Harvest time

Yesterday was busy with garden tidying, harvesting and a bit of preserving. As you can see we're having a huge year for eggplant! I used just over 1kg to make some char-grilled preserved eggplant which we will eat in a week or 2 (not pictured). I also bottled some tomatoes (loads more to do), and made some quick sweet cucumber pickles, again for eating in the next few weeks.

Just look at that grass! Incredible for so much lushness at the end of summer - that's what happens when you get over 200mm rain in 2.5 months.

A few people have asked about the scythe. Yes, it is VERY sharp, but you do have to sharpen it with a whetstone as you go along - maybe every 5-10 mins depending on the grass you are cutting. It is tricky getting your stance and the angle right on a hillside, but I think once we get the hang of it and get a rhythm then it will be easier. On the plus side you don't get vibrating hands of a face full of fumes as you do with the whipper snipper. Scything is much more meditative.......

Anyway I'm off to the markets today so best get ready...happy Sunday everyone

The best kind of mail

is a present form a friend! Thank you lovely Estelle for all these French delights. I particularly love the chicken cereal bowls. You can't see them here but there is also a lovely set of tea spoons that spell out tea in French. I don't know about you, but to me everything looks better in French  :*)

Oh and while we are at it, here's a few pics of Jerry trying out the "latest"Austrian technology...his scythe. It's a bit tricky on a hill, but we'll get the hang of it. It is certainly a lot lighter than the strimmer / whipper snipper.

And the obligatory "food porn" pics: bread, home grown tomatoes, basil and garlic for roasting, a recent harvest basket (potato, aubergine, courgette), and a batch of chutney (courgette and aubergine) ready to cook