Saturday, 31 May 2008
Gardening tips
The broad beans and the courgettes - both of which came from seed packets I'd been hording for years, have failed to show. So in their place I've planted cucumber. If they come through we'll have an almighty glut of cucumbers - great news cos I love me gherkins (and the dill is coming on strong). If I was really clever I could try making my own malt vinegar - mmmmmm there's a challenge.
It looks as though we'll have plenty of lettuce in a few weeks and the spinach is being equally prolific. The cabbages, carrots and sprouts are looking promising for the winter cropping.
The onions look OK - but something is eating their tops. What eats onions in preference to all the succulent shoots growing around them?
We have a gooseberry bush - and it's fruits are plumbing up nicely and the current bushes will have something of a crop - though they have long been neglected and have suffered through lack of pruning. (The currants here are electric - sorry).
And then there's the continuing supply of rhubarb. But the stems are getting thinner so I think it may be coming to an end, which should help reduce our toilet roll consumption. Incidentally, if ever you're in Germany I recommend that you buy toilet roll - not because it is much cheaper than it is here (which it is) - but because you can get bog roll with all sorts of designs and messages stamped into it. It's gloriously cheesy - way outstrips the Eurovision song contest for entertainment value.
Meanwhile we've started collecting coffee grinds. Allegedly they will protect plants from slugs and snails. I put the first weeks collection down this morning and a quick estimate revealed that the garden should be fully slug proof by October 18th.
It looks as though we'll have plenty of lettuce in a few weeks and the spinach is being equally prolific. The cabbages, carrots and sprouts are looking promising for the winter cropping.
The onions look OK - but something is eating their tops. What eats onions in preference to all the succulent shoots growing around them?
We have a gooseberry bush - and it's fruits are plumbing up nicely and the current bushes will have something of a crop - though they have long been neglected and have suffered through lack of pruning. (The currants here are electric - sorry).
And then there's the continuing supply of rhubarb. But the stems are getting thinner so I think it may be coming to an end, which should help reduce our toilet roll consumption. Incidentally, if ever you're in Germany I recommend that you buy toilet roll - not because it is much cheaper than it is here (which it is) - but because you can get bog roll with all sorts of designs and messages stamped into it. It's gloriously cheesy - way outstrips the Eurovision song contest for entertainment value.
Meanwhile we've started collecting coffee grinds. Allegedly they will protect plants from slugs and snails. I put the first weeks collection down this morning and a quick estimate revealed that the garden should be fully slug proof by October 18th.
Bon Appetit
It's always heartwarming I think to see people and animals tuck in to their food. The cats were very hungry this morning and Ailsa devoured her breakfast with great gusto.
I went up to the garden. The har was still hanging around so it was still, warm and humid. Perfect conditions for the midge. They are here. Aaargh.
Before we moved we knew the midge would be a threat. We took solace in the fact that everytime we visited this place there was a howling gale keeping the midges down. But it's not always windy here. And when the weather is as perfect for them as it is today they come out in force.
Not that it is as bad as I've experienced elsewhere - but it was bad enough - and it is only the first day of them biting - there'll be worse to come.
I went up to the garden. The har was still hanging around so it was still, warm and humid. Perfect conditions for the midge. They are here. Aaargh.
Before we moved we knew the midge would be a threat. We took solace in the fact that everytime we visited this place there was a howling gale keeping the midges down. But it's not always windy here. And when the weather is as perfect for them as it is today they come out in force.
Not that it is as bad as I've experienced elsewhere - but it was bad enough - and it is only the first day of them biting - there'll be worse to come.
Har Har
It says something about the stillness of the weather today that we had a har this morning. It's still hanging around a bit. It was a good thick one first thing - I love that stillness that fog brings to the world.
Friday night 5
Pedi
has asked me to get a piccy of a haggis and cheese panini - so I asked around in the pub as to where I could find one - no-one could offer anything helpful - other than they'd make one up at the pub if I asked - but this feels like cheating. It did open up one of those 'great things I've done with a haggis' conversations though (please don't try claiming you've never had a 'great things I've done with haggis' conversation). The two that stick in my memory are haggis soup and haggis lasagne.
