Eating from our own garden

It's been a hectic eight days, with two trips to Cornwall – one for a wedding, the other for a funeral. I realize afresh how I loathe that long trek down the M5 and over Bodmin Moor. When I lived in the beautiful county of Cornwall I never looked forward to it – it just goes on and on and on some more. Thankfully, though, the last bit of the A30 over the moor has now been dualed, removing the last great summer bottleneck.

What better way could there be, upon our return, than to relax in the garden with a pleasant Saturday evening meal? Despite the near-draught conditions, our little garden has done well for us this year – or more accurately S-- has done superbly well tending it. My contribution has been to share the task of weeding, and of watering it every evening. The courgettes have under-performed and the peas ran their course a little early, but potatoes, Swiss chard and beetroot have been wonderful.

And here they are. The days of bottling beetroot in vinegar are long behind us.  These days we bake it and serve it hot. Delicious... though it's important not to panic when your poo turns red on Monday! Swiss chard is a wonderful alternative to spinach and much easier to grow in these parts, and I honestly can't tell the difference. Only the tenderloin of pork, and the apricots I stuffed into it, came from further afield...  oh and, of course, the plonk. On this occasion it was a very nice bottle of Joseph Castan Merlot. This one won 'best of the show' at Laithwaites' wine tasting in Cardiff, and at £7 a bottle I reckon it's pretty good value for money.

Right now life is good, here at Chez Angie.