| I'm not by any means a gardener, but I do | | | | sign of the tomatoes. Another two week went |
| love my grandchildren and when they clamoured | | | | by and just when I'd given up. Bethany came |
| to buy some seeds, I let them pick one packet | | | | racing indoors, all excited. |
| each. Chloe the eldest picked a packet of | | | | |
| mixed flowers, and I reckoned I could cope | | | | 'Come and look Grandad, they are growing.' |
| with them. But the youngest Bethany was going | | | | |
| through one of those phases that children go | | | | And sure enough the tomatoes were showing, |
| through. She had taken to eating tomatoes, as | | | | but I didn't hold out much hope for the crop. |
| if they were apples, she couldn't get enough | | | | Anyway as soon as the plants were big enough |
| of them. | | | | I transplanted them into a couple of grow |
| | | | bags and they took off, like Jack's magic |
| Yes, that's Right. You've guessed it. She | | | | beanstalk. |
| picked a packet of tomato seeds. Glory be, | | | | |
| what was I to do now, as far as I was aware | | | | . |
| you needed a greenhouse in these northern | | | | |
| climes, to grow tomatoes. I tried to talk her | | | | It's now the 30th of September, the plants |
| out of it, but she was having none of it. | | | | are 5ft high, filled with tomatoes, and are |
| | | | still flowering. Bethany is over the moon and |
| 'You said I could pick my own seeds, | | | | is looking forward to picking her first |
| Grandad,' she cried. | | | | fruit, or should I say vegetable? But as we |
| | | | slide into October, no way on earth are they |
| 'Yes, but I don't think you can grow them | | | | going to ripen and to save her disappointment |
| without a greenhouse.' I said. | | | | I decided after consultation with the Grand |
| | | | Dame, my mother in-law, to turn them into |
| 'Why?' | | | | chutney. See the recipe below. By the way, |
| | | | Chloe's flowers bloomed, though they are |
| 'Because, they don't like the cold.' | | | | nearly finished now. |
| | | | |
| 'But it's not cold, Grandad, it's nice and | | | | Green Tomato Chutney. |
| warm.' | | | | |
| | | | Will make 5- 6lb. |
| 'I don't mean just today, I mean in general.' | | | | |
| | | | Ingredients |
| 'What's in general?' | | | | |
| | | | 4lb green tomatoes |
| 'It means...em... it's cold most days.' | | | | |
| | | | 1lb apples |
| 'That's alright then, we'll plant them today | | | | |
| while it's warm.' | | | | 1lb of onions |
| | | | |
| I gave in then, thinking, we'll plant the | | | | 8oz of raisins |
| seeds today and she'll eventually forget all | | | | |
| about them. | | | | 2lb of soft brown sugar |
| | | | |
| I paid for the seeds, a pack of plant pots, a | | | | 1/2oz of salt |
| bag of compost, and lugged them home on the | | | | |
| bus. After getting off the bus the girls ran | | | | 1/2oz of root ginger |
| ahead, leaving me to hump the compost and | | | | |
| plant pots. Reaching the house and since my | | | | 1oz of mustard seeds |
| hands were full, I pushed the door open with | | | | |
| my foot and was just in time to hear the | | | | 11/2 pints of malt vinegar |
| little one say, 'And, Grandma, Grandad's | | | | |
| coming with the pots and the compy stuff and | | | | Method |
| we're going to plant the seeds straight | | | | |
| away.' | | | | Cut up tomatoes, peel, core, and cut up |
| | | | apples, cut up onions and chop raisins. |
| 'Hold it, hold it,' I said as I staggered | | | | |
| through the door, 'before Grandad does | | | | Bruise ginger and tie in muslin bag. |
| anything, he's going to have a nice cup of | | | | |
| tea.' | | | | Place all ingredients into pan, bring to boil |
| | | | and simmer until vinegar has been absorbed. |
| 'Aw, Grandad,' she said. | | | | (Approx 2 hours) At this point you should be |
| | | | able to draw a wooden spoon across the |
| But she waited, after a fashion, humming a | | | | mixture and it will leave an impression. |
| hawing, until I had a cup of tea, and then | | | | |
| she dragged me out into the garden. | | | | Remove the bag of ginger, pour chutney into |
| | | | hot dry screw-top jars and place waxed discs |
| Opening the bag of compost I filled six pots | | | | on top of each one. |
| for Chloe and let her plant her own flower | | | | |
| seeds, then help Bethany with her tomato | | | | Cover jars with a clean cloth until cold. |
| seeds. Now all we could do was wait. | | | | |
| | | | Screw on lids (Make sure they are vinegar |
| The weather was mild so it should have been, | | | | proof first) label and store in a cool |
| since it was May and we were far too late for | | | | cupboard. |
| planting tomato seeds. Two weeks went by and | | | | |
| the flowers started to show, but there was no | | | | Mmm, I can taste it now. |