We are moving into the “hungry gap” period of the year.  This is the time when there are still roots in the ground and some produce in the freezer and bottled and preserved fruit in jars on the shelves but, when the garden is sleeping.  Although broad bean shoots are showing it will be quite some time before we can eat fresh greens and, with the chickens colonizing the poly tunnel, Jeremy is unable to begin sowing seeds inside.  In the cat barn there is a metal locker in which we stored potatoes.  We are on the last sack of large tubers with some pink fir apple potatoes still waiting to be cooked.  This morning I removed a cardboard box from the cabinet hoping that its stored contents would have survived so that I can prepare them for our guests at the end of the month.  Luckily they had.

Later today I plan to make gooseberry and apple crumbles, using frozen garden gooseberries, stored cooking apples sweetened with some plum jam.  The topping will be made with rolled oats, brown sugar and melted butter.  When they are cooked and cooled they will go into the freezer until we need to defrost them and share with guests.