The Death of two Apple Trees.

 

I don't like to see productive Apple trees die.

In recent years we have lost TWO remarkable trees; possibly even RARE trees.

The first to go was plain and simple vandalism. I had gone to take a cutting in order to preserve the variety, and, lo, it had gone! The owner, who suddenly developed a hatred for trees, had cut it down. Sadly I have no photo.

So, why, you might ask was this tree so special? It wasn't a particularly wonderful tasting Apple, but its exceptional attributes lay elsewhere. You could hold it in the palm of your hand and squeeze all the juice from it without hardly exerting any pressure. I have never come across another Apple like it, and no reference to such an Apple could be found online. It could well have been the last of its type.

The second tree (above) has just died. It lived in a hedge just down at the bottom of the field in front of our house. Sadly it became smothered with Ivy, and could no longer breathe!

It was exceptional in as much as it could cope with extremely low temperatures. The fruit would fall in Autumn, just like any other tree, but would remain edible on the ground almost into Spring. The photo below was taken around March after a particularly bitter Winter, and the majority of the fruits were still perfectly OK.

As you can see, it was a yellow Apple with small red spots, and a lovely flavour. I shall miss the tree, even though I'm no longer here during the Winter months. I think I was the only person to gather them. The Deer ate most of them.

The World's Silliest Vegetable.

My 2025 crop of Artichokes amounted to just FOUR.

I almost didn't bother with them, but being of a frugal mind, I decided that I must.

They really are the most ridiculous vegetable. The end product may be pleasant enough, but the work (and pain) involved in their preparation is hardly worth all the effort.

The ones I grow are particularly SPIKEY. They are unpleasant to handle, and to prepare they are even worse. I always end-up with blood on my hands.

I much prefer the small bundles of young fresh purple non-spikey Artichokes that one buys at market. They are easier to prepare, taste even better, and don't leave my hands in tatters!

The ones above were prepared, cooked, and eaten; they were pleasant enough, but I could have done without all the hassle.

Tinned ones are so much easier!!!

 

Heatwave

Most of us look forward to Summer weather; hot sunshine, cloudless skies, and some refreshing foreign Sea or Pool to plunge into.

Generally it does tend to be a bit like that, but occasionally things get out of hand, and the temperature rises to 'uncomfortable'.

Yesterday our 'in the shade' temperature rose to 36 C, and all we wanted to do was avoid it. For most of Summer I wear just a pair of shorts; no shoes, no T shirt, and only occasionally a hat. Perfect for 25 C, but not for 36 C.

The pool water has risen to 28 C, our open concrete terrace burns my feet, and poor Billy (in his fur coat) is feeling lethargic. Our sitting room is traditionally dark and cool, so that's where we spend most of our afternoons. The weather we've been anticipating through Winter, is now being avoided.

We drink litres of cold water, eat plenty of Magnums, and dine on Salads. Any outdoor work, pool cleaning etc, is done as early as possible; at the latest before about 10 am.

I have only just opened-up our outdoor covered terrace. It had been used as storage space over Winter, and needed some re-organisation. The outdoor Fridge is working, and is filled with Beers Tonics and Fizz. The table and chairs have all been cleaned, and comfy cushions distributed. And the big 'fire pit' BBQ has been removed and taken to its Summer location.

The heat also brings out 'bugs'. We have an excess of Bees, Wasps, Flying Ants, Horseflies, Hornets, and other general buzzing and stinging nasties. And our army of small Wall Lizards are holding their annual Olympics.

Yes Folks; it's our wonderful SUMMER.

Pesci Friday.

I do try to keep to tradition, and eat fish on Fridays. If I didn't I probably wouldn't eat fish at all.

For lunch it was Moules Mariniere (borrowed picture above). I bought a 1.4 Kilo vacuum pack of live Dutch Mussels which were very good. 

And in the evening a very simple salad with some absolutely delicious Prawns (my picture). 

My supermarket has PILES of fresh Prawns every day; especially on Fridays. They are cheap, delicious, and popular. I cannot understand why they aren't sold like this in the UK. The Prawns quite possibly come from UK waters anyway!!!

We do 'FISH' very badly in the UK. Our consumption is almost limited to Fish-n-Chips, or Fish Fingers. I live by the sea in England, yet where can I buy a really good selection of fresh fish?

Where's Mr MacFisheries when you need him?

Bananarama - Cruel Summer

I always loved the carefree, relaxed, attitude of The Bananas. They were three attractive girls who looked as if they'd just met in an Art College bar, and decided that they might do a bit of singing together as a lark.

They ruffled their hair, wore torn jeans, and used lots of very red lipstick. How could they fail!

Here they are with one of their 'hits' from 1983.

Spot the Difference

I was 'Karchering' around the pool yesterday; cleaning away all the Winter muck and growth on the flagstones (the beach).

I also had a go at our poolside bench under the Fig tree.

It is now once again 'Wood Colour', and looks sittable-on. Even Lady Magnon approves.

Slowly but surely; we're getting there.

In fact we ARE now 'there'. The pool water is sparkling, and inviting. The flagstones are all as clean as they'll ever be. And the Lutyens bench is demonstrably made of WOOD. 

In celebration of which I opened a bottle of Champagne (Saumur) last night. All our efforts were worthy of a few bubbles methought!

Even my 'mechanic' brought-back Rory yesterday evening (Rory is my ride-on mower). Rory had a 'starting problem' which is now FIXED. 

Things are going well.

 

Things I've missed.

Having made my own Bacon in the past, I know how easy it it to create a really delicious product that doesn't seep 'gunge' when cooking.

This Bacon (below) is sliced from a slab and is totally delicious. Why can't all Bacon be made like this? Back in the UK I've almost given-up buying ready-sliced packs of Bacon; instead I now only buy Sainsbury's Bacon 'steaks', that come as two 'rounds' of Bacon in a pack, and are very good.

If I had an easy supply of good quality UK Belly Pork, I would still make my own bacon; but alas.....

Another favourite product that I can't buy back in the UK is Figatelli. This is a Corsican dried sausage that contains Liver. The Liver gives it a haunting flavour that is unlike any other.

It's a very dark and brooding sausage (possibly not to everyone's taste) but for aficionados it's addictive; I have to stop myself heading for the fridge for just 'one more slice'.

The other thing I've probably missed most are my cookery books. All my Rick Stein books, and Elizabeth David, and others. I love re-reading them and trying out different nuances in my dishes. These books (some of which are below) are in the 'Tower', and on really hot afternoons that's where you'll find me, flicking through the pages of some Italian or Mediterranean recipe book.

The pool is now perfectly clean, and at about 24 C is swimmable. In this heat I cannot tell you what a pleasure that is.

This afternoon (yesterday) it's 30 C in the shade, so perfect weather for swimming. The flagstones haven't yet been 'Karchered', but we didn't care; they can wait. Here is Lady M enjoying a few lengths, with Billy admiring her bravery. It was BRACING. The pool looks very narrow in the photo; it's actually 4 metres wide. It looks about 3 metres wide; cameras do lie!