The English Paysanne

Nearly all the pumpkins and butternut squashes have been picked for this year, its been very dry and warm, ideal ripening conditions. Only a few hangers on of Turks turbans and blue prince varieties are left who look like they are not quiet ready yet so I will wait until their leaves have died back. some blue prince beauties have escaped over the rabbit proof fence (that turned out it wasn't rabbit proof as they were small enough to hop through the wire -must think fencing re think for next year) have mingled and in twined with the stinging nettles, which are truly living up to their name being very stingy, the kind of tingly sting that lasts for ages. They will have to wait until jeans, wellies, long sleeves and gloves are worn as I pull up the nettles for the pigs, which don't seem to mind or maybe they don't feel the stings as they do love nettles, maybe they know how healthy they are for you. So the pumpkin patch has been weeded, the marigolds nee...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Pumpkin line up

With  farmer J not back until Monday afternoon the morning was spent hosting a Neal Yard party, such lovely smells and products its hard to choose what is needed. Face masks and hand massages were enjoyed along with coffee and cake.  The last of last years logs have now been stacked under cover ready for next year with space now made for logs to be chopped and stacked in their place. Figs have now started to ripen as they don't last long once picked but seem to freeze well a grand picking session will have to be done as well as making jam, enjoying them fresh with granola and yogurt and baking them with cinnamon. Along with figs blackberries have started to be picked for the freezer, wine and steeping in whisky, a time consuming job completed on dog walks (although its a bit of a fight with Franklin as to who picks them first), animal care and jobs to be done. As well as blackberries sloes and rose hips need to be collected, not sure what is the...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Some days you just have to dig a hole and lie in it

 With what looks like an Indian summer here the peaches have ripened and now in the freezer ready for compotes, crumbles and desserts where a bit of peachiness is needed. As we don't care for them they are a bit marked but still taste good (the ducks, chickens and pigs love them too).The nasturtium seeds I planted have struggled all summer but now have decided to come out in all glory. The veggie patch is beginning to look a bit bare, lots of work is needed next week to tidy it up. Weeds are still growing along with the grass which has been continuously cut. Everywhere is still so green unlike normal years when fields and grass are looking frazzled from the sun and heat.  Runner beans are still growing and the freezers beginning to get full with them. We have four large freezers where trays of blanched beans once frozen are waiting to be placed in a bag. This makes them free flowing and far easier to handle when needed. A thinner, long haired Maste...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Peach thieves

Last week was a bit of a non descript week, the everyday routine of farm life of checking, feeding and caring for animals was made a little bit harder with the Indian summer week we had. The sun  shone all week with the temperature a lot warmer than it has been all summer - crazy weather. We kicked back a bit, resting after a busy period and taking things a bit slower. Yesterday once animals were fed and watered we packed a picnic and headed off to St Antonin Nobel Val to the Sunday Morning market where I brought a bargain 3 euro bag of Lautrec garlic, broken and uneven sized bulbs it was unclassified not being able to be sold in a neat plat. On the way back we stopped off at a small village, Milhar, which has a picnic spot by a brook. The small park has been planted with weeping willows where you can sit under their canopy of branches or sit on seats made out of old pallets and willow canes. The sun had made everyone come out, the market wa...

Aa moment from the week at La Singlarie You turn your back for one minute

 There may be a little bit of allium jealousy in this post. This stall was at the Monday market in Caussade.  One day i will be able to plat my garlic and arrange my variety of onions but for the moment being the first day of Autumn I have harvested this years bulbs. Digging them up didn't take too long, as you see there was not that many. Last year I planted rows of onions yellow and red ones but they didn't really grow staying quiet small and bolting, the flowers did look very pretty though. So I thought I would cut my loses and not put so many in, a bag of red sets were placed in neat rows maybe not so far apart as they should of been. I put red in as these are more expensive in the shops and being red are healthier (I'm sure I read that somewhere or did I make it up?) with so much rain they seem to enjoy themselves in the ground and grew quiet well, well better than last year I only wish I had planted more, I guess no two years of veggie garden are the...