Emily's video of the fireworks outside the White House was the clue.
So there is no obligation whatsoever to read further, especially as from now on this blog will be about vegetables.
Let us begin.
Plotting the plot.
The inspiration.
First thoughts.
Remember the cauliflower?
I opened Tender at random, read this and thought "Why not?"
'If any vegetable was made to sit under a blanket of smooth cheese sauce, then this is it. As you pour your creamy bechamel mornay or hollandaise over its chaste white curds it will stay there, caught amongst the gentle bumps, clouds and hollows of this, the pinnacle of the brassica family. You know, for once, that this is a recipe that was always meant to be.'
I have never grown a single vegetable. I've never grown anything actually, aside from a middle age paunch, but the beauty of Nigel Slater's writing in Tender is that it makes me want to grow stuff, and eat the stuff that I have planted, watered and nurtured.
And then this, which is on page 20, under the heading 'Kit and why it matters'.
'My gardening tools mean as much to me as my kitchen equipment. It matters to me that something feels good in the hand, that it has a certain patina and that it does the job well. Most of my stuff is second hand and much loved. Yes, my copper spade and Japanese pruning sheers cost a bob or two but, like a decent kitchen knife, they make each job all the more pleasurable.'
What more did I need to read?
It can't be that hard, can it?
I can't remember if I mentioned it to either of you, but over Christmas, I lifted the copy of Nigel Slater's "The Kitchen Diaries" that you had given her and it has become a permanent part of our extremely tiny kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI love all of the plans/ideas for the garden and I look forward to constant updates and photos of it's growth. I spent a good portion of a Saturday a few weekends back explaining my desire to take over the farm in Washington and take the entire operation self-sufficient, totally green and make it somewhat of a destination for visitors.