Corn / Tatties / Mincemeat - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 4 September, 2023

by Rosemary at 8:43am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 28^th August

Lovely day; warm (20C) and still and sunny. But the light has changed and it feels autumnal. Can’t believe we’ll be into September this week. It’s been a very good summer for us.

Today is office day, so head down and get on. I had to do some messages in town so I took the opportunity to purchase my 2024 diary. It’s so lovely. All those fresh pages.

Braw new diary.

Tuesday 29^th August

Fed the cattle for the first time in the field. They were very good.

Cows fed at the fence.

The calves are getting more interested

I bought them a mineral bucket; Grey thinks it’s a toy. He thinks the water trough is one too. He’s such an idiot.

Grey's new "toy".

Wednesday 30^th August

The apple harvest is well underway. It’s very variable from variety to variety, but the Grenadier has cropped well. Dan picked all the Victoria plums and greengages – poor crop this year, so we’ll just gorge on them until they’re done. Raspberries Joan J are getting going now; Dan picks a tubful every day and sticks them in the freezer.

In anticipation of shallot and beetroot (and maybe egg) pickling, Dan bought a lot of vinegar. I guess it doesn’t go off.

Thursday 31^st August

Baby and Bronte, Legs and Buddy are going to their new home on the 23^rd September.

Penfold’s stone arrived today; it will be incorporated into the paths in the front garden.

Penfold's stone.

I took the hanging baskets down – well, four of the five – and potted up the fuchsia from each. I hope to replant them next year. Sieved and bottled the muck tea. And had pizza for dinner, outside. It was lovely until the sun went down then it was quite chilly.

Friday 1^st September

Since we’ve so many cooking apples, I thought I’d make mincemeat. I got the ingredients out. Well, it’s a start.

Type your caption here.

Corn on the cob for lunch – the top one is from the tunnel, the bottom one from the garden. Fewer cobs and slower to ripen in the garden, but much better pollination. I’ll try and remember to hand pollinate next year. No discernible difference in taste though.

Polytunnel grown on the left, outdoor grown on the right.

The butternut squash in the polytunnel are ripe and huge. These are outside. Not sure I’ll grow them outside again.

Outdoor butternut squash.

Lifted most of the beetroot. Note to self – even seed tapes need thinned. The cows loved the tops. Roasted the beets this evening but too tired / lazy to skin and slice them

Dan’s been lifting tatties. This is about half, so a decent yield. They’ll dry on this board in the barn then be bagged.

Tatties Caledonian Rose.

And we have carrots. Not many but they’re better than normal – usually fly eaten. They were sown late, so that might be the thing to do next year.

Type your caption here.

And I bought some violas and pansies to brighten up the bed at the end of the drive.

Pansies and violas.

Took the dogs for a walk in the evening cool. We had company.

Gwenna and Bertie, out walking.

Saturday 2^nd September

In Edinburgh all day for the Believe in Scotland / Yes for EU March for Independence. 25,000 folk. Great day. Exhausted now.

Sunday 3^rd September

It’s so hot. Even the pretty brisk breeze is hot. Dan’s got the lurgy – sore throat, sore head, hacking cough – so he’s been sent to bed with a hot toddy – lemon juice, Crabbies Green Ginger Wine and honey, with hot water. There will only be whisky in the bedtime one.

I let the cattle into Home today. Although Near Top still has tussocks of grass, the best stuff is gone. They still have access to it but they can stay up there until Thursday.

I’ve done most of tomorrow’s desk stuff today, so I can get out tomorrow. Hopefully be a bit cooler. Imagine saying that in Scotland in September. Jings.