Year Round Nigel Slater discussion thread - Part 4

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all and welcome to this lovely space for our continued chats.

A bit of background for anyone not familiar with this topic:

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 has been running for a few years, and the contributors 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, gardening, appreciation of the weather, and 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 drink and relax.

A very hearty welcome to friends new and old!

I have another public service announcement: there are satsumas in Waitrose!

Dammit! I put ny order in last night and its coming later today, so too late to change. Will add for next week, though. Thank you. Sterling Satsuma Recon!

I've just got back from the beach and my fence is all done 😊 and it's a beautiful day 🌞 I feel sorry for the poor sod who fancied a nice sunny day at the coast, though. Can't see your hand in front of your face for sea fret. There's families with toddlers sitting on towels with puffa jackets on!

N.B Golden Delicious apple tree on the left, Conference pear on the right. I never did stake it when I planted it 15 years ago, hence it leans heavily. I wonder if I could prune and train it somehow for next year. It looks so sad (yet bears 10 x tbe amount of fruit as the bigger one in the middle of the lawn).

You can train it at 45 degrees @RainbowZebraWarrior - it's a thing, you can google it. I have a row of 11 apple trees along my back fence, planted much closer than they would have had to be if they were going to be real upright trees. They were beautifully angled for the first few years, then we went abroad for 5 years a bit unexpectedly and our tenants of course were not into training trees - I didn't expect them to! I just didn't really think about it. The trees tried to revert to normal vertical trunks. So now I am trying to persuade them to go back and they are too untidy for me to share (but I'll go out later and take a pic of the blossom which is beautiful just now) ... which is all a long-winded way of saying you can grow fruit trees at 45 degrees against a fence and they will be perfectly happy and very fruitful

Apple blossom and a bonus tulip

Lovely and sunny here and it's definitely warmed up. I've cleaned out my food cupboards and found something VVVVNN - I might even put the sensitive photo warning on! I can only say I bought it a few years ago when I was unemployed for a few months and it was reduced to some ridiculously cheap price. There were three lots and I did eat one, which was pretty horrible. It's nearly three years past its best before date now.

I've got steak, mushrooms and asparagus for tea though, to redeem myself slightly!

The fence is a thing of beauty.
satsumas you say?! I’m about to walk past a Waitrose on my way to the pub. I will report back.
Absolutely roasting on the farm today after a foggy start. I spent the day trying to pump disgusting stagnant water out of a duck pond using a pump that was possibly alive during world war 2. Limited success.
Only two Ewes left to lamb, one being our favourite, Clover. We have night her up to nearer the farm buildings so we can look after her as it would be awful if something happened to our queen.
DH and I are off out for a rose by the river and I hope a big plate of pasta at the new Italian place in town. Then an early night as DD1 is having an operation tomorrow on her ear, and has to be there at the ungodly hour of 07.15.
haply Friday nighting to all

Haha. Love it! My money was on a Fray Bentos pie. I bought a few of those during the Pandemic, and couldn't even get into the blighters!

Thank you so much for this. That's really interesting and helpful. I suppose a lot of folk espallier train their fruit trees, and step over apples are a thing, so I think I might just leave my wonky, happy pear tree to continue to do it's thing 😊

Good luck to DD1 for her operation, and good luck to Clover, too. Also, enjoy your rosé and plate of pasta. We go to our fail safe Italian bistro every time for our faves. DD has Penne Napoli and I have Penne Arrabiata. It's always absolutely spot on. DD always jokes that it's not the same unless you burn your mouth on the hot pasta as we shovel it in

We also had a very misty start. We left the house at 7.45am and the closer we got to the river and coastline, the foggier it got. Folk round here absolutely clamour to live on the beachfront, but I can see the mist clinging to the coastline from my village and know it's not a bad thing (and much cheaper!) to live a mile inland.

Lovely new fence @RainbowZebraWarrior
@martha79trying to figure out why your tin of Minion baked beans is a sensitive image according to mumsnet

New candle this evening … dark orchid & patchouli from next

Popping my head round the door - it’s busy at the moment and I’m here there and everywhere! Hello to new Nigels.

much admiring of the lovely photos.

grrr at Rainbow’s dad’s wait for treatment.

good luck for dd tomorrow @piscofrisco