The Ebb of Summer

Last Garden Peas of Summer -14th August 2013

 

It is only the middle of August, but already I feel that summer is ebbing away. The evenings are becoming appreciably shorter and cooler. The blind of darkness is fully down by half past nine. In another fortnight the schoolchildren of Northern Ireland will be striding or moving with grudging step through the school gates and another academic year will be ushered in.

 

In the vegetable patch the last of my early potatoes have now been dug. Their main crop cousins look about ready so there won't be any potatoless period. I pulled the bulk of the garden peas about a fortnight ago and today saw the balance of the pods being stripped from the plants. Unfortunately I missed a few pods from the main picking that would have benefited from cropping at that time. Pea pods do have a habit of hiding from you. These rather starchy peas will be consumed tonight along with some Chinese Broccoli, a few potatoes and a modicum of animal protein. A preprandial snifter may now be called upon.

Chinese Broccoli - 14th August 2013