Sunday, September 09, 2007
Fishy days
The man from Hastings could not manage any proper fish - that is to say cod or haddock - despite having been at the market at 0200 - so had to settle for two wings of skate. But BH did them up OK and they went down very well - to the point where we were not good for anything very energetic for the rest of the evening.
Following day off to Polesden Lacy where it turns out to be a heritage day - that is to say one gets in free thus saving a reasonably serious £20 or so. More interesting place than I remembered with good stands of trees around the main house and plenty of walking in the countryside around - presumably once if not now being farms belonging to the property. Found an interesting hollow flint - something I had not come across before with the inside looking a bit like the inside of one of those limestone caves with lime scale dripping all over the place. And some very fetching small spherical white mushrooms growing in a clump out of a dead bit of tree (there being a fair number of large beeches lying around in peices on the ground. An indication of the age of the place). Reminded me of Fylingdales. Maybe I will go in for arty nature shots with a digital camera yet.
House also better than remembered - and all paid for by McEwan's 80 shilling ale. The trade connection not stopping all kinds of royal connections with telegraphic and other communications therefrom lovingly preserved for posterity. Quite decent collection of pictures with some good portraits. The catch was a flux of over enthusiastic trusties (mainly, but not exclusively, older ladies) who sneaked up on one and bent one's ear as soon as one took an interest in something. And generally being reminded that the National Trust is picking up second rate versions of mass market procedures and forgetting its charitable roots. A pity.
The day rounded off by half a gallon or so of red lentil soup - having done the green version last time. Very reliable gear. And using the large pan purchased as a late retirement present, the stuff is much less likely to boil over - it having a strong tendency to foam. On this occasion the yellow foam rose nicely, looking rather like a soufflee in fast forward, getting to within about two inches of the top of the pan, at which point it subsided on stirring. But in one of our regular pans there would have been a great puddle of the stuff on the stove by then (this not being as big a deal as it was in the days when we had a halogen stove, the control box for which had a tendency to flood, the seals not being up to much. New solid affair much more robust).
Oddly, started on lentils and such things as a student 40 years ago - much to the despair of housemates of the time who thought the products bore more resemblance to wallpaper paste than food - and despite having no family background in such things. Don't recall ever eating lentils as a child and nor does BH. Maybe I read something in one of the flower power magazines of the day about beans and pulses putting one in touch with the outer spheres and something in me never forgot.
Following day off to Polesden Lacy where it turns out to be a heritage day - that is to say one gets in free thus saving a reasonably serious £20 or so. More interesting place than I remembered with good stands of trees around the main house and plenty of walking in the countryside around - presumably once if not now being farms belonging to the property. Found an interesting hollow flint - something I had not come across before with the inside looking a bit like the inside of one of those limestone caves with lime scale dripping all over the place. And some very fetching small spherical white mushrooms growing in a clump out of a dead bit of tree (there being a fair number of large beeches lying around in peices on the ground. An indication of the age of the place). Reminded me of Fylingdales. Maybe I will go in for arty nature shots with a digital camera yet.
House also better than remembered - and all paid for by McEwan's 80 shilling ale. The trade connection not stopping all kinds of royal connections with telegraphic and other communications therefrom lovingly preserved for posterity. Quite decent collection of pictures with some good portraits. The catch was a flux of over enthusiastic trusties (mainly, but not exclusively, older ladies) who sneaked up on one and bent one's ear as soon as one took an interest in something. And generally being reminded that the National Trust is picking up second rate versions of mass market procedures and forgetting its charitable roots. A pity.
The day rounded off by half a gallon or so of red lentil soup - having done the green version last time. Very reliable gear. And using the large pan purchased as a late retirement present, the stuff is much less likely to boil over - it having a strong tendency to foam. On this occasion the yellow foam rose nicely, looking rather like a soufflee in fast forward, getting to within about two inches of the top of the pan, at which point it subsided on stirring. But in one of our regular pans there would have been a great puddle of the stuff on the stove by then (this not being as big a deal as it was in the days when we had a halogen stove, the control box for which had a tendency to flood, the seals not being up to much. New solid affair much more robust).
Oddly, started on lentils and such things as a student 40 years ago - much to the despair of housemates of the time who thought the products bore more resemblance to wallpaper paste than food - and despite having no family background in such things. Don't recall ever eating lentils as a child and nor does BH. Maybe I read something in one of the flower power magazines of the day about beans and pulses putting one in touch with the outer spheres and something in me never forgot.
# posted by Jim @ 3:37 AM 
