The Year Round Nigel Slater Discussion thread

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello, all.

The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles readalong usually takes place here between November and February each year (the Christmas Chronicles being a book written by Nigel Slater full of winter recipes and anecdotes) It's been running for a few years, and the contributors have collectively decided it would be nice to have it running all year round.

So here it is. It is a place to appreciate all things Nigel-esque. Think seasonal food and recipes, enjoyment of nature, sharing of news and small moments of joy. It's a calm, cosy space for gentle chat and merriment so pull up a chair, grab a cuppa and relax.

A very hearty welcome to friends new and old!

Oh well done @piscofrisco & yes, I think your mum (& dad) are right - go. When someone we love is very poorly or even dies, when we go and do a wild and lovely thing it’s like an act of defiance against mortality isn’t it.

So much to catch up on - I do t have much to impart. The winter candle is almost gone, and my garden is looking grim! It’s mostly paved with raised beds (we have a huge communal lawn at the front so I wanted palm trees and flowers at the back) but for the patio pavers look grim. Leaves everywhere and it just looks unkempt.

I have no motivation for it but I know once I’m out there doing it I will love it. I’m mostly inside ATM sewing this coffin lid piece. Can add that to the list of sentences I never thought I’d type.

anyway. Happy Saturday to all and safe travels for all on the move today!

@piscofrisco - so pleased you’ve had good news about your masters, well done! And hope you enjoy your trip; try to park your worries on the back burner as far as possible, easier said than done, I know, but worrying won’t make anything better, and a few days respite will make you better able to help and cope when you get home. ❤️

Just popping in to add my congratulations @piscofrisco. Very well deserved.

A hearty congratulations to you @piscofrisco and as others have said, try to switch off and enjoy best you can. I love the way @AgathaMystery put it about going and doing a wild and lovely thing.

I meant to mention your travel brochures @HannahDefoesSpringFling I do love a travel brochure. They remind me of being 18 and booking my first trips sans parents, Island hopping in Greece!

Oh @Bimblesalong what I'd give to jump right into Nigel's photographs there on insta. Thanks for the heads up. I'm off to make a cuppa and wondering where that little path leads to in his final photo (my guess is a lovely little meandering garden with an onsen at the bottom)

Many congratulations @piscofrisco and enjoy your trip!

How did the mystery shop turn out @RainbowZebraWarrior ? More importantly, how much of The Simpsons did you have to endure 😁. That's one show that I haven't even seen a single minute of, also same for Friends. Both of which are usually met with great surprise when people find out!

Have a lovely weekend all. My sister is visiting for the weekend, so I've made a chicken, ham and leek pie with a huge dish of dauphinoise potatoes. I know it's double carbs, but it's a special occasion as we don't see each other very often. I'm hoping there's loads of leftover dauphinoise to be warmed up for the next couple of days 😋

Oh Yum! @Foxybyname dauphinoise potatoes is probably my favourite side dish in the world. (Many a time, I've had it as a main meal too!) I had to endure the whole of the Simpsons movie which had me squirming in my seat as my attention span is por at the best of times! The mystery shop was interesting. I now spend half my day giving much of the stuff away that we won't use. XL can of Lynx Africa will certainly go in the food bank box.

The snow and ice hasn't materialised here as per met office warning. It's oddly autumnal with mist and woodsmoke a swirling.

@RainbowZebraWarrior the brochures were in the takeaway and felt super retro.

Your menu sounds delicious.

@Foxybyname your menu

We’ve had a productive day in the garden. Moving our henhouse ready for jet washing and delivery to our friends involved a lot of muscle (not mine!) and the decision to take down a rotted fence.

I now have the Somme and a bit of a blank canvas, albeit on a small space (around 15’x8’). Half is sun, half is shade due to climbing roses. I’m enjoying picking a couple of the Sarah raven cut flower packs as I know there was the odd unwanted furry visitor when the chickens were there. I don’t want to plant veg until we’ve cleared / changed the coil and flowers seem the perfect metaphor for a period of recuperation.

The dahlia tubers have been checked and put into dry newspaper. Lost about 4, I think. It is only fair to do a scientific trial by trying some Sarah Raven tubers, so into my basket they go. I have a small garden refurb/stock fund from the chicken house sale and it gives me a lovely project.

Congratulations @piscofrisco! Have a wonderful trip.

We survived the atmospheric river and it looks as though we're done with rain for a while. Next week's forecast has highs of 20 degrees which seems a bit unlikely but you can never tell, it wouldn't be unheard of.

@Foxybyname do you have a recipe for the pie please? Sounds delicious (as do the potatoes).

Hello all, just checking in.
Lately I've been trying to spend a lot less time on my phone so I've been reading everyone's posts and then running out of time to compose much of one myself.

I'm really missing the Christmas Chronicles this morning - I feel like the book is long gone but we're still mired in grey, freezing drizzle and fog. The crisp, clear blue skies and glittering frosts of a Nigel winter haven't been seen here for some time. I am very ready for spring time/to feel Nigel-adjacent again.

Dauphinoise sounds perfect.

Good morning, all!

Yes, I long for either a crisp frosty day or for spring to hurry up @GettingFestiveNow the endless grey is just annoying. I woke up this morning at 5.30am and would have happily went somewhere lovely to watch the sunrise, but it was pointless. Instead, I watched the sun rise on the online Shetland webcams. There wasn't so much cloud there and it looked so serenely peaceful!

Lovely to hear of your garden plans @Bimblesalong and definitely agree with the flowers being a metaphor for healing and recuperation. After reading your post before bed last night it was my first thought this morning to use today to make my own garden plans. I've added some eryngium alongside my other choices as I adore it's colour and form alongside some complimentary lavender. Also, like lavender, the bees love it. The rest of my colour scheme will be hot corals, oranges and purples.

