Fresh Veg

I agree about the tomatoes, ours from the greenhouse are beautifull, as were the salad potatoes DH grew in hesian bags. I try not to buy fresh produce which has travelled thousands of miles, and tyry to find home grown or from the near continent.

I agree, and a lot of the really fresh stuff is very expensive. I bought one apple in M&S the other day it was 72 pence. That's almost 17/6d!!!

The fruit and veg in Lidl is always very fresh (and cheap)

That's true, Elegran. When I first started shopping in Lidl's, at least 15 years ago, I was disappointed with the proportion of their produce that came from overseas. Since then, they have made great strides and I am now able to find English apples there, though there's a better - and more expensive - variety of types in Waitrose.

I think it's disgraceful that we are expected to pay extra for fruit that is ripe - how crazy is that and half the time it isn't properly ripe for a couple of days.

I have only harvested a few cherry tomatoes so far this year, as yet, and they are lovely as usual, but have found larger bought tomatoes this year taste of nothing, no matter how good they look. It's been quite a shock on a couple of occasions. I started to wonder if there was something wrong with my taste buds.

The only problem I have with Lidl veg is that with some items they only sell them by the bag. I love carrots with my Sunday roast, Mr P doesn't like them, so not being able to buy them loose is a pain.

And the bags are large, phoenix. DH hates bananas but I like one now and again so I don't want to buy twelve.

Had carrots, parsnips, sweet corn and potatoes (second earlies) from the allotment for tea tonight and tomatoes from the greenhouse. Followed by home grown blackberries, sweet and juicy.

All tasted far better than shop bought, but then they were harvested and cooked within an hour. And we only pick what we are going to eat that day.
Fresh sweet corn especially tastes nothing like shop bought.

We gave up growing veg as we only had a small patch and are lucky enough to have a twice weekly market for good fruit and veg although I have to say I still buy a lot in Sainsbury. Most of my shopping is fruit and veg some of which we have at every meal. we stayed in an hotel last week and although the food was superb we are used to a lot more vegetables with our meals. I really don't like the way many restaurants now charge separately for veg and you get a weeny serving.

Like Aka we have an allotment. Produce that is picked and eaten immediately is so much tastier and our grandchildren love picking their own food. They are thrilled during the asparagus season and eat it like sweets. I grow peas in large pots at home for them to eat raw.
We have lovely lunches of whatever is ready. A typical lunch is beetroot, fennel, courgettes, garlic, onions etc. roasted in olive oil and balsamic vinegar with garlic bread to mop up the juices.

Hi, we also have an allotment, this is our first year so it's a learning curve. Far more pests and diseases than frowning in your garden as the little blighters all congregate together! We have gluts of courgettes, beans, chard - anyone got any good glut recipes?

I like to keep fresh fruit in the house for snacking, bananas are a favourite but my biggest whinge is pears - if you buy them "ripe and ready to eat" they are still hard and it takes a couple of days before they are ripe and then seem to go bad after about 30 minutes!!

Jam (are you new, if so welcome) if you go to the recipe section there are loads of recipes for courgettes including a chocolate and orange courgette cake that sounds lovely.
I use chard instead of spinach so you can wilt it down and just replace it as an ingredient. And beans I freeze the excess and add to soups, stews and curries in the winter.
We've had a plague of rats on the allotment this year and they started eating all the sweet corn, but I've foiled (literally) the little buggars blighters by wrapping all my heads of corn in cheap tin foil.

I don't believe you can ripen fruit at home. Surely to ripen, it has to be on the tree getting sustenance. Doesn't home-ripening on the windowsill just mean, beginning to spoil?

Aka - I swear it's got an 'e'. not an 'a'.

buggers

We trust you to know Jing we don't know the word!

It is good to see that a lot of other people dislike the unripe, tasteless fruit that we get. I only tried Aldi once and was not impressed - maybe a bad day? We have no waitrose in the area so can't try that. Maybe I should try Sainsburys but have always found them expensive.
As for excess produce in big bags. anyone thought of using the excess for making smoothies. Banana cake is good too and carrot cake!
As far as ripening at home I will reiterate my question of earlier. How many vital nutrients are we missing by not getting properly ripened fruit and veg?

Hello all, yes I am a newbie, sorry should have made that clear. Thanks for the glut advice, I will check out the recipe section. Something is eating my beetroot - any suggestions how to - ahem - foil them?

The fruit and veg in our local Co-op is always quite tasty.

We don't have a greengrocer's in our town any more, but DN buys from her local greengrocer and that tastes superior to the supermarket veg.

Our local greengrocers in the village is pretty good, and much of what they sell is local.
Lidl's produce is o.k. Agree about big packets though. But left with a lot of carrots recently I decided to make carrot and coriander soup and it was gorgeous.
I do like the vine tomatoes that they sell in supermarkets. And organic mushrooms are tasty.

www.taste.com.au/recipes/5546/zucchini+slice

This is a good courgette recipe (I used gf flour, it takes up more moisture).

The leaves on my chard all have big holes in, so we are only eating the stalks, steamed or in stir-frys.