Minor heartbreak

It had been a week I think since popping over to the plot so when I had a couple of hours to spare (yeah, right) on Saturday I was keen to see if the tomatoes had ripened yet.  On arrival, I found the 6 plants had been ravaged by blight.  Lots of the fruit looked savagable so I ripped the plants out and separated off the good-looking fruit.  Not too bad, I thought, I'll make lots of green tomato chutney on my day off on Tuesday.  I also harvested some sweetcorn, patty pans and bush beans and dug up all the spuds.

So I look the crate of tomato fruit home (discarded the blighted plant material) and washed them.  I had a work trip away Sunday-Monday so left them at home waiting to be cooked up.  On my way home yesterday, my husband sent me a text to tell me that all my fruit had gone mouldy (bless him - he didn't want me to have a shock by walking in and seeing them like that so forewarned me).  No green tomato chutney for me today.  We did manage to eat some of the redder ones roasted for brunch on Sunday morning and they were very tasty.  Shirley might be worth trying next year but much earlier to try to avoid the horrible blight.

I consoled myself with a 2 hour session down the plot this morning.  I planted out some purple and white spouting plants and tended to the cabbages and Brussels sprouts (weeded and fed).  I also cleared a square metre of grass and nettles.

I also came back with a big handful of broccoli sprouts from the stumps left after harvesting the main head. And 3 more patty pans.  And a potato that I'd left in the ground at the weekend.

Lots more ground to clear...