Quite a lazy first part of the day but a hard-working afternoon. I did quite a bit of removal of accumulated compostable stuff which has built up in the conservatory and is annoying Gill, and the children helped me, just a little bit, with some hedge-stick-chopping. After I got tired of composting I switched to harvesting.
I picked all the rest of the pea beans, and took down all the spent vines. I picked the last winter squash plus a huge number of small 'tromboncino' squash which are very like courgettes. I'll use them in a meal tomorrow. I also picked two cauliflowers and a few stray broccoli spears. I steamed the cauli, broccoli and the youngest of the beans and had them with pizza and potatoes for tea. I'm so glad I've grown cauliflower as this is the first year I've done so and it's not that difficult. And fresh-cut cauli is so much better than even the big ones I buy in Country Fresh. I also picked some apples, they are quite small but will be excellent for drying on the woodstove.
So, spent some of the evening sorting through various vegetables and getting them ready for storage or eating. Also wrote to my MP Hugh Bayley about the meeting he and I attended on Saturday, and played some facebook Scrabble whilst Gill watched Emma on BBC1.
Showing posts with label preserving the harvest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preserving the harvest. Show all posts
Quite a quiet day... not much happened during the morning, but early in the afternoon I cycled into town to pay a bill and buy a copy of 'The Ecologist' which has been published and there's an article about CRAGs and a profile of me... but the bank was shut and the magazine hadn't been delivered yet, so a bit of a waste of time. So went to visit Dylan at Millers Yard and had a chat and brought back 3 sacks of compostable orange halves... so not a complete waste of time!
The boys had a visitor all day so all was peaceful and happy.
I spent some time harvesting beans which have been frosted and the pods needed picking and the beans taking out to dry. Also picked a load of nasturtium seeds and buds for washing and salting, and eventual pickling. ALSO sorted out the last load of pumpkin seeds and put them on newspaper for drying in front of the stove. So loads of produce all over the house.
The boys had a visitor all day so all was peaceful and happy.
I spent some time harvesting beans which have been frosted and the pods needed picking and the beans taking out to dry. Also picked a load of nasturtium seeds and buds for washing and salting, and eventual pickling. ALSO sorted out the last load of pumpkin seeds and put them on newspaper for drying in front of the stove. So loads of produce all over the house.
Woke to hear a rumpus downstairs, REST OF PARAGRAPH CENSORED
Anyway, he went to school and school rang to say he'd arrived. Phew! Gill went to an appointment. I lit the stove and did some of the washing up I didn't do last night as I was on the computer.... bad John :-(
The day got better. I saw there was a gap in the rain and I rang Joan who lives in Tang Hall/Heworth and had an apple tree fall, and one of her neighbours or friends suggested that I might be able to help her dispose of it. Joan was in and so I cycled my electric chainsaw and extension lead round to her house to cut up the trunk of the tree. She was very chatty and we spent as long talking as I spent actually cutting up the tree. I think she probably needs the company. She certainly likes my cycle trailer and seemed amazed about how much I can fit in it, ie all the chunks of tree trunk, several branches, the extension lead AND chainsaw.
When I came home I kept the chainsaw out and did a bit of tidying in the front, dealing with a pile of Leylandii trunks which came from a neighbour I lent my loppers to. Whilst doing this I was thinking of quiz questions for next week's York in Transition quiz. Also, a friendly neighbour, Paddy, asked me if I could help him recycle or dispose of two old bicycles which have been in his garage for a while. I told him I could take them to Bikerescue down on Terry Avenue, they would reuse and refurbish what they could and then re-sell the finished bikes. This is a fab scheme as it keeps bicycles out of landfill (well, some bikes!) and out of metal skips, which although better than landfill, isn't as sustainable as repair and re-use. So I loaded my trailer with two bikes and five spare wheels(!) and took them to Bikerescue, who were pleased to see me with such a full trailer. Apparently there is a bit of a dip in the number of bikes coming to them and they need as many as possible to keep their volunteer bike repairers busy! See here for some good photos of what Bernie and Andy are doing...
On the way back I saw the door was open on my friend Anne's houseboat... and she was just putting a 'For Sale' notice on it! What a pity, they've lived there for 11 years but they aren't really near enough to their child's school and are going to become landlubbers again. So if you want to buy a static houseboat, for £150,000 and annual ground-rent (water rent?) of £5,000, in the centre of York, then contact me and I'll pass you her details or yours to her!
Got home in time to go and pick up our youngest son from school.
This morning's difficulties were put far behind us and we had a good evening. Opened one of the jars of pickled walnuts and had some of these with a bulgar wheat-based tea. I'm not that impressed with them... perhaps I've used the wrong vinegar. I'll try the other jar soon which has a different vinegar preserving them.
