Sunday, October 19, 2014

Jungle style.


Having been an apartment dweller for many years, few things give me more pleasure than walking out the back door and picking an enamel bowl full of lettuce for the evening's salad. Knowing that there will be more tomorrow.


I love the way the vegetable garden is transforming itself - I allow plants to go to seed and the seedlings that grow from them are better than the mother plants. Strong, bushy coriander and vigorous mint. There are no neat rows in this place. A robust tomato plant has appeared in a sunny spot next to the compost maker - sheltered by a rocky wall. I have a feeling it's from a wrinkled, discarded salad tomato from Woolworths - perhaps Bella. The fruits are perfect, clusters and clusters of them - though they have yet to reveal their colour.


The giant lacy flower of a carrot - who would have thought?


Spring onions bloom.


The last of the boer bone. As I shelled the previous lot, I thought they were too much trouble. But then I made Yotam Ottolenghi's pan-fried meatballs with lemon and broad beans.
They will grow again...

Thursday, October 9, 2014

This is how it goes.

You start with a circle, like so:

Every day, more stalks of grass. Just weave 'em in.


Tinker's cuss. There's still a hole on the other side...


But five or six days later - left over right, right over left and Bob's your uncle.


And Nelly's your aunt.


So you make a big ruckus...


Call that broad over.



and if she doesn't like it... 
Well.
 You start with a circle.