Look what we found in our suitcase!!!!

Hey! We (Brownie, who's 95 this year!, Jan and I) are now in Scotland!! We flew into Glasgow this am, and drove down to Edinburgh. We're a bit foggy, as is the weather, but thought I'd forward you all a photo of these beautiful Shitake mushrooms that Jenny (Brownie's niece) has just grown. This "cake" is only several days old!! Mushrooms seem to be on everyone's agenda these days! I understood the mushroom plugs took months to mature into wee little shroomies, but these are going out of control after just a few days. Now we have to decide what to do with all these Shitakes? Please send menus and recipes.

Yesterday we harvested the first pea and fava bean sprouts from the Hugel bed-permaculture experiment that Richard made several months ago. We were trying to find room to plant the heritage tomatoes that we've been coddling for the past 2 months, awaiting WARMTH. It was a bit windy, and quite chilly, but into the bed they went. And, for supper, we ate garlic, artichoke infused pea/bean sprouts with the incredible cilantro pesto that Nigel made from his winter garden beds. Sublime.

Fresh from the market!

Last night, Marilee made Palak Paneer from the spinach she bought at the market. We got lamb sausages, shiny deep aubergine, home made pepper-spelt noodles, leek-cheese scones, and a loaf of cranberry-hazelnut spelt sourdough that makes outrageous toast! Here is a photo of some of the yellow and red cherry tomatoes, and a big, giant, very fragile beefsteak tomato that has a few bumps and bruises. Ahhhh...all this chilly weather and now it seems to be spring at last!

These are amazing flavours!

Treasures

This morning we headed to the first Farmers' Market for this year. We found teeny red and yellow gems, tasty tomatoes grown indoors organically. Before we left the market we'd eaten several small cakes and I bought the last Brandywine tomato plant for Kelly!