It was a beautiful day yesterday. I mowed the orchard and we took afternoon tea, with good friends, outdoors. It was T Shirt weather.
I was looking at this old photo of a lunchtime Salad de Gésiers, and I started seriously dreaming of Summer.
Actually, I always dream of Summer.
Here is the one and only rainy day this week, tomorrow it will be sun and blue sky again.That is a beautiful picture of your breakfast.
ReplyDeleteYesterday was like summer; I even considered bringing out my shorts!
DeleteThat looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteIt was.
DeleteTime to wake up from your dream and put on your coat.
ReplyDeleteMaybe not coat, but jacket today I think.
DeleteA lovely colour display - Summer is all in that plate! Now that picture will haunt me and I will be yearning for Summer all day. Are the brown pieces sliced biltong? Greetings Maria x
ReplyDeleteThey are sliced and fried preserved Duck gizzards. Sounds awful; tastes wonderful.
DeleteThat salad really hints of the wonderful delights in store for us in the months to come, Cro,. It looks absolutely delicious, and tastes even better,
ReplyDeletebecause you grew it all yourself.
All except from the slices of Duck.
DeleteYou'll have to remedy that this year !
DeleteHere in the Loire it was mild but grey and drizzly. We long for summer......but for all we know t-shirt weather is just around the corner, it usually begins in March.
ReplyDeleteI think we were particularly lucky here yesterday. Today it's back to 'cool'.
DeleteI wanted to take a particular photograph yesterday....
ReplyDeleteI watched that line between your weather and our fine but drizzle slowly advance towards us....
but it never arrived!!
So we had roast veg, beef pie and steamed pudding!!
We had Pizza, to celebrate the coming of summer.
DeleteIt's sort of summery in Andalusia. I'm wondering if it could be a regular haunt of mine to fight off the winter blues. x
ReplyDeleteSounds like a very good idea.
DeleteIt's when I look at cocktails that I dream of summer
ReplyDeleteI'm not really a cocktail person; more of a 'pint of rouge' man.
DeleteDo you dream in colour for Summer and black & white for winter?
ReplyDeleteI don't dream in winter; my brain goes into dream-hibernation.
DeleteI look at that salad and I too am full of desire for Summer!
ReplyDeleteWhat could be better than fresh home-grown sun-kissed tomatoes.
DeleteOur weekend was strangely warm, teasing us to imagine that warmth will stat with us. March can be a pretty chilly time in NYC with strong breezes swirling around the skyscrapers.
ReplyDeleteThat leads me to thank you for the welcome picture of a truly summertime salad. Tomatoes won't begin to show up in the farmers markets until perhaps the end of June...unless climate change speeds up tomato time this year.
Best wishes.
Nature plays jokes with us at this season; I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some snow in the coming weeks!
DeleteBeautiful. That is one lovely salad. Yum.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for summer.
DeleteI like to deam of russell crowe
ReplyDeleteYou would!
DeleteMy favourite sort of lunch. Not sure about the gizzards, though. Maybe a few chunks of tuna or some sardines instead.
ReplyDeleteIgnore the thought of them as gizzards... they have been very well cleaned...and are an extremely tasty bit of muscle...
Deleteespecially if you buy them pre-confit'd.... mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...'lishus!!
I buy them in tins, slice them in half 'sideways', and fry until slightly browned. Delicious.
DeleteJust to keep the referendum pot boiling....
ReplyDeletefound this letter today...
it is well worth reading:
"What did the EU ever do for us?
Not much, apart from: providing 57% of our trade;
structural funding to areas hit by industrial decline;
clean beaches and rivers;
cleaner air;
lead free petrol;
restrictions on landfill dumping;
a recycling culture;
cheaper mobile charges;
cheaper air travel;
improved consumer protection and food labelling;
a ban on growth hormones and other harmful food additives;
better product safety;
single market competition bringing quality improvements and better industrial performance;
break up of monopolies;
Europe-wide patent and copyright protection;
no paperwork or customs for exports throughout the single market;
price transparency and removal of commission on currency exchanges across the eurozone;
freedom to travel, live and work across Europe;
funded opportunities for young people to undertake study or work placements abroad;
access to European health services;
labour protection and enhanced social welfare;
smoke-free workplaces;
equal pay legislation;
holiday entitlement;
the right not to work more than a 48-hour week without overtime;
strongest wildlife protection in the world;
improved animal welfare in food production;
EU-funded research and industrial collaboration;
EU representation in international forums;
bloc EEA negotiation at the WTO;
EU diplomatic efforts to uphold the nuclear non-proliferation treaty;
European arrest warrant;
cross border policing to combat human trafficking, arms and drug smuggling; counter terrorism intelligence;
European civil and military co-operation in post-conflict zones in Europe and Africa;
support for democracy and human rights across Europe and beyond;
investment across Europe contributing to better living standards and educational, social and cultural capital.
All of this is nothing compared with its greatest achievements: the EU has for 60 years been the foundation of peace between European neighbours after centuries of bloodshed.
It furthermore assisted the extraordinary political, social and economic transformation of 13 former dictatorships, now EU members, since 1980.
Now the union faces major challenges brought on by neoliberal economic globalisation, and worsened by its own systemic weaknesses. It is taking measures to overcome these. We in the UK should reflect on whether our net contribution of £7bn out of total government expenditure of £695bn is good value. We must play a full part in enabling the union to be a force for good in a multi-polar global future.
Simon Sweeney,
Lecturer in international political economy, University of York"
Yes, but as I said in my piece, people will still be voting through emotion and Fleet Street influence. And don't rule out that over-hyped word 'Sovereignty'.
DeleteYes Cro.....but all one can do is try and get the facts across to the undecided....personally, I think a referendum vote should be a compulsory vote....yay or nay...with at least 75% voting out = out...else we stay as is....
DeleteThe "Couldn't give an Eff" brigade needs to be made to take part!!
Home grown tomatoes and salad. It is such a long wait until they are there for the picking. I have only just put my seeds in, so months to wait.
ReplyDeleteI haven't even thought about sowing or planting yet.
DeleteFrugal... do you have any winter veg in... kales, sprouting brocolli, savoy cabbage, leeks, etc... we cook these up here and let them go cold... then add sweet pickled tomatoes from the summer harvest and some sweetcorn and cooked borlotti beans. Then dress the salad with sesame oil... no need for vinegar... the sweet pickled toms suffice.
ReplyDeleteAnd then we chuck some sliced gesiers and sliced hard-boiled eggs from our chooks. Looverlie!!
Those sweet pickled toms sound very good.
DeleteWe keep going from freezing to warm. I really enjoy the unusual warmth and am grateful to have this in February. They are predicting a warmer spring than usual this year and I am ready. I got some seeds in the mail today and I am stoked.
ReplyDeleteIt's still early hours here (and pitch black outside), and I can hear rain!
Delete