Cold Courgette Salad

Or Zucchini to the Americans!

I've been loving this salad lately, it's my new favourite and a great way to use up a few courgettes!

It's really simple, use a vegetable speed peeler to create thin strips of courgette, then add a salad dressing of 2/3 olive oil to 1/3 lemon juice (from a lemon not a bottle as it tastes so much better), chuck a bit of feta cheese and a handful of mint leaves in and mix it up. 

I couldn't believe how good this tasted. An easy summer salad!

Climbing Squash

 My Squashes have been growing like crazy in every direction. And this year they seem to like growing upwards.

The wires for my cordon apple trees has provided a great support for them and they look great growing up with the squashes hanging under them.

I've even been eating some apples this week from the same row of trees. These are George Cave, a lovely tasting early apple that's only really any good straight from the tree. 

Anyone else started eating they're apples yet this year?

I'm sorry I haven't really been on anyone's blog the last week or so. I've been so busy with work, cutting hay, harvesting produce and having fun with the kids that time just seems to disappear! 

Edible Hostas

I first read that hostas are edible in Alys Fowlers "The Thrifty Forager" a couple of years ago. Being tight frugal meant that I wasn't going to buy plants to try something that might not taste very good. However the other day I was having a walk around the garden and noticed that there was a hosta hidden away and looking rather unhealthy in a neglected wooden planter that's holding up our patio (the patio is on the to-do list!). 

Some hostas hidden in an old planter

 I decided to dig it up and show it a bit of TLC, divide them into three plants and re-pot them. 

Dug up and having a soak before being potted up

 Hopefully they'll do well for a new bit of compost and a regular watering and then when they've recovered I'll plant them out with plans to harvest young shoots to eat in the spring.

In some pots for a bit of TLC, we'll see how they'll do.

Apparently in Japan they harvest wild hostas as a cash crop from the forests and they're called urui. A Google search gives loads of recipes for stir fries, tempura & salads. There's a few different things on it here, here and here if you're interested.

Another unusual edible in the garden, hopefully they will put a bit of variety in our diet in early spring when they're isn't much else about growing. Apparently the different varieties taste quite different so only time will tell if this variety is worth eating or not, if it turns out to not be great then I'll have to raid my mothers garden as she's got hundreds of hostas in her beautiful garden (although I have a feeling she may object to that!).

Anyone else tried eating hostas?

Back To Work - For Now!

Well my first stint of being a stay at home dad has come to an end. We always said we've give it until the summer holidays and see if it was working out for us, the children and financially.

Sharpening up ready for a summer of work

 So after three months everything seems to be okay. I've managed to do the housework, cook the tea, do some DIY & painting, maintain the garden so it produces loads of lovely veg and find plenty of weekend and evening work to help our finances.

In fact the work has been coming in thick and fast. For the last couple of months I've been working 3 or 4 evening a week from 8pm to 10pm in a house a customer is doing up as well as lots of Saturday work. 

It's been a case of making hay while the sun shines though as I doubt anyone will want me working in their house at that time in the dead of winter! I've been making preparations for winter though and I might have a workshop on the way - watch this space - so that I can keep building no matter what the weather is doing.

Now I've got lots of work until the end of the summer holidays. Then come September I'm back off again with my girls and hopefully we can keep going on like we have been.

Willow Wand - Children's Toy

My wife and children went to the village fete the other day and had a great time. One thing I thought was really nice was that there was a willow weaver there who was giving every child a hand made willow wand. 

Willow wand

 She could have easily charged for this little toy but she didn't (you can find her website here) and the children were really enjoying playing with them.

A well used toy!

It proves that a toy like this doesn't have to be throwaway plastic tat.

Instead it can be from a completely sustainable and renewable resource and when it's finished with it's completely biodegradable. What a great toy made by skilled hands! 

Anyone else have similar toys around the house?