Monthly Archives: June 2015

One day at a time

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There are a number of things that I’d change with the world if this was one of those sci-fi films where a well-meaning man was given the power to wreck the world with good intentions. I’d have to ask for world peace, well you would, wouldn’t you? And en end to disease. But with more people on the planet this would pretty much lead to the end of the world.

Back to the drawing board.

Everything you ask for has probably got unforseen consequences. I won’t go through them all here, but as an example, paying a fair price to producers in the developing world will only mean they consume more, and probably buy more Nutella.

The point of this is two-fold, one is that big changes can be dangerous so maybe we should all look to small changes. I’ve just started having meat-free days. I can’t bear to describe myself as a part-time vegetarian because that would align me with those misguided individuals who think that eating only fish (or even chicken) makes them vegetarian. I’m just a man saving money on his shopping, and as a side-effect of this I save –

84,000 gallons of water 

245 pounds of grain

7,700 sq feet of rain forest

15.5 gallons of gasoline

87 square feet of topsoil from erosion

I’m not totally convinced about all the figures, as I’m pretty sure that giving up a pork chop a week won’t actually save 7,000 square feet of rain forest, and the gallon will be American, so it’s only about 11 proper gallons.. However, it does make sense from a lot of other viewpoints.

If we all give up a pork chop a week it might put some pig farmers out of business, so we should ensure we give up imported meat. This will save fuel and, from a purely selfish point of view, shift the problem to some other country.

It’s not easy making ethical decisions is it?

Breakfast at Scriffany’s

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OK, it’s not quite breakfast at the better known Tiffany’s but I’ve just been asked if I can take a booking for one of our Saturday morning cafe sessions. It threw me slightly because I had the office phone put through to my mobile to prevent the yoga class being disturbed. I never know whether it’s a call for me or the centre for the first few seconds, and the words “Can I book breakfast for fourteen?” left me sitting there with my mouth open.

So there it is – full English breakfast for fourteen. Birthday party (do you think candles in the sausages will be going over the top? Or sparklers?). I’ll be seating them under the awning, reserving the tables and picking a few wild flowers for the middle of the table. I’ll also assist in the kitchen because with just one four ring hob and no bain marie breakfast for fourteen is going to be a tad on the hectic side. I may press one of my chafing dishes into service, Maybe both of them, though I’m going to have to buy more tins of fuel.

I’m also going to have to remember that after use they have a remarkable amount of soot under them. The black hand prints on the car upholstery took some getting off last time.

This is when your jack of all trades status is called into question. Can the man who does the gardens and the blog, the marketing and the teaching sessions on baking and beetles, manage a simple breakfast for fourteen? I didn’t do too well when I had to do breakfast for nine a few months ago, though there were extenuating circumstances.

On the other hand I can do a sit-down three course meal for 40, so why not give it a go? I’m only going to be assisting after all so if it goes wrong I can blame the cook. That’s another of my many skills – management. Or passing the buck as it is also known.

 

Cynicism…

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According to the stats provided by WordPress, Wednesday at 6 am was my best posting time. This has altered to Tuesday, but 6 am remains the same. It’s 17.55 now, so I’m just about on time. Whether it will make a jot of difference I don’t know, but I just can’t help myself. I blame it on Twitter an the endless quest for more followers (672 @QuercusCommy if anyone is interested).

I made the willow water today, with help from two of the group. It’s now standing next to the comfrey feed (which is now looking distinctly murky). A word to anyone thinking of making willow water – I’m going to try a big knife and cutting board next time as neither scissors nor secateurs seem to work well on soft twiggy material. I’m also going to use a wide necked jar. It’s good to re-use plastic bottles but the effort of loading a bottle with inch long bits of twig into an empty Coke bottle isn’t really worth it.

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That’s two part of the four part plan in action. The bottle is waiting for a suitable courgette. All I need to do now is form some more plans, and let’s face it, that isn’t difficult. Go to any committee meeting in the world and you will find there are always plenty of people with plans, but not many willing to put any work in.

On the school front, I’m getting more efficient and actually looking forward to the Friday visit as I have, for once, tied all the loose ends up. We’ve also had another enquiry from a school that has never visited before, so our marketing seems to be working. I’m quite excited about both these visits, and I’m also happy about the way the Chive Blossom Vinegar has worked out. Now I just need to find out how to use it.

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We just had an email as I was writing this. I suppose it’s a case of pride coming before a fall because I’ve been so happy about new visits and bookings. After spending the best part of four months arranging for a school visit (spread over two days), after spending hours with the teacher and giving her pre-visit materials she has just told us, with two week’s notice, that they aren’t coming. We actually lost a possible three day booking because someone wanted one of the days and we will both be losing two day’s work because we are paid to deliver the sessions. And not paid when we don’t deliver them.

Sound effects of ranting, gnashing, grinding and being told to be quiet by wife…

Such is life. I have better things to do than allow regrets and idiots to rule my life.