Haggis Soup
Apparently this soup, a creation of one of the pub regulars, once made it to the specials board of a pub in Finchley. The recipe is as follows - make a lentil soup. Add haggis. Serve. It sounds OK to me - could be one to try on those eternal winter nights.
Haggis Lasagne
This is stated to be good, if you and half of your street are incredibly hungry - like not eaten for two or three months. The recipe: Make lasagne, only use haggis instead of meat sauce.
Quite a lot of the men work offshore, normally 2 weeks on 2 weeks off, or even further afield. There was a guy there last night who'd been in Poland for a couple of months or more and was just back. He was depressed when he learned we had glorious weather in May - "That just means the rest of the summer will be rained off."
Great.
has asked me to get a piccy of a haggis and cheese panini - so I asked around in the pub as to where I could find one - no-one could offer anything helpful - other than they'd make one up at the pub if I asked - but this feels like cheating. It did open up one of those 'great things I've done with a haggis' conversations though (please don't try claiming you've never had a 'great things I've done with haggis' conversation). The two that stick in my memory are haggis soup and haggis lasagne.
Haggis Soup
Apparently this soup, a creation of one of the pub regulars, once made it to the specials board of a pub in Finchley. The recipe is as follows - make a lentil soup. Add haggis. Serve. It sounds OK to me - could be one to try on those eternal winter nights.
Haggis Lasagne
This is stated to be good, if you and half of your street are incredibly hungry - like not eaten for two or three months. The recipe: Make lasagne, only use haggis instead of meat sauce.
Quite a lot of the men work offshore, normally 2 weeks on 2 weeks off, or even further afield. There was a guy there last night who'd been in Poland for a couple of months or more and was just back. He was depressed when he learned we had glorious weather in May - "That just means the rest of the summer will be rained off."
Great.
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Almost home alone
Jussi has gone off on her travels again. This time to see her sister and to go on a cheese making course. Apparently she'll be returning with cheese she's made. Oooh.
But she's taken the camera - so this blog might be a bit wordy for a bit.
Ailsa is off school today on account of a largely imaginary cold. But I'm OK with this. She's banished to her room to do her homework and write long promised letters. So far I dont think she's got much further than reading her vast collection of The Beano.
But she's taken the camera - so this blog might be a bit wordy for a bit.
Ailsa is off school today on account of a largely imaginary cold. But I'm OK with this. She's banished to her room to do her homework and write long promised letters. So far I dont think she's got much further than reading her vast collection of The Beano.
Rights of passage
Wort has grown into a man! This morning I syphoned him off into the barrel. Siphoning is fun - I mean you get several free mouthfuls before you can be sure the syphon is working. And hey! Wort is now beer.
Actually, given the bubbles I watched rising from the fermentation bucket as I was syphoning it out, I think maybe Wort has been casked prematurely. But no matter. The beer is now in a cask with about 150g of unrefined molasses for secondary fermentation. If I've casked it too early the worst that'll happen is I'll get excessively gassy beer, or maybe an exploding cask.
It's so exciting! The beer is meant to wait until midsummer, when we are hoping for visitors. Well maybe I'll be able to save some for that long - but five gallons isn't much in three weeks really is it?
Actually, given the bubbles I watched rising from the fermentation bucket as I was syphoning it out, I think maybe Wort has been casked prematurely. But no matter. The beer is now in a cask with about 150g of unrefined molasses for secondary fermentation. If I've casked it too early the worst that'll happen is I'll get excessively gassy beer, or maybe an exploding cask.
It's so exciting! The beer is meant to wait until midsummer, when we are hoping for visitors. Well maybe I'll be able to save some for that long - but five gallons isn't much in three weeks really is it?
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Censorship
I've been amusing myself visiting anti-climate change websites and leaving little messages supporting the notion that it exists. This lead me to here.
I didn't read the full article, but some of us have been suggesting we need things like this for fifteen years or more. But I did read the comments - some of which were looking divinely rabid. So I added my comment thus : "Seems like a good idea to me - fair and necessary". And guess what? - the comment has been 'moderated' out! Good to see the British press has such high standards supporting open debate.
