the beetroot into the yellow an chioggia could not be avoided though, that was naturally going to happen.  

The photograph directly above was taken in the garden where there was still a little light, but don't expect me to keep popping out in the garden where its icy cold for decent pictures. I have to admit in the next few weeks, if not two months my food blogging may slow down.  I will still of course be cooking, just not photographing and blogging about it due to poor lighting, but know that I always eat well.

Finally, a little while back I promised you all a recipe for Beetroot Chutney Chutney.  I seem to have misplaced the recipe that was given to me, when I locate it I will up-date this blog post, for now - please just admire that beautiful Gothic deep red colour.  I will be twisting open a jar come the Christmas holidays.

Little Black Fox Brown Envelopes

This is a quick blog entry, just to let you know that my dear blogger friend Little Black Fox is having her annual Brown Envelopes give-away.  This is not your usual brown envelope that contains bills or junk mail.  No, Little Black Fox brown envelopes contain 'seeds', and what's more her envelopes are individually prettily designed by hand.  I have been the fortunate recipient for the past two years, and this year have made my wish for some more.  So I wait patiently to see what I receive this year. 

Well guess what, Little Black Fox generosity knows knows bounds, she is not asking any-one to become a follower or send her anything in return (though either would be nice), yet she is happy to share some of these brown enveloped with fellow vegetable gardeners.  So if you are interested in getting your green thumbs on some, then follow this link.  I know she will only be pleased to hear from you. 

Please do take the time to visit the Little Black Fox blog.  Not only for her Brown Packet Seed giveaway, but also here recipes.  She has some very innovative seasonal recipes such as pumpkin dumpling, pumpkin kebabs and apple ginger and honey chutney - that is good with cheddar cheese.  She also writes with a wicked sense of humour. 

A2K Pay It Forward

Last week I received a lovely parcel from Jee of Jee and Me. I love this feeling, it feels a bit a Birthday or Christmas when you get presents. Its such a joyful feeling of being spoiled. My gifts from Jee were these: a pretty hanging plaque with the words 'Sow with passion, grow with pride', a soap neatly wrapped in pink tissue paper,
with it I received a wonderful hand -made and hand-written card. In it Jee writes 'Tried to find things suitable for a cook/gardener! Soap comes from our local health food place and is supposed to be good for getting oniony/garlicky smells off hands'. Thank you so much for your thoughtful gift Jee.

Some of you may have aware of the background to 'Pay It Forward', others not so let me please share. I think the idea of Pay it Forward was started by fellow bloggers in the U.S.A. The parcels have always contained something linked to the orientation of the fellow blogger blog, for example gardening, cooking, craft and something local. This is then forwarded to a lucky recipient or recipients in some cases. The aim of the 'Pay it Forward' primarily is to spread a little kindness - gifts don't have to be expensive or elaborate, it's the thought that counts.

So if you would like to take part in my second Pay It Forward Giveaway, leave a comment with the words 'I'm in' after this post. Just remember, by entering this Pay it Forward you're agreeing to post about your parcel and hold a giveaway of your own. I will announce the name of the recipient on Saturday 7th August 2010.

Terracotta pigs smelling the garlic

A few years ago, I was excited to learn that someone living in the East coast of Scotland had been growing blueberries in their garden. I had always been under the impression that blueberries would not grow very well in the Scottish climate, namely because I had always seen them imported. This women assured me otherwise, informing that she has been yielding a good crop year after year. Encouraged by her annual supply of home-grown fresh blueberries and greed for my own supply, I bought myself a blueberry plant for the garden. I got nothing from it in the first year. Later I learned, that you needed two blueberry plants. So I picked up another to accompany the first. Still nothing. Then last year for the first time. I harvested my first handful of blueberries. They were really worth the wait. Just watching them grow is amazing. The changing colour, not just of the berries, but of the leaves too.
Here are some starting to fatten and ripen. So pretty to watch. I just hope the birds are not watching them too closely either.

Unfortunately, the garlic I was growing in long containers for the first time have been unsuccessful. I pulled them all out yesterday as the stems had collapsed. On each plant, there is two, maybe three cloves. I'll dry them and use them, but I definitely will not be growing them this way again. Some plants just want to be in the ground and want space to stretch. I'd be interested to know if any of you have, or know of anyone who has successfully grown garlic bulbs in containers or pots?

The chioggia beetroot under the pea canes appear to be doing well, or so it appears from the red stem leaves, which I am tempted to snip and have in a salad.

I have four fennel plants growing. This is the only one growing in the salad (3 foot by 3 foot) bed, the others are not that far behind.

I am ever so delighted with my kohlrabi. I have three all growing underneath the climbing bean poles. Last year at the allotment plot, the slugs got them all, here with the plot being tiny, I am able to control the slugs, the birds and even the cabbage white butterfly.

On a final note, I picked up these handmade Traicraft terracotta flying pig cane toppers at Oxfam at the weekend.

I wasn't going to bother and could have done with up-turned recycled bottles, but this is my back garden I am talking about, not the allotment plot, where things can look a little higgledy piggledy. Even though I have fruit, veg and herbs growing here and crammed into my little space, I still want this place to look kind of orderly and like a garden. So that was one of my reasoning for getting these terracotta pigs, as well as the fact that some of the cane sticks are a hazard and could cause damage to ones eye, if the person was not concentrating on what they were doing. Also they were just so adorable and a reasonably priced alternative to others I had seen recently seen. One other thing, my husband thinks I've got an aversion to little piggies and I wanted to prove him wrong, by giving not one but six little piggies a home in my tiny garden. I think they will be happy here.

Ribbit....there is a frog in my post

and a handsome one it is too!
On Friday, when I got in from work I found a card on my floor from the postman saying 'sorry you weren't in'. It so happened I missed getting a parcel. So yesterday morning, I got up bright and early and walked over to the delivery office to pick up my parcel. I was so delighted, it was my 'Pay It Forward' parcel from Ribbit of The Corner Yard. Some of you may remember in December, my blog name was picked out by Ribbits little boy to become one of the lucky recipients.

So what surprises did this parcel have for me. Well there was this little frog, that already has been given a home on an houseplant pot. These cute gardeners gloves that will see some dirt when spring comes, a jar of lush looking, home-made Apple Pie syrup which I can't wait to try with either waffles, pancakes or even over vanilla ice-cream. I am really drooling over it. and a T-shirt from Mayfield Dairy Farm which I am really liking. It has a cute log 'Home of the Big Dipper'. I'm not familiar with it, so will have to read up a bit more about that.

Pay it Forward was started by fellow vegetable and fruit growers in the U.S.A. The parcels have always contained something that is garden orientated. The aim of the 'Pay it Forward' is to send the lucky recipient something local and something green. The recipient then has to Pay a gift forward as well. I am so grateful for my gifts. Thank you so, so much Ribbit. I accepted this gift with a promise to pay it forward, now it is my turn to 'pay it forward'. So if you would like to receive a little something from mangocheeks, just leave a comment and say, "I'm in!" and I'll have to come up with a way to choose the recipient next Sunday. I will announce the recipients name the following day.