Here's what we had for our tea last night. Not exactly it was a few nights back to be precise.
A part from the HP brown sauce everything on the dinner plate came from our smallholding.
What does HP stand for? House of Commons?
John Seymour the smallholding writer nay guru is probably the biggest inspiration on my life. Well a part from Linda Carter in Wonder Woman that is.😊
His self sufficiency books put me on the road to renting an allotment and now we have lived on our Irish smallholding for over 20 years. I still dream of living in Portugal but I don't know if that will ever happen.
The above dish was the staple meal of my grandparents and I can remember eating it even on a hot July evening. My late dad said his parents had salted pork and bacon in a wooden barrel in the kitchen. My grandad grew a field of vegetables every year and even sold cabbage plants in Bantry on a Fair day. Perhaps that's where I get my plant growing obsession from?
It's satisfying to know that the vegetables you sowed and planted and the pigs you raised now provide us with our food.
We are not self sufficient but we eat well. Plus it's all naturally grown and very very tasty.
Houses of Parliament, HP sauce. Did you not sit reading the label when you were a child Dave? I still have HP with lots of things.
ReplyDeleteI did Rachel. Like a lot of things originally English it's now made abroad. Holland I think? Raleigh bicycles: China. It's a great condiment to go with any meal.
ReplyDeleteHP has been on my kitchen table my entire married life. My Canadian sons have it in their homes. The German husband enjoys it
ReplyDeleteHi 50 and counting. Imagine if we couldn't buy it anymore. HP sauce is a kitchen institution. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI met John Seymour in the late 70s, he gave a talk at a meeting of Cardiff Organic Gardeners...and very inspiring it was too!
ReplyDeleteGosh GZ. I wish I had met him. I have read so many of his books and I often think would JS say I am doing it right? If I could visit a pub in Heaven it would be JS, George Best and Phil Lynott and me sat round a table, sharing a drink and having a chat. Lucky you!
ReplyDeleteDo you butcher and cure your own meat or do you have your own butcher?
ReplyDeleteWe take them on a short journey to a local butcher Debby. You can't kill your own. Then we pick up the pork and the bacon a week or so later.
DeleteI remember the days when I would pick green beans and peas, capsicums and tomatoes, baby carrots were pulled from the ground. We had to buy our meat, but dessert was often apricots and peaches from the trees and grapes from the vine each summer.
ReplyDeleteIt must of been wonderful times River to pick all that fresh fruit and vegetables?
ReplyDeleteAlmost 30 years ago now, with hubby and four kids all still at home.
DeleteIt's a long time River. Great memories.
DeleteYou must be well pleased to have a whole meal of your own growing. I can send you a recipe for making a substitute for HP sauce if you grow your own garlic and apples (will also need a supply of various spices, chillies, vinegar and treacle).
ReplyDeleteI t is very satisfying to produce your own whole meal TM. Obviously it's not nice when the day arrives for them to go to the butcher. But we try to give them a good life and the cycle of life is what smallholding farming is about. I'm intrigued with your HP substitute. Why don't you write a blog post about it?
ReplyDeleteSomething to be proud about Dave. Most people get everything they eat from supermarkets. Keep up the good work young man!
ReplyDeleteThanks YP. We are far from being self sufficient but we do have some good meals of home produced food.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful. Looks like a very tasty meal. And all from your effort
ReplyDeleteWell I never cooked it and I guess along with Mother Nature we all played a part in producing such a meal.
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