How to cook scorzonera – watch our 1 min demo film

Scorzonera in garlic & black truffles

New gate made by Phil

Temperature 20 April -28 deg inside the walls

Japanese Burdock Takinogawa

Oriental cabbage

Peas planted out

Red veined spinach

Click HERE to watch our 1 min film showing you one way to cook scorzonera. The film is by Steph Watts of A Decent Exposure photography & everyone who’s seen it so far has said how useful it is, so we’ll be making more, starting with the most unusual fruit & veg produced by Phil Allen in Apley Walled Garden.

Here are some other methods of cooking scorzonera (& salsify which can be cooked in the same way).

1. Boiled or steamed 10-20 mins, then sautéed in garlic butter with parsley
2. Roast for 30 mins in oil & thyme
3. Salads – boil 10-20 mins until tender then mixed into any salad with vinaigrette
4. Boil then mash. Add butter. Mix with mashed potato or other veg.
5. Boil then puree for soups

You can hear Phil’s top gardening tips on BBC Radio Shropshire this Sunday when he’s a member of the panel on Gardeners’ Question Time with Paul Shuttleworth, 12-1pm.

Phil’s just updated me on his progress this week in Apley Walled Garden. April is such an encouraging time of year when everything springs back into life:

• Potted up 450 tomatoes – work continues on this (for the Tomato Festival)
• Planted out broad beans – Robin Hood & karmyzan varieties
• Beetroot, coriander, carrots, spring onions, spinach, kohl rabi, root parsley, rocket & fennel all sown.
• Peas (carouby de maussane & sugar Ann) planted out.
• Two people booked a training day with Phil last September & completed it today.
• Brian (who worked for the Apley Estate for years) has started repairing the wall – long overdue task which will help keep out the rabbits & pheasants.
• The area turned over to lawn for summer evening events has started to germinate & grow.
• Runner beans, lab lab beans & yard long beans have all been sown in the melon house.
• More lettuce planted out into tunnel.
• Japanese burdock planted out before the tap root starts to develop. The root grows to around 3ft