Tales from the Veg Patch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The cacophony of silence

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 05:40:31 GMT

This week, silence. Kathy goes on a silent nature retreat and, sitting in the kitchen garden at the retreat, discovers that silence, at least in nature, is not silent at all.

The retreat was at The Sharpham Trust: https://www.sharphamtrust.org.

For more tales about growing and cooking, see Kathy's cookbook, From the Veg Patch,

Keep in touch with Kathy:

See you next week!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Goings on in the garden

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 05:38:34 GMT

This week: lists. Not a 'To Do' list as such, but a list of things to look out for, enjoy and, yes, get done, in the garden at the end of July and into August. Plus, a super simple courgette and lime cake recipe.

Find the courgette and lime cake recipe in this episode here: https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/courgette-cake-with-lime-buttercream/

Plus more recipes for your harvests in Kathy's cookbook, From the Veg Patch.

Keep in touch with Kathy:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In hope of reincarnation as a bean

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 05:35:23 GMT

Deep philosophical questions this week as Kathy ponders life as a broad bean. Plus, more usefully perhaps, tips for your bean harvest from simple vinaigrettes to chicken meatballs and bean stew.

This is an extract from Kathy's cookbook, From the Veg Patch, where you’ll find all the recipes mentioned.

Keep in touch with Kathy (when she's back from holiday!):

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July Bounty

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 11:25:35 GMT

Kathy returns from holiday to a jungle of a veg patch. So, this week's episode is a bit of everything, which is just what the patch is offering now too: what to plant and harvest now, plus plenty of ideas and recipes for your pickings, notably cucumber and gin sorbet and a strawberry ice-cream recipe which are, frankly, a necessity right now.

Cucumber and gin sorbet recipe: https://boroughmarket.org.uk/recipes/cucumber-gin-sorbet/

No-churn strawberry and rose ice-cream recipe: https://www.kathyslack.com/blog/strawberry-rose-ice-cream

Plus more recipes for your harvests in Kathy's cookbook, From the Veg Patch,

Keep in touch with Kathy:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Holiday From Your Harvests

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 05:30:55 GMT

In this episode, the last for a couple of weeks for reasons that will become clear, Kathy prepares for an ill-timed holiday and shares her tips on how to ready your patch for abandonment.

Join Kathy at:

Taste of London - Thursday 16th June at 3:30pm

ALSO Festival – Saturday 9th July at 2pm

Cornbury Wild Swim, Pilates & Picnic – Tuesday 12th July at 5pm

Keep in touch with Kathy (when she's back from holiday!):

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Abundance

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 05:35:49 GMT

This episode: gluts. Because Kathy’s first glut arrived this week – lettuces – and marks the start of months of gluts. All this abundance illustrates how restorative the veg patch can be, in ways that aren’t always about connecting with nature, but about connecting with people…

Find the Braised Lettuce, Bacon and Barley Stew recipe Kathy talks through and more lettuce recipes in her cookbook, From the Veg Patch. The Chilled Lettuce and Mint soup is in Episode 5.

Keep in touch with Kathy:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How hubris got the better of the tomato harvest

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 05:30:49 GMT

This week the tomatoes need putting out. Kathy has grown them from seed this year which is a bit of a labour of love. She used to grow tomatoes from seed all the time before discovering the convenience of plug plants. Though the story of how she was converted to plug plant tomatoes is not an altogether happy one. As you will now found out….

This is an extract from Kathy's cookbook, From the Veg Patch, where you’ll find many more recipes for your tomato harvest, including the Tomato-Lovers Tomato Salad with Anchovy Breadcrumbs Kathy reads in this episode. Should your seedlings happen to make as far as adulthood that is….

Keep in touch with Kathy:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Weeds

Thu, 26 May 2022 05:30:15 GMT

It's all go this week. Kathy deals with a problem in the only way she knows how – cooking. The weeds are getting out of hand, but never one to miss a harvest, Kathy has a recipe for that. Plus, other methods for managing weeds and the joys of RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Kathy will be scrubbing the mud from her nails and donning a frock for a veg-patched inspired lunch there by The Newt, so stay tuned to her Instagram for a blow by blow account of the menu, plus lots of snaps from the show.

You can find the spanakopita recipe Kathy talks through in her cookbook, From the Veg Patch and the weed variation on Instagram.

Keep in touch with Kathy:

https://www.kathyslack.com/blog/lemon-elderflower-scones

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Great Gardening Gamble: Calling the Last Frost

Thu, 19 May 2022 05:30:36 GMT

It’s decision time in the veg patch this week and boy what a decision it is. The great debate of when to plant out is a heated argument, and the consequences profound, as you will hear. Plus, the elderflowers are ready and blooming in time for the Jubilee celebrations coming up, so Kathy is making her royal (ie: recycled from Harry and Meghan’s do) elderflower scones.

