 28 July 2025 (Monday) Well, it's true to say that it's been rather a long time since I've written a piece for A Guernsey Gardener in 2025… and while I’m mentioning the title, I think I'm going to change it to A Guernsey Gardener at some point, as it seems to fit better. I think it's fair to say that the death of Big Ginge rather took the wind out of my sails. It came at a time when there were a lot of anniversaries of various kinds, some of people dying and one of me being a year older. I tend not to dwell on anniversaries of people who have died. I'm simply not one of those who says on social media posts, or in fact in my head “Happy Birthday to mum who would have been X years old today” or “Happy Birthday to 'dad' or 'Perri' who would be Y years old today”. These types of posts and thoughts are of course absolutely fine for those people who feel the need for them, though it's just not something that I've ever felt I needed to do. I think I tend to now see the passing of days and weeks and years and lives as part of the process that we all go through, and whilst some periods in our lives are extremely painful and break our heart, it's really about accepting this as part of the process, and that it balances out the days where time is joyous and smiles bring about much laughter - it works for me, at least. My intention when I started this blog was to see if I could write something every day, and in that matter I think I’ve found out that I can. And of course, as is often the case with finding out that you can do something, there are also times when you realise that you might not want to do something or just can't do it, and that's fine too. Somewhat sadly, we live in a world that’s now very much about us all getting things done, and filling our time, in most cases to overcrowding; all mainly for work, and business, and the economy and global trade. However, we have to appreciate that sometimes we simply need time out and when I mean time out I don't just mean taking a break. In taking 'time out' I literally mean taking time out from doing and being the thing or things that are what you might think you need to do and be, when in fact you need to do something entirely different, whether that be reading a book, walking in the countryside, or simply sitting alone and mulling your life and how it fits in with that of your family or household, the lives of your friends, your local community, commerce, society, and the global engine. In some ways, with Big Ginge, I was forced to think about certain things that are not normally at the front of my mind. And that was fine, and today it's also fine to move on from these things knowing that they're all still there, whilst also knowing that it's time for me to take that step forward... whether that step be in writing, sowing carrot seeds, doing tomato cares, watching TV, cooking in the kitchen whilst listening to something from BBC Sounds… or just contemplating my naval which I've not given any real focus to for some years! So today I’m taking that step, whatever it might be... and I guess that first step is writing words again, as I have now just done.
Since I last wrote a piece here, life has continued in very much the same vein as it always does at this time of year. There's been an awful lot of time at the allotment, looking after tomatoes and tying them in, weeding beds of annual and perennial weeds which seem to have inundated groiwng spaces following recent rains, watering, watering and watering - though at least there were those few days of respite when the clouds gave out their all. There's also been a lot of mulling of what needs to be done, and a good bit of tidying around. Oh, and a Bung-It-In day too!! There's still much tidying to do at the plot, and I can do it bit by bit, though at the top of the plot by the poly tunnel I really need AND want to get on and strim and take back control of that area as long grasses and items I've got 'stored' there are really beginning to get to me. And of course, as much of our life is now, there's been an awful lot of vlogging going on; Sunday Chat, A Week of the Plot and all of the vlogs and recipe segments that Richard does. And we've certainly had a whole host of fabulous recipes going on including: Courgette / Zucchini and Potato Patties Courgette / Zucchini Layer Bake Quick Fruit Compote Peach & Nectarine Cookery Experiment Failure!!! Courgette/Zucchini Bran and Banana Loaf Warm Pasta Salad with toasted Orzo, sun dried tomatoes, peppers, baby artichokes. One of my recipes which I’ve really enjoyed is a Cheezy Courgette & Lentil Bake. The recipe’s below and it really did work well: hot from the oven on the day I made it, cold with salad the following day, and then reheated a few days later. I think it's something that would work well in a sandwich too, maybe with a little mayo and some lettuce and slices of tomato. Anyway, as I take that step forward I've also been thinking about that intention of mine to write every day, and that I have achieved this over the past six months. I’ve now realised that with writing there are various facets to what I do, and maybe I've been concentrating a little too much on writing my blogs and a little too little - or rather not at all in some weeks - on writing creatively. I'm going to try and get this balance back to an equilibrium that fits with me. In this I mean the blogs will continue, though likely not written daily - they may even stretch one or two or more days - and a little more on my creative writing, which I have been missing. Of course, some of this writing I might be able to share, though whatever I do I hope you’ll find it interesting. starting with this segment of A Guernsey Gardener! So basically, it's time for me to move forward, and take the next steps, and maybe we'll chatter a little bit more about that in the coming days or weeks. In the meantime, here’s that really delicious Cheezy Courgette & Lentil Bake that I really do suggest you try.  Cheezy Courgette & Lentil Bake
Ingredients 200g of dry red lentils 500ml water Mixed herbs 1 red pepper, chunky chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 4 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 large or two medium courgette, grated 4 rounded tbs yeast flakes 5 rounded tbs gram flour 1tbs bouillon powder, stock cubes or 2 tsp salt black pepper to season Instructions Preheat oven to 180c Rinse in lentils in a sieve under a running cold tap until the draining water is virtually clear - this will remove detritus and excess starch. Now add the lentils, water and mixed herbs to a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer gently until all the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are almost cooked through. In a frying pan gently cook the pepper, onion and garlic in the oil for about five minutes. Add the grated courgette, bring back to a low frying temperature and cook for a further five minutes, stirring regularly. Combine all the prepared mixtures in a bowl, leave to cool for ten minutes then add the yeast flakes, gram flour, bouillon powder and a good few turns of ground black pepper, stir well until all is combined, this will take no less than 30 seconds, maybe even a minute or so. Add some oil to a baking dish which will allow the mixture to be no more than two inches deep; I used a 18cm round Pyrex. Add the mixture to the dish, spreading it out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for thirty minutes. This dish can be eaten straight from the oven, cut into slices, cold (again sliced) or reheated in a microwave or oven, though if reheating, remove portions from the fridge a good few hours before. I have not frozen this though see no reason why it would not work well. Weather: Overcast, though humid and muggy… around 24°. Breakfast: All Bran, oat milk, banana Lunch: Yellow Courgette & Lentil Soup, Egg Mayonnaise, Sesame Crackers (Lidl), tomato and cucumber Supper: To come…
