Allotment in Autumn

I spent the afternoon in my allotment. I'm trying winter sowing this year - the idea is that you sow seeds of certain plants before winter comes. They overwinter in the soil and come up just as soon as they can in spring. It certainly works with weeds! Hopefully I'll get a good result and an early harvest. I'm trying carrots, spinach and onions.

There was still a little bit waiting to be picked, too. Lots of calendula that could care less about the frosts we've had, some mint and borage flowers for Hoppy, and a good bunch of swiss chard. I almost didn't plant chard this year, but I really wanted to try the variety 'Bright Lights' - it looks so pretty in photographs! - so I made room. What a good decision that was! I've been picking it all summer, it keeps growing back, and it takes more than a couple of frosts to kill it. I think it can even stay in good shape all winter under insulating snow.

Hoppy loves to run off with a leaf of chard and snack on it in a corner. We like it steamed, sauteed with garlic and especially creamed.

Creamed swiss chard with mashed potatoes

Ingredients
1 bunch swiss chard
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
up to 1 cup milk (optional)
salt + pepper

Wash the chard thoroughly, steam it in the water that clings to the leaves plus about 1/2 cup. Drain and save the cooking liquid. Let chard cool.

Meanwhile, make a white sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir the flour into the butter with a whisk so that it gets the texture of wet sand. Keep whisking and let the butter and flour cook for couple of minutes - this gets the floury taste out. Whisk in the cooking liquid from the chard gradually to make a smooth sauce. If sauce is too thick, add milk until desired consistency is reached


. It will continue to thicken somewhat as it cooks. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

By now the chard should be cool enough to handle. If not, rinse with cold water. Squeeze firmly to remove residual cooking moisture and rinse water. Squeeze it down into a little bundle. Chop. Add to white sauce and heat through.

Serve with mashed potatoes. I like to make a 'nest' of mashed potatoes on the plate with creamed chard in the middle. Serve with flaked salt.

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