Saturday 4 July 2020

Nearly Normal Times? A Saturday Round Up.

A busier week  compared to the last 15, lunch at Son and Dil's, a shopping trip, a visit from the youngest two grandchildren - I also went to see Youngest Daughter and oldest Granddaughter - luckily I remembered the way to the coast after all these weeks!
Another job done was a batch of Lemon and Grapefruit Marmalade using a tin of prepared Lemon Home Cook Marmalade and a tin of grapefruit in juice. This makes a really tangy marmalade - I think it's my favourite.
Plus at last the front and side hedges are finished. I don't do the bit right at the end of the garden, it's more trees than hedge (and the extension lead won't reach that far) and I certainly can't do the huge hedge between me and the field. For one thing its just too high and for another it's where all the hedge sparrows live- it's a much thicker and denser Hawthorn hedge - than all the rest. It also doesn't have loads of brambles sticking out so I can get close enough to mow along the bottom.


 Added to the food produced list this week were the first beetroot  - small but perfectly formed.
and a couple of pound of redcurrants - these went in the freezer - waiting for apples and I'll make redcurrant and apple jelly for me and for the Christmas Hampers. I made Redcurrant and Rosemary Jelly last year so want to do something different.


 I also picked the first mange-tout peas which went into a stir-fry and then more to put in the freezer after a quick blanche. There won't be many to freeze but a few is better than nothing.


Now the question of the day  -Shall I go and look round the first car-boot sale tomorrow? It's the local small one rather than the Huge Needham Market boot sale which has been cancelled for the rest of the year.  I've read the website about strict arrival times for sellers and buyers and how they will have spaced the cars and put tapes up to make a one-way route for people buying - that's all fine but I have a feeling it will be crazy busy.


The updated food from home list (produced since March)

  • 9 small lettuces (I now have a gap because the next sowing took ages to get going)
  • Rocket and small beetroot leaves
  • 6 Cucumbers - and 8 more given away
  • a few asparagus spears
  • lots of rhubarb
  • A surprising amount of strawberries from 6 new plants.
  • 3lb of gooseberries
  • Lots of raspberries and 3lb put in the freezer
  • Several courgettes.
  • Few new potatoes 
  • First tomatoes from greenhouse
  • First Aubergines
  • 2lb Redcurrants 
  • Beetroot
  • Few mange-tout peas

This week I'm grateful for

  1. A visit from Eldest Daughter and Eldest Grandson has been arranged
  2. More delicious raspberries
  3. Rain for the garden
  4. More good books
Have a good weekend - enjoy your first pub visit since March - if that's your thing!
Back Monday
Sue 

16 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, all those cucumbers - I wish I lived nearer - I could help you eat them!! Your garden is very productive.

    My daughter's first early potatoes are being harvested and eaten. Plus some of the Shiraz mange-tout, but our dwarf French beans have been nobbled and may never recover! Despite being in a big planter . . .

    I have picked my goosegogs now and they are in the freezer - about 5 lb in all, but I'm the only one that eats them so didn't need more. Two bushes of blackcurrants picked too - a similar amount to goosegogs - and a couple more to be picked. Raspberries too - delightful with icecream this week. We are in for bumper harvests of apples and pears too, come autumn.

    How lovely to see family. We are planning to meet up with our son in town tomorrow - haven't seen him since before lockdown started.

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  2. I harvested my rhubarb 3weeks ago (the edible product in the back garden) and Rosie was excited yesterday to see that more big leaves had grown again. We are also growing cress from the M&S Little Garden giveaway. It will be a long time before I can match your output. The Marmalade sounds delicious. Enjoy the boot fair, if you go - it's very grey and cloudy here this morning

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  3. Lovely harvest from your garden.
    I hope you can go to the car boot and find some interesting things.
    A friend has given me a subscription to Woman Weekly but I cannot read it oroperly and have now decided to bundle them into little lots and drop them into the bus shelter every time I have a walk. I have over 2 years worth and was pleased to see the first bundle went while I was out.
    Pleased you got to see the family.
    Have a nice weekend Sue.
    Hazel c uk ������

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  4. Can't go wrong with good wholesome homegrown fruit and vegetables, not forgetting the salad stuff. It's good that you have plans for it all so that it doesn't go to waste, not that you would allow that.
    Family are everything and to see them grow and become their own little characters is wonderful.
    If you do decide to go to a car boot sale I will be interested to see what bargains you find.
    Not my thing at all as I don't drink, but I will own up to visiting pubs for a meal.

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  5. It must have been so lovely to see your family again and I suspect they would have been just as thrilled to see you.
    Your garden has been very productive already this year. I'm hoping to harvest some beetroot in the next few weeks.
    Enjoy your weekend. X

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  6. If the car boot is local you could go and have a look, then decide whether to go in or not, depending on how safe you think you will be. Lots of people clamouring around a table would be enough to put me off, but if people were being sensible I would give it a try. I haven't seen any notifications about our local car boots starting up again.

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  7. No boot sales in our area yet but I think they would be manic at the moment anyway. I won't be visiting a pub yet it's too risky. I'll let things settle down first.
    Your produce is brilliant. Doesn't home grown taste so much better
    We haven't been able to visit our DD and GC yet and I've really missed them. Video calls are not the same are they.
    Have a great weekend whatever you decide to do.

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  8. You sound as though you are keeping busy Sue. I envy you that first beetroot - I could live on it. Have a good week end.

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  9. How nice you could see the grandkids this week. I'm looking forward to that in 2 weeks when we move to their state.

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  10. Try red-currant and raspberry jam. It has a truly jewel-like appearance (and it's tasty according to F). Be a devil, go to the boot sale, it you don't like the atmosphere you can always leave. Nothing ventured .....

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  11. Be careful - here in the US we are setting daily records for most new COVID cases - too many people out and about and not being careful anymore. I don't think bars are safe at all - can't social distance and can't wear a mask while you are drinking! I will be staying home and staying safe.

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  12. You have had a busy week! How wonderful that you were able to see some family. Your list of food grown is increasing weekly. It is also beginning to make me hungry. There is nothing like fresh, home grown produce. Have a good weekend!

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  13. Great harvest from all your hard work Sue and great to have visitors, it is like back to normal.

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  14. It will be a while before we can harvest beetroot - much colder here but hope it looks as good as yours. If you enjoy bootsales then go - just stay safe. I am missing the open gardens but if they were to open I expect they would attract crowds of people that they would then not be able to manage very well.

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  15. Fab tip about the Home Cook lemon marmalade thanks. I love it and Mamade used to do one, but haven't seen it for years so have only been making orange. I shall invest in a tin. Arilx

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