Ride in Payolle

We went for a nice long ride at the old dairy in Payolle

We take some fence with us so they can graze while we have lunch

Sandwich and soup for lunch

grass for the horses

and a mini sandwich for Poppy - with cheese and ham, her favorite!

It’s a beautiful place

Bramley apples!!

They are not ripe yet, but the birds had pecked a few so I decided to harvest them early. The tree doesn’t have very many apples left on it, maybe as many as 10, but it is the most it has ever had (ie more than none!).

I have made some stewed apple and bramble (the brambles just ripe have gone a bit wonky from frazzling heat then 2 days of rain, so they were just as well stewed). Not sure what I will do with it now. Crumble or pie probably...

All home grown meal

Well, not the yoghurt or the garlic, oil, salt pepper etc...

Roast lamb with moroccan inspired potato and chive fritters, garlic roast runner beans and mint yoghurt.

It is not super attractive looking, but very tasty, perhaps I should have sprinkled some chives to brighten it up.

Mini lamb leg. Perfect for 2 people with a bit of leftovers..l

I might try this as a potato salad next time. It is left over boiled potato with chives, olive oil and some tagine spice. For frying it I added an egg to stick it together but wouldn’t do this for salad obviously (althoguh it would be nice with boiled egg!)

Fried then the top grilled.

Thinning fruit and what to do with it

I have thinning out seedlings or fruit. If the plant managed to grow it is a miracle and I don’t want to stand in it’s way! However, particularly with fruit trees I force myself to do it otherwise bits snap off.

Some fruit you can still use as long as you leave it late enough - tricky balance!

The plum tree decided to grow almost all the fruit just one one branch, who knows why... so quite a lot had to come off. They made really good jam though. Phew!

One little branch had already broken

None if them are ripe yet

I took some of the more ripe ones along with green ones as I thought maybe they would have more flavour.

It came out really well, you wouldn’t know it is made from unripe fruit I don’t think.