Wednesday, 27 July 2016

How does your garden grow?

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

No silver bells and cockles shells here but some zucchini and tomatoes!



Not my garden either but the tiny piece of land which belongs to the house across the road. No-one lives there and as we have had the the key for many years, this year when DH cleaned it I finally persuaded him to plant something useful instead of leaving it empty. 


It just grows wild otherwise and there were often adders there so it is far better to keep it cleared. The old man gave us the key originally and his sons have changed locks and given us the new keys after he passed a few years ago. 




Last year the owners didn't even come down here at all, the year before just for a week in October to get some olive oil. They would like to sell the house but there is no market and it is in really bad shape, so it is just sitting there eating money in taxes since the old man died. The usual village story. The old folks pass, there are no jobs and the young people have nearly all emigrated. 
As the children grow they prefer more interesting seaside resorts so parents no longer come here on holiday. This is not a tourist place.




Anyway, we planted just a few zucchini and tomato plants and have been blessed with a great yield. I still have the flowers everyday for the "frittelle" (I have a photo recipe here on my blog)
It is amusing as it is now no longer the season so I am the only one on the street who still has some.



Today I made some sauce again with our very own tomatoes. I know we have the ones DH grows with my inlaws, but somehow to actually go into the garden and pick them is so much more satisfying! There is nothing sprayed on them and the only work is to take down a couple of pails of water. I save water when rinsing etc so it is also ecological, water is precious here.



It was amusing that the other day I actually gave my Mil some tomatoes as she didn't have any and was going to buy some! 


2 comments:

  1. Home grown always tastes nicer.
    Are you able to share the recipe for the sauce? Or is it a closely guarded family secret?
    Do you make anything other than sauce, ie tomato chutney?

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    Replies
    1. I will do a post with the recipe sometime!
      I used to do a lot but haven't had time lately. I don't like chutney so don't make that. My Mother used to make it. I have some of her recipes handwritten. Especially for jam and marmalade.
      The hours seem to fly by at times. I need longer days!

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