The tomato deluge is something to behold . last year at its peak,I was getting about 2Kg per day. I bought a new freezer this spring, just to cope with the tomato (made into pasata and pasta sauce) plus all the peppers, chillies and other freezable stuff we produce. We go all year eating it all, which is wonderful. I never thought I had green fingers before moving here, but as the voisins say, everything grows like weeds, except the weeds, which grow faster
Our first real winter crops were cauliflower, which were wonderful as I love pickled cauliflower,and onions and shallots which we pulled last month. Last year I did coriander and got about 400g of seed. Of course itās self seeded this year and Iāll probably get more this year, the leaf having now died away. My immediate voisin in North African, so Iām going to make a present of a large jar of coriander seed for her. Iām sure she will appreciate it.
Courgette, Iām afraid is a no go for me. When I was in Deux Sevres, every summer, you couldnāt move for people trying to give you courgette. People at vide greniers had big baskets of courgette with signs basically saying āhelp yourselfā. What is this obsession with courgette. I donāt like the bloody things anyway.
I do too, use it in loads of things, but with so much seed, you just have to give a lot of it away. At the mo, the seeds are still green and have a lot of moisture in them, so Iām going to try the fresh seeds in a stir fry tomorrow. Theyāre so fragrant when green that I hope they live up to expectation.
I donāt think Iāve come across them Jane, Iāll have to look in the seed catalogues. I love trying new things or different varieties, this year itās Ying Yang beans mainly to dry for Autumn/winter.
Major hailstorm yesterday. I was very worried about the baby kestrels we can see (with binoculars) in the nest in a pine tree opposite the window. It was all very quiet after the storm yesterday and couldnāt see them.
Then today, there they were! Three big fluffballs in the nest. Just hope the storms in the coming days wonāt be as bad.
I think your negative result is very much on topicā¦ very cheerful newsā¦ hurrah
EDIT:
Just had a ring on the doorbellā¦ and thereās a neighbour handing me a large punnet of strawberriesā¦ they smell delicious.
OH is preparing them for immediate despatch.
So thatās my/our ācheerful newsā ā¦ and yes, as so oftenā¦ itās all about food.
The big telly isnāt broken, it was something else entirely which has now been discarded, so after 3 days of watching the picture on a tiny screen with my eyes screwed up, I can sit back and watch a nice big, clear picture again.
Weāve a grand reunion planned this weekend with friends of various nationalities and
they always relish our āBritish offeringsāā¦ grantham gingerbreads are cooling on the racks and the apple-spicey cake is almost ready.
Weāve been searching in the cave for something ādifferentāā¦
Anyway, we found a bottle of Sloe Brandy we made some 30 years ago and thought weād give it a whirlā¦ just to test it, of courseā¦
having supped just a little (hic) I can report that it tastes absolutely marvellous!
Weāve another bottle down belowā¦ but thatās staying hiddenā¦ thatās just for us.
Weāve several bottles of sloe ginā¦ which is lovely when icedā¦ but having tasted the brandyā¦ the gin doesnāt even come closeā¦
I think you might have guessedā¦ that weāre not great drinkersā¦ not of spirits anyway.
I know what I like and, whilst itās nice to have a bottle (of whatever) nestling in the cave, I donāt feel compelled to drink it.
But, it is rather nice to have an excuse to open a bottle now and thenā¦
At last, our last by a long chalk in the area. farmer has cut the 2 fields that we normally walk in. It was up to my eyeballs and I could only spot Jules by his shark-like dorsal tail tip scything above the waves.
And a wonderfully sunny day for the return, he can now run and walk in a 33 metre radius of me to his heartās content, and I can walk to the centre freely without getting sopping wet.
And on such a sunny day, down to the bottle bank and back on the trike and any moment now, a happy return to the pond, I was way too busy yesterday.
This afternoon, on the way to ādog schoolā we will call in on a friend who is donating 2 single bed duvets that she was chucking out (2nd home visitors selling up, Brexit again ) and now Franās single med bed wonāt have a great big double trailing all over the floor.
. last year at its peak,I was getting about 2Kg per day. I bought a new freezer this spring, just to cope with the tomato (made into pasata and pasta sauce) plus all the peppers, chillies and other freezable stuff we produce. We go all year eating it all, which is wonderful. I never thought I had green fingers before moving here, but as the voisins say, everything grows like weeds, except the weeds, which grow faster 
) and now Franās single med bed wonāt have a great big double trailing all over the floor. 