Potato head

Last summers tasty home-grown spuds

Despite neglecting my garden all last year due to the trials of having a small baby hanging around, I did manage to get a few spuds in. We got about eight meals worth during the summer and they were so nice, I am determined that I'm going to get a full crop going this year.

Gwen, my friend at work runs an allotment society and has let me put in an order for some seed potatoes with them. They buy them together from the Calder Valley Organic Gardeners and we should receive them around the end of February. I can't wait. I don't really have enough room, but I have ordered Accents (first earlies), Belle de Fontenay and Wilja (second earlies), Nicola and Pink Fir Apple (maincrop).

I have been studying my vegetable book closely and am keen to also try some of the coloured varieties, blues and purple eyes. The CVOG will be holding a potato day on 27th Feb where you can go and buy other more unusual varieties. Maybe Kitty and I will venture over there.

I also found these Purple Haze carrot seeds in Wilko yesterday. I've never had much luck with carrots, but you have to give it a go when purple ones are the prize! How yummy will these look in a salad or stir-fry.

In the mean time, Kitty and I had fun today baking poppy seed bread. Not sure if it was the new recipe or Kitty's kneading technique but they actually turned out well. They don't look as good as the ones in the book, but they certainly taste good.

10g fresh yeast

500g strong bread flour

350g water (measured rather than weighed for accuracy)

10g salt

poppy seeds

mix, rest for 1 hr, cut into 12, rest for 45 mins, bake at 240c for 12 mins. Done.