Produce table June – Five a Day Market Garden

Our produce table at the entrance to Englefield Garden Centre

Welcome to the garden

Summer’s here and that means our vegetables and fruit are growing fast, and flowers are looking fabulous!

Have you seen our new produce table at the entrance to Englefield Garden Centre?

This is where you can buy beans, courgettes, freshly-cut flowers and fruit. Cash donations please in the green pot, thank you.

Sophie, the Five a Day project leader, is in the Garden from Tuesday to Friday 10am to 1pm. If you want to come in, please check how many people are already there, so we can maintain social-distance guidelines. Thank you.

Big ‘Thank You’ to all the volunteers who are enjoying the Five a Day garden, and abiding by the careful health and safety guidelines, including social distancing.

Read Take Five the Spring edition of the Five a Day Newsletter. Follow us on Facebook

Tips from our head gardener

VEGETABLES

Weeding around the vegetable plants as they’re growing is essential to remove competitors for the valuable water. Take care to avoid dislodging the roots of the veg plants!

Earth up potatoes when the plant shoots are about 8 inches high. Use a broad-based hoe to drag soil up into the leaves, on both sides of the row of potato plants. Earthing up potatoes at least twice during the growing season means you increase the crop and don’t have green potatoes which are poisonous.

Monthly Seasonal Recipe

Broad bean salad

600g shelled broad beans

Leaves of 3 sprigs of mint

50g thinly sliced ham – substitute 30g feta cheese if you prefer

1 Little Gem lettuce

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the broad beans in boiling water for about 4 minutes, rinse in cold water and drain. Cut into thin strips the lettuce, mint leaves and ham slices (or cube the feta cheese).

In a large bowl whisk together the mustard, lemon juice and olive oil to make a dressing, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tip into the bowl the cooked beans, mint, lettuce and ham or feta. Gently combine to ensure your broad bean salad is dressed and ready to serve.

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