I didn't read the full article, but some of us have been suggesting we need things like this for fifteen years or more. But I did read the comments - some of which were looking divinely rabid. So I added my comment thus : "Seems like a good idea to me - fair and necessary". And guess what? - the comment has been 'moderated' out! Good to see the British press has such high standards supporting open debate.
Youthfulness
It's nice when people talk to you innit? I mean like people at supermarket check-outs. People always have a few words for you up here, even if it's just a "How are you today". But the lad in Lidl excelled himself today, he scanned the first item and passed it to me saying "There you go dude."
Dude! Me? - 47 years old? I mean I like to think of myself as hip and all that - if only to exact maximum embarrassment value for Ailsa but really. He then started discussing vegetarianism with me.
Quietly pleased I am. How sad is that?
Dude! Me? - 47 years old? I mean I like to think of myself as hip and all that - if only to exact maximum embarrassment value for Ailsa but really. He then started discussing vegetarianism with me.
Quietly pleased I am. How sad is that?
Civilisation
There are several indicators of civilisation. Running a sports day in driving rain may not be one of them, but panini is. Crusty Italian rolls - like white bread should be. Sitting in a pool of water (on account of the plastic chairs, which despite emptying and wiping down before first sitting on them, refilled with alarming speed) I overheard the following conversation:
Mum 1 : "Cor I'm stuffed"
Mum 2 : "Had a big lunch did you?"
Mum 1 : " Yeah I had a lovely haggis and cheese panini"
Mum 3 : "That sounds really nice"
Chorus of approval from all three mums.
Mum 1 : "Cor I'm stuffed"
Mum 2 : "Had a big lunch did you?"
Mum 1 : " Yeah I had a lovely haggis and cheese panini"
Mum 3 : "That sounds really nice"
Chorus of approval from all three mums.
Rain
Rain! The first wetting we've had since the blizzards when we arrived at the beginning of April. A happy thing for the garden (and me cos it saves me watering), but not so happy for the school sports day. Crikey they aint half hardy up here, driving rain, howling winds and still the egg and spoon went on. They even did a tunnel race - this is basically crawling around in the sodden grass for 50 yards. They'd have cancelled it in Dunbar for sure, but not here, no sirree.
Ailsa, who has been struggling with a wee sniffle - gave up after two races complaining she was unwell. I was torn between my loving sympathetic dad and my inner physical education teacher bully dad. I'm afraid the latter won out but I'm feeling guilty now so sympathetic dad will win the day.
Ailsa, who has been struggling with a wee sniffle - gave up after two races complaining she was unwell. I was torn between my loving sympathetic dad and my inner physical education teacher bully dad. I'm afraid the latter won out but I'm feeling guilty now so sympathetic dad will win the day.
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Simon's Rhubarb "Crumble"
I'm not one for recipes - but here is a rhubarb crumble Jussi and Ailsa seem to like a lot.
- a good lot of rhubarb (8 thin sticks?)
- 2 large oranges
- a good lot of oats (200g?)
- 75g butter (1/4 block)
- a good pinch of salt
- enough sugar
put chopped rhubarb in juice of 1 orange with some sugar. Give it a short stew.
Put oats in a bowl, add diced butter, add juice of 1 orange, add enough sugar and salt. Squeeze it all up. It should be thick and clarty but not stick to your hands.
Put the crumble over the rhubarb mix and bake at 175C for 1/2 hour. Then grill for 10 mins to brown the top.
Let it cool a bit and eat with creme fraiche.
- 2 large oranges
- a good lot of oats (200g?)
- 75g butter (1/4 block)
- a good pinch of salt
- enough sugar
put chopped rhubarb in juice of 1 orange with some sugar. Give it a short stew.
Put oats in a bowl, add diced butter, add juice of 1 orange, add enough sugar and salt. Squeeze it all up. It should be thick and clarty but not stick to your hands.
Put the crumble over the rhubarb mix and bake at 175C for 1/2 hour. Then grill for 10 mins to brown the top.
Let it cool a bit and eat with creme fraiche.
