Growing food is such a grounding experience.  I can easily see the appeal of allotments and why people devote endless hours to their gardens.  My little kitchen garden is taking shape this year.  I have trailing tomatoes, bags of potatoes, pots of herbs and a planter full of courgettes.  I find the process fascinating, watching a tiny seed grow into something so fresh and delicious.  Little Nieces D and P were as delighted as I was when we discovered the first tiny green tomato on the plants they helped to sow.  I don’t know what I’ll discover when we lift the potatoes as the leaves have been stripped bare by slugs.  But the courgettes are flourishing with huge leaves and vibrant yellow flowers. 

There’s something special about preparing home-grown food.  From picking it in the garden to chopping it in the kitchen, it’s a feast for the senses.  Perhaps it’s the knowledge of the effort that has gone into turning seed to vegetable?  Or maybe it’s the deep and immediate connection with the earth?  It certainly encourages me to be more mindful of my food.

My spiralizer is out, creating ribbons, noodles and spaghetti out of vegetables.  ‘Courgetti’ is my favourite.  Narrow spirals of courgette are fried for one minute in a little olive oil, then mixed with a generous spoonful of pesto, toasted pine nuts and cubes of feta.  It tastes delicious.