Oh dear, what can to-mato be?

Andy and I have been very bad. We haven't visited the allotment for four weeks. I know, I know, what kind of allotmenteers are we? I'll tell you...we are the kind of allotmenteers who do their best for 8 months of the year and then run out of fizzle somewhere around the middle of October when everything has been harvested and/or stops growing, including the weeds. Also, the weather hasn't been helping, the last three weekends or so being heavy with rain. And walking on land where one grows stuff is a no-no during wet weather, because it mucks up the soil structure or something - that's our excuse anyway, and a pretty valid scientific one at that.

But this Sunday we knew we had to go and sort out the polytunnel. I'd been having nightmares about it; that the tomato plants that had been so fruitful for us for the last 3 months would be reduced to a brown slimy stodge and that the rest of the allotment plot would be drowning under a quagmire, rotting our Jerusalem artichokes in the process. Some serious tidying up for winter was needed, and the dreadful deed could be delayed no longer.

So it was with some trepidation that we visited Plot 87, dressed in wellies and raincoats, our heads hanging low with shame. And guess what?? The tomatoes were still growing!! We picked, in the middle of November, 14lbs of ripe tomatoes, 10lbs of green tomatoes and a shedload of big, fat and decidely unrotting Jerusalem artichokes!! There are still chilli peppers on the pepper plants and a couple of aubergines making a final bid for ripeness. Oh, shame on me for doubting the powers of Mother Nature's growing abilities.

So we cleared out the polytunnel, tidied away the old beans and sunflowers, did some weeding, upped some cabbages for the chickens and came home with many, many tomatoes, many artichokes, some carrots, parsnips, beetroot and spinach and a feeling that actually we weren't such naughty allotmenteers after all.

We have now reached the end of our third year as trainee self-sufficiency bods. In those three years we have learned many new things. We have grown a vast majority of our veg, a good dollop of soft fruit, and flowers for the bees. Our hens have kept us in eggs for well over a year and a half now. We have learned how to make breads and jams, chilli sauces and marmalades, sausages and wine. We have acquired a greenhouse, a polytunnel and a hen house. We have made our own compost using two bins and a wormery. And some of our experiments have worked well, others have flopped like a great big floppy thing.

But the biggest thing we have learnt is that a huge amount of progress is possible in a very small space i.e our wee urban back garden and an average size allotment. We have learnt that when you pull together as a team, like me and Andy, you don't need to upsticks and move to live a dream, you don't need to have acres and acres of land to help make a difference to your world and contribute to the welfare of Planet Earth.

But what I haven't learned is what to do with all these bloomin' green tomatoes that are sitting in the kitchen! I've found a recipe for River Cottage HQ pickle. I think I might have a go at that.