Slow Sunday, allotment & a recipe

Plum galette

My eyes gaze into the room, as sunlight appears across blue and white walls where three pictures hang that I love, friendly with familiarity. Tree out front swaying in the wind, sunlight on leaves and blue skies all around. From the kitchen, music, “When I saw the break of day…” — Nora Jones. All the while, the world is turning this way and that. Worms make burrows in the soil, bees fly to flowers, seagulls glide on air currents, magpies chatak chatak and tiny birds fly in and out of that tree out front.

My mind, drifts outside, eyes drawn to the shadow and sun playing on that red-tiled roof across the road —  “I waited ‘til I saw the sun…”. The music dances inside my bones — “My heart is drenched in wine…” – I L O V E summer.

Jack Johnson – “There’s no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard…”. As one song turns into another, I notice how this very ordinary day is full of simple treasures, richer than anything. “…And all of these moments just might find their way into my dreams tonight…”.

Sometimes, it’s just nice to cosy up, to let the winds of life dance you into existence, as days turn into nights then back into days and seasons; twirl.

Joy dots

Twirling

Sunshine playing with shadows

Green leaves in sunlight

Friendly familiarity

Music in my bones

Simple things

Worms burrowing

Birds flying

Ordinary treasures

Recipe

Plum galette

This was a simple plum galette. I cheated and used shop bought pastry because I wanted to get out to my allotment. Just rolled out the pastry, cut into a circle, covered the centre with sliced really ripe sweet plums, sprinkled jaggery (raw cane sugar) over the top, along with some cinnamon and chunks of butter. Folded the edges in and baked for about 30-40 minutes. Really nice served with mascarpone whipped up with some maple syrup and Cardamon.

Allotment

Here is a video of the allotment I have taken on – 6ft bramble forest across 64 sq metres.

And here’s some pictures of the site.

It’s a little piece of paradise. This part of the city was built up in the 1800’s, before that the land was a patchwork of fields and nurseries, with this allotment a little oasis of what was. You walk into a different time when you walk through the gates. It will take time for food larder to grow, because there’s a lot of work to do on the allotment I’ve taken, but soon (ish) my allotment will be food heaven. I’ll share step by step how to turn a bramble forest with underlying bindweed and couch grass into a no-dig organic kitchen garden, if you know anyone who would like to follow this, there’s a share button below.

I’m off now for my first bash at the allotment.

Wishing you the warmest,

Lucy x