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!

Gah! I tried to post a photo of Dunster, but my phone won't do it for some reason. You'll have to imagine it!

Evening all. I did a big poster yesterday that then didn’t post so I’ll suffice to say hello to everyone :) a busy few days for us as my dad is still unwell so I have been north and now back at work. Looking forward to some warmer days this week. Considering digging out my shorts for Thursdays promised 20 degrees!

Dunster's pretty. They used it as a backdrop for the Poirot episode "The Cornish Mystery".

@Bimblesalong I hope the coming days of sunshine assist with the healing process.

@Confusedmeanderings so glad to hear that your DH has been told there's nothing to worry about. You must both be so relieved.

@AgathaMystery the new job sounds mighty intriguing. Hope you're enjoying the wild ride.

@MadMadMad hope you got the rose. Do tell what sort it is (I love roses) and share a pic hopefully at some point.

Sorry to hear your Dad is unwell again @piscofrisco and hope you're doing OK as no doubt a lot of juggling is going on. Look after yourself and enjoy that 20 degrees on Thursday if you get it (only a high of 12 forecast here)

Bitterly cold here. We reached the heady heights of 7 degrees today. I'm slightly shattered after ferrying DD to two medical appointments this afternoon. Possible chance of some Aurora tonight.

My eldest daughter's birthday is 27th March. In her first 10 years of life we had four cold birthdays, two with actual snow on the ground, and six that were nice enough to have cake outside!

@RainbowZebraWarrior that mackerel on toast looks exceptional and I have just added smoked mackerel to tomorrow's list - I need to go to Waitrose to pick up a parcel from John Lewis so I will swing by the fish section.
And @Confusedmeanderings I had never heard of Dunster before but that looks wonderful! I have added that to a (different) list. My life is governed by lists

I've also been craving the mackerel on toast since I posted the entry this morning @SheherazadesSeasonalNonsense and have ordered some mackerel paté on my Waitrose order this weekend. Dad has a fishing boat, but the mackerel don't tend to arrive in our waters until late May at the earliest. I feel bad in saying that by July I'm sick of the sight of them. It's a bit like courgettes. You get a glut over summer and get truly fed up with making ratatouille. By this time of year, I'd give anything for a home grown courgette, a warm, fat beefsteak tomato from the greenhouse and a plump, fresh mackerel. My life is also ruled by lists. I'd never cope otherwise.

I'm all painkillered up and about to head out into the freezing cold garden to hunt for Aurora. Will report back.

I have an excellent Mary Berry recipe for mackerel pate (sorry Nigel) - basically smoked mackerel, marscapone, lime zest and pepper. Easy peasy, absolutely delicious and never fails to impress lunch guests.

OMG I love mackerel pate!!!

Just catching up.

@RainbowZebraWarrior yay - seems like your shirt was lucky after all! It was great seeing just how much that win meant to the Toon Army!

@AgathaMystery the new job sounds intriguing. Hope it's wild in a good way.

@LillianGish that mackerel pate sounds right up my street.

I've had a quote today for the returfing of my 2 v small lawns. Not sure what I was expecting tbh but it's definitely more! Argh, I just don't want to be ripped off but also am fed up of 2 patches of green that are actually moss, weeds and bare mud rather than grass....
Decisions, decisions.

Can you lean into the moss and plant a succulent type lawn? I always hankered after a Camomile lawn myself.

We got rid of our lawn a couple of years ago. They just take so much maintenance to look nice (ours never looked nice). We now have paths and big borders and I am so happy with it

Not that that is a cheaper option! Everything is expensive at the moment

Nigel waxing lyrical about sandwiches again today in KD2...

March 19

A memorable sandwich

There is that sublime moment, usually late at night when you are a little bit pissed, when you come across something delicious hiding in the fridge. A morsel or gorgeousness that you weren't expecting to find. The pork I find in the fridge tonight was fully expected, almost planned. These are sandwiches I have been thinking about all day.

(Pulled pork baps with carrot and galangal slaw)

And this from the original Kitchen Diaries:

March 19

The first meal out of doors

Looking at last year's diary, the first time we ate in the garden was March 13th. Apparently we ate spatchcock chicken from the grill with garlic and lemon. I seem to remember it took forever to cook and we ended up tucking in at nearly midnight, in the garden, the candles burning low, and probably by that time more than a little pissed.

