Hello December

Not a lot of planting can be done in December and the weather isn’t exactly inviting; however it’s a great time to sit down and plan what you will be growing next year and look for some suitable seeds, garden-shopping have a wide variety of seeds available with special offers when multiple packs are purchased

• Forking over your soil at this time of year adding plenty of organic matter, prepares it for next year this also helps combat pests as birds can now see them!
• Any spare bubble wrap you have lying around is great for insulating your garden taps and pots and greenhouses from the winter freeze, even a little insulation is better than none
• Avoid making homes for slugs and snails by clearing all garden debris to prevent providing them a home as they love damp, warm conditions
• Clear debris – this is vital to prevent slugs and snails from setting up home in those lovely warm and damp conditions!

Spare a thought for the garden friendly wildlife this winter, a pile of sticks and logs although not a work of art will make an excellent home for passing insects or a hedgehog searching for refuge

Winter Vegetable Soup

 A hearty soup recipe to make use of winter vegetables

Ingredients: 

Serves 4

• 2 turnips OR 1 swede
• 1 parsnip
• 1 potato
• 1 carrot
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 x 400g can mixed beans
• 1 x 5ml spoon dried mixed herbs OR small bunch fresh herbs (choose 1 or a mixture of; oregano, thyme and rosemary)
• 1 litre boiling water
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1 x 5ml spoon vegetable oil
• Black pepper (optional)

Equipment: 

• Large saucepan with lid
• Wooden spoon
• Garlic crusher
• Measuring spoons
• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
• Vegetable peeler
• Measuring jug
• Can opener
• Kettle
• Colander
• Blender (optional)
• Scissors (optional)

Method: 

1. Wash the potato, parsnip, turnips or swede and carrot. Peel and chop into small cubes (about the size of a dice)
2. Peel and slice the onion into small pieces
3. Peel and crush the garlic. If using fresh herbs, finely chop using scissors
4. Heat the vegetable oil in the saucepan over a high heat. Add the crushed garlic and all the chopped vegetables and cook for 5 minutes. Stir regularly
5. Measure 1 litre boiling water into the measuring jug
6. Crumble in the stock cube and stir until dissolved. Pour the stock into the saucepan
7. Open the can of beans and drain them. Add the drained beans to the saucepan.
8. Stir in the fresh or dried herbs and add black pepper to taste (if using). Turn the hob down to a low heat, place the lid on the saucepan and simmer for 30–40 minutes until the vegetables are soft

Top Tips – To check if the soup is ready, simply use a spoon to taste it (let it cool for a bit first!) You can add more black pepper if you like, or if the vegetables are still a bit crunchy, leave them to cook for 10 minutes longer

Next time why not: 

• If you prefer your soup to be smooth, you can use a blender to purée it.
• Try different vegetables depending on what is in season. You could add squash in autumn, or finely chopped spring green cabbage in spring.