Flamin' June!

OK, so it's Midsummer's Day in a week. What happened? Why are we under a foot of water? Where's the Sunshine? Everyone has had lovely weather in the rest of the country - in Beautiful Suffolk it's been throwing it down.

Despite this, things are growing like mad. We have a total of 32 tomato plants - Cherry, Hanging Cherry, Ordinary Red Ones, Beefsteak, Yellow and 'Black'. There are little green "marbles" on the hanging basket ones already! There's only the two of us at home now the kids are off and gone. I don't really like tomatoes. So, what the dickens am I going to do with them all? All recipe suggestions gratefully received!

We are cropping (a term we agriculturalists use for "picking"!!) Broad Beans. Another one of the veg we are growing that I don't really like. The Bloke is absolutely enamoured and would eat them every day. This is probably a good thing, as the marigolds are keeping the blackfly off and it would appear we are going to have a bumper crop.

We have been eating courgettes for about a week. Very nice they are, too, either steamed as a vegetable with the roast or in the frittata (I can't spell that!) that I do with blue cheese. The Bloke likes it in a pack-up (local name for a packed lunch) when he goes off huntin', shootin' or fishin' with his pals.

The Runner Beans are apparently recovering from being put out too early and turning yellow. The general concensus is that the frost got 'em. Anyway, I planted some more a couple of weeks ago and they are almost as big as the first ones now, so next year I will delay planting them by at least a month - and save some room in the greenhouse for other, more tender, things.

We have eaten the first of the Early Potatoes, too. This variety "Kestrel" is resistant to slug attack - but apparently not Rust! So we are ploughing thru them at a rate of knots so that it doesn't spread to the others. The tops are being burned on the bonfire that is used to control the number of cardboard boxes we get the piggy-veg in. This is a brilliant way of getting rid of stuff because it burns so hot and clean!

Harvey is now just another one of the family. He is desperate to taste the polecats and loves to run at the gate and make the chickens take flight (well, in as much as a chicken can!). He's got his insurance certificate thru and will be going for "the unkindest cut of all" shortly. We have to get this done before Rosie comes in to season again; not a pleasant mental image there - he's three times her size!

I can't post any photos this time coz I have a new keyboard and mouse that use the USB slot on my computer. This means I can only use two out of the three gizmos that I need to download the pix. I'll get a hub and will post them later.

Hope the weather is being kinder wherever you are!