From plot to plate on Rekha’s allotment

Though the days are dark and short, Rekha finds cheery jobs to do – like seed sowing – that hold the promise of spring

Hello New Year! I am hoping you’ll give me yet another productive 12 months on the allotment. But there’s something I need to confess first, at this time in the calendar there is a big hurdle that slows me down; it’s these dark mornings followed by the low number of daylight hours. Just writing that down instantly makes me glum.

However, as all my family know, I come alive when I snap open the folding table, roll out the heat mat and settle into a corner of the dining room, ready to start the seed-sowing process.

First, I whittle down seed packets from a wide range of aubergine, chilli, and pepper varieties, then I get started on my sowing.

Next, I place my sharpened secateurs into my holster, tuck a pair of loppers safely under my arm, then wrap my knitted scarf around my neck, place my bobble hat over my head and disappear outdoors to prune the dormant apple trees. The cold crisp air on my face is just what I need to wake me up.

The gardener in me is happiest amongst seeds and plants, just don’t tell the family that! Looks like the spring in my step is coming back!

Mooli retains a crisp, yet tender, radishy taste when cooked. It can be made into pickles, too

Rekha Mistry is a keen veg grower who loves to try exotic varieties and experiment with them in the kitchen. She appeared in the 2015 BBC Two series, The Big Allotment Challenge