Sunday, August 1, 2010

Veggie bounty

One week of holiday and one week of crazy work (Beijing was surreal - the pollution was so bad you can hardly see past the next building in front of you as everything was covered in a haze), today is the first day we had proper 'garden time' to check our crops.

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It's true what they say about planting peas and beans. The reward does not justify the work that goes into caring for it. Supposedly the more you pick, the more they grow. Time will tell...

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So more rummage rummage for goodies

First Harvst of Chantenay Carrots
Ah-ha!! Carrots!!! Our chantenay carrots are ready. So exciting

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Taste feedback: We had them tonight, boiled then grilled wholed with honey, salt and pepper. Juicy is not something you normally associate with carrots but freshly harvested carrots are juicy and oh-so-carroty. Get it?

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Love carrots... and that silly grin

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Overall bounty for the day: carrots, peas, beans, red currants, radishes and cucumber

The cucumber was a surprised find. We didnt expect a harvest so when we saw it, we literally squeal with mischevious laughter. The reason was the night after we planted in on the ground, a stray city fox (get them everywhere in London) trampled over them and crap near the plant. Completely gutted but I tried to salvage it by replanting it back into the ground. Maybe cucmber is a hardier plant than expected or fox crap makes good fertiliser? There are lots more growing so we should get a bountiful of it this month

So far we have used the cucumber and radish for our tuna salad lunch tomorrow, carrots are in our belly from tonight's dinner, peas and beans will be added to our sausage stew tomorrow and red currants will be turned into jelly

Carvoeiro Algarve - Summer 2010

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Walk to sunshine and sand between toes...

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A few private beaches scattered along the coast - accessible by boat only. One day, we managed to find a private beach by going through a cave. Just the 4 of us...

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Why build sandcastle when you can build a sand-speedboat and sit in it?
Age is no barrier to sand-speedboat enjoyment

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Percivals and I

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Scott with sis and dad