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13 - 16 July 2025 (Sunday to Wednesday) CAUTION, the later part of this blog may be distressing. The thing is, when you go away there’s an awful lot of catching up to do, and that’s even before the kettle AND the washing machine decide to go on the blink, or do nothing as with the kettle! The first part of the week was all about catching up at the plot, getting back in the saddle for For Earth’s Sake, and confirming all that is planned for a celebratory wake at the Great Green Barn on Thursday afternoon… and all FES and GGB stuff has been with the added complexity of Vanessa being on call for Jury Service both this week and next… some days needing to be in, half a day not being needed at all… Busy Days!! On Sunday I did a final segment for my upload of A Week at the Plot, and I have to say the heatwave we’ve just had has fared all plants at the plot better than the one a few weeks back, again when we were away - I think this is because the nighttime temperatures have been dipping nicely below 20°, where a few weeks back the temps stayed uncomfortably above 20°. This means the watering that has been done has kept all, well mostly all, healthy and growing. The one thing that had suffered, both in the greenhouse and outside in a raised bed are our cucumbers; on reflection planting most outside in a raised bed may not have been the best idea, as there was just no way in a very well drained bed to keep on top of the watering. So, on Tuesday I took them out, and had planned on Wednesday to remove the ones from the greenhouse too - all would go into the compost to help make growing medium for happy plants next year… fingers crossed! With the Cheeky Prince bed now clear of poppies, and with beautiful gifted cosmos, I put about seven or eight plants in amongst the squash - I’m sure they won’t interfere with the growth of the Cheeky Prince, and I know they will bring me moments of joy through their growing season, so a win win situation! Oh, and did I say that the late La Diva cucumber seeds I sowed last week, the ones that were really out of date, have decided to show their worth… fingers crossed quite a few will germinate and give us late cucumbers in the greenhouse.  La Diva cucumbers germinating The weather’s been quite mixed since we returned from Swanage - overcast, with some very bright spells of sunshine, though overall lots of grey, and then quite a bit of rain spread out on Tuesday doing little for the ground, though maybe refreshing leaves which will help growth. Then… LOADS of rain overnight Tuesday / Wednesday, so watering at the plot would be reduced, though of course, the poly needed watering and all else outside needed to be checked too… and tomato cares done… and courgette cares… and… Wednesday morning saw Richard editing his vlogs; he did not have time to do a recipe video on Tuesday, though that’s how things go when you’re catching up. Finally, after a morning of work work at my desk, finalising arrangements for Thursday’s big event at the Great Green Barn, I popped to the plot to see how it was faring, and water the polytunnel, check things outside… do tomato cares… and courgette cares… and… As I was getting to the site I bumped into one of the trustees of the charity that owns the allotment site, and we had a chat and a catch-up… and then I made my way into the site, and to my plot… and when I was almost there I heard a distinct cry of help… and my day went sideways. Big Ginge was on my plot, collapsed and clearly in great distress. He was panting and panting, and seemed unable to move, certainly no movement in his back legs. Immediately, I grabbed a plastic container and some fresh water from the tap and offered it up, thinking the heat may have gotten to him. He didn’t seem to want to drink so using my fingers I dropped droplets onto his mouth… several drops went in, though clearly Big Ginge needed help. More droplets followed, not being lapped voraciously though seemingly much welcomed. I noticed a wound, scabbed over though raw to the touch, for Big Ginge at least. The thing is with these allotment cats that take our hearts, we often don’t know where they live, or even if they do have a home. They take charge of our chairs, pathways, drinking stations and as I say, our hearts, and we just accept them as being part of allotment life. With Big Ginge I’ve always thought him too well groomed to be a stray, despite his slim build, so I was sure he had a home nearby, and therefore an ‘owner’, though with any cat who’s the owner and the owned is always a matter of change. Another plotter was about to pass me and I asked her for help… and she did, without any question. I then phoned another plotter, who has rescued cats herself, and she was busy so could not help… then texted immediately to say “I am on my way!”. Whilst my fellow on-hand plotter comforted Big Ginge, who by this time I had moved to the shade of our red umbrella, I left the allotment and knocked doors close by, going up the main road from the allotments seeing if anyone knew who had a ginger cat… One door I knocked did have a ginger cat, though they thought he was around, though he turned out not to be so she came back to the allotment with me, though Big Ginge was not hers… I could feel her relief, and then her compassion as she immediately gave loving strokes and tender words to Big Ginge, soon then going back to her home, borrowing my allotment key to get some catfood, coming back five or so minutes later. By this time another plotter was also concerned and giving soothing encouragement, I think to both Big Ginge and myself. More door knocking by two others, though no luck.
The fellow plotter and cat rescuer then turned up, and with a call had a local cat charity, Hounslow Animal Welfare (please donate if you can) sponsoring initial vets bills, IF we could get Big Ginge to a specific vet about twenty minutes away, though a little more as by this time it was rush-hour. We had no idea if Big Ginge was chipped, so on arriving we were told what would happen and were asked to complete a Stray Animal Form, which we did.
As soon as we’d walked in one of the receptionist’s too Big Ginge for triage - they had been told we were coming so were all prepared. Soon after we were told Big Ginge was an oxygen tent, and had been given medication for the pain… at least he was no longer in pain and having major issues breathing. We stayed, and sat, and waited, and waited, to be told after an hour or so that Big Ginge was chipped, and the owner had been called and should be there soon, and virtually as this happened we heard the vets door open and chatter at the front desk; he had arrived. A brief chat with us as he passed, and grateful thanks for doing helping as we had, a shake of hands, and he was ushered into the vet’s room where his cat was, our Big Ginge; there were facts for him to hear, and I’m sure decisions for him to make, though all was now was out of our hands. With Big Ginge’s owner there, and with client confidentiality understandably paramount, we could not be told more, though we were clear that whatever was wrong with poor little Big Ginge was pretty major. Tears flowed as we got back in my fellow plotters car, to make our way home, and in her case back to the allotment to water. We comforted ourselves in knowing we had done the best we could for our little Big Ginge, and all we could do now was hope for the very best of outcomes, whatever that might be. Home, and supper… Richard had made Courgette & Potato Patties, welcome as sustenance and very tasty, though my mind was elsewhere. Some distraction TV, and then to be… and not even a page read of my book. It has been an emotionally wrought day, and my body and mind gave way to sleep without a second thought. First thing Thursday morning, awake before the alarm, my first thought was of Big Ginge, how he was, and whether his precious soul was still on this plane… I’m sure we will find out one day soon. With an emotionally heavy heart, I left home around 7am and went off in Fenella to the Great Green Barn, where it proved to be a long, tiring busy day, though that was fine as it kept my mind occupied. The celebratory wake went really well, with Vanessa arriving back from court just as the guests were arriving… suffice to say all went extremely well, which was a delight and a relief to all. On my way back home, I thought about Big Ginge. I now know where his owner lives, and I think I’ll drop a card though his postbox in a day or so… keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best. Arriving home, Richard had made THE most delicious Courgette Layer Bake… which I recommend you make as soon as possible as it was unctuous and tasty and fabulous. Some TV, and then to bed… falling asleep with my open book on my chest, though not a word read. Weather: Generally bright but grey, with less sun, and temperatures well below the highs of last week. Thursday saw the temperature climbing again, with much brighter skies, and a high of 30° to come on Friday. Wednesday Breakfast: All Bran, oat milk Lunch: Yellow Courgette & Lentil Soup, Cottage Cheese, Ryvita, radish and cucumbers Supper: Richard’s Courgette & Potato Patties, Plain Omelet and tinned Baked Beans Thursday Breakfast: All Bran, oat milk Late, Late Lunch: Cheese & Tomato sandwiches, thin slices of Spanakopita Supper: Richard’s Courgette Layer Bake  Corfe Castle 9 - 12 July 2025 (Wednesday to Saturday) Wednesday morning, and we were up early as we were off to spend a few days in Swanage with Vivi (of Vivi's Kitchen Garden) at her Cottage by the Sea. Again, a trip seemed to be coinciding with another heat wave over the days that we were to be away, so I was down at the plot to do some really early morning watering; I thought it sensible to get as much deeply watered as possible. After breakfast, and packing our bags and