Passion for Pasta: This is my version of digging for victory

I tried to care for a sourdough starter at the very beginning of lockdown and that project lasted the entirety of a week before I got a little bored and decided I will leave sourdough making to the great professionals.

I was, however, looking for a project to merge with my cookery business, a hobby that can offer the chance to venture outside a little more, keeping me positive while producing a small crop to feed my family and even produce a few wonky vegetables and soft fruits for my county-wide supper clubs.

Grow your own was born! I have turned into Charlie Dimmock (loosely speaking).

I actually come armed with very little knowledge, but I have passion and am willing to learn. I now watch back-to-back gardening programmes whilst talking to my dad over the phone for tips, suggestions and a little direction and guidance.

My husband has made me two large raised beds to help me on my way and every morning, as I slip on my unattractive floral, croc-style gardening shoes, I go to check my plants and look at how the garden is growing.

Everyday there are small but significant changes. I have become ‘that person’, the one who says, ‘yes we really could do with some rain now’! Hilarious, but true... my water butt is still empty.

Tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, chillies and lettuce, these are the beginnings of my offerings. I am an optimist and hope to have a decent amount of produce, but, in all honesty, this gardening maintenance and growing is as much for my mental health and happiness as it is for the family’s bellies during and beyond this lockdown period.

I am currently sowing a few seeds and leaving them to grow and gain strength from the base of the window space from my working pasta room.

I have sliced a few flour and milk cartons in half lengthways and popped in some multi-purpose compost and seeded my tomatoes to germinate. Now they are strong enough to go outside and hopefully grow and produce some fruit.

I adore tomatoes and cook with them most days. They are the foundation of Italian cooking.

When it comes to garden space, I have a good-sized garden dedicated to raised beds, with the rest to my children’s trampoline, football goal, swings and outdoor dining space. But you can grow your own in small spaces using a few plant pots, buckets, hanging baskets, wall space or structured shelving.

We sat and planned ours to make the most of the allocated space. Now I just hope I can learn quickly enough and am able to deter any pests!

Stay safe during lockdown. Find me across social media and let me know what you are growing. Instagram #carmelaskitchen, Facebook #carmelaskitchen, Twitter #Carmela_kitchen