Full of Beans.

A little phase of the garden calendar, one of my favourites, has almost passed.

First came the garlic, from autumn planting, eagerly awaited. Impatience ultimately over-rides and up they all come, ready or not. A few bulbs have "popped," so to speak. Softened. Gone mouldy. Started to rot. Had it. But most come up trumps and are strung up to dry.

Glee! There might be the best part of a years supply!

A mental sentry is posted awaiting the next in line.The Broad Beans.

The first, from autumn planting, swell and are ready a couple of weeks later. And over July more, from a spring planting to fill in gaps where some autumnal ones failed, are ready to harvest. Although there's plenty they don't last long!

"We could freeze some. Look, there's loads..."

Fat chance. Almost every day some more are picked fresh, given a quick simmer and stirred around with a minced clove of the garlic, chopped mint and lemon juice. Too good. All fantasies of a freezerful of the things evaporate in the feeding frenzy.

And then they're all gone. One last picking remains, to be devoured....soon. I mourn their passing....

But...already batallions of courgettes are appearing on the horizon. Each day they seem to double in size! I've overplanted somewhat and I don't think we can eat our way out of this one. (The kids aren't keen.) Into the frying pan they go as fast as they ripen, more garlic, lemon juice or maybe yoghurt. A vegetable treadmill.

"Can we give some of these away Adam?" (I'm deemed responsible, being the fool who planted so many.) 

"Are ye crazy woman! Fer chrissakes hurl them away before we go under!"

Next exciting port of call will, hopefully, be- Tomatoes.