Lizard Cage
On a previous post I mentioned that I was reading the Lizard Cage and thoroughly enjoying it (although 'enjoy' isn't quite the right word). Jussi was perturbed that I should read a book about such a depressing subject (it is about a man in solitary confinement) as soon as we moved here.
But now, I'm happy to report that Jussi - who reads far more books than I do, also rates the book very highly. So git yersen to a library and read it. And reflect on what's happening now in Burma as you do so.
End of sermon.
On the other hand I'm now trying to read Darkmans by Nicola Barker. I can see it's very clever, and quite amusing, but I'm just finding its literary skittishness and leaps of imagination boring. I've put it down and will try to return to it another time when perhaps I'll be more in tune with its trickery.
But now, I'm happy to report that Jussi - who reads far more books than I do, also rates the book very highly. So git yersen to a library and read it. And reflect on what's happening now in Burma as you do so.
End of sermon.
On the other hand I'm now trying to read Darkmans by Nicola Barker. I can see it's very clever, and quite amusing, but I'm just finding its literary skittishness and leaps of imagination boring. I've put it down and will try to return to it another time when perhaps I'll be more in tune with its trickery.
Wort
14C this morning. We are a week into his bubbling - he's definitely slowing down - and I need to start thinking about putting him into a barrel.
Wort is added to common English plant names - usually in relation to medicinal plants - so bladderwort may have been believed to assist bladder ailments. (What use Butterwort?). The word wort is of proto germanic origin meaning plant or herb (in Old Saxon it was wurt). This perhaps suggests that our ancient plant lore came with the Anglo-Saxons with little of this wisdom arriving with the Normans. (but then 'herb' comes from the old french, so maybe not). Presumably the Celtic wisdom had long since been obliterated. I can't think of a synonym for plant or herb that might have Celtic, or pre-norse/anglo-saxon, roots.
Wort is also thought to have origins in 'root' - (Gothic = Waurt = root). So why is wort applied to the liquor we use to brew beer? The nearest I can get to is that it's mashed plants. Mash is the precursor of wort in the brewing process and it seems this stage may have originally been called Mash Wort, and presumably the modern distinction was a subtlety that arose later.
Etymologists might want to play here. Unfortunately my OED etymology is in store so I can't cross reference what this website is saying (and I know there have been conflicts between this site and the OED book on words I've looked up before).
In the 19th century root was slang for penis. Norse ships used different woods, and different parts of trees - including roots - for different parts of the ship. Such was their understanding of the material properties of things they had around them.
My understanding of such materials amounts to, for example WOOD, usually burns and sometimes sticks together with the help of a nail or thirty. I seem to remember ash is good for making bows, and willow bark can cure headaches.
(That reference to ash is a bad but quite clever pun, as both ash and bows have two meanings. Just how bad the pun is is illustrated by the fact that I have to explain it to you).
Wort is added to common English plant names - usually in relation to medicinal plants - so bladderwort may have been believed to assist bladder ailments. (What use Butterwort?). The word wort is of proto germanic origin meaning plant or herb (in Old Saxon it was wurt). This perhaps suggests that our ancient plant lore came with the Anglo-Saxons with little of this wisdom arriving with the Normans. (but then 'herb' comes from the old french, so maybe not). Presumably the Celtic wisdom had long since been obliterated. I can't think of a synonym for plant or herb that might have Celtic, or pre-norse/anglo-saxon, roots.
Wort is also thought to have origins in 'root' - (Gothic = Waurt = root). So why is wort applied to the liquor we use to brew beer? The nearest I can get to is that it's mashed plants. Mash is the precursor of wort in the brewing process and it seems this stage may have originally been called Mash Wort, and presumably the modern distinction was a subtlety that arose later.
Etymologists might want to play here. Unfortunately my OED etymology is in store so I can't cross reference what this website is saying (and I know there have been conflicts between this site and the OED book on words I've looked up before).
In the 19th century root was slang for penis. Norse ships used different woods, and different parts of trees - including roots - for different parts of the ship. Such was their understanding of the material properties of things they had around them.
