Pork risotto recipe with mushrooms, sweet peppers and tomatoes. Tasty budget meals.
Ever since I saw the Compassion in World farming videos we have only been buying free range pork. These videos expose the terrible conditions that many factory farmed pigs live in and whenever I reach for a cheap pack of pork I remember the images and quickly pass by. Buying free range pork can be a bit alarming as it is expensive. Happy pork does taste much, much better and is savoured at the cottage as a real treat. Even though we have been avoiding cheap pork for months, I was dismayed when I saw the size of joint that Danny...
read moreUpdate on Baby. Life in solitary splendour.
Baby our diminutive and bullied cockerel had been picked on endlessly. Not just by the Wicked Ginger Hen but by the whole flock. Just passing Baby in the run was an excuse for most chickens to give him a peck. Poor Baby had become the flocks’ punch bag. A tatty, forlorn creature – my heart went out to him. So I moved him into The Emerald Castle. This is where he has always chosen to sleep at night – well away from the thugs stampeding in the main chicken house. Here he has his own water fountain and chicken pellet buffet. And now,...
read moreSpare ribs recipe slow cooked in a rich sauce
Before Danny met me he lived in America for three months. Often he refers to the spectacular spare ribs that he ate there. “One guy spent three days cooking just one pot of ribs. They were superb.” Unfortunately Danny didn’t get the recipe. When D’s brother came to visit he made some stunning ribs. His secret ingredient was black bean sauce. Unfortunately we didn’t note down the recipe. I had a longing for slow cooked spare ribs this week and I had two packs in the freezer that I’d picked up from the Waitrose *CFC which would be...
read moreCan you identify these mystery ‘cuckoo’ seedlings and win a wildlife friendly prize?
Help! I bought this agave plant from the wayside stand outside the secret garden last autumn. Yes, I know that it’s hard to see it as the “cuckoo” seedlings are rearing to go. All plants, whatever the value are 40p (33p if you buy three, which I always do). So I was delighted with this bargain. Agaves are great. Just ask S and The Chicken Lady – they have loads of argaves. And I agree with them. A good argave in a hot summer is a perfect focal point in a garden. This new agave was coddled in the greenhouse this...
read moreBaby turnip, Romano pepper and continental onion salad recipe. With a homemade walnut vinegar dressing.
Danny and I spent all day yesterday developing a tasty slow cooked spare rib recipe. I reckon that we eventually pulled it off as the dish was guzzled very fast and everything was almost licked clean. You can find our spare rib recipe here. I wanted to serve the ribs with rice and a crisp salad. Finely sliced Oasis baby turnips were top of my list to try. I teamed two turnips with a couple of continental spring onions and a slim Romano pepper. The turnips were sweet and spicy – rather like a more succulent radish. The dressing was a...
read moreBosch Rotak 40 electric rotary lawn mower: a review
We bought the Bosch Rotak 40 electric lawnmower to replace our ancient petrol engine model. Read how well it performed on our bumpy lawn and how well it coped with the ovegrown bits.
read moreChicken thighs recipe roasted with red onions
Roast chicken thighs were never something I looked forward to, or could ever countenance as I prefer white chicken meat and always avoid brown. That was a fact until we tried this amazing recipe that was posted on the forum by Shereen, who lives near Belfast. She credits her sister in law, JennyB. Well congratulations to you both because you have converted this chicken thigh hater to a chicken thigh enthusiast. This is really is a wonderful and economical recipe that punches way above its weight. The thighs magically convert to white meat...
read moreCompanion planting: flowers with vegetables
It’s all very well growing 2000 flower plants but having started planting them out in the herbaceous borders it was clear that I was quickly running out of space. Some of my large swathes of perennial plants just had to go. I cut the more rampant ones back and dumped the ones that I didn’t like 100%. I also took a long hard look at the shadier border that I’ve never really bothered with and moved any plant that can cope with semi shade to that location. But still I didn’t have enough space. Then I had a brain wave. If marigolds are...
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