making a few snacks for the journey, we got into Fenella and after a quick pit stop at our local garage to check tyre pressures, we were on our way, soon wending our way down the M3 and onwards through Surrey, Hampshire and into Dorset. We had a necessary (for me) toilet break at Winchester services, where on the way out I couldn't resist a Greggs vegan sausage roll which we ate in the car; neither roll was as warm as we’d wanted it to be but the taste was rather lovely. Post stuffing our faces, a beautiful butterfly landed on Richard's bracelet as he was sitting in the car with the door open; it just stayed on his bracelet licking his skin, possibly taking either moisture or salts. Even with some gentle blowing encouragement the butterfly didn't want to move, so eventually Richard got out of the car and moved to an area of trees where there was lots of shade, and the butterfly decided it was time to move on… just as we then did, continuing our journey down to Swanage. After much motorway and many country roads, we were greeted at Vivi’s front door with many hugs. Happy Huggy Days!! It was time to unpack Fenella, ensuring she had nothing remaining visible to curious passersby, then we drove up the hill a little bit further and parked in free parking a few streets away. Back at Vivi's Cottage by the Sea and after a cup of tea and much chat, we had lunch which Vivi had already prepared which was a fantastic Greek salad which we had with bread and dips of my hummus which Vivi’d made and also an edamame hummus which was new to me and absolutely delicious - I got the recipe from Vivi straight away, and as it’s just a few swap outs of my own is another easy one to do. Lots of table chatting and garden talk, and then at the end of the afternoon, we popped down to walk along the seafront, had an ice cream and sat down and watched people enjoying themselves, sitting quietly as the Swanage world went on around us. As we sat, I was somewhat surprised to hear some rousing Chairman Mao style music, with a host of voices singing along to galvanising Chinese music… it took me half an hour to realise it was actually British sea shanties emanating from the pirate and Jurassic Park themed Sante-Fe Fun Park behind us, landside of the main promenade road! How our mind plays tricks with us… In the evening, we had one of Vivi’s delicious mild curries outside in Vivi's fabulous cottage garden. The growth rate of the garden since our last visit in May has been phenomenal, with tomatoes way way higher than my own at the plot and growth on plants that I’d given Vivi much stronger than I have at the plot myself. I think the soil must be really good, though also, and MOST importantly, all the genuine hard graft that Vivi’s put in turning a tired overgrown back garden space into a flourishing veg patch with lots of flowers and LOTS of wildlife. Sitting at her wonderful table, the hard graft has to be admired and applauded. When Vivi says she's going to do something she certainly gets on and does it, and with her garden, or rather her producing garden I should say, the effort is really paying off, and in so many ways. We sat out chatting and laughing until the light had gone, and even after this Vivi brought candles out, so chats and star-gazing continued. At the very end of the evening we went in and sat down in Vivi's living room for half an hour or so before getting off to bed… and of course, a few pages of my book.  After the first swim in the sea... Thursday saw me up early, and at the kitchen table having a cup of tea. I didn’t have the knack for the back door, though Richard was up soon after and then Vivi joined us and we sat out at her garden table chatting away, and Richard and myself having a breakfast of All Bran. After breakfast, it was down to the beach again, this time walking farther than we'd walked before, right across the promenade and in front of the beach huts, and then over the groynes which are there to reduce the impact of the waves on the beach huts and cliff, and then to a space on the sand where the nearest person was 200 meters away. It had been very hot on our walk, and I decided immediately to do something that I hadn't really expected to do, and that was to go for a swim in the sea… even though I wasn’t prepared for one! As Vivi was getting her dress off, bending over to undo her shoes, she looked to the side and saw that I was already down to my knickers and vest and pacing off towards the lapping water. Very soon Vivi followed in her bathing costume, and in we both went… cautiously at first, just feeling the temperature of the water on our toes and ankles and shins and knees and thighs and, well, other bits… Once I was up to my waist, and with my face turned towards Vivi in the shallower waters and Richard sitting on the beach, I let myself lean back and fall into the water… and then immediately started swimming as it felt rather chilly… After a few moments, my brain began to realise quite how delicious this whole experience was… and a few metres away there was our Vivi, fully in too and we were both swimming, each finding warm patches, or making our own… We stayed in swimming and chatting and laughing and in my case crying for about half an hour or so. The last time I'd even seriously paddled in water was 10 years ago with mum at Rocquaine in Guernsey, a few days after dad had died… memorable in so many ways, especially it being my 50th birthday. Mum was in her bathing costume and I was up to my thighs in water and we were just walking along the shoreline looking out at the fabulous view of the sea, and then looking back at the fabulous view of Guernsey. It was a moment to reflect, and a moment to treasure. Now, a decade on, and with mum now gone, I was having my first time in seawater since that moment, so not surprisingly emotions rose to the surface… just like my blubber-filled body did as I quietly laid back, floating on the surface of the silently whooshing waves. I hadn't really come prepared to swim, as I hadn't hugely expected to be swimming, but Vivi had come prepared and she and I sat on a towel she’d brought, drying off in the warm breeze and sunshine, chatting away with Richard. We sat there for half an hour or more, with the sun beating down and the salt crystals forming on our skins, and then we packed our things up and started walking our way back to Vivi’s Cottage by the Sea. For both Vivi and myself, this first swim had been special and emotional and essential in so many ways… and we had done it together… which was bloody marvelous! Happy Days indeed!! Back home (note the use of the word home - as it already feels like a home away from home), and still flushed with the joy of having swum, it was time for lunch and Vivi heated up some of her delicious Courgette & Potato Soup, added some grated cheddar, and we had leftover dips and bread with spread for lunch, again sitting at her table out in Vivi's lovely cottage garden, chatting and watching the wildlife fly by… butterflies and hummingbird moths, and bees and wasps and hoverflies, and then of course seagulls and town pigeons and country pigeons and doves and so much else, all with the occasional backdrop of a hoot and a chuff chuff from the railway line, and tinkly chiming bells of the local church striking the hour and half hour. Bliss! In the evening, we decided we’d go out and have chips so we went to Vivi’s favoured chippie, ordered a portion of chips for Vivi, cod and chips for Richard, and haddock and chips for me. With wrapped paper bags filled with goodies in our hands, we made our way along the front to a short pier, which is actually called Stone Quay as it's where local small ferries dock. A bench was free, so we sat down to eat our seaside suppers, with seagulls keeping an eye, and one dive bombing my chips though not quite getting away with one… it's only when a seagull is close up to you and literally flying over your lap and have a wing bashing your shoulder as it passes, that you suddenly realise quite how big, how strong and how heavy a seagull can be!  A labrador helping out at the seaside... Photo courtesy of Vivi of 'What Vivi did next' and 'Vivi's Kitchen Garden'. After our fish supper (a very rare thing for Richard and myself now as we only ever have when we’re at the seaside, as fish never features in any shopping basket) and chippie supper for Vivi (Vivi eats no fish), we watched all around us, enjoying the water, and the sun and the sumptuous air that only a seaside town like Swanage can do; suntanned kids jumping off piers into deep water, others on inflatable paddle boards being dragged out of the water by a tugging labrador, and water lapping calmly and endlessly against any surface it wants. A little walk along the front to Banjo Pier, and then it was back home and back to the table in Vivi's cottage garden at her Cottage by the Sea, and time for a few rounds of Yahtzee. Happy Days!!
