Just in time, which means just before the rain arrived in earnest, I got the onions safely into the shed, the red ones strung rather inexpertly along the shelf. Note also the very useful Spanish hand tool bought in the friendly hardware shop in Orgiva, hanging alongside my home-made leek dibber, all that remains of one of the several garden forks I managed to break with my extravagant digging technique earlier in the year! And is there anything to compare with the pleasure of unearthing unexpectedly perfect root vegetables? Here are the first jerusalem artichokes (Fuseau) along with Vivaldi potatoes grown in black plastic exhibition bags – all had spent the summer in a shady spot beside the compost bins, overshadowed by trees and neglected apart from occasional watering and a whispered word of encouragement en passant. How well they have rewarded me. If you’re interested to see how they were turned into a rather nice gratin, have a look at the Recipes page.