Anyway, he went to school and school rang to say he'd arrived. Phew! Gill went to an appointment. I lit the stove and did some of the washing up I didn't do last night as I was on the computer.... bad John :-(
The day got better. I saw there was a gap in the rain and I rang Joan who lives in Tang Hall/Heworth and had an apple tree fall, and one of her neighbours or friends suggested that I might be able to help her dispose of it. Joan was in and so I cycled my electric chainsaw and extension lead round to her house to cut up the trunk of the tree. She was very chatty and we spent as long talking as I spent actually cutting up the tree. I think she probably needs the company. She certainly likes my cycle trailer and seemed amazed about how much I can fit in it, ie all the chunks of tree trunk, several branches, the extension lead AND chainsaw.
When I came home I kept the chainsaw out and did a bit of tidying in the front, dealing with a pile of Leylandii trunks which came from a neighbour I lent my loppers to. Whilst doing this I was thinking of quiz questions for next week's York in Transition quiz. Also, a friendly neighbour, Paddy, asked me if I could help him recycle or dispose of two old bicycles which have been in his garage for a while. I told him I could take them to Bikerescue down on Terry Avenue, they would reuse and refurbish what they could and then re-sell the finished bikes. This is a fab scheme as it keeps bicycles out of landfill (well, some bikes!) and out of metal skips, which although better than landfill, isn't as sustainable as repair and re-use. So I loaded my trailer with two bikes and five spare wheels(!) and took them to Bikerescue, who were pleased to see me with such a full trailer. Apparently there is a bit of a dip in the number of bikes coming to them and they need as many as possible to keep their volunteer bike repairers busy! See here for some good photos of what Bernie and Andy are doing...
On the way back I saw the door was open on my friend Anne's houseboat... and she was just putting a 'For Sale' notice on it! What a pity, they've lived there for 11 years but they aren't really near enough to their child's school and are going to become landlubbers again. So if you want to buy a static houseboat, for £150,000 and annual ground-rent (water rent?) of £5,000, in the centre of York, then contact me and I'll pass you her details or yours to her!
Got home in time to go and pick up our youngest son from school.
This morning's difficulties were put far behind us and we had a good evening. Opened one of the jars of pickled walnuts and had some of these with a bulgar wheat-based tea. I'm not that impressed with them... perhaps I've used the wrong vinegar. I'll try the other jar soon which has a different vinegar preserving them.
A slow start to the day but at 9.30 the Everest door surveyor came to look at our front door which has been playing up and not closing very well, or being difficult to open from outside. He thinks it is now sorted! He was interested in our logburners and we chatted for a bit about fireplace efficiency, chimney linings etc etc.
One of the boys' friends came round to play, so they went upstairs and were very quiet for a bit... I did some emailing re York Green Festival and then got dressed.
A happy day... picked plums from our old plum tree with assistance from our youngest son (whilst Gill and t'other were in town getting yet more uniform) and then stacked sticks, again with some help from our youngest... who by his good behaviour earned a little bit of pocket money.
I popped down to Country Fresh and was shocked that because of the Green Festival, they'll be shut on Sunday! Richard is the drummer in The Falling Spikes and will be enjoying the festy... and as the other staff member won't work weekends, the shop will be shut. I picked up three boxes of gunk for composting and some broccoli for eating.
During the evening we all watched 'Wainwright's Walks on telly, as it was Helvellyn and Striding Edge, my favourite Lake District walk. I did this with my bone surgeon Roger Austin when I was a teenager... he mended my smashed elbow and became a friend (also he worked with my Dad who was an anaesthetist)
When the boys were in bed we had a game of Scrabble and Gill won by 6 points! I cut up and peeled some of the plums, mainly ones which had some rotten bits (which I cut off!) and placed them on the fruit-drying rack on top of the stove. These then turn into one of the best dried fruits, a kind of prune, minus stone, and wonderfully chewy and sweet. One of my favourites!
One of the boys' friends came round to play, so they went upstairs and were very quiet for a bit... I did some emailing re York Green Festival and then got dressed.
A happy day... picked plums from our old plum tree with assistance from our youngest son (whilst Gill and t'other were in town getting yet more uniform) and then stacked sticks, again with some help from our youngest... who by his good behaviour earned a little bit of pocket money.
I popped down to Country Fresh and was shocked that because of the Green Festival, they'll be shut on Sunday! Richard is the drummer in The Falling Spikes and will be enjoying the festy... and as the other staff member won't work weekends, the shop will be shut. I picked up three boxes of gunk for composting and some broccoli for eating.
During the evening we all watched 'Wainwright's Walks on telly, as it was Helvellyn and Striding Edge, my favourite Lake District walk. I did this with my bone surgeon Roger Austin when I was a teenager... he mended my smashed elbow and became a friend (also he worked with my Dad who was an anaesthetist)
When the boys were in bed we had a game of Scrabble and Gill won by 6 points! I cut up and peeled some of the plums, mainly ones which had some rotten bits (which I cut off!) and placed them on the fruit-drying rack on top of the stove. These then turn into one of the best dried fruits, a kind of prune, minus stone, and wonderfully chewy and sweet. One of my favourites!