Pleased you survived your vertical river @noodlezoodle 20 degrees sounds like it might be a welcome relief, and hopefully a chance for everything to dry out.

Here's some happy little eryngium pics for a drab Sunday morning.

@noodlezoodle oh gosh, the pie is super simple. Chicken breast cooked in stock, leeks gently sauted in butter, a roux made using the stock, white wine and cream. Once cooled, mix the cubed chicken, chunky ham and leeks in and stick it in a pastry lined pie dish, with a pastry lid.

I don't make my own pastry though. I know it's easy, but I find it's so unpredictable, so safer to buy it!

Pretty sure the pie recipe started as a Hairy Biker one, but I've no doubt 'adapted' it over the years.

My dauphinoise I've been told isn't authentic because I par cook the potatoes (and add parmesan), but I don't care - it's delicious.
V v thinly sliced potatoes (I use Albert Bartlett, which I think makes a difference), 2 crushed garlic cloves in a saucepan with cream to almost come to the top of potatoes. Heat gently until potatoes have some give. Pour in to an oven dish, grate a small amount of parmesan on top, bake for about 40 mins. The potatoes absorb the cream, so it becomes a firm consistency that you can cut and it holds itself. Even better the next day heated up.

There were steamed veg to offset the bad stuff 😂

Morning all! Bright a very blowy here today, it's making everything a challenge! DH is attempting to put up the bulk load of bird boxes we've bought, ready for nesting season, but I think he'll abandon that idea soon, it's not very ladder friendly weather! @RainbowZebraWarrior I have some of those seeds too (plus a catalogue's worth of others 🙈), they are on my to start listening when it gets a bit warmer here and I can plant out what was started early autumn for space.
All the food mentioned sounds amazing, the potatoes and pie sounds like an ultimate comfort combination! May have to give them a go one day.
Hoof abscess still grumbling with girl horse. She's thoroughly fed up now, as am I, I feel for her. She's usually a stoic little baby, so to see her saying ouch means it is ouch! She's gone to hate me picking that foot up, so trying to persuade her I'll be quick with the bandage in this wind means I'm getting a reputation for being a liar! Pic of sad girl in her poultice boot for some sympathy

Still cold, grey and cloudy here today. BUT, very excited to report the first signs of Spring in the hedges …… out for a walk yesterday to the local farm shop for some eggs, and saw the first tiny green leaves showing in a sheltered spot! It’s very early this year, usually quite a bit later here in the north east very near the sea.

The poor girl with her poultice boot @LostInAMist I hope she lets you give her some relief. My DH’s horse (years back) suffered with laminitis as the pasture he was kept on for a while was too rich. They really are brave but unhappy creatures when they are off colour.

Happy Sunday all! We actually have some sunshine here today! Lazy morning sorting the washing and ironing and now off for a walk, most likely via a pub with an open fire, before coming back to roast chicken, Parmesan dauphinois and some sort of murder mystery on the telly. Perfect.

Ooh laminitis is a nasty one @Bimblesalong, such a tricky one to manage with our changeable weather kicking off sugar spikes. She let me soak her hood in a warm epsom salts bucket this evening, and she's been out with the boys all day so hopefully it'll be draining (we had ick on the poultice so I'm hoping!). One of the boys is a complete drama llama, I'd have my work cut out if it was him!
A soak in the bath is on the cards for me later I think. Everyone is fed. Lambs lettuce, butter head, chard, baby spinach, pear, walnuts and Stratford blue cheese salad for me. DH had jacket potato, sausages, beans with smoky pepper chutney and mature cheddar. Terrier was very helpful in making sure no cheese crumb was neglected! Just waiting for the gammon joint I'm roasting for DH's lunches in the week to finish, then I'm away! Enjoy your evening all

I love those eryngium @RainbowZebraWarrior, I had some in my wedding bouquet.

Thank you @Foxybyname for the pie recipe, sounds delicious and I will give it a go. I don't make my own pastry either, my mum would not approve as she was an expert pastry maker!

Aww the poor love @LostInAMist She's lovely. Gorgeous colouring and markings.

I've been listening to Audible, had a little pedicure (well, sat with my feet in the bath then trimmed my nails) then I've lit my neom massage candle and massaged the oil into my nails, elbows knees and feet. Lovely!

(Sorry, I meant to post that last night)

Hello everyone and hope you're all well this Monday. Drab and grey again here.

I have just parked up under the horse chestnut trees to collect DD for the last time in 10 years!! (Her nursery, first school and middle school have all been in two schools joined together)

Tomorrow she will start her new school. Thankfully we then break up for half term this coming Friday so it will give her a little time to breathe and take stock.

Beautiful day here, though still quite nippy, so took myself for a stroll along the Seine. No signs of spring yet. Love hearing about your gardens - Monty Don shared a beautiful photo of his spring garden on Insta the other day (I always think he’s Nigel adjacent). Good luck to your DD for tomorrow @RainbowZebraWarrior

Lovely pony! Her poor hoof!

Hi all. Solar wind is elevated tonight and Northern Lights may be visible from the most northerly spots in the UK. A good place to watch live is the Shetland webcams. Here's a link if anyone is interested.

https://www.shetlandwebcams.com/burrafirth-unst/

Oooh thanks @RainbowZebraWarrior It’s a bit misty up there from here. My weather app is saying “feels like -6°” so I won’t be hanging around out there!
Solar maximum is at an 11 year maximum at the end of March with best visibility around the equinox.