What can be more fun than finding a big fat ripe strawberry ready for the picking?

The colour and flavour of your home grown organic strawberries will remind you why organic produce is just so popular these days.

When I was a child my grandmother stewed strawberries and then set them into a jelly – a pure fruit jelly.

I can remember loading up a thick slice of bread with this strawberry jelly from the fridge – ohh it was so wonderful.

Strawberries are also star performers in the decoration department for cakes and desserts. Who can say no to a slice of sponge with cream and strawberries.

I’ve been at dinner parties where a big handsome bowl of strawberries has been put out on the table with chocolates for dessert. There were no complaints!

Mmm chocolate and strawberries – what a pleasant thought.

I have vivid memories of my grandmother shelling peas for dinner. It is unlikely that many children today would have ever seen such a thing.

It is lovely to shell peas with children. They enjoy the smell and the sweetness of fresh garden peas. It is so much fun to pop open the pod and scoop out all these perfect little green beads.

Even as an adult it is difficult not to be charmed and amazed by how perfect nature packages its produce.

Jamie Oliver suggests that you can throw peas and Parmesan cheese in with tagliatelle for a simple and splendid dinner.

Peas go well with ham and bacon as well as eggs. In the herb family peas enjoy the company of mint, parsley and sage.

My favourite way to eat peas is as a side dish to a roast chicken dinner. Even thinking about that makes me hungry! Enjoy popping your peas.

It is hard not to be impressed with carrots as you pull them up. Like everything grown in your own garden there is something remarkable in harvesting a beautiful vegetable grown from seed.

Before organic produce really took off great numbers of people had already worked out that supermarket carrots tasted like soap.

The carrots from your garden are sweet and crunchy. I know people who go out to the garden, pull one up, wash it and eat it instead of other snack food choices.

There is always a little mystery there too. How big will this carrot be? Remember to keep your carrots covered with soil. This stops them turning a bit green around the tops.

One of the most exotic yet simple carrot salads I know came from Deborah Madison’s classic book Greens. In this the dish the carrots are long strips made with a vegetable peeler. These are tossed with a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt and orange flower water.

It is also lovely to julienne carrots in a tiny bit of water until they are just soft. In a little saucepan melt a dob of butter, a little dried mint and a spoon of honey. Simmer it for a few minutes and stir in the carrot.

I hope you are enjoying the Spring in your garden and harvesting your own home grown carrots. I’d love to hear what your favourite carrot dishes are.

Some YourPatch gardeners are keen to get organic pumpkin growing. But unless you have a large enough area, it just doesn’t work.  

Pumpkins are born to travel.  They love to roam over fences into neighbours gardens and given half the chance they will take over the neighbourhood. 

Every one loves the idea of growing pumpkins but you really need an acreage to contain them. 

For those of you lucky enough to have the space for pumpkins try them as wedges, patties, chips, and of course a fabulous bowl of soup.

The time to harvest onions is when the tops go yellow and fold over.

Onions are best grown in sandy soils as too much organic matter can make them go soft. If this happens they won’t keep or store well.

Be careful when you pull them up that you don’t damage them. They won’t store well if this happens.

1. Reduce your carbon foot print.
2. Know where your food comes from.
3. Know what is (not) sprayed on your food.
4. Educate yourself and your children about things that grow.
5. Save money.
6. Eat quality organic produce every day.
7. Pick vine ripened fruit and vegetables.
8. Avoid eating cold storage produce (12 months then gas ripened).
9. Pick just what you need for a meal - nothing wasted in the crisper.
10. The joy of having a productive garden.
11. Have a talking point with your friends and neighbours and admire your own accomplishments,
12. Get more in touch with nature.