Summer Pudding!

According to my calendar, it is officially Summer now! The soft fruit is in full production at the moment and has to be picked daily. This seems like the perfect opportunity to make a Summer pudding. Here I have strawberries, raspberries, loganberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries. Just line a pudding basin with sliced white bread, heat the fruit with some sugar in the microwave until softened. When you pour all this into the basin, the juice will be soaked up by the bread. Leave this to cool and soak in the fridge with a weighted plate on top for a minimum of 24hours, 48 would be better.

Serve with cream!

More news about my Yard Long Beans. You will remember that my first planting in May did not germinate at all. My second sowing in the greenhouse a couple of weeks ago was more successful. I sent an email to the seed supplier Dobies, to ask if in their opinion these would grow outside in the British climate. I received a short reply stating that they should be able to grow outside.

I have planted these outside now, with a little protection from some cloches. Some internet research has revealed that these really are a sub-tropical plant grown in Asia and the Far East. By all accounts they can be temperamental and are prone to keeling over at the first sign of a chill! The red ones, Red Noodle Bean is even more temperamental. I will be happy if I can just get them to grow a bit more.

Thrilled if I can actually get some yard long beans from them!