Friday morning, and we’d already planned to drive back up the valley to visit Corfe Castle, which you cannot NOT see as you pass by on your way to and out of Swanage. Imposing… ruined… majestic. Richard had wanted to visit it on our first trip to Vivi's Swanage, though there just wasn't time, so this time we made time. So, after breakfast we walked up the remainder of Cardiac Hill that Vivi lives on, across and then up Cardio Hill, which is even steeper. Fenella was patiently waiting a short distance away on the next crossroad, and we piled into her and began our short journey to Corfe Castle. Now, Richard and I are members of the National Trust though we’d forgotten that Corfe Castle was a National Trust property… and also forgotten our membership cards! Despite this, we decided that if we couldn't get in with our membership numbers it was worth the cost just to have a walk around this magnificent castle with so much history. Parking up, and going into the Welcome Centre, I asked about parking and membership and the lovely lady immediately said it was not a problem and that our membership could be looked up at the Ticket Office, which was a 10 to 15 minute walk away. She also gave me a slip of paper with the date of our visit specified, so back to Fenella I popped to put the gifted slip on Fenella’s windscreen, to ensure that we wouldn't get charged the penalty fee for not paying for parking. Delighted, I walked back to the Welcome Centre, met up with Vivi and Rochard again… and in the short time I’d been away Vivi had been scouring the shelves of secondhand books for sale… so back off I went to Fenella to fill her boot with Vivi’s wordy gems. Crossing the road carefully, we made our way along the incredibly white chalk path, glistening with sunshine and shadows, over a brook and then wound our way up around the castle battlements to the Ticket Office. Sure enough, they were able to look up our membership and give us tokens which would give us free entry to the castle… technology can be a boon! The walk was pretty rough underfoot, and the castle always were too, though we had such a fantastic time; sometimes walking and chatting the three of us, sometimes in twos, and sometimes just individually wandering around taking pictures and video and watching the train coming in or leaving Corfe Castle station. Also, there are peregrines nesting at the top of the battered battlements which seems so apt, and two of them were happy to show themselves during the time we were there, both looking down on us and occasionally making the noises that are now so familiar over my allotment. I think we must have spent about an hour and a half wandering the castle, and then meandered back down through the huge gateway and into the cafe garden, where we ordered a cream tea, a savoury cream tea and Vivi had a quiche of some sort, I think it had red onion marmalade in it which also came with the savoury cream tea. We hoped that we'd be able to sit in the garden, in the shade, though there was a Wasp Alert on which was signalled on signs and that we were told about at the time of ordering… so once we had sat down and the jam for the cream tea was noted by the wasps, we decided to move inside and have our food and drink in the cafe rather than in the wonderful garden… even so, a wasp followed us in and stayed with us, flying and feasting on a little bit of jam that had somehow made its way onto Richard’s bag. After our little repaste we had a wander of the little village of Corfe Castle, window shopping, visiting the little museum, then crossing over and visiting the rather fabulous railway station. The station itself is a throwback to yesteryear and I think manned completely by volunteers. The train that goes through is powered by steam and goes down to Swanage and up the other way a stop or two. It always amazes me how the time and generosity of a few individuals has ensured that these historic railways and stations and railway lines remain intact, something I think we often forget, sadly. Walking back along the chalk path to Fenella, who was quietly waiting in the car park, we then drove back to Vivi’s for further chats and laughs and games and fabulous food (Vivi's delicious Fassolada) and an evening outside, at her table, in her cottage garden of her Cottage by the Sea, with candles burning and under the crisp starry sky… listening to various jazz sessions glistening over Swanage as part of its annual Jazz Festival at the start of the British summer holiday season.  Swanage Bay Saturday was another planned day in many ways, mainly as it was the day that we were going to be leaving and driving back to a rather hot and sticky London. However, we’d decided that we’d go for another swim, so after some bran flakes we all got ready, which for Vivi meant putting on her bathing costume and for me and Richard meant just dressing like we normally do… no, I’d not bought any swimming shorts yet as I hadn't seen any that I really fancied… though to be fair, I hadn't really looked either!
