The Cottage Smallholder

This is the first time that The Cottage Smallholder has participated in a blog event. ‘Waiter There’s Something In My…’ is hosted across three great sites. The first theme is stews. *See the bottom of this post for the link to the details. Tasty pheasant dishes needn’t be rich to be good. This stew is Read More »

There was a rush for the front door this morning. Not to read the newspapers but to find our free gifts. Danny was triumphant, waving the British Bird Song CD over his head. “Just what I’ve always wanted. This is so useful.” If only I’d known at Christmas. My offers were not quite so appealing. Read More »

Sometimes the Cottage Smallholder game plucking service comes in very handy. We’ll pluck and draw some game in exchange for a brace of pheasant or partridge. This gives us a good supply of fresh game right through the shooting season. This is our own recipe for pheasant and grapes, braised in clementine juice and white Read More »

Carol, our Maran hen started laying again on Saturday. Large brown eggs with deep orange yolks. I have a soft spot for her. She is the first hen that we raised from an egg. Carol is special. We were happy with our hens until Thumper, a ginger layer, became broody. I was working locally at Read More »

In January, Gilbert makes Seville orange gin whilst Marjorie is making marmalade. He says there’s nothing like a glass with a stale husk of bread when their marmalade runs out. I’m sure that this never happens as I’ve seen Marjorie stirring dustbin sized vats on their Aga. Their house was filled with the heavy scent Read More »

When my Mum left at the end of her Christmas visit this year, she asked me to open the boot of her car. She had a funny glinty look so I was intrigued as I put the key in the look. Snuggled up beside the tyre jack was a bowl planted with paper white narcissii. Read More »

I often turn my collar up and haunt the condemned food section of Tesco. Sometimes I bag a real bargain. Often I find duck legs. The first time I swanked home with this gem Danny was forthright. “it’s all very well bringing home cut price stuff but do you know how to cook duck legs?” Read More »

Each weekend we indulge ourselves with newspapers delivered to our door. Two fat ones on Saturday and a comic on Sunday. Danny bustled off to the loo with his free gift, “How to train your brain in 7 days.” Whilst I exercised my grey matter by looking up our chances in my free gift, “Book Read More »

As the topping for the best slice of toast of the day, good marmalade is a joy. We like it dark, chunky, hand cut and never in moderation. Marmalade was the first preserve that we made. We were so proud of it that we could hardly bear to move it from the worktop to the Read More »

When my grandmother died we moved into her creepy house. It was a large place with little turrets and an extensive garden. On the first night I drew the curtains in my bedroom and they disintegrated in my hands. ˜Never mind,’ said my mum with uncharacteristic brightness, ˜they are such good quality that the lining Read More »