My understanding of such materials amounts to, for example WOOD, usually burns and sometimes sticks together with the help of a nail or thirty. I seem to remember ash is good for making bows, and willow bark can cure headaches.
(That reference to ash is a bad but quite clever pun, as both ash and bows have two meanings. Just how bad the pun is is illustrated by the fact that I have to explain it to you).
Monday, 26 May 2008
Yay!
Jussi is back.
Wort is happy - (16.1C)
The midges aren't biting yet.
It continues to be gloriously glorious in a glorious sort of glory type way thing.
Sunrise 4:27, sun set 22:01. Winter is well and truly banished - it doesn't really get dark at night anymore.
Wort is happy - (16.1C)
The midges aren't biting yet.
It continues to be gloriously glorious in a glorious sort of glory type way thing.
Sunrise 4:27, sun set 22:01. Winter is well and truly banished - it doesn't really get dark at night anymore.
Common Grazing
Another glorious Sunday so Ailsa and I headed for the hills to explore our common grazings. We have two lots - these are taken from the main part immediately behind the house, the other is a couple of miles away to be explored another day.
Maybe Lulu can help me to identify the plants? We have lots of orchids hereabouts - I think the Heath Spotted Orchid - but orchid identification is a bit subtle for me - especially as the same species can have many colours.
There are several lochs in the grazings - this one appears to be very shallow - but the main one, is very deep apparently.
The views are of Strathnaver - scraping the barrel of my school geography it appears to be a classic U shaped glacial valley. There's a riding school by the sands and most weekends you can watch punters trotting off and splashing in the sea - pretty bloody wow. I think this is the beach Mikethebike fancies for kite buggying - but when?
Saturday, 24 May 2008
Some views 2
Last week there were extensive reports of a couple of whins fires in the local paper. One nearly burnt a house down (though not as nearly yours Lulu). The fires were probably started deliberately - if you burn off the gorse you get new growth which makes for fatter lambs.
In the paper a local ornithologist ranted against the fires (it is against the law to burn off the gorse after April 15 to protect nesting birds). He did so anonymously - doubtless an insurance against some mishap befalling him or his family - but everyone here seems to think it was one of our near neighbours. The choicest remark he made was '...and all for the sake of a few blades of grass...'
This week the letters page is quite indignant. Apparently Highland crofters are far more endangered than merlin, red grouse or golden plover, what with all the 'unelected quagos imposing their rules on everyone, [and] assorted jobsworths and busybodies putting their oars in'.
Meanwhile the Shucksmith report is recommending transfer of more power to local crofting committees. It seems to me that the letters pages are filled with vested interest - crofters who have lots of friends are in favour of the extended power they doubtless see coming to them, whilst the outcasts and incomers are vehemently opposed. Having seen the effect of family disputes in several guises here (not least our attempt to buy this croft) I rather suspect that giving power to the local crofting committees would be a poor idea.
Meanwhile others are decrying the missed opportunity to do away with all the regulation that surrounds crofting. There are two main points embedded in their arguments - firstly that the Highlands are not a museum and attempts to preserve the 'crofting way' are patronising, absurd and misplaced, and secondly that the vast layers of regulation surrounding crofting simply stifles it and any opportunities for local economies to regenerate. One eloquent correspondent likens crofting to Soviet collective farming. Really?
Me? I think Shucksmith has missed an opportunity to link crofting to the Sustainable Development Agenda and Scotland's review of it's food policy. But as ever, joined-up Government is too much to ask for.
16.3C Go Wort Go!
Friday, 23 May 2008
Friday night 4
A short one on account of the girl giving up on swimming due to a minor dispute – god almighty girls and petty politics huh? But I was there long enough to be cornered by the man they call Noah.
“..and my fucking brother has shot my pet sea gull. ‘Fearless’ we called it, had it almost eating out of my hand I did. My brother just loves shooting things. You know I had two pet goats? – Well one day he ran over one of them in his tractor, reversed over it so he did. ‘Apple’, the other goat was so scared it ran off and hid under one of the caravans – starved itself to death so it did. Took me weeks to find it. You know he once gave my car to the fire brigade so they could practice on it? And he shot my cat. Two barrels of a 12 bore. I mean I wouldn’t do that, I used to be an artist. Fucking loves shooting things so he does…”
14.0C – come Wort – you can do it.