Off we went again, down the very short journey into Swanage town, and then left along the beach front to Ocean Bay and then just a bit beyond. It was still early in the morning, around 8:30 or 9 and there were already loads of people bundling onto the main beaches of this fabulous resort. However, and thankfully, where we went it was still pretty quiet; there were a few people between the groynes that we chose to swim from, and some of the beach huts were open or being opened by their owners. As with Thursday, I went in with my knickers and T-shirt and Vivi in her slinky bathing costume. At first, the water seemed a little bit cooler than on Thursday; maybe because it was early in the morning and the sun hadn't been beating down for several hours warming the top few inches or more. However, we were both soon fully in and again paddled and swam away each to our heart's content, literally as swimming is such a good exercise and gets the heart pumping. It’s only on occasions like this, filled with deep joy, I remember how much swimming was a part of my life growing up. From a very early age, as a baby mum would leave me in a pram or pushchair outside the front door of mum and dad's B&B, and if mum went back at 9:15 and I was gone she knew that she had the day to herself to get on with washing and cleaning and making dinner for all the guests that evening. A visitor or visitors would have taken me off to the beach or to town or to wherever they were going for the day. Most often, it was to the beach and for many years the beach was just an intrinsic part of my life… sand, sea, sandwiches, smiles - even then always a sanctuary too. Maybe one day it will be so again, though just now, for these precious moments of Vivi and I being in the water, it felt so right, and so good, and so joyous. Again, we sat on a towel on the sand and dried off a little bit, and then walked back along the seafront where by now the beaches and walkways were just bustling with folk, and buckets and spades and float boards and sandwich bags, and windbreakers and little shelters, and many smiles with the hope of a fun day out. Back at Vivi’s Cottage by the Sea, Richard made toast and the three of us sat at the table in Vivi's cottage garden, enjoying proper toast topped with a spoon or two of Purbeck honey from a pot that Vivi had bought specifically for our visit… it was totally delicious, and another slice or two was had by each of us. The rest of the morning was leisurely chatting and packing and washing-up and watering the plants in the garden and filling watering cans and doing 101 things, and then it was time for the final feast of this visit which was a cheese and tomato sandwich made by Richard. Sitting at the table, with the smell of salt in the air and seagulls above it once again took me back to being a kid, eating cheese and tomato sandwiches on the beach at L’Eree, almost six decades ago; a cheese and tomato sandwich when there’s salt in the air will always bring memories back off the perfect fodder for a beach. The only difference with our sandwich today was that it hadn't trundled its way down to a beach in the Tupperware and sat sweating under a towel in the shade for an hour or two, so our fabulous sandwich was cool and crisp and just the right temperature, rather than warm, and floppy, and tasty and welcomed as was often the case when we were kids on the beach. Happy Days!! It was soon time to wend our way back to London, and with lots of hugs and a little planning for our next visit, I walked up Cardiac Hill and Cardio Hill to collect Fenella, drove her down, pulled in outside of Vivi's Cottage by the Sea and then we packed our bags back in, had more hugs, and started our relatively uneventful journey back to London, where things would begin getting back to normal… including a visit to the plot in the evening to check on how things were doing and to give plants a water if needed, and recording Sunday Chat on Sunday morning… an event in itself! Weather: Sunny throughout, with a slight breeze, and very warm… though quite a few degrees less than the heatwave of 34° in London! Wednesday Breakfast: All Bran and oat milk Snack: Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll Lunch: Vivi’s Greek Salad (with Feta), hummus, edamame hummus, olives, and bread Supper: Chickpea, Cauliflower & Mushroom Curry with bread Thursday Breakfast: All Bran and toast Lunch: Courgette & Potato Soup, Edamame Hummus, Bread, Olives Supper: Haddock & Chips Friday Breakfast: Bran Flakes and All Bran and toast with cherry jam Lunch: Savoury Aft Cream Tea (Corfe Castle Tea Room) Supper: Vivi's Fassolada and bread Saturday Breakfast: Bran Flakes and toast with Purbeck honey Lunch: Cheese & Tomato Sandwich Supper: Broad Bean & Basil Pesto with wholewheat spaghetti and a tomato, cucumber and basil salad  8 July 2025 (Tuesday)
Up early, and I downloaded footage I took yesterday from my phone to the computer as I needed to edit. Then it was downstairs to make a pot of tea as usual, pouring myself a cuppa, and then back up to the top of the house to sort out a segment of A Week at the Plot. The day went along swimmingly, with little to talk about. The afternoon saw me as it does most days, finishing my work work at my desk and then getting down to the plot. I made it a sort of tidying afternoon, clearing away spent poppies, though first cutting off their seed heads and putting them into a paper bag to dry off. I also decided that it was time to give our courgettes a trim, just as I do with the tomatoes; cutting back the larger and spent leaves lower down on the stem to ensure that each plant’s energy goes into new growth and fruiting rather than keeping alive old growth that isn't necessary anymore. The rain that we had on Monday and earlier this morning had really benefited the soil and I'm sure will benefit the plants too; they already look cleaner, having had lots of pattering rain to clear off any dust and particles on their leaves and petals. The paths also are less dusty, though I think after a day of no rain they’ll be back to being dry again. At home, Richard had been busy and with leftover potato salad in the fridge, tomatoes on the windowsill, and lettuce in the spinner, I'd decided earlier to get some of our Smoked Tofu & Red Kidney Bean Burgers out of the freezer and have those for supper. By late afternoon they’d defrosted and I put them in the combi which I’d preheated to 180 degrees; they were in for twenty minutes which ensured that the inside was thoroughly heated through but not dry. Just before the end of the cooking time I topped them off with a little cheddar cheese, which oozingly melted over the top. We spent much of the evening watching old music videos from 1975 and 1977, most of which we both remembered though there were one or two that neither of us had any idea of. We watched something else between checking socials, then it was time for bed… and my book. Weather: Rain overnight, and the morning was a little overcast, though the day was mainly sunny. Around 25°. Breakfast: All Bran, oat milk and a banana Lunch: Cheezy Butterbean Smash Wraps Supper: Smoked Tofu & Red Kidney Bean Burger, Light Potato Salad, lettuce and tomatoes  A big, basic sandwich 7 July 2025 (Monday)
