When will my chickens lay eggs?
Even though I know that egg laying is unpredictable at this time of year, it’s always a bit disappointing when I lift the lid of the nesting box and there’s only one. An egg from Carol. She is firing on all cylinders now and producing one egg a day, the maximum that a domestic hen can produce. “What’s going on with the other four chickens?” I think as I stump back through the garden in my dressing gown and wellies. The other four chickens are elderly maidens, well into their third year. I know that after two years...
read moreTesco pulls it off
I was resigned to the usual two-supermarket shop this weekend; Tesco and Waitrose. Doing both robs 30 minutes from my planned gardening spot. With one day off, I wanted to dig over the vegetable patch and plant our garlic and shallots. I visited Tesco first and was amazed to find everything that I needed. A few weeks ago I spotted that they have a new range – “Tesco ingredients” (similar to the Waitrose range “Cooks ingredients”) but I hadn’t checked it out until yesterday. Here was a chunky Le Parfait jar...
read moreAmaryllis (Hippeastrum)
Finally the amaryllis that I bought just after New Years Day is flowering. We’ve had a lot of fun watching this giant gradually produce three thick stems with heavy buds. The stalks are well over two feet. This particular bulb guaranteed three flower spikes. I potted it up in normal potting compost in an eight inch pot. Within days the first two buds emerged. The third took a while to appear but is now catching up fast and now we have the promised three. The first bud has gradually unfurled over last two days. Here’s the flower. We...
read moreSmoked haddock with a creamy shallot and parsley sauce recipe
Danny and I are going through a fish phase. We’ve uncovered loads in the freezer, bought on offer from the Waitrose fish counter. Thick, luscious fillets, sold off at the end of the day for the change from my pocket. Once we started eating this fish our imaginations were tickled and we began to play with saucy ideas for fish, real and virtual. Curiosity drove me to pay full price for this cheap smoked haddock from Tesco this week, to try out our recipe idea. It was easy, tasty and extremely quick to make. The onions added depth and...
read moreGenesis
When I came to the cottage fifteen years ago there was basically a large field at the back with a leylandii hedge along one side, a few shrubs, a small pond and a lot of grass. It was romantic in a way when I opened the back door but the mowing was a killer and I fancied a bit more variety. Back then I was reading the tomes of the Great House garden writers: Christopher Lloyd, Vita Sackville West, and my all time favourite garden designer Russell Page. I had also visited Hidcote Manor and had been completely bowled over by this fabulous garden...
read moreGrow your own Heroes
This afternoon I made a cup of tea and, feeling nosey, examined the books in the bookshelves of the empty house where I’m working. My attention was drawn to the title of a slim hardback book, “Grow your own Heroes.” Intrigued, I reached for the book immediately but I had misread the title. It was “Grow your own Herbs.” Produced by Culpepper, a small, interesting and reasonably comprehensive book with pretty illustrations. I mulled about this mistake as I worked through the afternoon and finally came to the...
read moreValentine’s freesias and heart shaped comfort
We don’t push the boat out on Valentine’s Day but we do get a tiny present for each other. It’s easier for me as I do the big shop every week and can see the supermarket displays for at least a month. Danny’s Valentine’s Hunting Trip is always on Valentine’s eve. Last night, he suddenly found that he was part of a large posse of men that were desperately searching the card racks at Waitrose. Eventually an assistant was called who explained that they had sold out at teatime. I don’t know where he found...
read moreSimple rack of lamb recipe
Rack of lamb (best end of neck) is such a treat. There are 6-8 cutlets on a joint. Sometimes we treat ourselves to one from Fred Fitzpatrick’s. His chops are much chubbier than the supermarket ones so he cuts the rack in half and we pop one half in the freezer. Our freezer clearing project has unearthed several delights and tonight we ate a half rack of lamb that had been languishing in the freezer disguised as something else. For years I used to order rack of lamb when I went to a restaurant, imagining that it would be a palaver to...
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