Sow, grow, glow: summer begins

Asparagus, broad beans and rhubarb are among a glut of new season’s produce that we’re showcasing in pies, one-pots and even a fruity tipple. Plus, Emma Crawforth of BBC Gardeners’ World offers advice on what to sow

recipes

The Benefits Of Growing Your Own

Discover the satisfaction of nurturing produce from seed to plant, then turning your homegrown harvest into something delicious. As well as lowering your shopping bills, garden-fresh fruit and veg is more nutrient-rich than shop-bought, and only picking what you need reduces waste. Plus, being outdoors or losing yourself in a kitchen project can improve your sense of well-being.

Gooseberries

Gooseberry buckle cake

SERVES 8 PREP 15 mins plus at least 30 mins chilling and cooling

COOK 1 hr 10 mins EASY V

200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin

200g golden caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

200g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

50g ground almonds

100ml soured cream

For the crumble topping

60g plain flour

50g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

60g golden caster sugar

60g porridge oats

25g flaked almonds

For the gooseberry filling

500g fresh or frozen gooseberries (see tip below; a mixture of green and pink if available)

2 tbsp caster sugar

1 For the filling, combine the gooseberries and sugar in a bowl, lightly crushing the berries. Set aside to macerate.

2 To make the crumble topping, rub the flour and butter together in a small bowl until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, oats and almonds, and bring together into a loose dough using your hands. Chill for at least 30 mins, or up to a day

3 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas

4. Butter a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking parchment Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together using a stand mixer or electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour in between each addition to prevent the mixture from curdling. Fold in the rest of the flour, the baking powder, ground almonds and soured cream to combine. Spoon into the tin, followed by the gooseberry filling Scatter the crumble topping over the surface to cover the filling, and bake for 1 hr-1 hr 10 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. If the cake browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the final 15 mins. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then chill until just cold to make slicing easier. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.

GOOD TO KNOW vit c

PER SERVING 676 kcals fat 36g saturates 19g carbs 75g sugars 44g fibre 4g protein 10g salt 0.4g tip

Tip frozen gooseberries into a sieve set over a bowl and defrost in the fridge overnight. This ensures the cake doesn’t become soggy. Leftover gooseberry juice makes a tangy addition to smoothies or porridge.

Sow And Grow

 Grow gooseberries in moist but well-drained, fertile soil, in full sun. Prune the bushes to maintain a ‘goblet’ shape, and mulch in autumn with compost, manure or leaf mould. Plant bare-root gooseberries in spring or autumn.

 Most gooseberries are ready to pick from June to August, but to ensure good-sized berries, thin out the bunches earlier, when the fruits are the size of a pea. These thinned-out fruits are great for stewing.

Find the full guide at: gardenersworld.com/how-to/ how-to-grow-gooseberries