The Year Round Nigel Slater Discussion Thread - Part 5

[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 on Mumsnet 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!

Not many folk stupid enough to be on the beach this morning. Apart from me that it. It is properly wild and I love it. Most of the thunder and lightning is out at sea now anyway

We were promised a lovely thunder storm but not even a single raindrop fell. I lay awake at 3am sweating quietly to myself. We are going to a (no air con) gig tonight and I am really not looking forward to it. I wasn't fussed anyway, just said I'd go to keep DH company, and now regretting my choices.
But look at the baby robins!

Oh that photo is just darling! ❤️

Oh dear about the no air con gig and the no rain. The thunderstorms seem ro have mainly been Scotland / Northern England / NE England and are still currently raging in the North Sea. I cant see anything on the rain radar for the next 24 hours for more southerly parts of the UK. We are due another thunderstorm here this evening so at least that will take care of my watering duties!

Mind, thunderstorms can pop up out of nowhere, so fingers crossed for you. It has definitely cleared the air here. Not that it was even that hot anyway 🤷‍♀️

"Like a Victorian lady with an attack of the vapours" 😆 @petitpasta That's brilliant and reminds me something of my Great Aunt who used to get the smelling salts out at any and every opportunity!

Best of luck with Queen eggs @MichaelmasDaisiesAndAutumSunset and sorry to hear about the wild bee encounter. Hope you are all better now. I dug up (by hand, I was weeding) a bumble bees nest a couple of summers ago. That was fun. I have the unfortunate side effect of bee stings making my joints completely seize up.

Sorry to hear about DDog. He sounds like a real character. Sending gentle hugs x

We had lots of thunder and lightning last night. Never seen anything like it. It went on for ages and it took ages before rain actually started falling.

I was woken by the sound of pouring rain and a couple of rumbles of thunder this morning, it was a brief respite and has now completely burned off to leave us with 36 degrees (so slightly cooler). I am going to look at your windswept beach and think cooling thoughts @RainbowZebraWarrior. I went for an early morning swim and then strolled home down tree-shaded boulevard, but already feel like I need to return to the pool. I love your robin @Celiathebanshee and I like the sound of your lunch @Bimblesalong - I need to dig out some Nigel summer salads which require nothing that might cause the temperature to rise in any way. Your dog sounds like an absolute star @MichaelmasDaisiesAndAutumSunset - I think we deserve a picture.

Well, our brilliant thunderstorm shorted the fire alarm system at work and they weren't able to fix it, so home we were all sent. An early start to my weekend and I'm not complaining...

Love the little robin beaks @Celiathebanshee

Good luck with the bees @MichaelmasDaisiesAndAutumSunset and I hope DDog is Ok, he sounds wonderful.

It's 33C here which at least I think is the peak of it, although it can currently only be described as disgusting. I've mostly been eating crisps and ice lollies but made a nice tuna salad for lunch.

I'm not convinced the cats are being very sensible with where they're sitting and one of them rarely drinks water - she did enjoy the fishy spring water from the tuna tin though!

Think cooling thoughts indeed @LillianGish We are due another thunderstorm aylt 4pm and I am just watching it heading out eay now on the rain radar. I might go and stand out in it.

Yes, we had that where the thunder shook the house, but the rain didnt come until much later @CrushingOnRubies . Everything is now bone dry again and our melons and cucumbers have had to be watered for the fourth time already today.

Enjoy your early start to the weekend @leporello

DD was informed this morning that the whole school would be missing their last lessons and going outside to have an icy treat instead. She was most put out as it meant she would miss Art. I arranged for her to sit in her key workers office and do some sketching for an hour instead, so hopefully she will be happy when she comes out in 10 mims time.

The school posted a lovely story about her becoming a published poet past night on their socials. I was amazed (and proud),she let them take a photo of her. She's come so far.

Tuna salad is what I have planned for tomorrow night @martha79 after ny long day at the festival. It's also forecast to be our hottest day so far.

For this evening, I have already prepped chicken with patatas bravas. I have mostly been living on meal deals and Nuii ic cream this week.

I made caramelised banana icecream this week, that was very nice (now all gone).

DH is whizzing up a batch of mango sorbet, the machine is struggling in the heat (aren’t we all, darling)……

Most VN thing I’ve done for ages….

Oh that ice cream sounds amazing and I love sorbet @Comtesse

It is darker than night, here. Utterly crazy. I am not sure why we are getting the thunderstorms when we haven't had particularly extreme weather. Seems to be fairly localised, as I can't see much else on the radar / lightning map. It dropped 11 degrees between 4 and 5pm from 26 to 15. We have all the lights on and candles lit.

No doubt most of you are still sweltering. If I could waft this rain your way, I happily would.

Temperature has dropped dramatically in the last couple of hours, it is 23 now, but with a breeze so it feels like a very average Jun evening thank goodness. It’s still very hot inside the house though. Both DCs are out working tonight, DD at a pub and DS at one of his gardening jobs (doing evenings instead of daytimes due to the heat as it stays light so late).

