British Veg

On Friday Jane cooked a good old-fashioned British beef casserole, so I thought I should provide some good old-fashioned British veg to accompany it, so this is what I produced:

I’m so pleased with these carrots. For the first time ever I have a crop of carrots that have completely escaped the ravages of the Carrot Root Fly. The covering barrier of Enviromesh has done its job admirably. They are mostly “Early Nantes”, by the way.

The “Toledo” Leeks, likewise, have been better than I had dared to hope for. They are really densely-packed and strongly-flavoured.

This is my first little batch of Brussels Sprouts for the year. They are few, and not very big, but we just wanted them! Sprouts are probably Jane’s favourite vegetable. I know that they would have grown bigger if left for longer, but this year I have enough plants to justify picking some early – young and delicious. By the way, these ones are of the variety “Brilliant”.

What vegetables come to mind when you are asked to name typically British vegetables? I think I would have to add to the ones above the Parsnip, the Cabbage and the Swede Turnip. They are all ones that I associate with late Autumn or Winter – ones that go well in or with a hearty casserole!