We have been growing fruit and veg on allotments since Anglo Saxon times

People in Britain have been growing vegetables and fruits in outdoor allocated spaces since Anglo Saxon times.

The system used today has its roots in the nineteenth century when land was given over to the labouring poor for the provision of food. Demand for allotment space has increased especially since the recent lockdowns. There’s a desire to be outside, grow your own produce without the use of chemicals and being part of nature. The increasing pressure on available land in towns and cities means that private gardens are becoming increasingly smaller. An allotment is the ideal way to grow your own, if space is an issue.

Maurice Patton runs the Ards Allotments on the Comber Road in Newtownards and they’re having an open day next Saturday, 14th August. Over the years I’ve attended the open day and never cease to be amazed at the produce grown on the site. There are neat rows of fruit laden bushes, apple trees, lettuces, root vegetables, pumpkins, tomatoes to name a few. There’s nothing like picking lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers and eating them minutes from being picked. This is a taste sensation no supermarket will ever provide you with.

There’s a real community feel to the whole place. It never seems to rain in that part of Northern Ireland and any time I’ve visited people are sitting in their own patches with friends, sharing stories and having some bubbles with their own berries added. There always seemed to be some kind of chutney on hand served with cheese or scones with homemade jam.

The other side of the coin is that growing and maintaining a garden is hard work and I suspect the weather isn’t always so clement. The positives far outweigh the negatives and I always leave with the, unfulfilled, intention of growing my own vegetables.

Local tomatoes are in the shops now and perfect to make sauce to enjoy now or preserve for later. Sugo is Italian for sauce and is made by slowly cooking ripe tomatoes with onion and garlic. The recipe this week uses it in a Sicilian pizza where the dough is topped with mozzarella and tomatoes and the sauce on top – the reverse of the classic Naples variety. Any leftover sauce can be bottled or frozen to cheer up a dull winter day.

Courgettes are prolific this year. They’re so much nicer cut straight from the ground rather than languishing in a supermarket shelf. If you split them down the middle and score the flesh they are the perfect carrier for flavours. Here I’ve included a recipe for harissa, a Moroccan pepper paste to rub all over the courgettes before grilling. Serve them hot with crumbled feta and lots of mint.

You don’t need to grow your own to enjoy local vegetables – support your greengrocer if you’re lucky enough to have one.