Yesterday we got back back from our holiday

and rushed to the allotment to find the vegetables growing with abandon.

Purple runner beans,

 Patty pan squashes

 sweetcorn

 courgettes

 and cucumbers.

 Today our daughter Natalia and her boyfriend Dan who were visiting, came with us to the plot and  helped us harvest ....

 even more blackcurrants.... (Natalia has made some of the blackcurrant cordial. )
 and raspberries and blackberries, ( and plums and apples from the secret bit,) then beans and onions and chard, and sweetcorn, and potatoes, and courgettes and marrows and all those squashes.

there were huge sunflower heads ripening.
Dan found out what to do with them... http://www.sunflowerguide.com/drying-sunflowers.html

and Natalia checked out what to do with the Patty pan squashes. We love those pickled and stuffed baby ones...we are gonna try, http://foodinjars.com/2011/08/pickled-baby-pattypan-squash/ and http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pickled-baby-pattypan-squash-50400000128162/ 
I'll tell you how they work next time.