Summer Treats

I started harvesting my sweet corn this week. Quite hard to tell when it is perfectly ripe, in fact I usually open a few inches of the top of the husk and push fingernail into a cob. If milky white fluid comes out it is ready. If it is dry then it has gone over a bit. I made sure that I boiled a saucepan of water before I went to pick the sweetcorn so it was as fresh as could be. The taste was heavenly!!

I moved up a league this week in the fight against pests on my brassicas! Despite every precaution the leaves had been eaten by caterpillars quite badly. I thought I had hand searched the leaves quite enough times - so I purchased 4 stout stakes from Wisley last week and made a more sturdy enclosure. Also planted are a row of Hispi and January King cabbages too.

You simply must try making this wonderful Summer soup! I discovered a recipe on a recent trip to Warsaw, Poland where it is a National institution! You can make Barszch by blitzing together cooked beetroot, yoghurt, grated peeled cucumber, milk, lemon juice, fresh dill and salt and pepper. It is supposed to be chilled in a fridge to allow the flavours to develop and you serve it poured over a hard boiled egg!! I am addicted!