Here at Stephanie’s Kitchen Garden this week we are going to be planting out our sweet potato slips. These arrived three weeks ago and were quickly plunged into water for a few days to recover from delivery. They were then potted up and have been growing away in the greenhouse ever since.
Last year we planted them in one of our superior raised beds and trained them up an obelisk. They looked amazing and everyone who visited Stephanie’s Kitchen Garden commented on them. At the end of the year we harvested an excellent crop and we are hoping to repeat our success this year.
After clearing the bed of the existing chard crop, we will be adding lots of homemade compost as well as well rotted farmyard manure to give the sweet potatoes plenty of goodness in the soil. The slips will then be planted around the bottom of the obelisk and the bed will be well watered and strulched. As the plants grow, they will be tied in to the obelisk to make an attractive display. An easy to grow ornamental crop that is well worth a try.
This week we will be harvesting broad beans, new potatoes, mangetout and broccoli.
Stephanie's Recipe
Penne pasta with broad beans, pancetta and creme fraiche.
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook pasta ( I use brown organic penne). Simmer for 10 mins.
- In a large sauté pan add rapeseed oil and a knob of butter then sauté finely chopped shallots for 5mins or until softened
- Add crushed garlic and chopped pancetta.
- Sauté until starting to brown.
- Add chopped thyme leaves and double podded broad beans and a couple of large tablespoons of creme fraiche.
- Season and heat through adding a splash of cooking water from the cooked pasta.
- Drain the pasta and add to the broad bean and pancetta mix.
- Stir thoroughly
Serve with grated Parmesan...enjoy!