I’m a bit behind on the thread, but enjoying reading back through. @RainbowZebraWarrior I am SO pleased things have worked out so well for your DD at that school

I’ve been watching the storm intermittently through the day. It has seemed very slow moving. Glad you’re ok @RainbowZebraWarrior

There’s a lovely cold breeze here now but the house is holding on to the heat.

thunder cleared the air last night. Lot less stuffy and fresher today. Just a nice and lovely normal summers day with temperatures in the low 20s and a warmish breeze.

Morning all

Yes I watched that earlier storm yesterday morning just sitting off out coastline and rumble away for a couple of hours @Bimblesalong We have had a couple of brief power cuts in the night caused by the localised storm. Most things came back on quite quickly, but I need to go and check certain things as I can hear that the Dehumidifier isn't trundling away like usual.

Looks like there will be another thunderstorm moving across Northern France and SE England later today

Well, I have teo hours to pack the car and get going, so I best get up. We have never done this family festival before, but it's in oit usual spot in North Shields so hopefully all will be good. DD has been very overwhelmed this week though, so I have told her that if we have to pack up and leave, we will. I am hoping we can make it to the 4pm finish and actually make some money though, as I need it for my new double glazing fund!

Hope everyone has a lovely Saturday

Hope it goes well @RainbowZebraWarrior

It's cooler today but still meant to get up to 27C later. I've finally ordered a fan (thanks Argos same day delivery) as I read we're meant to get more of this later in the summer.

I've got no plans for the day other than more nice salad!

The temperature dropped to about 23 quite suddenly mid evening last night which was just lovely, I even managed to come and sit inside in the front room for the first time in a week (have been on the patio or out every evening). It took the house a long time to lose heat though, we had front and back doors and windows open, but it has come down nicely this morning. The kitchen thermometer still says 30 but it doesn’t feel like it and it is cool and fresh outside. Getting hot later though so I might pop up to the allotment in a minute. Good luck today @RainbowZebraWarrior

Thanks both, and hurrah for cooler temps all round.

Just a quick shout out to @piscofrisco as I don't think we have heard from her in over a week. I know she was due to go to Harry Styles gig then France, so maybe it's all just been a bit hectic. Hope all ok anyway.

I made a version of this salad for lunch - used coarse bulgur instead of the rice and added more herbs and some minced shallot. It is LOVELY, thank you for sharing the recipe. The combo of halloumi and grapes is deeeelightful.

That sounds lovely @Comtesse

Here's my lunchtime assembling.

Well yesterday was a bit of a rollercoaster... we had our lunch at The Goring, there were a group of oldies around one table and I realised that the voice that kept booming over to us was Suzy Menkes and yes, the hair was a give away. Then there was a chap on the table next to us, who I am sure is something at the BBC, who is wheeled out at the Proms for interval chats and bons mots... looked like Nick Robinson with a fuller face!

The food was delicious and the surprise hits were Marmite butter and a Tarragon icecream... I am thinking of making some, and stuffing it into tomatoes!

The Queen's dresses were really interesting, fantastic embroidery and beading on so many of them and I had not realised how colourful her coronation gown had been. However, it then struck me how heavy the fabrics all were, there was a late 60s/early 70s period that seemed to feature a lot of crimplene style coats and dresses, I am assuming to ensure she did not look creased when she arrived. The hats were a bit meh, but I think that might have been of their time, as I know Philip Treacy et al made some very sharp hats.

Anyway, when I got home, I was bushed and melting, I live in a ground floor flat and my bedroom is at the front, so I put on my PJs and had a nap. Woke up just before 9:00pm and realised that my bins had been moved and spotted one of them close to my bedroom window. Then checked my Ring Cam and discovered a slightly deranged man had been in the garden, moving things around and looking through the windows of my flat. Checked all my doors etc were locked and went out this morning to move the bin back and dicovered some missing compost but he had managed to drop an hospital app't letter by my window. Dropped a note about it to 101, got a call several hours later, saying they knew him, he is basically harmless but has MH issues. They asked me what action I wanted to take and I said signposting to appropriate services, if possible. They are going to have a word, but definitely a combo of MH, drink and drugs, sadly.

So today, I am making bread and maybe some Marmite butter but otherwise having a very quiet day!

@Comtesse glad you enjoyed the salad. I will try bulgar wheat too. I think many grains would work well.

@LatteLady how scary! I hope you are ok.

Another tedious hot day here in the furthest point from tidal waters in the UK. DH has gone to Manchester to see his friend in hospital. Said friend was at death's door last week so to be able to visit him in hospital on a normal ward is really quite remarkable.

I am trying to summon up some planning energy yo do a meal plan and book a shop for next week but this heat is just sapping my energy. I also need to do some ironing urgently as the ironing pile is about to be recognised as a new country it's so big 🤣. Don't have the will to tackle that either.

I see your pile and raise you mine... just brought a load in off the line as it looks like rain will be here within the hour...