“..and my fucking brother has shot my pet sea gull. ‘Fearless’ we called it, had it almost eating out of my hand I did. My brother just loves shooting things. You know I had two pet goats? – Well one day he ran over one of them in his tractor, reversed over it so he did. ‘Apple’, the other goat was so scared it ran off and hid under one of the caravans – starved itself to death so it did. Took me weeks to find it. You know he once gave my car to the fire brigade so they could practice on it? And he shot my cat. Two barrels of a 12 bore. I mean I wouldn’t do that, I used to be an artist. Fucking loves shooting things so he does…”
14.0C – come Wort – you can do it.
Rhubarb Recipes and the eternal madness of capitalism
Cabbage seems to be going out of season. Certainly other veg – exotic things like courgettes and aubergines are here and cheap. So the cabbage curry recipes might have to wait for a bit.
But Rhubarb is here aplenty – there are at least five stands of rhubarb I have access to, Much of it is exhausted - thin stalks which are quite tough – but still there’s plenty of good eating.
Anyway – Thursday should have been shopping day – but the furniture arriving screwed up the timetable for that, so there was a degree of scraping around to find food for our evening meal. In the freezer were some lamb chops bought last week in Lidl – £2:79 for 10 chops. Living here we are surrounded by sheep – and tasty looking lambs. But if you fancy a bit of local lamb it’ll cost you at least 4 times that. The lamb I had in the freezer had gambolled all the way from New Zealand.
I roasted the chops int’oven and then added some bits of veg – carrots, a tomato, red pepper, broad beans, onions and garlic, garlic, garlic, a slosh of red wine and a good dollop of left over stewed rhubarb. All topped with spuds and bunged back into the oven for half an hour.
Now some of you will know I’m not mister modest when it comes to appraising my own cookery – but Aam a tellin’ ya – it was plate lickin’ good!
So can anyone else recommend savoury rhubarb recipes? A quick surf on the web reveals a few – but they tend to use the rhubarb for a jus. Apparently rhubarb was originally imported into the UK from China. How do the Chinese use it?
14.1C looking a bitty bit sad.
But Rhubarb is here aplenty – there are at least five stands of rhubarb I have access to, Much of it is exhausted - thin stalks which are quite tough – but still there’s plenty of good eating.
Anyway – Thursday should have been shopping day – but the furniture arriving screwed up the timetable for that, so there was a degree of scraping around to find food for our evening meal. In the freezer were some lamb chops bought last week in Lidl – £2:79 for 10 chops. Living here we are surrounded by sheep – and tasty looking lambs. But if you fancy a bit of local lamb it’ll cost you at least 4 times that. The lamb I had in the freezer had gambolled all the way from New Zealand.
I roasted the chops int’oven and then added some bits of veg – carrots, a tomato, red pepper, broad beans, onions and garlic, garlic, garlic, a slosh of red wine and a good dollop of left over stewed rhubarb. All topped with spuds and bunged back into the oven for half an hour.
Now some of you will know I’m not mister modest when it comes to appraising my own cookery – but Aam a tellin’ ya – it was plate lickin’ good!
So can anyone else recommend savoury rhubarb recipes? A quick surf on the web reveals a few – but they tend to use the rhubarb for a jus. Apparently rhubarb was originally imported into the UK from China. How do the Chinese use it?
14.1C looking a bitty bit sad.
Re-united
The house in Dunbar has now been emptied. The removals van arrived here on Thursday. It was tight – I’d worried a lot about whether the lorry would be able to negotiate the hills and bends - it made it but it was very close.The sea container is stuffed full and still there’s stuff been put in the house. Astonishing really that you can’t fit the contents of a four bed and three public roomed house into a sea container. It will never fit into the croft house but there’s only so much you can give away at once and we’d exhausted our seam of generosity betime we left Dunbar.
Other piccies show examples of how mean we are. Jussi made the removals guys take these things and much (much) more. Oh how they laughed.
16.5C and bubbling nicely.
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