Recipes, garden jobs and dates when we can get together for a chat in May
FREE TO READ: May news, events, recipes and jobs to do in the veg patch. Plus, official birthday portraits of Humf'
Welcome to my monthly newsletter - a round-up of news, recipes and life in the veg patch - which is free to all subscribers. If you’ve made it here without subscribing, that’s easily rectified:
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Whichever subscription you pick, I’m just grateful you’re here. Otherwise it’d just be me and the slugs. So thank you.
Hello you lovely lot.
Frocks on, everyone, it’s May. And that means RHS Chelsea Flower Show, al fresco lunches, asparagus (see recipes below), peas (also below) and lots of gardening. For me, it also means a record number of book events to promote Rough Patch, which is three months old now. So grab a cuppa and I’ll talk you though the diary, the menu for May and what I’m up to in the veg patch.
(TECHNICAL NOTE: There are a LOT of recipes here and they might not all fit in your email. If so, just hit VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE at the end of the email, or head to the app or online version.)
Come for a chat
The Rough Patch book tour is all go and that’s just how I like it. My April highlight was a gorgeous supper club at FarmED with local booksellers Jaffe & Neale (who now have signed copies of Rough Patch if you’d like one). Here’s how it went:
In May, you’ll find me pretty much everywhere. I’m especially excited about Hay and the British Library happening back to back (though I might need a lie down afterwards). Do come:
10th May - Nicholsons Spring Fair: signing books and a planting demo (12-2pm. Free)
11th May - Fortnum & Mason: Seasonal Sundays class at which I share my seasonal picks for late spring, demonstrate what to do with them and turn them into a delicious lunch. (11:30am-2pm. £45) SOLD OUT (More dates soon)
13th May - The Garden Museum: I’ll be on a panel discussion about Gardening for Wellbeing as part of Mental Health Awareness Week. (7pm. £20)
17th May - St Ives Food Festival: I’ll be on the beach cooking recipes from my books over the fire pit. Yes, it is a heavenly as it sounds. (Times tbc. Free)
20th May - Blackwells bookshop, Oxford: for a chat, reading and Q&A I’m a bit emotional about this one because I grew up near Oxford and remember going to see my Dad’s (an academic writer) first book on the shelf when I was about 6 years old, so it feels like A Thing to be there with my own. (5:30pm. £18.99 inc book)
22nd May - Nicholsons: I’ll be teaching a A Beginner's Guide To Growing Your Own Veg From Plug Plants. It’s a full day of tutorials and hands on planting, plus a kitchen garden inspired lunch in the award-winning Yurt restaurant. (10am-4pm, £120)
29th May - Hay Literary Festival: I’ll be chatting alongside fellow grower and writer, Poppy Okotcha about our books and life closer to nature. (1pm. £15)
31st May - British Library: I’ll be on a panel discussion with, amongst others,
of this parish, to discuss Gardening to Feed Body, Soul and Society as part of the glorious Food Season. (1pm. £6)14th June - Buckingham Literary Festival: a chat about Rough Patch over a drink and some nibbles, then signing. (1:30pm. £10 including veggie nibbles)
19th-23rd June - Manoir Mouret: my Delicious series collaborator, Kirstie Young, and I will be hosting a 4-day food and photography trip at a beautiful farmhouse where we’ll show you how to let the landscape and potager inspire your cooking and photography. (E1650 inc. food and accommodation)
8th July - Warwick Books: for a chat, some tasters from the book and a seed sowing demo (6:30pm. £18.99 inc book)
11th July - ALSO festival: a chat and cookery demo of recipes from Rough Patch at this glorious festival of ideas, food and music (there’s even a swimming lake).
I do LOVE a chat, so if you happen to own a local bookshop, or run a festival, or organise bunches of people who like to get together to talk to authors, then get in touch.
In My Trug
My monthly column in Delicious magazine - In My Trug - is so green this month you almost can’t see the peas for the leaves. Grab your copy for asparagus, pea and spinach panzanella and pea houmous with crispy asparagus.
My collaborator
and I shot the next instalment last week in glorious sunshine. Here’s a little look behind the scenes:
Jobs for May
Plant out tender veg once the risk of frost is passed in mid-May. That means my beans, squash, courgettes and sweetcorn are all going out next week.
Sow brassicas and winter veg like kale, cabbages and leeks. Lots of people do this before May, but I don’t want kale until October so I leave it a bit longer. I’m sowing flower sprouts this year too.
I planted out seedling lettuce, spinach, peas and mangetout at the weekend.
Keep sowing the above for another planting out in June plus radishes, spring onions and carrots direct.
I’m not big on growing flowers, but I have sown a few (see above) for planting into the raised beds. All pretty like.
For a far more authoritative list (which includes flowering things) have a look at
’s Dos and Don’ts for May.What to eat in May
Rhubarb. It’s everywhere. Catch up on what to do with it in the replay of last week’s live cookery class.
Also, on my May menu are:
And also:
- ’s PSB, asparagus and spring flowers gratin
The last hurrah for wild garlic from
These lovely ideas for asparagus from
And if you want even more asparagus love head here to read
And finally…
Extra biscuits for Humphrey who is two years old this week. He had big paw prints to fill, but I’m starting to think he might just manage it.
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Humf is such a handsome boy! I'm building up to planting out my courgettes and beans - I've been very precious about them, religiously bringing them in each evening to avoid the chill! I feel very behind with the allotment at the moment, this happens every year. Start hectically sowing in April and quickly run out of room. I'm hoping to catch up this weekend! Thank you so much for the mention—such a pleasure to read, and lovely to be in such great company :)
Now that's what you call a book tour! I wish I had your comforting guidance a few days ago, Kathy - my beans were excitedly planted out last weekend only to succumb a day or two later to the very cold evening temperatures. Thank you for the mention - especially in such esteemed company! Lost beans immediately forgotten!