End of season goodies!

So its well and truly turned cold and we have been desperately trying to do end of season grass cutting and to collect what's left of the goodies we planted earlier in the year. We have had some successes and some disasters. For a start - the potatoes were rubbish. They seemed to develop black leaves and the crop was only about 3-4 potatoes per plant. I think the soil needed some extra nutrients. The brassicas started off great and we had about 6 cauliflowers which were yummy - then the caterpillars attacked and decimated the cabbages, and brussels!! Our successes includes beetroot so much so we have given loads to the neighbours and the family. With what's left I am trying to make some beetroot wine - watch this space on that one!!

I have also been doing some baking and made a chocolate and beetroot cake but it wasn't very nice. Next success is the carrots - a couple of weekends ago I spent hours washing, sizing, chopping and par boiling and ended up with freezing 7 bags.

I can't finish without talking about the raspberries. We planted summer and autumn varieties and they started cropping in august and I have been picking them ever since. I have been eating them for breakfast, cooking with them and I actually made some jam for the first time ever in my life!! I also have 3 bags in the freezer!! They are still cropping so I may think about raspberry wine!!