Meanwhile, using my 20th Century in a week analogy, we have just reached 1952. The Second World War is receding as a memory, rationing is winding down (though it will still be a factor when my parents marry in this year, my father and father-in-law are both back from Korea (one bringing a Japanese bride and one to marry his childhood sweetheart) and we have a new Queen.

My father-in-law will stay in the Navy to complete his 25 years and my father will leave after completing seven years, apply for a job with Marks & Spencer and be turned down because he is wearing suede shoes.

Suede shoes eh? How times change!

Progress report

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The Comfrey feed is starting to show changes – the leaves are blackening around the edges and the water is starting to look cloudy. Early days yet.

The Art of Captaincy and its load of grey oyster mushroom spawn is now looking distinctly mouldy so it’s time for the fridge. The blewitt spawn isn’t showing any sign of growth.

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The oil in the calendula jar is looking a good colour, but I’m going to leave it a bit.

The chive vinegar is looking good and I’ll be decanting it into new bottles this afternoon.

I have the bottle ready for the courgette, but no suitable courgette.

The bean experiment (where half of the raised bed had the soil enriched with pig muck, wood chip and paper towels) isn’t showing much result. None of the beans look particularly good, though the fat hen in the enriched area (furthest away from the camera) is definitely looking better.

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Note vigorous weeds at far end!

According to this page fat hen (known as lamb’s quarters in America) is a good indicator of fertile soil.

We’re going to be eating garden weed salad on the Friday school visit so it’s good to know I have plenty.

 

 

Nettle tea and pizza

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I made nettle tea yesterday, using a patch of nettles that had started to regrow after the pre-Open Farm massacre. It tasted a bit “earthy” according to my wife. I thought it tasted like I was licking a fox.  I’ve never actually licked one, in case you were wondering, but I have a powerful imagination. I also used to have a fox family under the shed in my (somewhat unkempt) back garden, so I do have some experience of  fox fragrance.

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Nettle Tea

I’m going to give it another go, and will also try drying some leaves, but at the moment I’m sticking to mint.

We’re just starting a period of high activity now, a local special needs school today and ten more visits in the next four weeks.  Not sure if I’m looking forwards to it or not. I complain when we have nothing to do(and no money coming in) so I  can’t really complain about having too much on now.

It’s just a shame that all the work comes in at the peak time for weeding.

Meanwhile, Open Farm Sunday seems to have gone well according to the feedback forms and emails we’ve been getting, and we’ve raised enough money to keep going a bit longer so it can’t be bad.  We’re all squared away now and I’m just starting on the backlog of emails. We even had a management meeting at the end of the day, a sure sign of things getting back to normal.

It seems I’m involved in a BBQ for 40, a pizza demo for 15 and a village show (with pizza for 200). That’s the trouble round here, relax your guard for a moment and you find you have another job.

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Today’s pizza. There is more pizza in my future, much more…

Monday morning learning

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If this week was the 20th century, we’d already be past the Great War and heading for fascism, When I started this analogy it was 1922 but after lunch and  a few odd jobs it’s now looking more like 1924. In family terms my grandfather has returned home from the war and become a family man with two daughters.. As his life gathers pace I realise that I haven’t made much progress in my plans.

I’ve composted some vegetable peelings from home. They were in a plastic container and I forgot to take them last week. The sealed container meant I didn’t notice them at home but turning them out wasn’t a particularly fragrant job. However, whilst I was doing that I discovered that we have a fine-looking patch of wild flowers next to the compost bin. They are considerably more diverse than the wild flower bed behind the kitchen, though on a much smaller scale.

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I’ve also looked up some recipes for later in the week, touched up the Wild Food page with a note on green alkanet bristles and my tongue and spent a lot of time looking for something I should have made a note of last night when I saw it on the net.

After finding the page I needed I can now report, after a brief burst of activity, that I have harvested enough comfrey to make a batch in a 2 litre bottle. The web page said 8 leaves but I used 14. Whether that means my leaves were smaller than his or I’ve put too many in will only be revealed when I open the stinking brew in a month.

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So, one part of the four part plan has been put into action and several valuable lessons have been learned.The lessons are –  there are always routine jobs to do, taking proper notes saves time, taking proper notes also saves you getting sidetracked into the history of sky writing, and finally no matter how dull a day may seem there is always time to see something that cheers you up.

In this case it was the wild flowers and the wrens. There were three of the new brood playing about in the rough margin of the vegetable garden – I actually got a shot of one of them today!

 

Plans for the coming week

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1) Make comfrey tea.  We have comfrey, we have water and we have a bucket. Really it should be simple but somehow we always end up putting it off until “next week”. I’m going to make some in a bucket and some in two litre plastic bottles.

2) Make willow water.  Again, we have willow and we have water so how difficult can it be? After last year’s dismal showing with the cuttings I need all the help I can get.

3) Make more plans. Experience shows that I do more if I have it written down. If I merely have a head full of good intentions it’s very easy to find I still have all the same good intentions when Friday comes.

