Fare dos

Yesterday I mentioned that I went to a meeting on Sunday. The meeting on Sunday was in Eddrachillis, a detail I mention because I like the name. It's about two hours drive from here. The meeting lasted about two hours and decided little, but we all felt better afterwards.

The highlight of these meetings is the lunch. Clearly aware of the distances people travel to attend, the lunches have become a ritual whereby everyone contributes. The only rule is that all offerings must be home made and preferably home grown to boot. So on Sunday we had beetroot soup and marrow soup with bread, and goats cheese. There was also marrow chutney, gooseberry jam and rhubarb jam, all of which complemented the cheese very nicely, and afterwards we all had fresh apples. All homegrown/home made.

And then the two hour journey home. We lift share of course, so the journeys are jolly enough with much swapping of gossip and scandal - most of it, I imagine, grossly exaggerated.

I arrived home in time to dash up to the garden and pick a selection of broad beans and runner beans to lightly steam for tea. The veg plot has been providing nearly all our veg needs for a good few weeks now, and by jimmeny it's been grand!

At the moment we have plenty* of broad beans. I've always resented buying fresh broad beans cos you buy more pods than beans, but I love them and will never tire of them and I am hugely enjoying the luxury of having broad beans every other day. In between we're getting peas, runner beans, cauliflower, cabbage and the odd courgette and lots of parsely, and onions and carrots.

The next meeting, in October, will be in Skerray. Much closer to home. I'm wondering about goats cheese and broad bean jam. What do you think?

*Millions and millions and millions and millions