Harvest time

During the last remaining warm nights of September, before the mornings get too heavy with dew, nights are full of the humming and bleeping of combine harvesters. I find these sounds rather reassuring, they resonate with some primeval part of me, like a squirrel gathering his nuts. This is the time of year that gardens and allotments are plentiful with produce and local villages hold their annual shows.

Many village shows have lost something of their integrity, so it was even more special to discover the Weedon Lois and Weston show, near Towcester in Northamptonshire. It seems as though I'm not the only one, as the show was officially opened by Matthew Fort, the Guardian food critic and William Sitwell, editor of Waitrose Kitchen. Despite the attendance of these two rather well connected gentlemen however, the event felt very real. Parking was in a rutted field recently vacated by livestock judging by the number of droppings forming a slalom to the entrance. Stalls were limited to real producers keen to talk to you about their labour of love and proffer generous samples and the main marquee showcased locally grown fruit and vegetables buffed and polished and homely looking cakes and jams.

Some of the vegetables were mind blowing, I mean, just how do you grow such perfect and long carrots like these above? I'm the world's laziest allotmenteer (I prefer to think I can break the rules and let nature make the decisions) but these show real dedication. I'll be harvesting my own carrots next weekend but from early samples it looks like I'm aiming for the micro veg award.