Just installed the blogger app on my phone now that I've joined the 21st century. Let's see how this posts!
Monday, 18 April 2011
It's time to grow
Again!
As always I'm completely overrun with seed trays. There are tomatoes and chillies, peas and beans, spinach and cabbage, lettuce and herbs and courgettes and cucumbers. All germinating beautifully. Is that an omen for the season ahead I wonder?
The garden has gone from being a mass of brown to a mass of green. Some flowers, an awful lot of weeds. What I wouldn't give for a month with nothing to do but garden, or at the very least a bit more energy when I get home in the evening!
As always I'm completely overrun with seed trays. There are tomatoes and chillies, peas and beans, spinach and cabbage, lettuce and herbs and courgettes and cucumbers. All germinating beautifully. Is that an omen for the season ahead I wonder?
The garden has gone from being a mass of brown to a mass of green. Some flowers, an awful lot of weeds. What I wouldn't give for a month with nothing to do but garden, or at the very least a bit more energy when I get home in the evening!
Monday, 30 August 2010
Using a glut of cucumbers - Part 1
A glut of cucumbers is a new one for me - I don't normally do that well! Much as I like a pile of thinly sliced cucumber with a sprinkling of salt and a grind of black pepper it doesn't use them up particularly quickly!
My first glut-busting recipe will transport you to the late 70s - I give you Salmon & Cucumber Mousse!
Flake 8oz salmon into a bowl (for that 70s vibe I used canned red, but fresh is lovely) and season well with salt, pepper and plenty of dill - fresh or dried whatever you have.
Fold in 5floz of whipped cream.
Roughly chop half a long cuc or a whole small one and then blitz in a blender or processor until you've got a finely chopped cucumber! Stir into the salmon and check the seasoning again - it should taste fresh and summery, you may need more salt, or a squirt of lemon juice to bring the flavours out fully.
Dissolve half an ounce (1 envelope) of gelatine in 2floz of hot water until completely clear. Stir well into the salmon and cucumber mixture, then pour the whole lot into a mould, bowl or tin and leave to set in the fridge.
Mine's ready and waiting for tomorrow's supper - I'll add pics then!
My first glut-busting recipe will transport you to the late 70s - I give you Salmon & Cucumber Mousse!
Flake 8oz salmon into a bowl (for that 70s vibe I used canned red, but fresh is lovely) and season well with salt, pepper and plenty of dill - fresh or dried whatever you have.
Fold in 5floz of whipped cream.
Roughly chop half a long cuc or a whole small one and then blitz in a blender or processor until you've got a finely chopped cucumber! Stir into the salmon and check the seasoning again - it should taste fresh and summery, you may need more salt, or a squirt of lemon juice to bring the flavours out fully.
Dissolve half an ounce (1 envelope) of gelatine in 2floz of hot water until completely clear. Stir well into the salmon and cucumber mixture, then pour the whole lot into a mould, bowl or tin and leave to set in the fridge.
Mine's ready and waiting for tomorrow's supper - I'll add pics then!
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Today's harvest
All things - like rain - considered this year's harvest is turning out not too badly. Everything is growing well, but some of it is going remarkably well - like cucumbers, tell me, is it natural to have five in the fridge?!
Still the pain of picking three more was softened by picking my first red tomatoes of the year. Hoorah - perhaps it won't all be green tomato chutney!
Friday, 9 July 2010
The Holy Hollyhock
Do you remember the Bagthorpe Saga by Helen Cresswell? In one of the books the Holy Hollyhock featured large (or was it the Blessed Hollyhock - hmm shall have to ask Glad).
I love hollyhocks, but have had varying success with them. Or more precisely getting the colours I wanted! I've had some beautiful yellow ones over the last few years - trouble is the packet said black! And now this year a robust plant has grown - and turns out to be peach. How does that happen?!
I love hollyhocks, but have had varying success with them. Or more precisely getting the colours I wanted! I've had some beautiful yellow ones over the last few years - trouble is the packet said black! And now this year a robust plant has grown - and turns out to be peach. How does that happen?!
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Treasured Berries
Ta-daaaaaa
We're getting a bit blase about these now - we've picked bowlfuls.
We started last year with six plants of Cambridge Favourites and the slugs and cheesy-bobs beat us to everyone. So we just propagated on some runners and left everything to its own devices over the winter.
Now the plants are strong, lush and fruitful - and judging by the price in the supermarket, jolly good value! More space next year I think!
We're getting a bit blase about these now - we've picked bowlfuls.
We started last year with six plants of Cambridge Favourites and the slugs and cheesy-bobs beat us to everyone. So we just propagated on some runners and left everything to its own devices over the winter.
Now the plants are strong, lush and fruitful - and judging by the price in the supermarket, jolly good value! More space next year I think!
Monday, 21 June 2010
Where does the time go?
It's nearly a year since I last posted here. Shameful.
The garden is blossoming - even if not everything is doing quite as it should. Photos and confessions another day, but for today I shall bask in the glory that we picked half a pound of strawberries - the fourth or fifth day of picking - and there's plenty more to come.
The garden is blossoming - even if not everything is doing quite as it should. Photos and confessions another day, but for today I shall bask in the glory that we picked half a pound of strawberries - the fourth or fifth day of picking - and there's plenty more to come.
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