Happy Solstice

[Penners]

And then for supper let's have ham and mushroom omelettes, eh?

 

[Moo]

If you can wait till next year you can have asparagus as well.

 

[Penners]

I can wait as long as you like for asparagus, thanks Moo. Can't say I've ever been that keen on it. Oh, it's pleasant enough as veggies go (apart from the well-known after-effects!) but I wouldn't shed a tear if I never had it again.

Now, broad beans are a different matter!

 

[Moo]

The first thing I planted on the allotment (was ordered to by the old boys) was a row of broad beans. Unfortunately, none of the family liked them so I've not bothered to repeat the process.
However, if and when you move nearer to Naarch I promise to plant what will be known as Penners Beans just for you.

 

[Penners]

What a kind thought! However, I'm a bit worried that any bean carrying that name will be old, dry, lumpy and tough.

 

[plumbers mate]

Try stinging nettle soup instead of asparagus - it's somewhat cheaper as neighbours will be glad of you picking the tops off the new nettle shoots, and the taste is a delicate asparagusy one.
Kids love it because they can go into silly "oooh, I've been stung" types of thing with their friends, well, my son did. (they won't have been stung and it's a way of getting lots of healthy minerals into them) (no - not cast iron but the veggie version)

 

[Penners]

I like nettle soup, although I would have described the taste as closer to spinach than sparrer grass.

 

[Juju]

We're waiting to see if our elderflower wine has worked. The flowers were a bit past their best but we were inspired by Hugh Fearnley-whatsit's recipe on the telly last week. We were up the ladders in the gales at the weekend trying to get at the best flowers. I'd done some vigorous pruning the week before so the best flowers were unfortunately in the compost bin....

 

[skier-hughes]

Nettle wine, far better than nettle soup.
Elderflower and orange cordial is nice also.

 

[shelli]

Had a "Fat of the land" moment a couple of weeks ago and daughter and I picked some elder flowers.

We got rid of stalks, put flowers in big bowl, poured a kettle full of boiling water on them, juiced a lemon into the bowl then threw the rest of the lemon in as well and left it overnight. Next day we strained it through a napkin into a pan, added 2-3 tbsp of sugar (cant quite remember) more lemon juice and heated it up gently until sugar dissolved - once cool we put it in a jug in the fridge.

Kids didn't like it at first as flavour was stronger than the cordial one buys - so I let it down a bit - they then said it was "interesting"(!)

I tried it and it was too eldery (you know that smell you get with elder thats a bit pungent) - but when added a good slug of Bombay Sapphire - that cheered it up no end (and me Hic!)

As interesting side effect - daughter had hay fevery type sniffles beforehand - and they disappeared the next day (and pollen levels were still very high)

So perhaps flower drinks have same anti hay fever properties as honey? - anyone?

shelli

 

[skier-hughes]

Depending on how much elderflower you put in, I use about 6 oranges to about 25 good sized heads.
It is then watered down same as normal cordial.