Prior to moving the goslings from their brooder (see Keeping Geese Part 1 and Keeping Geese Part 2) out into the orchard, we gave some careful thought to fencing arrangements. Our initial plan was to allow the geese to free-range and not to worry about fencing but, after further consideration, we decided this wasn’t an…
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Coriander Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Primroses
We awoke to a grumpy sky of grey fog and drizzle, pulled on our wellies and coats over our pyjamas, and headed out into the feathery rain. The ground was wet and muddy, and there was a bitter chill in the air, but a closer look at the garden revealed some cheering signs of spring…
Planning the Vegetable Garden
With the February days slowly starting to lengthen and the garden beginning to show signs of creeping out of its winter slumber, we decide what to grow in the vegetable patch during the year ahead. We start by trawling through the huge metal cake tin we use to store seed packets and envelopes of hand-collected…
Spiced Christmas Porridge with Cherries and Apple Crisps
Porridge is our go-to weekday breakfast. We cook the rolled oats simply with water and a pinch of sea salt, and serve them with a splash of milk and a dollop of raw honey. We find it to be one of the only breakfasts that powers us through the first half of the day until…
Onion, Leek and Bay Soup
It seems that winter is well on the way. The orchard sparkles with early morning frost; the very last of the russetted autumn leaves are clinging onto the branches; and there’s hardly a honeybee to be seen (they are mostly staying put in the warmth of the hive). The garden birds know it too. They…
Sausage Rolls with Pear, Stilton, and Sage
Now that the clocks have turned back and the nights are continuing to draw in, everything is beginning to slow down here on the smallholding. We’re no longer rushing to harvest and process vegetables from the raised beds, or fruits from the orchard. The honeybees are hunkered down for the cold months so, aside from…