Friends and Organics

Wow! Saw loads of friends last week as me and the boyfriend hosted a BBQ. One of my oldest friends arrived with her husband and as he drink flowed we suddenly decided we both like cooking - a lot! So we both went on a rampage around the house looking at cookbooks. discussing Mermaid bakeware (he has it, I don't, I want some!), preserving, found a really cool site where you can log books that you leave lying around and monitor their journey of exchanges.

We all had a great time and the boyf and I decided that we would bite the biscuit and finally.....get an organic box scheme. My friend and her husband get one and regularly provide updates but when we recieved ours on Thursday, contrary to all the rave review we had read, out tomatoes were mouldy and had to be chucked, our lettuce looked limp and as Leigh would say 'GRITTY!' and the box was water logged. We are now seeking a less 'real' box scheme. Don't get me wrong, I have no probs with slugs, caterpillars and grit but I can't pay money for mould....no way!

Anywy, the BBBQ went really well, we all had a bit much (well Dean and I did) and we had some fab food locally produced. There is a small farm could Osier Farm in Mautby and I know the farmer. His cows are happy and well looked aftre, he is not a commercial money baron and the eggs, meat and potatoes are al reared on the far,/ Perfect....and so reasonable. I walked into the gate and was surprised to see an honesty box in the garden (which had tiny stepping stones and was enclosed with a gate to the barn and fields). I really wanted to stay. I suspect I'll go back for eggs and meant next week, especially as I want to use the fresh eggs for my 2nd Christmas cake...yes I have made the first and included dates and figs and it looks perfect.

The Salsa at the party was my idea to accompany the meat.....tomato, red onion, 2 chillis and mango; cut it, cube it, slice it and mix...eat it at room temeperature. Lovely!

Now back to surfing for local producesr a la Rick Stein.....