Like the weekend, today went by so swiftly… and there was no need for any major watering, as boy did it rain!! I heard the rain start sometime early in the morning, not particularly heavy but definitely audible… then on waking I could hear the drips and drops, and on looking out the bathroom window saw the ripples being made in the standing water of our neighbour’s rather oddly slanted summerhouse roof; the structure was built some five or six years ago, and since he’s had many goes at halting the standing water on the roof, last year getting professionals in to sort it out… it still stands, triumphant in its steadfastness, though apparently no longer leaks inside. The rain went on till around 10am, or maybe even a bit later, and it was feeling cooler… though with a desk work work day, that was fine. Richard had said early that he was going to be filming a recipe today, which would be ready for lunch around 1.30pm, so I messaged Vanessa to say I’d be at my desk until about 1.30pm… in the end I was at it until just after 2pm - when Richard called up it was “Lunch” - in the meantime, Vanessa and I discussed the details and costings of a pencilled wake at the Great Green Barn next week; she’s meeting the guy on Wednesday so needed to go through the possibilities and costs. After a delicious lunch of Richard’s Broad Bean & Potato Omelette, and grilled tomatoes which I love, I got to the plot to see how things were doing, and sowed some indoor cucumbers which MAY give a very late crop if they grow, and also planted out our Morton’s Secret Mix lettuce, the seeds of which I’d bought from Real Seeds. The small plants, still in their modular tray, had been pecked by pigeons whilst growing outside on the bench; I‘d covered them with an upturned blue plastic mushroom crate and they’d recovered. Fingers crossed the slugs and snails will leave them alone now they’re in the ground. I really fancied a big, basic cheese and lettuce sandwich on a rye bread, so I popped to the ‘corner’ shop on the way home to get some bread. So, for our supper we had a big, basic sandwich with some of my Carrot & Lentil soup, which also had courgette in it - and it was delicious! The big, simple sandwich really hit the spot! During supper, and watching Murder She Wrote, there was a knock at the door and a person we met a few weeks ago had come to say hello - we finished our supper, offered refreshments and then chatted away for an hour or so, and then off she went on her way… and we watched some UFO TV before bed and my book. A big, basic sandwich 2 slices of good rye bread, with either butter or spread of your choice, lots of fresh lettuce, thin slices of cheddar cheese, and a little mayo... delish!!! Weather: Warm, though lots of rain overnight and through to about 10am… Yay!! Breakfast: All Bran, oat milk and a banana Lunch: Richard’s Broad Bean & Potato Omelette and grilled tomatoes Supper: Carrot & Lentil Soup, Cheese & Lettuce sandwich  6 & 7 July 2025 (Saturday & Sunday)
The weekend flew by… Saturday was filming Sunday Chat, though with a few late nights over the past days we were both a little jaded… though we got the job done! Yay!! With the weather being cooler, or at least feeling much cooler, and that breeze is bringing the Feels Like temperature down even further. It felt like the weather for a soup, so a soup I made - Carrot & Lentil, though I also had a courgette and some leftover courgettes from Richard’s Baked Courgettes with Sun-dried Tomato Stuffing, so these went in a made up for the fewer carrots we had in the fridge. I could have added a potato, though I didn’t… This is the thing with soups, once you get to know what goes with what, and the things to leave out making soups from whatever you have to hand… though in this case, don’t miss out the lentils!! An afternoon at the plot - getting our beetroot in having taken our brassicas out. I am mulling sowing more brassicas, and am sure I will, though will they be Dazzling Blue Kale, our own Portuguese Cabbage or the cross that came about by happenstance? I’d love to have Brussels sprouts, having had those we put in a few months ago pecked to smiterines by pigeons, though I doubt they’ll be ready for early winter, when I love having them. I will put in the cuttings of Taunton Deane that I took a few months ago; three are doing well and one doing fine. In the evening, we flipped around Prime for a while and landed on Hugh Grant’s Heretic, which is an interesting if far less challenging watch than I thought it would be; the publicity certainly bigged this element up, and needn’t have. Sunday saw me at our editing desk first thing, finalising the edit for A Week at the Plot, uploading it to YouTube, giving early access to our Ko-fi members… and then getting to the plot to do some watering, and tidying… there’s always tidying and in fact I could, and should, spend a whole afternoon doing such., though time is tight in so many ways at the moment… In the afternoon I was back at the plot briefly, and harvested three plantings of potatoes - all were seed potatoes on our communal table and all went in either spare ground or into tubs and pots with spent compost. I fed lightly with our usual organic liquid feed, and the harvest for pennies was pretty decent, in fact I’ve had far worse harvests from plants I’ve spent big bucks on and much time, energy and water! I decided that the smaller pink ones, maybe Pink Fir Apple, I'd make into a light Potato Salad, with half a red onion finely chopped, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, two capfuls of cider vinegar and a little mayonnaise, maybe a rounded dessert spoon. With our own lettuce and tomatoes, the protein element of our supper would be a Smoked Tofu & Red Kidney Bean Burger, which I had been fancying for days. Delish! TV was something about UFOs, or similar… lots of American people in the know talking about how they can’t talk about what they know… NDAs and all that… Richard fell asleep, so I watched half of another episode of Endeavour… then bed, and my book. Weather: Dry on Saturday with a breeze, and rain on Sunday afternoon. Around 23-25°. Sat Breakfast: Crumpets, ProActiv spread, yeast extract and peanut butter Sat Lunch: Carrot & Lentil Soup, Pitta, Cheese and Coleslaw Sat Supper: Lidl Red Onion & Balsamic Vinegar Quiche, lettuce, cucumber and tomato Sun Breakfast: All Bran, oat milk and a banana Sun Lunch: Lidl Vegan Sausage Rolls & tinned Baked Beans Sun Supper: Smoked Tofu & Red Kidney Bean Burger, Light Potato Salad, lettuce and tomatoes  Bulgur Salad with crisp Quinoa topping, hummus, and tomatoes. 4 July 2025 (Friday)
No walk this morning, so it was straight to my desk to do some work and some work work. The morning went swiftly, and soon it was time for lunch which I decided, with leftover bulgur wheat in the fridge, would be another Bulgur Salad; doing exactly the same as I did the other day though this time I left out the pesto and added in some liquid aminos and a little bit of lemon juice instead. As I said yes today, with the butterbean smash, this type of recipe is really all about what you have in the fridge and I could have added in some chopped celery, greater carrot, little leaves of baby spinach or even chopped up rubbed kale. Just think about how the flavours go together, obviously you wouldn't put in a tablespoon of honey, or a few handfuls of strawberries because neither really fit in this type of dish. This evening Richard's doing his usual live, and I'm waiting to hear from Vanessa as I'm going to the theatre with her again. I'm waiting to hear what time we're going to meet and while I waited I went to the plot and took out the brassicas I spoke of yesterday. Tomorrow, hopefully I'll be able to get our module trays of beetroot in. Getting back home, I have a wash reader chapter of my book and then see the message from Vanessa that we're going to have supper before the show, which is what she wanted to do on Wednesday though he was so late arriving that it made that impossible. We agreed to meet at six at a restaurant around the corner from the Jermyn Street Theatre. A walk to our local station and on to the Elizabeth Line then onto the Bakerloo Line and up at Piccadilly Circus and then along Piccadilly to the restaurant. I'm about 10 minutes early, which is fine as I think it's really good practice to be a little early rather than a little late. I waited for Vanessa, and at 6pm I joined Richard's Live briefly; I was hoping it would be brief because Vanessa would arrive pretty soon, though actually somebody that I knew from many years back was walking down the road and she and I had a little chat. At about 6.20, I got a message from Vanessa that traffic was terrible… again. It had been on Wednesday when we met and she was an hour late then. Today's message was that she wouldn't arrive until 6.50, almost an hour later than planned… and with the doors of the theatre opening at 7.10 and the show going up at 7:30 I messaged back to say I’d decided to go for a walk and see her at the theatre at 7.25. I felt a walk would be better than waiting on the