What's on the menu this Year?

Unlike say, July, the hot, fun, no school month, January is much maligned in the pecking order of months.  It's typically cold and grey, or grey and wet, or wet and cold, simply put it's pretty flippin grim!  What makes it worse is that we still have another eight weeks or so of winter, so it's not going to get any better, any time soon.

Last week contained the most depressing day of the year (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/blue-monday-the-science-behind-the-most-miserable-day-of-the-year-a6816926.html), and we are slap bang in the middle of S.A.D. season to boot! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder)  So not too much to be upbeat about, right?

WRONG!!!

In January, every day we get two and half more minutes of daylight (http://www.timeanddate.com/sun/france/paris?month=1) and this will accelerate as the northern hemisphere starts to tilt back towards the sun and Spring approaches.  This is a really exciting time of year as we now start to plan what we will want to be eating this year and through the hungry gap in early 2017. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungry_gap)

So what do the Palmers have in store for this years grow-fest?  Well firstly we have some of the usual suspects still stored over the past few seasons, some of which we have not diligently noted the variety, sorry about that!  These are listed in order of when we should be starting them off... (For the record, if I misspell any of these varieties, it's because I can't read my brothers chicken scratching he calls 'writing'):

Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Basil, Celery, Parsnip, Togi vine Tomatoes, Yellow vine Tomatoes, Rotoco Peppers, Lipstick Sweet Pepper, Yellow Bell Pepper, Early Jalapeno, Early Watermelon, Piacenza Cabbage, Spinach Beet, Quintel Winter Cabbage, Garden Cress, Sanguine Beetroot, Unknown Runner Bean, Unknown Coriander, Sanda Brussel Sprout, Seven Hills Brussel Sprout, Hardy Leek, Pointy Spring Cabbage, Golden Acre Cabbage, Wheelers Imp Cabbage, Dwarf French Bean, Tall Giant Sugar Pea, Climbing Pea, White Beetroot, Green Bush Corgette, Red Baron Onion, Unknown Yellow Onion, Tall Flower Sunflower, Nasturtium, Broccoli, Boltardy Beetroot, Leaf Lettuce, Flame Lettuce, Yellow Leek, Paris Early White Onion, Kyoto Spring Onion, Cherokee Bean, Long Green Ridged Cucumber, Finisimo Basil, Dwarf Bush Corgette, Blacktail Watermelon, Cheyenne Bush Pumpkin, Autumn Giant Cauliflower, Asturian Tree Cabbage, Petit Gris Watermelon, January King Cabbage, Sutherland Kale, Toothed Lettuce, Cardinale Lettuce, Mustard Habanero, Wrinkled Garden Cress, Radish, Garlic Chives, Pattipan Squash, Marrowfat Peas, Qunioa, Spring Cauliflower, Early Sprouting Purple Broccoli, Later Sprouting Broccoli, Florence Fennel, Pointy Spring Cabbage, Yellow Leafed Pakchoi, Turnip Broccoli, Large Half Long Carrott, Quick Heading Broccoli, True Siberian Kale, Purple Autumn Cauliflower, Early Dwarf Pea, Lemon Balm, Cupidon French Bean, Velvet Queen Sunflower, Champion of England Pea, Small Bush Pea, Unknown Swede, Cornichon, Panais.

This year we have ordered again from our favourite supplier in the UK (www.realseeds.co.uk), the tasty morcels for this year are:

Dragon Purple Carrot, Manchester Table Carrot, Touchon Carrot, Basque Chilli, Early Jalapeno, Ohnivec Hot Chilli, Osaka Purple Hot Mustard Greens, Red Mizuna, Coquille de Louviers Lettuce, Belleville Sorrel, Kaibi Round Sweet Pepper, Napia Pointy Red Sweet Pepper, Aquilon Dwarf French Bean, Cupidon Dwarf French Bean, Hatif d'Annonay Dwarf Pea, Lord Leicester Tall Pea.

We are also trialing a new supplier here in France (www.fermedesaintemarthe.com), lets see how these turn out:

Lavande Officinale, Oignon Ailsa Craig, Oignon Jaune Paille des Vertus, Oignon Robelja, Thym Commun, Ptiron Banana Blue, Epinard Fraise, Poireau Monstrueux d'Elbeuf, Melon Honey Dew, Piment de Cayenne, Tomate Beefsteak, Tomate Cherockee Purple, Ail Violet Germidour, Ail Cristo.

Additionally from Ferme de Sainte Marthe, Remi, our long-term volunteer, has ordered the following:

Celeri a Couper, Arroche Rouge, Chicoree Rossa di Treviso, Chou de Bruxelles de Rosny, Fenouil Romanesco, Poireau Bleu de Solaise, Artichaut Vert de Laon, Aubergine Black Beauty, Concombre Le Genereux, Fraisier Alexandrie, Mais Pop-corn Tom Pouce, Melon Charentais, Piment Boule de Turquie ou Red Cherry, Poivron California Wonder ou Carre Doux d'Amerique, Pivron Corno di Torro Rosso, Mais Doux Golden Bantam, Carotte Longue Rouge Sang, Radis de 18 Jours, Haricot Purple Queen, Assortment de Courges, Assortment de Tomates Reines de la Table, Assortment de Medicinales, Assortment de Fleurs Comestibles.

All that is left to order are this years tatties (potato, pomme de terre) and we should be ready to commence.  SEE, January is bloody exciting.  Time to fire up the heated propagator people!

Addendum: As we build up our stock of seeds, we could really do with a more organised umm, organiser. If anyone sees something like this (below) for a reasonable price (free), please nab it for me. Come on Natalie, you work in the Library system, you must "know a man"!