Procrastination isn't the problem, it's the solution. So procrastinate now, don't put it off. (Ellen DeGeneres)

Hello veg fans I'm back. Sorry about the delay, but as I've stated before I need a visit to the allotment in order to justify a blog. Manmen has now left me, back to sunnier climes, and rubbish tv has lost it's appeal without a flatmate to share the indignation. But take heart Manmen, I can happily report that Micky Mouse lost in the final and Ben has been avenged.

It's been about six weeks since my last visit to the plot and it was with some trepidation that I headed vegwards on Sunday.

There was a wind related incident down the allotment last year. One dark and stormy night a hefty gust lifted the shed off its admittedly rotten base and tossed it on to the salad patch. I discovered it some days later but luckily there was no harm done, the shed slotted neatly back into place and the salad recovered in a couple of days. The lesson here is if you're going to have a shed on your allotment, or indeed anywhere, you should ensure that it is firmly anchored to the ground. Bolt it onto concrete plinth maybe, or drive some some galvanised stakes into the ground and nail them to the sides of the shed. Anyway, I endeavored to do neither of these things, and since then I have added a greenhouse with similar security measures. So off I trotted on Sunday with visions of carnage and destruction, of a land laid waste with broken glass and shattered wood. But, and I'm sorry to disappoint you, everything was fine, better than fine in fact. The leeks and onions have rallied after a bleak couple of months and may be ready for January. The broad beans I planted in October are doing well and I was even able to harvest some fennel and beetroot for the pot, more of the fennel later. The shed and greenhouse were still standing as a monument to the monumental levels of procrastination I regularly achieve.

I consider myself a responsible person, stop laughing Wilbach, and one of my responsibilities is to my readers. I have, finally, detected a hint of concern in the most recent comments from Giles and Justin. Yes Giles censorship does kill, in fact I think it was George Bernard Shaw who said "Assassination is the extreme form of censorship". He also said...

"All censorships exist to prevent any one from challenging current conceptions and existing institutions. All progress is initiated by challenging current conceptions, and executed by supplanting existing institutions. Consequently the first condition of progress is the removal of censorships"

But this is the internet and "the Net interprets censorship as damage... and routes around it", John Gilmore said that, whoever he is, follow the link and find out. So Giles, you can choose to be censored or you can take action to prevent it, set up your own blog perhaps, I would be happy to furnish it with comments.

The real problem today isn't censorship, all the information is out there, you just need to go find it. The real problem is the lack of will to take an active interest in what is going on in the world, a desire to see the facts behind the news stories before they are spun to suit whatever agenda rules the day. There are people out there doing it, and I don't doubt that they may have their own agendas, we all do, but at least they report an alternative viewpoint. In case you are interested Medialens is a good place to start, and Chomsky is a great place to continue.

Justin's comments stung a little more, pathetic little life maybe, but pathetic little vegetables, I really don't think so. I mean look at the evidence! That's a courgette! OK so the pumpkin went a little wrong this year, but look at the size of the courgette, forty-seven centimeters! My level of pride may be pathetic, but the size is not. Accuracy in abuse please otherwise it's asinine.

Enough for now I think, no pathetic little life is complete without a nice cup of cocoa. Oh I almost forget this thing is supposed to be about food....

Fennel and tomato soup.

Some fennel, about two good sized bulbs, chopped into small pieces.
1 Good sized red onion, chopped.
2 Cans (I know, I know) of tomatoes which have been squeezed through a sieve to remove the seeds and any remnants of skin.
A cup of water, or two.
1 Stick of celery (optional, I just happened to have some lying around)
1 Sweet red pepper
Olive oil
Garlic
Rosemary
Thyme
Some basil maybe.

1. Gently fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until the onions have softened.
2. Add the fennel and celery and fry, gently, for a further five or ten minutes.
3. Add the sieved tomatoes and a cup of water then bring the whole lot up to the simmer.
4. Continue simmering for about 45 minutes then add the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Allow to cool for as long as you can be bothered, but not more than a day, ideally about ten minutes, the longer you leave it the more you'll have to reheat it.
6. Liquidise it in batches because basically it won't all fit.
7a. Serve as a hearty soup with some crusty bread, or maybe a ham sandwhich.
7b. Add it to some pasta as a hearty sauce, serve with some crusty bread, or maybe a ham sandwich.

I sincerely hope to be back with you before, if not after, Christmas.

Adiós