Monday, June 25, 2007
Clearance
Got bitten by the throwing away bug yesterday. Suddenly - perhaps for no better reason than it rained most of the day - decided to throw away all kinds of rubbish which has been hanging up in the garage roof - just in case - for years. I have recorded before how one can get carried away at this sort of thing once one gets started.
In the course of all this, discovered that the back of the potting shed is in a bit of a state. Because of the way the garden slopes it seemed a good idea, a few years ago, to fill in the space between the back of the shed and the boundary fence with logs topped up with concrete. This served to stop the next door garden washing down into ours and generally made things look tidy. The catch was that the bottom of the back of the shed and some of the contiguous flooring is completely rotten. One could in theory dismantle the shed, patch it up and re-erect but this seems far too complicated. Instead, shoved a barrow load of mortar in the space - shuttered in naturally - for now and go for demolition in due course. Will provide a splendid opportuntity for a bit of patio concreting in order to make a proper foundation this time around - with no risk of next door's garden migrating into the shed. One odd thing. The shed smelt of horse stabling. Not sure why that should be.
Top rib of beef yesterday. At 7.25 pounds and needing rather slower cooking than fore-rib, did it for 3.5 hours, starting at 170C dropping to 150C for the second half. Just about right. Not rare - I don't think that would work very well with this cut - but nicely cooked and not dry. Served with new potatoes, leef beet and broad beans. A first, as far as I can remember, for a meal with vegetables entirely from the allotment, and going further within about 5 five hours.
About to move onto the second shift with cold beef.
Was surprised at how quickly the surplus leaf beet wilted. OK today but would not be much good tomorrow. Plus the slugs have been having a good go at it - can't think of any other reason for perforated leaves. They have also been having a good go at the row of onions which is next to the beet. Small slugs taking up residence in the tubular leaves. Maybe now that I have weeded them again the slugs will push off, hopefully not caring for the now drier and less sheltered environment.
The leaves of the maincrop potatoes (Desiree from the Maris people) are starting to turn brown at the tips. Hope this is not a sign of anything unpleasant.
In the course of all this, discovered that the back of the potting shed is in a bit of a state. Because of the way the garden slopes it seemed a good idea, a few years ago, to fill in the space between the back of the shed and the boundary fence with logs topped up with concrete. This served to stop the next door garden washing down into ours and generally made things look tidy. The catch was that the bottom of the back of the shed and some of the contiguous flooring is completely rotten. One could in theory dismantle the shed, patch it up and re-erect but this seems far too complicated. Instead, shoved a barrow load of mortar in the space - shuttered in naturally - for now and go for demolition in due course. Will provide a splendid opportuntity for a bit of patio concreting in order to make a proper foundation this time around - with no risk of next door's garden migrating into the shed. One odd thing. The shed smelt of horse stabling. Not sure why that should be.
Top rib of beef yesterday. At 7.25 pounds and needing rather slower cooking than fore-rib, did it for 3.5 hours, starting at 170C dropping to 150C for the second half. Just about right. Not rare - I don't think that would work very well with this cut - but nicely cooked and not dry. Served with new potatoes, leef beet and broad beans. A first, as far as I can remember, for a meal with vegetables entirely from the allotment, and going further within about 5 five hours.
About to move onto the second shift with cold beef.
Was surprised at how quickly the surplus leaf beet wilted. OK today but would not be much good tomorrow. Plus the slugs have been having a good go at it - can't think of any other reason for perforated leaves. They have also been having a good go at the row of onions which is next to the beet. Small slugs taking up residence in the tubular leaves. Maybe now that I have weeded them again the slugs will push off, hopefully not caring for the now drier and less sheltered environment.
The leaves of the maincrop potatoes (Desiree from the Maris people) are starting to turn brown at the tips. Hope this is not a sign of anything unpleasant.
# posted by Jim @ 9:44 AM 
