Self Sufficient (ish)

I am ridiculously proud of the fact that I have managed to grow rhubarb for the first time this year! I bought a young rhubarb crown from the local pet shop (they sell veg plants too) last year. It was very weak and weedy at first. I dug up a small part of our lawn and planted the young plant. Over the winter it vanished and I thought I'd killed it. Then in the Spring, young rhubarb leaves started to poke through the soil. As you can tell, I'm not a gardening expert, I didn't realise they lie dormant over the Winter. Well, the young plant has gone from strength to strength and I'm picking a fresh crop of rhubarb nearly every week.

The following images show my favourite way to cook and eat rhubarb.

First chop the rhubarb into small chunks


Place in an oven proof dish


Cover with brown sugar


Add chopped fresh ginger


Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes and then eat warm or cold with a little more sugar and some creme fraiche or ice cream



I love to grow vegetables and herbs at home as they taste better and have travelled a very small distance, which means less road and air freight.
I don't have an allotment, or even a raised bed, I grow everything (except the rhubarb) in containers and pots. I don't have a huge amount of gardening knowledge, but each year I try to grow a different plant as an experiment. This year it was rhubarb and potatoes and I'm very pleased with both!
If you fancy trying to grow your own veg and herbs, check out the excellent self-sufficientish website for loads of helpful information
selfsufficientish.com