Friday, August 17, 2012

It's Back!

Of course, I mean the rain, it came down in bucket loads yesterday afternoon.  Swirling around outside as we, and the cats, sat watching inside.

We knew it was coming so I rushed out and gathered as many roses as I could off the bush.  I couldn't bear to think of all the lovely scented blooms being dashed by the wind and rain.


I now have them in jugs around the house.  I know they won't last much more in here but we will enjoy them for a while longer than we might otherwise have done.


Meanwhile there is activity at last in the greenhouse!  We have waited so long this year to see a ripe tomato.  The sunshine and warmer weather over the last few days have done the trick and we have a few tomatoes off the vines and ripening on the kitchen window sill.


There are many more tomatoes in the greenhouse getting a little less green every day.


Alongside them are aubergines

with their pretty mauve flowers

and courgettes with their edible yellow ones.


Tomatoes, courgettes and aubergines all that is needed now is a red pepper and an onion and we can make ratatouille.  This dish always reminds me of France and french holidays where we would visit the local market early in the morning to buy produce for the day's meals.  The other day I bought a punnet of french apricots because nothing reminds me more of France than the warm blush of the skin of the apricots, as I look at them I can feel the heat of the sun on my back, evoke the smells and sounds of the busy market and feel the cool of the narrow back streets of the town under the eaves of the ancient buildings.


The rest of the day would be spent back at the house we were staying in, shutters closed until early evening when we would go for a walk and then eat outside under the fruit trees with little bats flitting overhead, trying not to tread on the huge slip-slithery snails that gathered around the front door  each evening as we carried trays of food outside.  Sitting, food and wine consumed, blissfully watching as darkness fell over the maize fields and the heat of the day gradually disappeared.


I'm off to Wales next week so I won't be around for a while!
Have a great weekend everyone!

22 comments:

  1. You have done well in the greenhouse this year Rosie. I am just imagining your description of France. How I would love to holiday in France one day. I adore fresh juicy apricots and a crisp white wine and some French bread would be good added to the mix too! x

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  2. Lovely roses. Down here they finished rather early - too much rain I suppose.

    And still too many green tomatoes. I picked just three for lunch today, out of a greenhouse full! If you know a good recipe for green tomato chutney please let me know! J.

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    1. I did make a green tomato chutney a few years ago! I'll see if I can find the recipe:)

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  3. Rosie I could be there with your lovely descriptive memories of the food, the markets, the ambience etc. thankyou for reviving my own memories of France. So glad your tomatoes are at last ripening as well as your other veggies.
    Patricia xx

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    1. I'd love to go back again one day as it must be nearly 10 years since we were last there:)

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  4. Replies
    1. We have a little bit of sunshine now but more rain forecast for tomorrow:)

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  5. Must admit I'm quite pleased to see the rain as it's given me chance to answer all my e-mails and start replying to letters as well as commenting on blogs. If it's fine I feel I should be out in the garden trying to control the jungle that has sprung up out there!

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    1. I know what you mean, Rowan. I feel guilty if I sit at my computer for any length of time when it is dry outside. I think I've given up on the jungle that is our garden this year:)

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  6. what a bounty... the rain has not reached us yet... Love Helen Darcy and Bingley xxx

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    1. I wish we could grow more produce but so much of it has either been rotted by the rain and loack of sunshine or eaten by the slugs:)

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  7. Can you share some of that rain. We need it so badly. One of our trees is turning color due to the dry and hot weather. We hit 38C on this past weekend.

    Have a great time away in Wales!

    Hugs from Holland ~
    Heidi

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  8. wow what a harvest....especially when I first thought you'd grown the apricots!!

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    1. I wish we could grow apricots, that would be wonderful:)

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  9. I was hoping that the scavenger hunt was back. I awarded you the One Lovely Blog Award from http://dianstimpanalley.blogspot.com,

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    1. Oh, I see what you mean about thinking the Scavenger Hunt was back! Thank you so much for the award I'm popping over to your blog to see what it is all about:)

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  10. Those apricots look delicious, so agree about them being evocative of heat and sun.

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    1. They look so cold in a plastic wrapper in a British supermarket - far better loose and tumbling around in the sun on a French market stall:)

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  11. Hello Rosie! Happy Birthday!!!!
    Hope you're enjoying your Welsh break :)
    x

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    1. Thanks, Michela. I'm back now from Wales - we had a super time:)

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