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My little nursery is coming along nicely under one of our skylights. In the top picture are some salad leaves I have growing (a mixture of Rocket, Red Russian Kale, Chervil, Mizuna and Tatsoi) and underneath are my three types of tomatoes. It's really time I invested in some more hanging baskets I think...
On a completely different note, this looks like a great recipe for a chocolate cake - Kladdkaka. Have any of my Swedish friends had this?
The first of the year... managed to get my toms sown today. Two 'Gardener's Delight' from last year's crop, two plums from our veg bag last year and also a new 'tumbling' variety which should suit growing in a hanging basket here. Have also sown some salad leaves too - am looking forward to seeing what comes up.
On another note, I was really lucky to go on a course about encouraging sustainability within the primary school before half term. Some really interesting and inspiring talks, especially from a chap called Gyles Morris of the Magdalen Project in Somerset, which I'll be visiting with my class on the school journey in just over a month's time. I'm really looking forward to it, and shall report back here...
Other highlights included Laura Farmer on the garden created at Poole's Park School in Islington, where each class have their own allotment growing fruit and veggies bound for the canteen; and the head of the WWF UK Education department, (whose name unfortunately has completely escaped me) on education for sustainable development, why it is important, and how it needs to be addressed by NGOs and the Government.
Anyway, the long and short of it is that I shall be posting more things like this here in the future, as I try to encourage my class, if not school, to slowly but surely change its ways. We'll start small with some class tomatoes then..
This is my last tomato update of the season - let's face it, there's only so many blog entries you can get from growing something that's as easy as tomatoes are!
Still, if fortunate enough to have a couple left, why not keep some of the seeds and store ready to sow in January or February? All you need to do is put them into a metal sieve and rub under the tap until the jelly has come off around the outside of each seed. Once you've done this leave to dry before labeling and storing for next year.
These ones here actually came in my veg bag - really lovely plum tomatoes which I always think are quite hard to find in the shops. Looking forward to seeing how they turn out next year!
Today we finally got to eat the first ripe tomato, and let me tell you it was bloody good. Unfortunately it's not displayed in this pic, as we were so eager to get stuck in and I didn't think to take a picture of it until it was gone :(
Next year, I hope to grow more - two plants isn't enough!
In lieu of time to do anything else, I am going to have to restrict this blog to tomato updates, which are about my only hands on contact with food at the moment - other than meal times, but I'm not cooking anything :(
Only 2.5 more weeks to go, keep calm and carry on. Soon I will have a life again.
Incidentally the variety I went for is known as 'Gardener's Delight' - apparently an all round winner.
David has gone away for the weekend - I've had to stay behind as I have so much college work, poop. Still I was able to enjoy a lovely almond croissant and cappuccino for breakfast on London Fields this morning (top pic: view from breakfast bench). And this little chap is our first tomato - obviously, he's got some growing to do...
I've not got much time for anything at other than school at the moment. It's pretty full on, although at least I'm now avoiding the dinners there. As I sit here at my computer, planning lessons like there's no tomorrow, looking up at these two tomato plants makes me happy. In a moment of wisdom I sowed them back in March - I can't wait to try the first of the summer.
That's right, back less than one week and I've already made another batch of chutney (well, the last lot has almost gone already). This time the recipe hails from Hugh F-W (and therefore under the guidance of Mrs Parret I presume), irresistible to me, the main ingredient is courgettes - bliss! 
And then today, this little beauty (along with some brothers and sisters) arrived in our veg bag today. Bearing the proud sticker 'Grown in Hackney by Growing Communities on land in conversion to organic' it is apparently a Purple Calabash. Tasty little fella - I would heartily recommend it to any budding horticulturalist seeking to grow more unusual fare.
And to those requesting the ginger beer recipe, I do promise it is coming, I just want to wait the 10 days to see if the plant (and therefore the beer) is a dud, or one to recommend.
