It's the last day of July and today it's very "dreich" (dreary) with grey skies and heavy rain showers. As you can see above!
Anyway the weather was fine enough for me to start harvesting the gooseberries. As a child I remember "topping and tailing" the gooseberries from the garden so Mum could put them in a pie.
This batch is 2 lbs worth, and I've frozen them whole for now. These are off just one bush, with about half left on that bush and yet another one to start on! I'll probably make jam or chutney as well as have some as a "compote" to use with other recipes. They are a good accompaniment to mackerel too!
The netting to keep the chickens out has proved a huge success and both gooseberry bushes are laden with fruit! Whoo hoo!
I also baked some lavender shortbread using culinary lavender I bought when I was in Kent. It's cooling in the tin so I have yet to try it!
Button is not keen on rain showers, but she enjoys snoozling in the sunshine on the windowsill
Or a quick wander round the garden. I'm going in for horizontal gardening - everything got battered in a storm a week or so ago....sigh...
The borage is doing well too - great in gin and tonic ;-)
And this yellow flower managed to survive the storm!
I've been watching the birdies from the conservatory. Here are two wagtails...
This cheeky bird was peeking in. It's a pipit (meadow?). It's beak looks quite yellow so I wonder if it's a young one - with the "gape" still visible.
And an older one looking for insects after I'd just cut the grass.
Mmmm think the shortbread is ready....time for a taster!
We have had a bumper crop of gooseberries this year too, not sure what to do with them yet.
ReplyDeleteMmmm no that's why I froze mine so I can have time to think!
DeleteYou live well!
ReplyDeleteSurrounded by riches :-) (er not the money kind, the better kind!)
DeleteMy daughter Heather has been picking gooseberries too. She made a pie. The scene of the rain and clouds is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI haven't made or had gooseberry pie in years. I might do that with some of them :-)
DeleteThat shortbread looks delicious. I have never grown or tasted gooseberries; haven't seen them for sale here in California. You have some good ideas for using them.
ReplyDeleteThey have quite a sharp bitter taste, but are delicious cooked and compliment other tastes.
DeleteGooseberries are nice enough, but how do you manage all these lovely pictures of hens, cats and birdies??? Those little ones are called Sädesärla, in Swedish and are quite nice with their flopping tails. Didn't know there are more than one species !
ReplyDeleteAnd that you can tell the young ones from the adults. I suppose those are skills you can require living on an island, Sian? Shortbreads look great!!
Ha well the scenery around here is so wonderful it's hard to get a bad picture. And Madam Button is very photogenic too. I can get photos of the birds as long as my windows are clean and I keep a camera handy. Yes I love wagtails. I've seen yellow and black ones which are quite striking. But not in Orkney. I got interested in wildlife and flowers some years ago. I try and learn the more common ones. But I get lost with the different plumage at different ages and seasons! I give up then!
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