eating greens and mangoes

Not that it was obvious as I've still be blogging, but I've been in Wales most of last week while D drove on to see his mother. I joined him at his mothers on Friday. We drove back up to Scotland yesterday.

I didn't get the opportunity to go to my Dad allotment as it rained pretty much all week.  Yes its funny, I left the Scottish rain behind, only to be drenched by the Welsh rain.  However I did take some pictures of my mothers very cramped garden. She doesn't have much space to grow as the grandchildren dominate most of the garden with their toys, bicycles and shenanigans, but the little growing space she does have she has crammed with either flowers or vegetables.

Here are a few pictures of what is growing there, but also what I got to eat - I do get fed like a Vegetarian Queen when I am at my mothers.

 Some heavily perfumed delicate blooming roses.

 Cherries still ripening, hopefully they will get to them before the birdies do.

 Mottled Pears

 Green plums still hard as pebbles

Green tomatoes, the first of many planted outside in the ground.  Next to the tomatoes, she has a number of chilli plants that were flowering.

Chickpeas - still growing - my mother always grows fresh chickpeas. Fresh chickpeas are green and nuttier. Hopefully they will be ready the next time I visit and I'll be able to share more images.

Now what I got to eat, most of it fresh from the garden.  On of the days, I got to eat fenugreek aka methi.

 Freshly picked spinach aka palak.

Now I need your help please, I have absolutely no idea what this is (see and click on above image).  My mother has not planted this green.  It is an edible weed growing amongst some of her flowers.  My mother calls it padina, but my research has identified it as mint, and I can assure you this tastes nothing like mint, nor does it have a minty fragrance.

Cooked down it was absolutely meltingly delicious.  The flavour reminded me of wild nettles (without the stings of course).  So if any of you know and can identify what this edible green weed is called, it will be most appreciated.  My sister in laws (I have two of them) cooked it with yellow chickpeas.

On another day for brunch, I had daikon also known as Mooli, grated and stuffed in a Paratha.  It was served with a mango and lime pickle.  These daikons were grown in pots for the first time, hence the stunted growth.  It was the first time my mother grew them in pots. 

On another day, mustard greens transformed into Sarson Ka Saag.  This is the authentic stuff, the real deal, not those pretend versions sold at Indian restaurants and take-aways that tend to be made with spinach (palak). If your interested to learn more about real saag follow here.

I also ate loads of fresh fruit: plums, cherries, melons and of course, mango.  I know my mother and sister-in-laws are not reading this blog, but if they were I would like to say to them Thank you as always for feeding and watering me well. x

I am hoping to repay the compliment when I move down.