Another lie-in, til 9, then got up as today have to go to the allotment to speak to Frank about a compost toilet at the lottie, he's looking for a design.
Our 13 pots of jam have not set, which means that we cannot give any away, although it tastes lovely, it needs to be spooned out.
However, didn't do much til after lunch when I went via Martin's compost collection, and when I got to the lottie, Frank wasn't there, he'd already gone... this is the second time I've missed him.
However, did some bramble pruning and nettle pulling, a good layer for the compost heap, and put the fruit and veg on top of this. Then planted 9 rows of tiny leek seedlings, where the spuds came out of last week. Then cut more bramble, the stuff which is encroaching the allotment, and pulled nettles which are encroaching the path, and put this on top of the chopped fruit and veg layer. Picked a tray of blackberries for making blackberry and apple leather. This is a guaranteed way of preserving the harvest.
When I got back I made some flagolet bean and red pepper spread, the beans were out of date from Out Of This World, and I soaked the whole packet and cooked them over a couple of days on top of the stove. Whizzed them with the hand-held blender with a waste pepper and home-grown onions. Added some flavours, herbs, soy sauce, bouillon powder and home made paprika from last year, makes a beautiful spread, four pots worth, will freeze them.
Home to have an unusual tea, a Tesco's veg pie which was given to us, not sure why, but they were taking up space in the freezer, so they went in the oven and we had home grown potatoes and broccoli, plus the soup from yesterday which I whizzed so it was less of a stew and more of a soup. Lovely tea. Watched telly all together whilst eating, then the boys went to bed early as we've got a visitor at 8.30, for a game of Scrabble.
Will came at the appointed time, and we soon had a game of superscrabble underway. Will is not a particularly competitive player, infact he introduced us to co-operative scrabble, where the aim of the game is to make the highest combined score, the individual scores are not important. However tonight we didn't play co-operatively, as we are used to playing to win. We didn't finish the game, we stopped at 11.15pm and Gill had got the highest score. The main thing is that we all enjoyed the game and each others company. Will is good at conversation and has a creative mind, he's always entertaining and interesting. It was Will who suggested that I should write a blog... his is at http://mathsdancer.blogspot.com . I don't understand all that Will writes about, or nessessarily agree, but one doesn't have to agree with everything someone says to like them or even love them.
An excellent evening, also made some blackberry and apple leather.
Our 13 pots of jam have not set, which means that we cannot give any away, although it tastes lovely, it needs to be spooned out.
However, didn't do much til after lunch when I went via Martin's compost collection, and when I got to the lottie, Frank wasn't there, he'd already gone... this is the second time I've missed him.
However, did some bramble pruning and nettle pulling, a good layer for the compost heap, and put the fruit and veg on top of this. Then planted 9 rows of tiny leek seedlings, where the spuds came out of last week. Then cut more bramble, the stuff which is encroaching the allotment, and pulled nettles which are encroaching the path, and put this on top of the chopped fruit and veg layer. Picked a tray of blackberries for making blackberry and apple leather. This is a guaranteed way of preserving the harvest.
When I got back I made some flagolet bean and red pepper spread, the beans were out of date from Out Of This World, and I soaked the whole packet and cooked them over a couple of days on top of the stove. Whizzed them with the hand-held blender with a waste pepper and home-grown onions. Added some flavours, herbs, soy sauce, bouillon powder and home made paprika from last year, makes a beautiful spread, four pots worth, will freeze them.
Home to have an unusual tea, a Tesco's veg pie which was given to us, not sure why, but they were taking up space in the freezer, so they went in the oven and we had home grown potatoes and broccoli, plus the soup from yesterday which I whizzed so it was less of a stew and more of a soup. Lovely tea. Watched telly all together whilst eating, then the boys went to bed early as we've got a visitor at 8.30, for a game of Scrabble.
Will came at the appointed time, and we soon had a game of superscrabble underway. Will is not a particularly competitive player, infact he introduced us to co-operative scrabble, where the aim of the game is to make the highest combined score, the individual scores are not important. However tonight we didn't play co-operatively, as we are used to playing to win. We didn't finish the game, we stopped at 11.15pm and Gill had got the highest score. The main thing is that we all enjoyed the game and each others company. Will is good at conversation and has a creative mind, he's always entertaining and interesting. It was Will who suggested that I should write a blog... his is at http://mathsdancer.blogspot.com . I don't understand all that Will writes about, or nessessarily agree, but one doesn't have to agree with everything someone says to like them or even love them.
An excellent evening, also made some blackberry and apple leather.
