Sandra Lewis- My guest vegetable gardener this week

This is the last in my mini series this summer.

Sandra Lewis -Yoga teacher

In her 2nd year of vegetable gardening.

Best bits

Runner beans, Beetroot, Carrots and Potatoes

Worst bits

"Parsnips didn't germinate" says Sandra"and the leeks suffered from leek moth, I chopped them off and they came again, this time I covered them in fleece".

Things you'd do differently next year

"I'd germinate the parsnips indoors by putting the seed in with soil and popping in a margarine tub, then plant out when ready"

Sandra added" I grow my own because I want to eat organic veg, using no chemicals. I also get an organic veg box delivered too, we eat a lot of vegetables!"

My third guest vegetable gardener-Alan Gill

This is the third in my mini series featuring other vegetable gardeners.

Alan Gill- Retired GCHQ Linguist

Over 50 years vegetable gardening experience.

Best bits

Potatoes and runner beans.

Worst bits

"The peas have been a real disaster this year "Said Alan "I think the mice may have eaten them even though I soaked them in parafin before sowing". 

"The carrots have been very terrible, stumpy and short".

"Our strawberries are usually fantastic, we have them in a fruit cage and normally get a bumper crop to make jams etc, but again these have been pretty bad this year, I think it must be down to the weather"

"Also the lettuce, we've thrown most of it away!".

Things you'd do differently next year

"I'd put fleece over the leeks early on as the mites were out in force!".

Alan adds" I love gardening, its very satisfying to harvest your own food. The food is always so much tastier than shop bought vegetables. We freeze a lot of our produce and make soups and jams.

Next time I will be talking to Sandra Lewis

Really simple mushroom soup

Sorry there is no picture with this one-you'll just have to imagine what it looks like!


You'll need:


Glug of olive oil
250g of chopped mushrooms-I used Oyster but anything will do.
1 sliced onion
2 garlic cloves
600ml of chicken stock (I've just discovered Knorr stockpots-they are well worth the extra money)
200ml of milk


In a large pan fry the onions then once soft add the mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes then add the garlic, again cook for a few minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the chicken stock bring to the boil then simmer for about 15 minutes. Blend then add the milk. This will make about 2 bowls. 

My guest vegetable gardener this week is Joan Cluer

Joan is my second gardener to be featured on my mini series which follows other vegetable gardeners and their experiences this season. 

Joan Cluer

Occupation - Retired secretary

Joan has over 60 years of vegetable gardening experience.

Best bits

"Well my most successful crop this year has to be the Kestral potatoes. They are enormous and scrape really well" said Joan. "The beans are fantastic, also the beetroot has been superb. The tomatoes are doing really well too!"

Worst bits

"No disasters this year, bit of black fly but very happy with it all"

Things you would do differently next year

"I'll be growing less potatoes, there are far too many for one person. I'd like to grow more broad beans and carrots. Onions and parsnips would be nice too, and I'd like to get a little green house".

Joan adds- " I love to potter around in the garden, a bit of weeding, it's very satisfying. I love making casseroles and freeze my beans so that I can use them all year round".

Next week Alan Gill-retired linguist.

If you would like to feature as a guest gardener, please let me know.

Rid flies from your kitchen

This is a great tip from my mum.I know this looks a bit weird but it works. Fill a see through plastic bag with water and hang from the ceiling. The flies think its a big eye of a predator and very soon scarper. I tried it out on a sceptical friend the other day and it worked-she now has them hanging in her kitchen and her umbrella in the garden!

My guest vegetable gardener this week-Biddy Wells

This week I'm starting a short series on guest vegetable gardeners.

My first guest is new to vegetable growing, I asked her about the highs and lows of her first summer.

Biddy Wells- Actor and drama tutor

Best bits

'the best part is feeding my friends, and being proud to have grown it all myself" says Biddy. "Wondering what to cook up for dinner and wandering down to the veg  beds and knocking up something from whatever is available- broad bean and courgette rissotto, leek and potato soup, a bowl of strawberries for pudding."

Worst bits

"all my peas were  full of tiny maggots, I didn't manage to eat any of them"

Things you would do differently next year

"I'd plant less broccoli- I had so much of it I couldn't eat it quickly enough, a lot of it bolted and ended up on the compost heap"

Things you would do more of

"I loved planting seedlings and plug plants-it gave me an instant veg plot, they were very successful"

Next week Joan Cluer

A vegetable gardener for over 60 years

Look what I cooked up on an Aga!

Until yesterday I'd not so much as boiled a kettle on an Aga.

So when I offered to knock up a Risotto for my lovely friend with a stiff neck I was a little apprehensive but once in my stride it was a dream, in fact I want one!

We picked a couple of courgettes and about 20 broad beans (then podded) and 1 onion.

I started off by making 750ml of vegetable stock.

I then sliced the courgettes and onion and fried in a large heavy pan until just coloured, I then added a couple of chopped garlic cloves (sadly not home grown-maybe next year) and stirred.

Then I added about half a packet of abborio rice. After a few seconds I added a good cupful of white wine, once fully absorbed I added hot vegetable stock-1 ladle at a time-stirring often.

Once all the stock has been used (this should take about 20 mins-don't rush this bit as all the rice needs to absorb the liquid slowly ).It is almost ready.

Lastly I added some strips of smoked salmon, chopped parsley and grated parmesan.

If I say so myself-it was bloody good!