4) Grow a courgette in a bottle. No practical use for that, but it sounds fun and will provoke discussion when we have groups round.

Four simple points, let’s see what happens….

Have I done anything good today?

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I took some ducklings to a care home for the elderly today and everyone seemed to like them.

In the first session one of them evacuated its cute little bowels into my hand as I showed it to the first person. In the second session I placed a paper towel in my hand and the little darling (which may or may not have been the same one) shifted itself backwards and unloaded onto the carpet from a great height. Fortunately with it being young and cute, people laughed. I doubt whether I’d have got the same reception if I’d done it and, in case you’re wondering, yes I am at that age where young and cute things make me growl.

My arms are too short to read without glasses, light bulbs aren’t as bright as they used to be, exams are easier than they were in my day, people mumble and modern hairstyles would look better on the end of a toilet brush. And gradually I’m finding that old age and treachery doesn’t beat youth and enthusiasm. That’s a shame because that and anti-inflammatories  were the only things that kept me going.

What with that and the flowers and herbs we took as part of our sensory presentation, it all seemed to go well. One of the ladies asked if I was married and another offered me a Malteser. I accepted the Malteser but had to point out to the other lady, in the words of the old song, I can’t get away to marry you today because my wife won’t let me.

We’ve done quite a bit of other stuff too, though nothing that approaches a duckling in bringing happiness.

So despite everything, yes I have done something good today.

 

 

Scarecrow winners – secret scarecrow preview

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Here are the winners from the 2015 Scarecrow Competition (School Section) – the Gardening and Cooking Group from Archbishop Cranmer School, Aslockton. It’s two on the trot now for the group, who are notable for their imagination, recycling and attention to detail. Well done.

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Beach Scene from Archbishop Cranmer School

The youth group prize was taken by the 1st Barnstone Brownies with “Brownie’s Got Talent”. Again, good imagination, clever use of materials and and neat work. Congratulations.

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A singing Brownie showing her talent

However, in a barn far away, stands a secret scarecrow army awaiting the call…

Those of you with a sensitive disposition, or memories of Dr Syn, may like to turn away now.

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Can’t tell you what they’re for, or what they’re doing lurking in the twilight of a barn near me, but one day soon, all will be revealed.

 

 

 

 

 

Mushrooms, books and cookery

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It was a day for firsts yesterday (yes, I’ve slipped another day – fell asleep writing and decided to take the hint). It was the first time I’ve “planted” mushrooms, first time I’ve used chive flowers in a quiche, maybe even the first time I’ve admitted cooking quiche (I’ll have to look back and check that). And it was the first time I was able to be really critical in a book review.

The quiche thing sort of crept up on me, as I’m definitely of the Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche school of cookery.

Anyway – first the mushrooms. I bought two sorts of mushroom spawn – one for grey oyster mushrooms because they are supposed to be easy to grow and one for blewits  because they are a local delicacy. We will see.

I’m growing them on paperback books. The Art of Captaincy by Mike Brearley. I bought it on the basis that it was supposed to be about the psychology of leadership but it turned out to be about making decisions based on the amount of grass on a wicket. I’m sure it’s a great book for a cricket captain, but overall I was disappointed. I bought it cheap in a sale because it had a damaged cover so it seemed a good way to recycle it.

Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell was a mistake. I’ve given up reading her novels because I want puzzles and whodunnits not super-successful wooden characters and… Well if you like them you won’t read further and if you don’t like them you will know what I mean.  Growing mushrooms seemed a more fitting end than passing it on and perpetuating the series.

You soak the books in water, spread the spawn on pages about 50 pages apart and hold them together with elastic bands, Easier said than done with wet books and escaping mushroom spawn, I can tell you. They suggest 400 pages, so The Art of Captaincy was a bit short, though it hadn’t seemed like it when I read it. They are now bagged up and incubating in my desk drawer and will be refrigerated later. Ironic when you think about the way Scarpetta’s clients end up.  I will keep you in touch.

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The quiche was more of an immediate project – done in about 45 minutes from picking the herbs. We had smoked salmon left over from the weekend sandwich making so I bought two pastry cases, added torn up chive blossom, chopped fennel leaves and a splash of nutmeg and that was basically it. Four eggs and 300 ml of milk wasn’t quite enough for the filling but it was adequate. I will make a note next time. cook for 30 minutes at about 180 C in a fan oven.

I wanted to see if there was a way of ensuring a good decorative effect so I tried two methods of filling – one laying the chive blossom and fennel on the salmon and pouring  the egg mix on top.  In the second I mixed them in the egg and milk and poured it all in.

Results? No real difference. The salmon and fennel showed up OK but the chive flowers seemed to disappear.

Taste. Three tasters in total – two were happy and I thought the smoked salmon made it just a bit too salty. Seems to be a success, and as the salmon, chives and fennel were free it was quite economical. Picture below is a guide to quantities – I never remember to weigh and make notes.

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