Hungerford allotment blog - grow your own, harvesting and vegetarian cooking. Enjoying allotment wildlife, weather and other things that catch my attention.
Enjoying time on the Marsh Lane Allotment site in Hungerford, Berkshire.
A record of successes, failures and a handy reminder for me.
From 2017 each post title brings a song to add a little extra music to the world - enjoy!
Day 41 of lockdown - these weeks seem be whizzing by. I guess because they're rather samey... thank goodness I can fill my days with work though it's not as good as being at the lab when the days are more varied.
I was inspired by Shaheen to make this colourful pasta salad. I thought the animation that Google produced was rather funny - it looks like a fly is landing in it, but it wasn't. This one included raw chard leaves from the allotment - lovely!
Nothing home-grown, but pretty and tasty. I was glad that Jamie is managing to buy peppers, celery and tomatoes. We bought these two packs of rice fusilli last month, from a health store. At that time, my last shopping trip, there was no pasta left on supermarket shelves.
I don't think it tastes any different from normal pasta. Although, last week I decided to cook the pasta for lunch before I started my first Zoom meeting of the working day.
Look how colourful it is pre-cooked
Then, at lunchtime I remembered it had been simmering for more than 2 hours!! It smelled like rice pudding and I had to throw it away. 🙁 My next batch was fine I'm pleased to say!
We received another vegbox from our plot, thanks to Neal, hence the chard.
He's cleared another quarter of our plot for us! So pleased, it won't be such a horrible mess when we finally get back there!
Having just passed the dreadful UK milestone of 20,000 deaths, with over 800 dying in hospital yesterday, I am surprised that some people are thinking of reducing lockdown. It seems far too soon. Having said that, Thames Valley Police have confirmed that it's ok for people to drive to our allotment so we (HAHA) have lifted the 'no driving to site' restriction. I hope people take the sensible precautions to protect others, as well as themselves, and continue to stay home.
Besides working from home, I've been looking out of the window a lot - seeing the rapid changes in nature and getting my vitamin D top-up :-)
Look at the flowers on the horse chestnut tree!
This is the closest I can zoom to with my camera, they really are pretty flowers up close.
And I saw my first swallows and house martins this week. I didn't manage to get their photo - just blue, blue sky. I still have to check the shape of what I'm seeing.
We were also looking to the sky in the evening. I counted 33 of the SpaceX Starlink satellites. I thought it was very exciting as one after the other they came into view. We didn't attempt a viewing of the Lyrids meteor shower - it's difficult enough to spot a meteor with a full-sky-view!
I did actually step outside the front door this week - only on to the doorstep because I spotted this one lone bluebell in our front 'garden' - it's not a garden, it's just dirt as our neighbours have a plan for it and we told them that we don't mind what they do as we're always up the allotment - that was true when we said it more than a year ago!
Nice choice - Personally I've reached the point where I will only be happy when it rains. You certainly haven't been wasting your time. Nice animation effect!
So glad you liked the pasta dish. I do love the look of the beet and spinach pasta, shame it did not taste of either and lost its colour on cooking. Good to see you got a vegbox from the allotment again and its so kind of Neal to help out.Take care x I agree with you about the lockdown, ps i will have to try that google animation one of these days, if only i could figure out how :/
I do love to see a colourful plate of veg and even better when some is home-grown. I use Google Photos and it offers me animations, sometimes it creates them and puts them in the 'For you' area. Assuming your Blogger account is connected to Google so it's all in the bundle (at least, I don't remember doing anything fancy to get it!)
We’re having trouble deciding what day we are on - is it Sunday or Monday etc? I hadn’t realised you’d have to be confined indoors and not be able to venture into your garden, that’s a very kind allotment friend you have there. Stay safe.
It's very confusing, but work mostly keeps me on track. We're very grateful to Neal. He's sorted most of his plot so offered to do ours. Lovely of him.
Having the whole earth in the same situation is really strange. We not only share with you being shut-in, but it's also spring and the swallows and swifts are coming back.
Thanks for visiting - it is strange indeed. I just visited your blog and enjoyed seeing your May flowers. It is a pretty time of year, even if only to look out at. Best wishes
Nice choice - Personally I've reached the point where I will only be happy when it rains. You certainly haven't been wasting your time. Nice animation effect!
ReplyDeleteIn fact, work has been busier than I'd hoped but it keeps me out of mischief :-)
DeleteSo glad you liked the pasta dish. I do love the look of the beet and spinach pasta, shame it did not taste of either and lost its colour on cooking. Good to see you got a vegbox from the allotment again and its so kind of Neal to help out.Take care x
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the lockdown,
ps i will have to try that google animation one of these days, if only i could figure out how :/
I do love to see a colourful plate of veg and even better when some is home-grown.
DeleteI use Google Photos and it offers me animations, sometimes it creates them and puts them in the 'For you' area. Assuming your Blogger account is connected to Google so it's all in the bundle (at least, I don't remember doing anything fancy to get it!)
Oh... the fusili looks so lovely in that color.
ReplyDeleteI know, so pretty!
DeleteWe’re having trouble deciding what day we are on - is it Sunday or Monday etc? I hadn’t realised you’d have to be confined indoors and not be able to venture into your garden, that’s a very kind allotment friend you have there. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteIt's very confusing, but work mostly keeps me on track.
DeleteWe're very grateful to Neal. He's sorted most of his plot so offered to do ours. Lovely of him.
Having the whole earth in the same situation is really strange. We not only share with you being shut-in, but it's also spring and the swallows and swifts are coming back.
ReplyDeletebe well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks for visiting - it is strange indeed. I just visited your blog and enjoyed seeing your May flowers. It is a pretty time of year, even if only to look out at.
DeleteBest wishes