The sweet piquancy of this CUCUMBER AND DILL PICKLE turns smoked salmon, mackerel, trout or a simple tuna and mayonnaise sandwich into a fabulous treat! Quick and easy to make, its fresh taste is perfect for right now! Why not try it? Run the tines of a fork down the length of a washed cucumber, … Continue reading
“Go ahead, make a little something this weekend and share it with someone you don’t know yet. Spread a little love around and watch the joy spread” Hand baked, with love, these exquisite biscuits were made by Shilo as table favours for a party to mark her recent marriage to David. Shilo and I had … Continue reading
A sunny day, a ditsy dress and one glimpse of some pink rhubarb stems in my local store sees me turn into a modern day Emma Bovary in less than 5 seconds. Just as Monsieur L’Heureux provided temptation, with his Parisian luxuries, which the ill- fated heroine, Emma, could not resist, the sight of these … Continue reading
These tiny Brussels Sprouts seem to grow out of the painted leaves in this soft and serene still-life. This accidental pastiche takes this scene from flat to spatial and gives a most humble nod to the fabulous transformational work of- Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) http://www.mcescher.com/about/ HAPPY WEEKEND!
I wake up early from a dream where I have grown some lovely, fat, red, ‘Marmande’ tomatoes. I know it’s a dream because I can’t grow them on Dartmoor. But this quirky tomato induced fantasy has left me with a yearning for all things colourful. As I toss seed packets and brochures off the … Continue reading
I am back in the garden, turning the soil, getting close to the silty, stony, heavy, wet scent of the water-logged soil after months of rain. And the sky clears and the warmth of the sun tries to ease my straining back as I try to turn ground which really would be better left alone. … Continue reading
Evocative, romantic and poetic, the amazing diversity of named varieties in the Kitchen Garden, Orchard and Landscape, bring life and colour to our world and make our locality unique. In Devon and Cornwall apples such as: Cornish Gilliflower, Pig’s Nose, Snell’s Glass Apple and Queenie are all special varieties which suit our mild wet climate. … Continue reading
A quiet February day in the Kitchen Garden gets supercharged with colour when I pick the ‘Red Ball’ Brussels Sprouts. Their vibrant, passionate shades from ‘Opera Rose’ to ‘Winsor Violet’ evoke warm Mediterranean days. Just soak up that life and intensity for a moment or two…..it feels so good.
Rooting around in a dark and dusty corner of the attic I re-discover my ever- happy, sweet faced Russian matryoshka doll; a memento from a pre-glasnost trip to Leningrad. One thing leads to another, a shot of iced vodka here, a few blini there and before you know it I am calling my friends ‘comrade’ … Continue reading
Pulling the leeks in today’s gale I am soaked in minutes as water streams down my face and soaks my trousers with winter-cold rain. At first it feels as if I am being assaulted, then I get used to it and give myself up to the power of the storm. Out here, high on the … Continue reading
Dartmoor Flower Shed 