When we lived in London one of our favourite autumn activities was to go sweet chestnut foraging in Greenwich Park. Dotted all over the hilly parkland were huge trees that reliably fruited year on year, scattering their spiked bounty on the grass below. There is something deeply satisfying about easing the nuts from their prickly…
Chanterelle, Kale and Purple Sage Tagliatelle
Back when we were living in the city, we borrowed a scrappy and crumpled old book from the local library called Urban Dreams, Rural Realities by Daniel Butler and Bel Crewe. It was about a couple who had moved from London to the Welsh countryside to live life on a smallholding and we were curious…
Garden Soup and Carrot Leaf Pesto
Every couple of weeks during the summer and early autumn, we make a big pot of soup with fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden. Whatever is in plentiful supply at the time. That way none of our surplus veg go to waste. We usually squirrel some portions away in little freezer tubs, ready for…
Beetroot, Cocoa and Sea Salt Cake
This year we have two different varieties of beetroot seeded alongside the rainbow carrots, chard and parsnips in the vegetable patch. The classic looking Rhonda, which we grow every year for its well-flavoured, deep magenta bulbs; and the Italian Barabietola di Chioggia, which produces beautiful rose red roots with fabulous pink and white striped flesh. …
Gooseberry Soda
In the dappled shade of an enormous cooking apple tree sits the gooseberry patch. Three sprawling bushes that produce an abundance of bright green, delicately striped berries. They dangle from the branches like Japanese lanterns. Neighbouring the gooseberries at the moment is an untamed bed of nettles (that we haven’t had a chance to strim…
Summer Berry Sponge Flan with Blackcurrant & Apple Jelly Cubes
The summer fruits are slowly starting to ripen in our fruit cage. Pink raspberries take centre stage, their browning canes beginning to droop with the weight of their developing bounty. A smart row of blueberry bushes edge the front of the cage; a mix of varieties that will each fruit at a different time in…
Kale, Radish, Avocado and Crumbled Feta Spaghetti
Kale has always been a staple in our veg plot. This year we’re growing two types: a lilac stemmed variety with frilly leaves called Red Winter and the classic dark silver-green Nero di Toscana. We sowed seeds directly into the soil in April and should be able to harvest the cut-and-come again greens from late…
Fire and Wood Part 1: Pallet Wood Kindling
One of the first things we did when we moved into our little cottage was to have two wood burning stoves installed. This has proved to be one of our very best decisions. Not only do they provide us with lots of free, and carbon neutral heat, but they also help to create a wonderfully…
Beekeeping – A Spring Beehive Inspection
On warm, dry spring days, our honey bees can be seen and heard hard at work all over the garden. Foraging from the flowerbeds and orchard, collecting fresh water from the spring-fed pond, and flying further afield to explore the flora on the surrounding hills. At this time of year we try and go through…
Rhubarb, Wild Watermint and Ginger Crumble
Wild watermint grows along our stream edge. It quietly rises from the banks and within the shallows in swathes during early April. We’re usually alerted to it’s seasonal arrival by accidentally treading on a patch of emerging leaves, releasing a heady aroma into the air. The flavour is reminiscent of peppermint, but perhaps with a…