pavement like a numpty. So, I put my phone in my pocket and walked… along Jermyn Street, up onto Piccadilly, in front of the Ritz, left into St James's Park and right at the fountain, passing behind the rows of green-and-white striped deckchairs and over towards Hyde Park, which I’d decided would be the extent of my walk so that I could get back in time to meet Vanessa for the show. When I got to the extent of my walk, and needed to turn around and wend my way back, I saw that Vanessa had messaged me about ordering her a pasta dish at the restaurant... “any pasta”. The thing is, if I’m meeting somebody for supper at a restaurant and they don't turn up or are going to be hugely late, I don't go into the restaurant myself. I'll wait to eat a snack when I get home. I’d also messaged to say I was going for a walk and would meet Vanessa at the theatre, so obviously I wasn't at the restaurant to order any pasta for Vanessa, so that wasn’t going to happen. Anyway, I turned around and walked back to meet Vanessa who was now waiting outside the restaurant; she was hungry and wanted to have something to eat, though because we literally had 15 minutes the last thing I wanted to do was throw a bowl of spaghetti down me as it would just completely mess with my digestion. So whilst Vanessa had a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine, I sipped on some tap water, we chatted, she ate, and then she paid up and we went to the theatre. Not a great start to the evening… Now the show that we went to see wasn't a show that I’d have chosen to see, though I could see how it might be a show for our audience at the Great Green Barn, or for the audience that we're building at the Great Green Barn. However, despite the musical side of the evening being really top-notch, with a brilliant pianist and fabulous tenor, the whole thing just didn't gel for either myself or Vanessa, and I doubt it’s something that we’ll have at the Great Green Barn in its current format. At the end of the show, after much rapturous applause from the audience, which I think was made up of many family members and friends, we were up the steps, and out of the theatre. Vanessa was driving on to Stratford-upon-Avon, so following a quick goodbye where I said to Vanessa to drive safely, I was on my way home… retracing my steps. Along Piccadilly, down at Piccadilly Circus, into the Bakerloo Line, then the Elizabeth Line, changing trains at Ealing Broadway as the first train did not stop at Hanwell, off at my home station and then ten or twelve minutes of walking, crossing the Uxbridge Road. I got home by 10.25 and then had a small bowl of All Bran and oat milk for a rather late supper, as I know this won't upset my Barrett's. Going to bed after about 45 minutes, I read my book for about 20 minutes and then it was time for lights out, Weather: Breezy, though a little bit warmer as the day went on. Around 26°. Breakfast: All Bran and oat milk Lunch: Bulgur Salad with crisp Quinoa topping, hummus, tomatoes and Ryvita rye crackers Supper: All Bran and oat milk  3 July 2025 (Thursday) We had a walk in the morning, going down the canal this time, rather than going up the towpath beside the locks. Going down this way, if we’d carried on for a mile or so we’d have got to Brentford and then beyond is the Thames tidal lock. Everything's looking very dry, and sunny, and we really need to have rain, though little is forecast. I had a work work morning at my desk, and then Richard was doing a new courgette recipe, which we had for a quite late lunch. It was then down to the plot and thoughts of making decisions about what is working this year and what isn't, what needs to go in, and what needs to be sown… one of the things that really isn't working this year are our brassicas. To be fair, it's not that the brassicas aren't doing well, it's basically that the brassicas haven't had a chance to do well. Once we get over the hungry gap, there's usually lots of food for pigeons to eat, and this year’s been no exception. There's been lots of growth and buds and berries and fruits around for pigeons, though they seem to have taken a real liking to our brassicas; deciding that despite most of them being heritage varieties, and therefore being quite bitter, they wanted to peck away at them time after time after time - each time, in doing so, the growth had been stunted. If we look at the meteorological side of things, we've had so little rain this spring and summer, and brassicas really do like good watering to keep on going, though without water from the skies it's a real challenge. So, looking at the brassica bed, I decided that it was time to cut my losses and pull them out. However, looking at the squash bed and a couple of the other beds, the weeds were beginning to take hold, themselves taking up valuable water and likely nutrients too from the plants around them I want to grow to harvest, and I decided that my job today was to be weeding, so weeding it was.  After weeding three full beds, it was back home, and having had a decent lunch, I decided to do a butterbean smash again, this time adding in some pesto that we had in the fridge, and leaving out the yeast flakes as I felt these two tastes might jar. Now this type of meal you really can add what you want, though things must also be right… a red or yellow pepper would be fine, defrosted or fresh peas or broad beans, put celery in or leave it out, even chard leaves crushed and chopped would add a different complexity. The thing is to get the balance of ingredients right, and making sure there's texture, including crispness and crunch, and of course flavour, which can be lifted with lemon juice, or liquid aminos, or soy, or tamari, or miso….our own culinary journey has been mainly about trial and error, with far, far more upsides than downs. Anywho, as Greta of Greta’s Garden would say, another busy day… and so to bed, a chapter or two, then lights out. Weather: Sunny and overcast… a cool breeze and definitely well below the temperatures of last weekend. Breakfast: All Bran and oat milk Lunch: Richard’s Baked Courgettes with Sun-dried Tomato Stuffing Supper: Pesto Butterbean Smash wraps  Heather Alexander as Miss Havisham. Photo courtesy of Peter Mould. 2 July 2025 (Wednesday) Up early, and it was definitely feeling cooler… and what was that? The pitter patter of rain dripping from the unconnected roof guttering! Well, at least it was raining! Up early and our walk will have to wait… as it's too wet, so after a cuppa it's to my desk for a work work morning, and then lunch… Richard’s Quick Roasted Courgettes with a herb crumble… delish!! We had the rest of my Bulgur Pesto Salad too. Off to the plot, and I checked on whether anything needed watering, despite the rain this morning. It was regular and medium-weight rain for a good few hours and most things looked fine, though I gave the squash extra water… and the courgettes. Back home, and I was waiting to hear from Vanessa as we were due to see a show at Jermyn Street Theatre this evening, and I didn’t know whether she wanted to meet before, or just at the start of the show… eventually I found out, and thankfully had had a bath earlier as I needed to leave virtually immediately to meet her around 6.30pm… though in the end the traffic was terrible for her getting in, so we met outside the theatre at about 7.20pm, 10 mins before curtain up! Now, the show… It’s called Havisham, and is a show I’ve wanted to see for some years. The show's director, Dominique Garrard, I know from my Bush Theatre days of two decades ago, and on Facebook I’ve been following (not stalking!) Dominique for ages. Havisham’s about…. Miss Havisham of Great Expectations… It’s a truly fabulous imagining of how she got to be the woman we know… sitting at a dusky, dark dust-ridden wedding feast table in an old house right out on the edge of the marshes. Still dressed in her wedding finery, now all soiled and grimy and stained, having been jilted at the altar many years ago to never recover. But who was she, and how did she get her, and why is that bitter hate so sharp and dangerous? Well, this imaging is truly excellent, and fully engaged me throughout.
