TARRAGON & THYME

I treated myself to a couple of Fig trees to replace the ones I lost four years ago. These are a birthday present to myself. My birthday is at the end of this week and the plants are due on my next delivery from Rocket Gardens. I am therefore hoping to receive them in the next few days or so; fingers crossed and toes plaited. I had those original trees for about five years or more and loved picking the fresh fruit from them. So here we go again. The Plants are ordered, now have to nurture them to bring them on so that they are a size where a harvest can be achieved and I will be able to enjoy them to the fullest. I love cooking with fresh figs. The same as I love growing Raspberries. They are on my wish list. At the moment I cannot see enough room in my garden to grow these. We used to have them when the jungle was a garden. However that is not feasible at the moment. There is nothing lovelier to my mind than to be able to go into the garden and harvest fresh from the plants Ra...

Well today I got into the Pantry at long last and work is progressing slowly but nicely.  Thanks to me organising a lot of stuff yesterday it has made things a bit easier although I am not complete as I had hoped to be.  The shelves are certainly looking a lot tidier.  I have been washing everything down thoroughly tackling each shelf as I go.  Also getting stuff out of the boxes outside onto the shelves or their designated containers in the Pantry.  I will therefore be working into the evening again, but Law and Order is starting to be reclaimed in said Pantry.   I have decided that as I have a lot of baking bits and bobs ingredients included that I am going to have a designated poly box (for baking items only i.e. SR flour, plain flour etc) as well as desiccated coconut, ground almonds, things like that.  I also have a separate smaller box designated for bags of bread flour which are in zip lock bags to prevent any accidents on the flour front a...

 Just did not materialise at all today.  Something to do with a Jack Russell!  Need I say more.  My back was also bad last night and I used the spray on my back for the first time in over a year.  I slept well, and despite the discomfort I had last night when getting ready for bed and all the bending I had been doing, I woke  up this morning with no aches and pains there, which for me is a result.  It means I can get on with everyday things at least without discomfort.  That is a win-win. G went off fishing and left me at home, with said Missy the Jack Russell and Mischief the Cat.  I ended up falling asleep and was woken by her wanting to get up.  So  I dealt with her and then looked at the clock!  Arghh! Since then she has been vocalising quite a bit especially if I have gone to get something and disappear from her vision.  We have had a few howling sessions as a result.  Mischief has been checking on the howler eve...

I was up early this morning and went down to my greenhouse to open it up and see how the plants have fared overnight.  Things were just starting to warm up a bit but not hot enough to cook the plants.  I therefore left the door down but unzipped to let a bit of air in. We went to B & Q first thing to get some compost and came back with 2 x 100 litre bags for £11.50.  B & Q's own brand.  I shall order more on line as we have realised we cannot manhandle things like we used to, and so I will order in a delivery of compost for later in the week. We had a quick sashay around the plant section - nowhere else and hopefully will be going back sometime during the week as there are one or two things I would quite like.  It is also my birthday next Saturday and I am hopeful I will be able to buy a plant or two around then in any event.  I did have a snout at the Fruit trees though.  Saw about four that I could happily bring home with me. I have come back...

When I first started writing this post it was a wet and dreary day here in Peterborough and it was damp and very chilly.   It was a day to finally pull all the pieces of the garden together that I have arranged for so far; on paper at least so that I can see my plan slowly come together. I am waiting for various deliveries of plants from Rocket Gardens UK.  I have already had deliveries from Waitrose and a partial delivery from Organic Gardening.  In the interim I am trying to sort the garden a bit more and also get the greenhouses/growing houses better sorted.  They need to be moved from where they are in the garden but at least the plants are under cover or will be when it is sorted.   For this year I have chosen in any event to order some plants in, and others I will grow myself from seed.  Next year will be different and I will do more of the seed sowing myself as I will be better set up and organised and will hopefully have a heated propagato...

Tuesday Evening after tea I started pottering about a bit as you do, when you are enjoying being in the kitchen and prepping all sorts of things.  I nipped to the shop earlier on and managed to get three trays of fresh Raspberries for £1.25 per punnet.  I came away with three.  Two have made it into a 1 litre jar together with a bottle of vodka and a minimal amount of sugar.  That has started off the Raspberry vodka for this Christmas.  Just needs a little time.   Will probably make some jam with the Raspberries that are left or freeze them and use in a pudding later nearer Christmas.    The remaining Raspberries  (one tray is reserved for my breakfasts for a couple of days) on top of some cereal.  Oh to have my own Raspberries in the garden again. I also came back with a load of herbs, four packets of mint, 4 packets of chillies (the long ones so I think I am going to dry these for my pickled onions and pickled shallots later in th...

Monday We have had a full on day predominantly of constant rain.  It will do the earth good, but after all the recent warmer weather being damp comes as a bit of a shock. Cooked G his breakfast he went for a toasted bacon sarnie this morning I have spent time working in the kitchen working away at individual projects, not focusing on bigger projects at the moment.  Washing up done, and the emptying of various vegetable bags which has created more space. Fridge has been finished off and sorted out a little bit more. I have started off on the preserving front Strawberry top vinegar.  I hate waste of any type and am therefore making a little vinegar for topping off a salad.  There is a link here on how to make it :  Strawberry Top Vinegar and a Lime Cheong which I keep in the fridge after fermenting and then use for drinks.  It is very refreshing especially during the Summer months.    I finished prepping off the vegetables for Piccalilli - in the e...

Just another pottering day here.  Weather has been gorgeous.  Have got my herbs outside in readiness for potting up and sorted out suitable pots.  They just need a good wash down and they will be done later this evening in readiness for planting up tomorrow. It will be a gentle start and I aim to build on this and am going to try and get up to garden early and then come in and deal with the house.  I do not want any more charity shop visits for a day or two. For the best part I have been in the kitchen carrying on with the tidying and sorting out.  Slow progress.  At the moment I am having a sit down as I am washing the cooker and have left the top to soak for a little while before cleaning it down and then getting tea on. We have a Prawn Cocktail each for starters this evening and for the mains we have a lovely small piece of Lamb (the saddle) for tea.  I am going to serve with petit pois, cauliflower, carrots, Asparagus, Broccoli and new potatoes wit...