Allotments 4 All

My plot is a bit of a home from home as I have a tiny flat and no garden, and I am looking forward to being able to cook meals onsite using lovely fresh veg.

Is anyone else doing this? All I have managed so far are a couple of incinerated potatoes, and Ainsley Harriot's version of a Pot Noodle. Has anyone tried making an earth oven like this http://www.cherrywoodproject.co.uk/earthoven.html, or just have some tips on how not to incinerate the potato?

I was wondering if I could do something with the garden incinerator, maybe putting it in a hole and cooking things round the edge, or putting the food inside a metal cooking tin and lowering it inside?

We got 2 of those portable gas rings the ones with Aerosol canisters. They work brilliantly. use this for bacon butties and the like. Cup O' T and Soups etc.

We also have a stand to take 1/2 barrel for BBQ. An earth oven would be good. If you dont want your incinerator you could cut a oven door sized hole in the side and put in a rack.

So long as it get hot you could use a fire pit.

my lovely friends gave me some corn last year,just picked and cooked by putting over the hole of their incinerator,blissful and delicious!!!! we are going to try and cook our evening meals up there this summer,if only because last year we werent getting home till 9pm,far too tired to cook and were eating fish and chips far too much! will be interested to read this thread to see what brill ideas others come up with!

Go Elvis,

Mmmmmmmm fresh sweetcorn. (dribble)

Last summer I made a stew/soup...used and onion, potato, turnip and corn it was delish. If I'm lucky with produce I will try it again.

Great thread! A few on our site do stir frys, most people tend to use the camping gas stoves or barbi stuff. maybe you should start collecting some recipies!

I've got a kettle barbeque, and I've roasted chickens on site loads of times.

I've got a small calor gas camping stove in my shed - two rings and a grill. Very handy if I want to spend a whole day down at the lottie. Managed to lay on a party for 6 last summer, with freshly harvested potatoes, salad, herbs etc. , followed by fresh fruit.

Quote from: hopalong on March 20, 2009, 09:16:31
I've got a small calor gas camping stove in my shed - two rings and a grill. Very handy if I want to spend a whole day down at the lottie. Managed to lay on a party for 6 last summer, with freshly harvested potatoes, salad, herbs etc. , followed by fresh fruit.

sounds wonderful,bet that was a proud day for you!

We started  a routine every  Saturday morning there were 2 of us having a bacon sarnie, one of us brought the breadcakes(the big flat ones) the other brought the bacon ,occasionally I would go In the  henhouse and fetch a couple of eggs which we fried and added to the sarnie.  This went on for a few  weeks then we collected another plotholder who on his 2nd week brought some sausage then another plotholder joined the fold his contribution was a a tin of beans or tomatoes.
A patio tabe was acquired from some where and plates and cutlery appeared so by this time it was bacon, eggs ,sausage , beans or tomatoes, together with the breadcake.We collected quite few bottles of sauce,There was chili sauce, tomato sauce,brown sauce etc. We became sausage connoisseurs.  The guy who brought the sausage used to look around for different sorts so we tried pork sausage, beef sausage ,seasoned, non seasoned, venison.  Then one week he brought some Linda McCartney  veggie ones, he ain't lived this down yet , but the hens seemed to think they were alright . The upshot was that the bacon sarnie at 9 o'clock which was finished, and we were back gardening at 9-30 became a full breakfast  which lasted till well after 10-30 and we were so stuffed we didn't feel like doing much gardening for a while. I think the last straw was when one of the guys went back on is Lotty sat on his form, nodded off and didn't wake till nearly one o'clock.  So by popular demand its back to a bacon sarnie with an egg on occasionally.
   

A breakfast club, how lovely  ;D

Ha ha Growmore, I do sympathise. A breakfast club would be fab, but someone needs to referee. It could quite quickly turn into a pub crawl  :o

We also use the little gas stoves. Over the summer, and into autumn, when evenings are colder, we have made a lovely bolognaise, using beef mince and our lovely veg. Stir fry, mince, or steak chunks, with fresh veg and gravy - basically whatever we fancy that can be cooked in pans. And of course, yummy breakfasts - it means we can get out of the house earlier, and stay later.

KNB. Do you have toilets on site as you can stay late. We don't have toilets & one of the ladies was telling me the other day that she checked the site & she was alone so squat down to do the necessary but she had forgotten there was a path running along the site & someone was going past the gate as she was squatting & was stood watching her.
Janet

No toilets on site granny - but  we have very high and dense hedges. Plus, with four plots, we have had space to erect a little 'cubbyhole', so no chance of anyone accidentally spotting us! We were a little concerned about someone spotting us when we first took on the plots about 5 years ago, but now don't really give it a second thought!

If you ever get a chance to pick up a volcano kettle at a reasonable price (the new price isn't reasonable!) then grab it. They're extremely efficient, and all you need is a few dry sticks.

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on March 22, 2009, 19:53:14
If you ever get a chance to pick up a volcano kettle at a reasonable price (the new price isn't reasonable!) then grab it. They're extremely efficient, and all you need is a few dry sticks.

i so want one of these - been looking at them for the last year - as you say - quiet pricey new - would love to get my hands on one - away to look at the on ebay again lol

we have a small one ring gas burner at the moment that we use for teas/coffees, and have those disposable BBQS which we used for my (Rosie's) 21st birthday party last year.
Mum's been after a double stove for a while now and i've just bought her one with a grill underneath for £35.99 with free delivery on Amazon. the same product is £48.89 in argos, so i'm very pleased with myself.
We've never been really adventerous with our cooking at the lottie though, i'm impressed with all of the above efforts! We shall have to have a go now :)

Rosie xx

Quote from: knbsallotment on March 22, 2009, 19:46:16
No toilets on site granny - but  we have very high and dense hedges. Plus, with four plots, we have had space to erect a little 'cubbyhole', so no chance of anyone accidentally spotting us! We were a little concerned about someone spotting us when we first took on the plots about 5 years ago, but now don't really give it a second thought!

FOUR PLOTS how on earth....i would love a second,but unfortunately cant as our 30 strong waiting list wont allow it,how were you lucky enough to end up with four,never heard of that before?
rach
x

FOUR PLOTS how on earth....i would love a second,but unfortunately cant as our 30 strong waiting list wont allow it,how were you lucky enough to end up with four,never heard of that before?
rach
x


A lot of people on our site have more than one plot, one couple have just taken on their 5th!!

Weed-Digga
p.s. This is actually Weed-Digga and not Rosie just posting on my log in!!