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THIS year I found things were slow kicking off in my kitchen garden, and I feel the weeks chasing by but as yet there are no pickings.

Admittedly I had planted later as I had to wait till the guys were able to rotovate my patch but in the past this didn't matter as seeds were sown into warm soil. I blame the lack of sun and rain but I do not despair as their little heads are now beginning to pop up.

One crop that has done well is my potatoes, as I found seed potatoes at half price in a huge store and they had already sprouted. I had a spare border so I popped them in and now have the most delicious crop. At the same time I have kept an eye on my mint and encouraged it to spread. This is a herb worth while growing as on its own it is excellent with potatoes etc, and a few chopped leaves in a mint concentrated sauce really does make a difference. After I have had my fill with them cooked with mint and butter, I like to serve them is with cumin seeds.

POTATOES IN CUMIN SEEDS
This makes a nice change from mint. The seeds give the potatoes a nice "nutty" flavour
1 lb new potatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1. Cook the potatoes in salted water, and drain
2. While they are draining, heat the olive oil in another saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Put on the lid while they pop
3. Return the potatoes to the pan, and toss so they are well covered
(Serves 4 portions)

BEETROOT IN A TANGY SAUCE
I always grow beetroot as they make a good vegetable for the winter when I parboil them and then pop them around a roasting joint. You can of course serve them cooked in vinegar but I like this sweet-sour sauce
2 cooked beetroot
Sauce
4 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoon white vinegar
salt and ground black pepper
8 leaves of fresh mint
1. Cut the beetroot into inch cubes
2. Sauté the garlic in the hot oil until cooked but not browned
3. Stir in the sugar and vinegar. Season to taste and bring to the boil. Pour over the cold beetroot while still hot
(Serves 4 portions)

I have also grown a new Italian variety of beetroot with rings of white in the flesh. These cut finely can be served raw as crudités or part of a salad. I also plant radishes that if not served as part of a dish are great as a nibble with drinks.

BEETROOT RAITA
Take a couple of young beetroot and wash them. Straight from the garden they won't need peeling otherwise get rid of any blemishes or thick skin. Grate them coarsely and place in a large bowl. In a jar make a dressing from a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, half a teaspoon of made mustard and season it well. You could add a clove of peeled garlic that you later remove. Give it all a good shake and mix with the beetroot. If you want to add varieties then do so with some grated carrot. To this base you can also add some halved hardboiled eggs, small cubes of cooked chicken, tuna, etc.

CARROT SOUP WITH A HINT OF CORIANDER
My garden loves carrots which is very good news as the one next door never produced any worth eating. I grow them in stages and eat them young with lots of butter. I leave the last planting in the garden and dig them up when required. Admittedly I have to share them with the odd worm or two but this doesn't matter as I make them into carrot soup which is delicious. Others go into carrot cake
1 lb carrots
1 lb potatoes
2 medium sized onions
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 oz butter
1 tablespoons oil
2 pints chicken or vegetable stock
pint milk
teaspoon ground coriander seeds
Salt and pepper
1. Peel and slice the carrots, potatoes and onions
2. Heat the butter and oil in a large pan, and sauté the onion, garlic and coriander for a few minutes
3. Add the vegetables and cook over a gentle heat for a couple of minutes
4. Add the stock and season well. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the veg are soft
5. Sieve or liquidise, then return to the pan, add the milk, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and re-heat but do not boil
(Serves 8 Portions)

CARROT CAKE
8 oz plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon ground nutmeg
teaspoon ground cinnamon
8oz soft dark brown sugar
8 fl oz sunflower oil
3 eggs, size 2, lightly beaten
12 oz carrots, peeled and grated
3 oz sultanas
Buttercream topping:
4 oz (100g) butter, softened
4 oz (100g) icing sugar
Juice and rind of lemon
1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl, and add the bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon. Mix in the dark brown sugar and make a well in the centre. Add the sunflower oil with the beaten eggs, and mix well until all the ingredients are combined
2. Stir in the grated carrot (keeping a little back for decoration) together with the sultanas, and spoon into a large, lightly greased and floured bread tin
3. Level the surface and cook in a preheated oven at Gas Mark 4 / 180C / 350F for 1 - 1 hours, until the cake is well risen and golden brown
4. For the topping, beat the softened butter and icing sugar together and then add the lemon juice. Spread over the surface of the cake and decorate with the remaining grated carrot
You can use cream cheese instead of the butter.

BEANS AND CHARD
A crop that sees me through the winter and is so easy to grow is Swiss Chard. I have two varieties this year, one with white stalks and the other with attractive red ones. You use the leaves just like spinach and the stalks are cooked separately and served with the leaves or on their own in a lasagne etc. I cook just the leaves, by shredding then washing them before adding to a saucepan of melted butter. Put on a lid and cook them gently for only a few minutes and season well with grated nutmeg, black pepper and salt. The water from the washing is usually enough but you can add an extra tablespoon. Another great dish using this is Spanakopitta which is well known in Greece.

SPANAKOPITTA
(Greek Spinach Pie)
6 oz (150g) filo pastry
Butter or olive oil
8 oz (250g) spinach
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic
4 oz (100g) feta cheese
nutmeg to season
1. Cube the feta cheese, and crush the garlic. Mix the garlic, spinach, cheese and seasoning. (Do not use too much salt, as the feta is very salty.) Beat the eggs and add to the mixture
2. Grease an oven-proof dish with olive oil or butter. Line the dish with 2 sheets of filo pastry, then add half the mixture. Cover with 2 sheets of filo pastry, followed by the rest of the mixture. Cover with 2 more sheets of filo pastry and then another one which has been crumpled. Fold over the edges of the filo pastry
3. Bake at Gas Mark 5, 190C, 375F for 30 - 40 minutes
(Serves 4 Portions)

I have a constant supply of lettuce leaves as I like to pick a few leaves when I need them rather than cut a whole lettuce. I also have rows of leeks all at different stages but I shall have to wait till the colder months to use these.

I have not mentioned my tomatoes, pumpkins and courgettes and I'll tell you how I intend to use them next month.

n Frances Kitchin can be heard on BBC Somerset (95.5 MHz FM and 1566 kHz AM).

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