This year's first meal is a week later, and I choose one of those neat lamb fillets from the butcher. To be honest, I never think they look that interesting. A bit like the sheep's answer to a chicken breast, but as it turns out they roast sweetly and quickly. There is no fat to keep them moist, so a bit of conscientious basting is in order. We sit out of doors, lanterns flickering in the breeze, laughing about how this time last week there was frost in the hedges.

Twas -3 here this morning and a rather hard frost. It made me all the more determined to get in the garden though so I've just come in after planting seven pots up with violas and dianthus. I have decided that I love bright orange and bright pink together. I now need to go back for some more. I ache all over, even though I have a full height potting bench (it's actually a stainless steel commercial kitchen workbench) but it was worth it.

I'm still giddy about the Toon victory @Foxybyname I rang my Mum straight after and she sobbed with joy that at the age of 80 she'd finally seen her team win before she died (she was only 10 in 1955 when we last won a domestic trophy and unfortunately at that time her father was terminally ill) The shirts are still hanging proudly in the window.

My lawns are also crap. They are basically moss, mud and dandelions. I'm also considering wider borders and paths. In my head, it will look like Monty's jewel garden when I'm eventually done.

We had some light diffuse aurora last night, but it's the stars that are stealing the show for me at the moment.

Here are some of my happy little viola.

Here is the rose - not the one I originally intended to buy as they had sold out of the yellow when I went back but my daughter took me to another (3) shop(s) and we found this one. It is an indoor rose and I wanted it for Saturday as we are having a celebration of my mother’s life on what would have been her 90th birthday as the original celebration last year just after she died had to be cancelled at short notice. She loved yellow roses and had them on her wedding day, I thought about a bouquet but firstly we are going away to Gloucester for a few days on Tuesday so we won’t be here and secondly I thought this would last a lot longer.
Good news this morning I had a hospital appointment and they have agreed my wrist and thumb are improving (I injured them at the beginning of February, the day after we got back from Lisbon) and that I can start driving again. 😁😁

That rose is stunning @MadMadMad pleased to hear your hand is healing too. Hope the celebration goes well at the weekend.

I've overdone it and feel rubbish so I'm having a lie down on my bed. I should know better.

Some wonderful flowers here. I love the rose and violas are my favourite little flower to have around the garden. I sing “all the little pansy faces” to them as I plant them or later deadheading. As someone else just returning to driving after a long break, it’s great, @MadMadMad

I hope the energy bar comes back up again soon @RainbowZebraWarrior How is dd going on with school?

@piscofrisco sorry to hear that your dad is still
unwell.

good news about dh @Confusedmeanderings , Really good.

I’m sure I’ve missed people but waving.

Has anyone else been enjoying the “country living” thread? Definitely one for classics!

I’ve made a start on potting up dahlias for the garage table. I’ve done the Sarah Raven corms - a good thing as there was one missing from my five pack, which they will send me.

Haha I’ve just been on the country living thread. Classic for sure.
Happy Wednesday everyone. Tired tired after a long hot (!) day on the farm. And I made the mistake of watching the first episode of adolescence last night before bed and didn’t sleep well as a result. Excellent acting. Disturbing subject matter.

Loving all the yellow flowers

these are the flowers do sent me the other day 🥰 have tried to remember the things I have learnt in my flower arranging club to try and arrange them nicely. They came loosely in a box not tied together.

What a lovely day it is for all the flower photographs ❤️

That country living thread is a classic indeed. Loving the character who felt her unborn son had a strong connection with the Ottoman empire. I'm semi rural, but I think having all of our ducks stolen on Christmas eve one year was a particularly crap point.

Posting this Aurora update from our local expert here in the NE of England. Worth keeping a look out tonight if you have clear skies. We have some light diffuse aurora here already.

I got three random extra dahlia tubers from SR which they said I can keep or give to a friend. I'm going to keep them as the others were mostly a bit small and sad looking and I am half expecting them not to flower.
Loving the country living thread! It inspired me to charge my ancient ipad so I can download an issue from the library 😂

What’s the title of the country thread? Mumsnet search is doing that typical thing of coming up with threads from 17 years ago

It's here https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5297201-to-want-a-country-living-lifestyle

Having caught up on that thread, I should say that my potted dahlias are now in the linhay.

@RainbowZebraWarrior thats a really interesting article about the Aurora. We have a mackerel sky tonight although clearing in patches, so unlikely to see anything. There are a few days of higher op forecast in a couple of weeks, although that may change. My dear friend will be over from Spain then, it would be magical to see the aurora together (I think he may be huddled wrapped around the radiator rather than going outside).