spring

I've been putting seeds into pots with compost and watching them grow.

Blonde maraicheri lettuce just coming up.

The same lettuce a week or so later.

Red Orache. I've never tried it. I look forward to tasting it in a few months time.

Crocus

snakeshead fritillary

An apple seedling. Mr Kite and I just planted 82 fruit trees down at Mountain Cottage in corfe mullen, Dorset. It's mostly apples, but cherries, plums, pears, quince and medlars too. They're all a lot bigger than this seedling.

So if you want to see our lovely fruit orchard why not book a yurt and stay down there for a night or two. It's an amazing place. http://www.mountaincottageyurts.co.uk/Welcome.html

Recipe

Here's a recipe I made up yesterday.

The LAG funding group I'm a part of has just put a 'temporary freeze' on funding all new projects. The government are abolishing RDAs and centralising everything with DEFRA.

The Big Society is fast becoming an oxymoron.

(the day after) Pancake Day

I couldn't get online yesterday, so this post is a belated.

Recipe for Spiced Pancake avec Bean (Mr Kite's invention)

For the pancake:

110g plain flour

pinch salt

2 eggs

200ml milk mixed with 75ml water

2tspn garam masala

2tspn tumeric

1 tspn ground coriander

sieve flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Break the eggs into the mix, or blend. Add milk and water gradually. When all the milk and water is added, slide a spatula around the edge of the bowl to incorporate any stray flour. Add the spices and whisk until smooth.

(Note: These pancakes seem to take slightly longer to cook than conventional pancakes. The spices seem to slow the cooking down. Allow about 5 mins per pancake, but ultimately you decide when they're done.)

for the Avec Bean:

(pancakes to be cooked during the Avec Bean cooking time, or if multi-tasking is impossible for you, after. Ensure the bean mix is kept warm while the pancakes cook.)

1 red onion- chopped

2 cloves garlic- chopped

1 red pepper- chopped

2 courgettes- chopped

mushrooms- chopped

ginger- sliced. Smallish quantity.

chilli powder- 1tspn or less

tinned tomatoes

tinned mix beans

150g mozzarella

coriander leaf

basil

Fry onions for 5mins

add pepper and garlic and fry for further 5mins

add courgettes and ginger. Fry for 5mins

add mushrooms. Fry 3mins

add the herbs and spices and tomatoes and fry for 5mins

add beans and fry for a further 5mins.

Add the mozzarella 30 seconds before serving.

This recipe can be adapted and changed for variety.

Serve with spicy pancakes.

skate beautiful

I saw this on Mary's facebook page and had to watch it a few million times. It's a beautiful flowing dance, like glossy tumbling water.

I have this thing about the human body in motion. Parkour, gymnastics, dance, capoeira et al.

What I especially like about this video is the fluidity of it.