The writing is so well crafted, with a totally believable back story that made me want to reread Great Expectations, now ‘knowing’ so more of a pivotal character that we ‘knew’ so little about before. The copy (blurb) reads “This is the story that Dickens left out…” and I have to say, old Charlie boy should have put it in! Next time I see Gerald Dickens, which won’t be too long, I’ll have to ask him if he’s seen Havisham - as if not, he must! Heather Alexander was just superb in the part, taking us through the early years of a lonesome girl, through her challenges with men, and life, and abandonment, into happier times… and then betrayal… though not one of us expected how such a betrayal would come about! Utterly gripping throughout. And what I haven’t said is that Heather wrote the piece too, so beautifully multi-talented. I now want to see her other show ROOM. Havisham’s whole production was superb, and Dominique’s direction, of course fabulous. Both Vanessa and I could see how the show would work at the Great Green Barn, and are both sure it’s one for next year, if Heather and Dominique can fit us in! After a quick meet with Heather post-show (I’m sure she and I have met before - yet I’m not sure how… I don’t think at Kenwrights, though Ray Cooney springs to mind), and it was time for us to all wend our ways back home. If you see the show near you, or within travelling distance, do go and see it, as it is so worth it!!! A quick sideline - I see Heather is doing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year with Becoming Maverick, inspired by the character of Mrs Danvers from Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca - another of my favourite books! This will definitely be worth a ticket!!.. Of course I also LOVED seeing the lovely, fabulous and talented Dominique after so long, and we had a brief catch-up. She’s still doing work at Questors Theatre in Ealing Broadway, so we WILL have a coffee and a further catch-up soon!! My journey in and back was adventurously unadventurous… the Elizabeth Line makes much of journeying into London pretty easy now, and swift, despite this journey time being the same as it would have been without this regal line. As I stepped off the train at Hanwell station, with a darkened summer sky and a cool breeze, the heatwave of just a few days ago seemed miles away. A home, a cup of TV, a catch-up with Richard, and then it was time to get to bed and read a chapter of my new book. Happy Days! Weather: Rain first thing for several hours, then warming, though definitely cooler. Around 25°. Breakfast: All Bran and oat milk Lunch: Richard’s Quick Roasted Courgettes and leftover Bulgur Pasta Salad Supper: Rice crackers, yeast extract and peanut butter  1 July 2025 (Tuesday) A new month, and as Buster Poindexter (aka David Johansen) would sing, “It’s feeling HOT, HOT, HOT!” The high of 34° yesterday dissipated little overnight, and I think we started with about 27°, and it was forecast to get hotter. Richard had opened the windows to let the cooler air of the day in, though they were never going to be open that long. It was All Bran for breakfast, which felt a delight. Despite all the good or excellent food we had over the weekend, it was good to get back to normal, and get back in to our usual routine… one of which is All Bran or Bran Sticks for breakfast. They, and the rest of our diet, keep us regular, in more ways than one! It was a necessary desk morning with work work. catching up a little and also getting on with the usual routines - checking delivery notes, trade prices, our retail price, does anything need to go up, or down… and this week, sadly, it is organic apricots that needed to go up. The wholesale price for For Earth’s Sake has risen by about 80% since we last bought them, which was not a long time ago, and of course if the price we buy at goes up, the price we sell at needs to go up too! We’ve seen huge rises in various nuts over the past month or six weeks; organic Brazil nuts have doubled in price, and we’re only buying broken ones at present, as we just don’t think customers will buy whole Brazil nuts at the price that we’d now need to charge. Chocolate buttons, a high-end and high-provenance favourite have also gone up again… poor harvests and therefore higher costs of the raw product, and also maybe additional labour costs too with the rise in the side of National Insurance employees now pay since the beginning of April, following Labour’s budget changes. Small cost rises are often swallowed by SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises, i.e. companies), reducing their margins, but often now the price just needs to rise… With much done at my desk for both For Earth’s Sake and the Great Green Barn, it was time for a cooling lunch, an hour or so more work work, then time to get to the plot… with the heat now touching 34° again. There was a breeze, which I was grateful for, though much watering was needed; some of the taller tomatoes looked as though they were suffering. Of course, with heat comes evaporation of ponds so I also needed to top up various of our ponds on the plot. Hopefully happy frogs etc will munch on more snails etc. I also finished off Monday’s segment of A Week at the Plot, as when I was filming yesterday, my phone decided it was overheating and switched itself off for safety reasons… so it was hot! With today being no different, even possibly hotter, I kept my phone, which I use to film the segments of A Week at the Plot, very much in the shade when not being used… though even in the shade it was 34°. Back home, and supper needed to be made - a ‘no cook’ meal, though maybe ‘little cook’ would be more truthful as I had to soak the coarse bulgur wheat in boiling water from the kettle, and then give it five minutes in the microwave. Richard opened the back doors as the temperature lessened, and cooling air came in, mainly due to the number of heat sheltering trees and shrubs we have in our garden - I hate to be any of our ‘plastic grass’ neighbours on days like this… or maybe any day! We read things on our phones in the evening, and I started a new book; Peter James I Follow You. I’ve read his books for decades and have usually really liked or loved them, though this one just didn’t do it for me; in fact I gave up on it after only twenty or thirty pages, I just didn’t care what happened to any of the characters. Fortunately, our subscriber Nettie had sent me a book by an author I had not read - Steve Cavanagh and the book is called Twisted. Within the first page I was engaged… I don’t think it’s the last book I’ll read by this new-to-me writer!  Bulgur Pesto Salad I soaked a cup of coarse bulgur wheat in boiling water from the kettle for an hour - ratio one bulgur to 1.5 boiling water. I covered the heat-proof bowl with a dinner plate. I then stirred it and microwaved it for 5 minutes, carefully with oven gloves, took it from the microwave, stirred it, added the plate back on and then left it to rest for ten minutes. I had made enough for two salads so after about 20 minutes of resting time I put half in a plastic container for another day, and the other half I left covered with a tea towel to cool a bit more, pushing the grains up the edge of the bowl to increase surface area (as it will cool quicker this way). After about thirty minutes I then stirred all again and popped in the fridge to chill down. After about half-an-hour, I added a chunkily chopped yellow courgette (use whatever colour you wish - or something else you like!), a few handfuls of frozen peas and one of broad beans that I’d defrosted by soaking in boiling water from the kettle for ten minutes, draining and then drying in a clean tea towel to ensure they had as little liquid as possible in them. I then popped into the bowl a few rounded dessert spoons of bought green pesto, shredded basil leaves (about twenty medium sized ones), a few teaspoons of bought mayonnaise (or use thick yogurt), and about two dessert spoons of lemon juice. I stirred it all together and then chilled again in the fridge for about half an hour. As with many of our recipes, if we don’t have something we add what we do have. A red pepper would have been nice, or even a green or yellow one. Mushrooms finely sliced would be great, and sliced radish… just be mindful of how flavours fit with each other, and don't be afraid to try something out, if it doesn't work out you won't do it again, though I'm sure what you've made is still edible, and you've learned. Weather: Hot from the off, and got hotter through the day. 34° or even a degree more. Overnight was to be just shy of 30°. Breakfast: All Bran, Yogurt and a little oat milk Lunch: Egg Mayonnaise, Ryvita Dark Rye, radish, cucumber and a few olives Supper: Hummus, ‘no cook’ Bulgur Salad, lettuce and olives |
Paul SavidentFollowing on from A Guernsey Gardener in London, I've decided to try and write a regular blog, and we'll see how it AND 2025 go! Archives
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