Flaming June

Blimey - two months off - sorry 'bout that. Actually been very busy but not a huge amount of blog-worthy stuff. The "season" is well and truly upon us and this shot from a school open day back in early June celebrates the arrival of some decent weather. I'm not a big charcoal fan, preferring to make my own as I go by burning huge quantities of seasoned, split oak and ash. The tailgate arrangement does cause concern and it is not unusual for neighbouring pic-nickers to move their precious 4x4 or Bentley GT to the other end of the field. The N/S gas tank leaks quite badly on the Series so wind direction needs to be considered. A spread of hogget chops and chipolatas c/w a pan of garlic-fried new potatoes goes down well on these occasions - on a very warm day you can't beat a cup of Yorkshire Gold to wash it all down. More recently I joined Diplo Junior in an heroic 40 mile sponsored walk in the Brecon Beacons - absolute madness, and carrying a 50lb pack up and down vertiginous terrain has completely ruined my knees. I'm on a strict diet of animal fat and Digfield Brewery's "Fool's Nook" in an attempt to sort them out. On the fettling front - both the XT225 and the CB Special have sailed through the MOT test process.The Series is in for the same as I write ! Having got back on the keyboard I'll try not to leave it so long. MORE REGULARITY !!!
Oh by the way - pigs in freezer and bacon curing under way, yum yum. New weaners coming in a couple of weeks.

Awesome Rack

A little rummage in the freezer turned up a rack of hogget for supper ! Marvelous - home grown spuds and garlic for accompaniment. This fire was cooking very well on a blend of some Cupressocyparis leylandii, Acer pseudoplatanus and Faxinus excelsior. The Diplo veg patch has been particularly productive this season thanks to a truck load of manure dug in earlier in the year. The purple sprouting, however, liked it a little too much and grew enormous, triffid like, leaves and no sprouting - caterpillars loved it. MORE GREENS !

And On The 366th Day ............

........ Mary's little lamb became a Hogget. With all the goodness of a spring lamb but with 5 times as much fat and flavour these little chaps are the hard earned result of letting your lamb survive past its first birthday. I have just eaten the chops pictured here, fresh off the fire with a few new potatoes and a Sweetheart cabbage. Quite delicious. A friend of mine who has been producing the finest pork in the world from free range Tamworths has branched into the art of Hogget rearing, she also produces some delicious beef from a small Dexter herd. Now there's a versatile animal if ever there was one - very compact, great dairy cow and a first class meat producer - very trick. MORE FLAVOUR !