Saturday, 22 April 2023

Seasonal Changes.


I suppose there are just two major changes that we all make at this time of year; and these involve food and clothing.

The Thermal Vests go back into the wardrobe, the thick overcoats get put away, and salads appear on the dining table.


Or even,


Salads are inherently 'healthy', so I allow myself the occasional luxury of a Hard Boiled Egg, Mini Pork Pie, or half a Scotch Egg to accompany them.

In France we base our Summer salads around Tomatoes. The best Tomatoes in England seem to be the smaller ones; in France it's the bigger the better. I no longer grow my own, but my good friend and neighbour José grows lots and usually tells me to help myself. Nothing can beat an outdoor-grown, sunshine-bathed, Marmande style, Tomato.  

On the clothing front, Shorts are now seen everywhere, and T Shirts are being worn without any high-tog Polar-Fleece overcoats. In a few weeks time my shorts will be worn daily for several months.


There is a very pleasant seasonal feeling in the air. The weather is still 'changeable', but leaves are sprouting and the flowering Cherries are in full bloom (above). Can't be bad!

33 comments:

  1. Cro, have you tried the dark rich red and well matured medium sized Vine Tomatoes? I've become quite addicted to them. I'll often bite into one as a filler snack during the day. And as sweet as they are, the only downside is that you have to pay a lot more for them in Sainsburys.

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    1. I think I know the ones you mean, and I often find them disappointing. My problem is that I'm used to growing my own or picking my own from my neighbour, and their flavour is amazing.

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  2. It's not summer here yet. Locals wear jackets. Visitors are confused and think it's hot. Not time for shorts yet. 21o cloudy with showers. But salads, yes. The tomatoes have taste although they must be hot house. Cabbages and lettuces are still good too.

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    1. I think our max temp' has been around 14 C, yet out come the shorts and T shirts. I think they respond to sunshine rather that temps.

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  3. Tomatoes supplied by English supermarkets are rubbish. Pale, hard and tasteless. I remember a label saying 'grown for flavour'. What else are they grown for???

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    1. I have some M & S small ones at the moment that are quite sweet, but what I really want are big fat ones with real flavour.

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  4. Exactly what we had last night. Salad, pork pie , also a jacket potato....done all crispy in the oven. I buy the small round tomatoes. I like the vine ones but won't pay the price.

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    1. I like Summer food. Small salads and a lump of meat on the BBQ is my idea of heaven.

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  5. Meanwhile, downunder, long pants and thicker coats are being unearthed for summer storage.

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  6. Replies
    1. You need a small Summer bolt-hole in Southern Europe to benefit from two summers a year.

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  7. At the first hint of sun, many people strip off to shorts and tee-shirts, only to don warmer clothes a day later, or even later in the same day.

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    1. I just said above that it's probably the sunshine more than temperature that brings out the shorts. Although here in Brighton some (crazy) people wear shorts all year round.

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  8. Still wearing my padded coat, socks and boots up here.

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    1. I've just come back from shopping and I had to remove my sweater in the car park; I was simply too warm.

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  9. Salads and gardening. How else would we lose the weight we put on in the winter?

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    1. Quite right. And add plenty of swimming and it'll fall off.

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  10. Looking forward to a change from winter salad to summer salad here! We have been having temperatures in the balmy teens, despite a chill breeze.... unfortunately it looks like we will be back in single figures in a day or so!!

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    1. It never lasts does it. But I suppose that's what makes our climate so interesting.

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  11. My older brother also lives in France and co-incidentally his neighbour is also called José. He came from Spain, married a French woman and together they breed horses.

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    1. It must be an 'official' name. I've known 5 generations of José's family, and have hopes to know a 6th.

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  12. Here 14 degrees is still cold for us. The sun is shining and everything is still green. Soon it will all be yellow until the first rains in October or November.

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    1. I begin to feel happier once the temp' gets above 10 C. I can cope with that.

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  13. Oh be still my beating heart, a scotch egg

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  14. There's a coincidence - I had my first salad of the season last night - with a crispy jacket potato and herring fillets in a creamy sauce (courtesy of the local Aldi). I'd forgotten that I'd bought tomatoes too - I knew there was something missing.
    It's 21º and cloudy, but I've left my vest off this morning!

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    1. Definitely salad weather. The Herring fillets sound nice!

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  15. The Scotch egg looks so yummy.

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    1. They were from M & S, and were a tad dry, but with a nice flavour.

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  16. It is still rather cold in Massachusetts. The Magnolias and daffodils are blooming. We just need some warmth. I prepared large salads last night. Sliced chicken, ham, tomatoes and cheese on a bed of greens. Heated crusty rolls with a glass of wine made the meal perfect. I hope to see salad weather soon.

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    1. The above were lunchtime salads, and therefore quite meagre!

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  17. Need I say "Lovliest of trees the cherry now, is hung with bloom along the bough, and all along the woodland ride is wearing pink for Eastertide" well more or less Houseman and I am sure if he were still alive he wouldn't object.

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    1. He was right, Cherry blossom is spectacular.

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