Title: Comment: <p><span style="font-weight: bold">Prioritise plot-to-plate winners</span><br />Many of your finest harvests are princesses, happy to lose texture, vigour or (most distressingly) their sugars from the second they are detached from the plant. Asparagus, sweetcorn and peas in particular<br /><br /><img style="border-width: 1px; border-color: #000000; border-style: solid; margin: 1px" src="http://www.otterfarm.co.uk/patch/images/pea.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />Without exception, they’re delicious, so get them on your list of must-haves and grow them.  At harvest time, get them to the kitchen as soon as you can – hours are crucial, even minutes for some – and you’ll have the best that any veg patch can offer.</p><p> </p><p> </p> Submit > < Back

Title: Comment: <p>There's no better time to start growing some of your own food than the depths of Winter. When the fire’s working hard and the beer's best kept out of the fridge rather than in it it’s time to look through seed catalogues. </p><p><img style="border-width: 1px; border-color: #000000; border-style: solid; margin: 1px" src="http://www.otterfarm.co.uk/gallery/images/seeds.jpg" alt="" /> </p><p>It's faintly ridiculous to love this time so much but what I read now is what I’ll be eating in a few short months and I can’t help but get hungry. It's a menu of sorts, it’s just that the service takes a little longer. So, pile another log on, get a glass in one hand and a catalogue in the other - this is every bit as important as the graft later in the year. </p><p> It's alaways worth looking out for local suppliers, but if you're after a few we have found to be excellent, try these:</p><p><a href="http://www.organiccatalogue.com/catalog/" target="_blank">Garden Organic </a></p><p><a href="http://www.edwintucker.com/index_files/Seeds.htm" target="_blank">Edwin Tucker </a></p><p><a href="http://www.thomasetty.co.uk/" target="_blank">Thomas Etty</a></p><p><a href="http://www.kingsseeds.com/" target="_blank">Kings Seeds</a></p><p><a href="http://www.sarahraven.com/catalog/seeds/cat_vegetables-salad-herb-seeds.html" target="_blank">Sarah Raven </a></p><p> and do join the <a href="http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl/index.php" target="_blank">Heritage Seed Library</a></p> Submit > < Back

Title: Comment: <p>I have a feeling that 2009 will be the year of Growing You Own.  What with <a href="www.landshare.net" target="_blank" title="Landshare">Landshare</a> and <a href="http://www.capitalgrowth.org/" target="_blank" title="Capital Growth">Capital Growth,</a> as well as the enormous swell of interest in allotments, I have a feeling that more of us than ever will be counting the food yards rather than miles.</p>Starting to grow even a little of your own food can be daunting if you're a beginner, so I thought I'd offer an online guide for anyone who might need a little virtual assistance.  I also want to create a little window to what the Garden Team are doing at River Cottage.  So, over the coming months I'll be posting up pics, posts, and hopefully videos of what we are doing so please come and look in. But this isnt just meant to be outward facing - please let me have any comments, any questions and ideas you might have.  <br /><br /><p>cheers</p><p>Mark </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> Submit > < Back

Title: Comment: Turnips are fab. If you need convincing (or are already converted and after a top supper) try this recipe by Italian-American chef Mario Batali, from his book Simple Italian Food – not risotto as we usually know it, it has the turnip taking the place of the rice. It’s delicious as it is, also great with a little fried pancetta or bacon thrown in. Submit > < Back