Growing to table

Today was a productive day. It started when a member of the Gardening Facebook Page came over to prop up the damaged Viburnum. He made a prop from some branches he's cut (Piers is a tree surgeon by profession). The prop needed cutting down, so out came Eamonn's workmate from the garden store and it was done in a jiffy. Piers is returning next week to thin out the trees which are dangerously overcrowded.

Next on the agenda was baking. First up was a loaf. I'm making small sandwich loaves as I get through them faster and they freeze well. Once that was underway, I prepared the rhubarb from the Community Garden, for a crumble. I cooked the rhubarb in apple juice, made the crumble topping, and ground some walnuts for a crunchy top. The rhubarb really diminished in volume on cooking, so I prepared two apples and a pear for the fourth ramikin dish.

The kitchen needed cleaning (again ) after all the preparation and cooking. I'd just finished that when the plumber arrived to fix the conservatory radiator. It's too warm to test it. I will turn the heating full on as soon as the temperature drops into the teens. If that doesn't work, it's a replacement job for that radiator, later in the year.

Piers had advised me to water the trees because they were suffering from lack of water. Before the border had been cleared, the jungle canopy had sheltered the ground below. Then I checked on my strawberries and tomatoes, which need feeding today.

I picked three ripe Black Cherry  tomatoes to use in a light lunch today.

I may indulge in a rhubarb crumble for afternoon tea -  with a cup of Moroccan Mint Tea,

I made a tomato and feta salad, with a dressing of olive oil and wild elderflower vinegar,  to go with cheese and crackers - a light lunch today.  I'm getting a real kick out of preparing meals with stuff I have grown myself.

And finally, the new conservatory roof is working well/ Today, it is sunny and hot - 25 C. I have worked on my laptop throughout the afternoon without any ill effects. There is a cool breeze coming in through the side panel-windows.