Strawberries cornflowers and volunteer fairies
Volunteer fairies are back! And I am so happy to have their support. At this time of the year the strawberry harvest is bountiful. We have been drying strawberries on a regular basis. They keep well in glass jars, their…
Fungi Language
New words have travelled and found me, making their home in my minds nest. Popping out clearly at times and hiding at the very bottom of my nest unretractable and reluctant when I need them most. Words new, such as…
How to dry quinces and make quince cordial.
In March it’s hard not to be gluttonous. It’s hard for me to walk away from a quince tree with only a small amount of quinces. Instead I have this hungry energy as though the tree I have found is…
Seasonal rhythms
It is spring and Madeline is here from Canada. And working with her is a dream. Her pace is calm and focused. Together we are working through various projects on our 15 acres of volcanic soil. In the morning we…
Identity, village life and how to make lemon and lime marmalade
I have hosted dozens of young travellers here at my farm over the past three years. With each I have been privileged to witness the identity search that comes with this age. The question that often arises from my young…
Preserving
I have had a great summer. I must thank all my volunteer fairies for without them I would not be able to do all that I do. No way. There are so many tasks that take hours and hours to…
Summer Harvest
I really try and make the most of summer…it is the most productive time of the year on our property. A time to restock the larder and discover new foraging opportunities. During summer I think about water a lot. Every…
Kitchen…garden
In November after the November frost I planted about 70 tomatoe plants in Orto two…Ralf had said ‘wait another week after cup day because there is a frost coming’…’great and thank you’…so I waited. The tomato seeds I had sown…
Soap – Season Two
I made soap again, this time with Maria. Maria from Veneto Italy. Maria who makes excellent gnocchi and really simple, delicious pasta dishes. Maria the fantastic pizzica/bio-dancer. Maria who corrected my Italian when I made mistakes. Maria who got a…