From plot to plate

1. The Ignatius Sancho Community Kitchen Garden, Greenwich Park

Beside the Ignatius Sancho Café in the south-east corner of Greenwich Park is a community kitchen garden filled with vegetable beds and fruit trees.

The garden forms part of Vanbrugh Yard, which was transformed from a private residential area and concrete yard into a welcoming public space. Alongside the kitchen garden, the area now contains the café, accessible facilities and a volunteer hub.

The café and garden are named in honour of Ignatius Sancho, a writer, composer, shopkeeper and abolitionist who lived near Greenwich Park during the 18th century and became the first known Black Britain to vote in a parliamentary election.

Our harvest recipe ingredient: onion

3. The Herb Garden, Greenwich Park

Close to St. Mary’s Gate, Greenwich Park’s formal Herb Garden offers a peaceful retreat from the busier areas of the park.

Its ornate box hedges surround a central fountain, while the beds contain a wide variety of culinary herbs. On a sunny day, the garden is filled with fragrance and the hum of visiting pollinators.

Herbs are ideal for growing at home because many varieties need very little space. A pot, balcony or sunny windowsill can be enough to provide fresh flavour throughout the growing season.

Our harvest recipe ingredient: sage

5. Kensington Gardens Allotment

Hidden behind the Serpentine North Gallery, along Buck Hill Walk, is Kensington Gardens Allotment.

Cared for by volunteers, its beds show how fruit, vegetables and herbs can thrive in spaces of different sizes. Vertical planting demonstrates how growing upwards can maximise harvests in smaller spaces, while four resident chickens have their own coop.

Visitors, schools and community groups can learn about organic food growing, composting and sustainability. The surrounding Buck Hill area also holds traces of the past, from its use as a First World War camouflage school to the remains of an early ha-ha, a sunken landscape boundary.

Our harvest recipe ingredients: cavolo nero and Swiss chard

A feast fit for a king: Chunky harvest soup

Serves: Four people
Preparation time: Approximately 15 minutes
Cooking time: Approximately 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 6 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 600g squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into small cubes
• 250g tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 eating apple, cored and cut into small cubes
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 75g Swiss chard, stalks finely chopped and leaves shredded
• Lemon juice, to taste
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
2. Add the garlic, sage and smoked paprika. Stir for one minute.
3. Add the squash, tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the apple. Simmer for another 8–10 minutes, until the squash is almost tender.
5. Add the swiss chard leaves. Simmer for a further 5–8 minutes, until the greens and squash are tender. Add a splash of water if needed.
6. Use the back of a spoon to mash a few pieces of squash against the side of the pan, thickening the broth while keeping the soup chunky.
7. Taste and season with salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
8. Ladle into bowls, serve with bread.