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Episode 677: Autumn Abundance — Compost, Maincrop Potatoes and Crispy Potato Cakes

The end of September can look like the garden is winding down, but this week it felt more like a fresh beginning. Moist weather brought a burst of growth to the kitchen garden, the allotment continued to provide generous harvests, and autumn sowings offered the promise of food through winter. Turning a Tangle into Compost The grass, shrubs and an unruly mile-a-minute climber all needed attention. The resulting heap of green material quickly filled the HotBin composter, so the older Dalek-style bins had to earn their keep. Emptying one of them revealed useful, well-rotted compost and an encouraging update on an old elm stump. Since spring, the compost bin has stood directly over the stump. Heat, darkness and moisture have weakened it, while attempted regrowth inside the bin has failed. The stump has not disappeared yet, but it is soft, rotten and breaking away. It is a slow solution, but one that turns garden waste into compost at the same time. Growing Does Not Stop wi...
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Crispy Potato and Spinach Cakes

These golden potato cakes combine fluffy maincrop potatoes with spinach and spring onions. They are an easy way to use a garden harvest and work well for lunch, a light supper or as a side dish. Serves: 4   Makes: 8 cakes   Preparation: 20 minutes, plus optional chilling   Cooking: 25 minutes Ingredients 500 g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward 100 g spinach 4 spring onions, finely sliced 1 egg, beaten 2 tablespoons plain flour 1 teaspoon mustard Salt and freshly ground black pepper Oil, for shallow frying Method Peel the potatoes and cut them into even pieces. Put them in a saucepan, cover with cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer until tender. Drain thoroughly. Return the potatoes to the warm pan for one minute, then mash until smooth. Wilt the spinach in a dry frying pan. Leave it to cool, squeeze out as much liquid as possible and chop it finely. Mix the mashed potato, spin...
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Episode 676: Autumn Planting and Preparing for Next Season

In episode 676, the focus is on looking ahead to the next growing season through essential autumn tasks. The small but important jobs of planting garlic, sowing hardy leaves, and preparing protected growing spaces for the shorter days are explored in detail. Allotment Update: Autumn Garlic Planting and Bed Preparation The episode begins on the allotment, where six varieties of garlic, saved from the summer harvest, are planted. The reasons for planting in autumn are explained, including the selection of healthy cloves and the importance of a sunny position with free-draining soil. An update is also shared on the hügelkultur bed, which has been topped up with compost, and the cabbages that are now protected from pigeons. Early-Morning Sowing and Greenhouse Preparation Back in the kitchen garden, the growing day starts early at 6 a.m. Despite the darkness at that hour, enough light is shed to sow tatsoi, mibuna, mizuna, and spring cabbage before work. The value of short,...
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Rustic Apple & Courgette Autumn Loaf

This is a brilliant way to use apples and the last of your courgettes . It’s moist, lightly spiced, not too sweet, and perfect for that early‑autumn moment when the plot is giving you windfall apples and the courgette plants are slowing down. It’s also a great “gardener’s cake”: easy to bake, keeps well, and tastes even better the next day. Ingredients 2 medium apples, grated 1 medium courgette, grated 200g plain flour 100g soft brown sugar 2 eggs 80ml vegetable oil 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp mixed spice Pinch of salt Optional: Handful of raisins Handful of chopped nuts A drizzle of honey on top Method 1. Prep the Fruit & Veg Grate the apples and courgette. Squeeze out excess moisture — especially from the courgette. 2. Mix the Wet Ingredients Beat the eggs, oil, and sugar together until smooth. 3. Add the Dry Ingredients Stir in the flour, bak...
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Episode 675-Autumn Inspiration at Audley End: Walled Gardens, Wildlife Ideas & Seasonal Growing Motivation

This week Richard takes us out of the kitchen garden and allotment and over to Audley End House in Essex for the Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair — the final show of the year and a perfect chance to gather fresh inspiration as we head into autumn. Victorian Walled Gardens & Orchard Training Richard begins his visit in the Victorian kitchen gardens, admiring productive orchard beds, fan‑trained fruit trees and beautifully maintained glasshouses. Apples, pears, asparagus and late‑season veg are thriving despite the challenging summer, and the structure of the garden reinforces that his own move toward a more formal, kitchen‑garden layout at home is the right direction. Make a Metre Matter: Lucy Chamberlain’s Autumn Garden Richard then meets up with Lucy Chamberlain to explore the final instalment of her Make a Metre Matter project — nine themed square metres designed to show what can be achieved in small spaces. Highlights include: Wildlife habitats for autu...
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Roasted Aubergine & Tomato Gratin with Crispy Potato Topping

By mid‑September, the allotment feels like it’s exhaling. The rush of summer harvests slows, the air smells earthy again, and the aubergines and tomatoes are giving their last big push. This week’s recipe celebrates that transition — a roasted aubergine and tomato gratin topped with thinly sliced potatoes for a comforting, layered bake that bridges summer and autumn perfectly. It’s rich without being heavy, colourful, and ideal for using up those late‑season crops before the frosts start whispering. Ingredients For the Base 2 medium aubergines, sliced into rounds 400g ripe tomatoes, chopped 1 onion, finely sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp dried oregano Salt & pepper For the Topping 2 medium potatoes, thinly sliced 1 tbsp olive oil Pinch of salt Optional: grated cheese or breadcrumbs for extra crunch Method 1. Roast the Aubergines Lay the aubergine slices on a tray, brush with olive oi...
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Episode 674: The Growing Season Isn’t Over Yet!

After what has been a really difficult summer for growing, things are finally starting to feel like they are turning a corner. The rain has returned, the gardens are coming back to life and there is still plenty of time to grow more food before winter. Kitchen Garden Update Richard's kitchen garden has been a hive of activity this week. With the change in weather making a real difference. He is finding that tomatoes, aubergines and chillies are still producing. While spent crops are being cleared away and replaced with fresh compost from the HotBin and wormery. Richard has also been working on my idea of using herbs around the edges of the beds, with sage, rosemary, thyme and chives helping to create a useful border while providing plenty of herbs to use in the kitchen. There is still plenty that we can sow in September too.Richard has been sowing short, stubby carrots, winter lettuces, mustards, mizuna, pak choi and spring onions, along with chard and spinach in t...
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