Healthy Vegan - Harvest Monday: Rainbow Chard Gratin and White Sprouting Broccoli

Its been a long while since I participated in Harvest Monday which is hosted these days by Dave over Our Happy Acres.

 So here is my very small harvest.
A good bunch of Rainbow Chard  and Perpetual Spinach.
From A2K blog archives
I have  also harvested some white sprouting broccoli that have been simply steamed as an accompaniment for meals.



I still have a load in the garden to harvest, but should hurry as many are beginning to flower now. 
At the weekend, I managed to get a little work done in the garden.  I weeded the plot that had the stinky sprouts. 
But there is so much to do and I am out of sync and so unfit that my body ached the following few days.  I was hoping for extra hands at the weekend to help but sadly they did not materialise.  So the work has been postponed for the coming weekend. 
I don't know how many seeds I will sow, but already know that I will be picking up some plants from local garden nurseries.
The other bit of work that I got done is that I cut down the dead raspberry canes, to encourage new plants.  Here are the cut down canes ready for burning come this weekend.
Here is an example of what else we have still to do in the green house, the canes we built for the climbing beans also have to come down and then the ground dug. And there's also the greenhouse. 

 When I do get into gardening through I really enjoy it - its the first initial steps these days and the lack of motivation, but when I harvest home grown produce my heart sings, I need to find that homegrown veg and green garden love again.  I will, its just going to take a little time.  I think part of the reason is the hours I work these days find me tired in the evenings and that doesn't help, okay enough of my grumbling.
I made a very delicious Rainbow Chard Gratin recently with my homegrown harvest.  I will share the recipe soon. 
Rainbow Chard Gratin 
Ingredients
Lots of Potatoes, peeled and sliced into thick slices, then parboiled. Drained and set aside
Lots of chard, roughly chopped including the stalks, blanched, drained and set aside
50grams tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon plain flour
2 garlic crushed
400ml milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
160grams 200grams cheese
Method
In a pan melt the butter, cook the garlic slowly until soft, then stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes, before stirring in the milk and spices.  Boil.  Then reduce until thick, stirring with a whisk to stop it from setting.
Stir in the cheese until it has melted.
Season to taste.
Pour over the potatoes and chard that have been transferred to a oven proof casserole dish.
Bake in oven for 30 - 35 minutes on gas mark 5/200oc or until golden.  
Serve immediately.

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