As ever, do let Kathy know what you think of each episode. You’ll find her busy on Instagram and Twitter or leave a review whether ever you listen to this podcast.

You can find the Elderflower and Lemon Scones recipe Kathy talks through on her blog and her instagram:

Keep in touch with Kathy:

https://www.kathyslack.com/blog/rhubarb-flapjack

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Morals and Mysteries of Failing to Catch a Mole

Thu, 12 May 2022 05:30:17 GMT

Hello and welcome to Tales from the Veg Patch. Join your host, Kathy Slack, for another 15 minutes of rural tranquillity as she opens the garden gate and invites you into her veg patch to explore the highs and lows of growing your own with gentle tales of goings on in the garden.

This week, wildlife. Unwelcome wildlife. Despite how much gardeners talk about working with the nature and how growing allows us to be at one with the outdoors, you’d be surprised how much time they spend battling with wildlife. If it’s not greenfly, it’s mice. If not mice, then squirrels. All want to take a bite out of the harvest. And none is more disruptive than moles. And Kathy should now, because she has a mole of her very own.

Plus, what to do with a rhubarb glut. You can find the Rhubarb, Honey and ginger flapjack recipe Kathy talks through on her blog and her instagram:

Keep in touch with Kathy:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lettuce: A Study of Perfection

Thu, 05 May 2022 05:30:13 GMT

This week, an exploration of the many perfections of lettuces – from pert, hearting ones, to lolling about leafy ones, and even the crispy bowling balls ones. Find out which to grow, how to grow them and what to cook with them: charred on a griddle and buried in parmesan, tossed in a light and lovely dressing, or braised in a springtime stew.

Find the Chilled Lettuce and Mint Soup Kathy talks through and more lettuce recipes in her cookbook, From the Veg Patch.

Keep in touch with Kathy:

https://www.kathyslack.com/blog/roast-radish-lentil-anchovies

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Buy Soil

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 05:36:27 GMT

This week, the giddy pick-n-mix sweetshop excitement of buying soil. Plus tips on choosing compost. Then into the kitchen with the first crops to sprout through the new soil – radishes. Try radish slammers, roast radish salad and buttered radishes.

Find the radish recipe from the podcast here:

And others in Kathy's cookbook, From the Veg Patch,

For more about market garden guru, Anna Greenland: https://www.annagreenland.co.uk

The compost brands Kathy mentioned are:

And the two camps in the dig/no dig debate are:

Double dig: https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/double-digging

No Dig: https://charlesdowding.co.uk

Meet Kathy:

Tuesday 10th May - supper club at The Royal Oak.

Sat 30th April 10-12 - Warwick Books

Sat 30th April 2-4pm – Blackwell’s, Oxford

Keep in touch with Kathy:

https://www.kathyslack.com/blog/wild-garlic-frittata

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Secret Pleasures of a Clandestine Wild Garlic Glut

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 05:26:46 GMT

Come with Hadleigh (spaniel) on an adventure in the woods, amongst the bluebells and badgers for a spot of foraging (and accidental trespassing). Then join Kathy back in the kitchen for wild garlic frittata and more recipe ideas.

For more seasonal recipes see Kathy's cookbook, From the Veg Patch,

Find the Wild Garlic Frittata recipe from the podcast here:

Keep in touch with Kathy:

See you next week!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How the Veg Patch Saved my Life

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 05:00:23 GMT

This week, Kathy explains why she thinks growing food is good for restoring mental health. Which means telling you the grisly tale of how she came to need restoring in the first place.

Note: there’s some stuff about depression in this episode so if that’s a trigger for you, maybe come back to it later. And if you need to talk, The Samaritans are on 116 123 24hrs a day.

For more tales about growing and cooking, see Kathy's cookbook, From the Veg Patch,

Keep in touch with Kathy:

https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/leek-chestnut-and-cider-crumble/

See you next week!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Love Story of the Overlooked Leek

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 05:00:42 GMT

In praise of the forlorn leek languishing at the back of your fridge, the trials for leek growing, dibbling blisters and leek loving recipe ideas that come straight out of The Good Life.

For more on the leek recipes mentioned see Kathy's cookbook, From the Veg Patch,

Find the Leek, Chestnut and Cider Crumble recipe in the cookbook or on The Happy Foodie here:

Keep in touch with Kathy: