Blight and Veg. update.

The outdoor tomatoes are showing the first signs of blight. Hardly surprising considering the warm, damp weather of late. So today I stripped all the bush tomatoes of their leaves. They have cropped very well, with still plenty of fruit left to ripen if they don't succumb too soon. After a slow start the indoor tomatoes are also cropping well, so the slow roasting has begun. Slow roasted tomatoes, courgettes, peppers and onions 'whizzed' makes a very useful addition to the freezer. Ideal for pasta sauce, pizza topping, soup or to add to mince recipes.

As we only grew early potatoes this year, they have avoided the risk of blight and although they are still a few in the ground, with their tops removed weeks ago they should be fine.

The vegetable garden is continuing to provide us with plenty of fresh veg. with surplus to freeze, chutney and pickle, also to swap. Today we swapped cucumber and peppers for fresh figs. Last week eggs for lemon curd and apples.

The plums have started to ripen, but the trees are old and are only producing enough fruit to eat or cook, so possibly no plum jam. Hopefully the abundance of blackberries this year will compensate - bramble jelly, gorgeous on toast.