Maria Donovan

Bushboy Brian’s continuing (hurrah!) challenge: post the last image on your phone or camera for June. No editing required. I love this one because it’s easy for anyone to join in, you meet such nice people, and somehow that last photo you took is always a surprise!

If you want to join in with Brian’s challenge just post your last photo for the month of June, however random it might be, and link to the post here on bushboys world.

The rules:
1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the month of June.
2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate.
3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do [but some of us can’t help ourselves]
4. Create a Pingback to bushboy’s post (find it here) or add your link there in the comments
5. Tag “The Last Photo”

Here’s mine

All I wanted to do with this photo was record my pleasure in finding out that andjive has these lovely flowers if you let it bolt. My hope is that it will self seed and germinate enough little plants to survive the slug attack.

I’ve had some success in letting Swiss chard go to seed and now it pops up everywhere. It’s providing seeds for the sparrows right now too. I have learned to steel myself to be so ‘untidy’ among neighbouring gardens that are kept neat but the rewards have been great. I really hope it will work with andjive.

My Dutch husband loves this leafy green as the signature ingredient in stamppot andijvie. A stamppot is mashed potatoes combined in one pot with other vegetables. It’s usual to add crispy blocks of bacon but if you’re veggie or vegan you can leave that out. The shredded andijvie isn’t cooked separately but goes in at the end to wilt in the lovely hot mash. Traditionally served with smoked sausage for a complete meal and I like to make gravy with the cooking water and some herbs. Ooh. It’s a warming winter treat and our aim is to have plenty of this great vegetable. But the slugs love it too! Hence the attempt to let it spread by itself.

In English it’s probably called Endive, and might be eaten as a salad vegetable but it doesn’t seem to be very well known round here in this part of the UK. The botanical name is Cichorium endivia, which might help you find it if you want to try growing this lovely green.

Thanks, Brian, for continuing to host this challenge. It was so lovely to see all the support last month when you had a little dip. We all have those and it’s good that you could share it and find out how much we value joining in with this one.

And if you have a go at the recipe (also good with kale etc) then: ‘Eet smakelijk!’