Good News stories

[Dave2002]

We thought there were no greengages on our 15 foot high tree. Crops have been sparse or non-existent every year - yes we are going to plant a very small growing pollinator a.s.a.p. (I've only recently been admitted to conversations about such things - I have to suffer the appellation of plant murderer. In reality I am just an appropriate pruner - plants and shrubs I've pruned hard do come back.

In something of a development I took part in the first pruning exercise the Greengage has experienced in the 4 or 5 years since it was planted. And lo! We found TWO Greengages. I hope they do ripen (a depressing thought they might not....) and it now occurs to me I must rig up an envelope of protective mesh on the branch (easy enough, they are close together) to keep birds and insects at bay!

We have raspberry bushes in our garden. The first year we noticed them, but I think the birds noticed them first. Last year it was fairly dry, and we didn't try to water them, but I had put up netting to keep birds out. Result - hardly any berries. This year we have had a very extended dry period, and I didn't bother to move the netting from last year. However, we have been splashing water in from hosepipes and we managed to have a couple of very small bowls of very small fruit a few days ago. I looked at the plants again yesterday, while carrying out watering, and there are really quite a lot of fruit coming along now, so hopefully with continued watering we will have some tasty morsels to follow our main courses. The berries we've had so far have been very promising - even though small.

We also have some tomatoes and strawberries - which are also now starting to look good, but the watering has to be kept up on everything now - no sign of any rain until next week.

[vinteuil]

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... excellent raspberries, strawberries, and tomatoes in the shops at the moment



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[Dave2002]

Wow, maybe that's why mine was so cheap compared to some of the others.
Seriously he assured me it wasn't attached to the actual eardrum.
If I don't have to have it done for another 30 years I'll take that

I've never paid to have any treatment on my ears. Has the NHS now stopped doing that completely, or just doing syringing?

I was told a few years ago that they didn't do syringing any more, and I was referred to hospitals and external surgeries for microsuction - but I didn't have to pay.

Since then I have found ways to manage - and I do sometimes put drops in - and wait - possibly for weeks - before things come back up to full volume.
The last time I had microsuction the doctor showed me the results - around a 3/4 to 1 inch tube of brown wax. So that stuff can build up significantly - though I think in my case it comes back quite quickly. I have only very rarely gone completely deaf - and that is truly scary - but it didn't last long.

Hearing is vital for many people - if only to hear the sound of approaching cars - and of course it also brings pleasure and enables communication. If the NHS has given up on ears that is a real disaster.

[Zucchini]

... excellent raspberries, strawberries, and tomatoes in the shops at the moment

... but Bryn warned that Waitrose had NO FROZEN PEAS & that there were only paucities & a few exigeni on the fruit & veg shelves...

[vinteuil]

... but Bryn warned that Waitrose had NO FROZEN PEAS & that there were only paucities & a few exigeni on the fruit & veg shelves...

... and where are we with courgettes???

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[Serial_Apologist]

... and where are we with courgettes???

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Tasteless things - I can't be bothered with them.

[Bryn]

... but Bryn warned that Waitrose had NO FROZEN PEAS & that there were only paucities & a few exigeni on the fruit & veg shelves...

I mentioned only frozen vegetables, though some fresh fruit was also in shorter supply than normal. When I checked the reduced priced short-dated raspberries, all the available packs showed distinct signs of fungal growth. That's something the partners applying the reduced price stickers ought to be trained to look out for.

[teamsaint]

I mentioned only frozen vegetables, though some fresh fruit was also in shorter supply than normal. When I checked the reduced priced short-dated raspberries, all the available packs showed distinct signs of fungal growth. That's something the partners applying the reduced price stickers ought to be trained to look out for.

That would seem sensible............

[Serial_Apologist]

[/B]
That would seem sensible............

I've noticed this happening in the past and drawn it to staff attention.

A (possibly) useful piece of advice has popped up on the friendly links regarding keeping raspberries fungus free. First of all make sure the product is fungus free in the first place (obviously), then once home, space out the raspberries on absorbent paper on a tray, spray with a dilute white vinegar solution, and if not to be consumed within 24 hours put in the deep freeze. Before eating, rinse the fruit to remove the vinegar taste, presumably in a colander or sieve - my hand-held bathroom shower would do ideally for this task. The article says soft fruit can thus be put in deep freeze storage for as long as needed, which I hadn't realised was possible.

[vinteuil]

Tasteless things - I can't be bothered with them.

... ah, but - "There is, you'll agree, a certain 'je ne sais quoi' - oh so very special- about a firm, young zucchino... ", n'est-ce pas?


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[Serial_Apologist]

... ah, but - "There is, you'll agree, a certain 'je ne sais quoi' - oh so very special- about a firm, young zucchino... ", n'est-ce pas?


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Je ne sais quoi - exactement!

[jayne lee wilson]

Tasteless things - I can't be bothered with them.

I usually bake these, sliced, along with varying amounts of shallots/onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, as the base for a pasta sauce. Cooked simply with olive oil and herbs (basil and oregano, black pepper later); garlic butter late in the process. Then poured into the saucepan while the pasta drains; at which point you may add more butter, (usually white) wine, perhaps a little mild cheese and additional herbs. Schwarz's Garlic Pepper is ideal.
One can add a small amount of proprietary pasta sauce for a richer blend.

Good in stir-fry for texture and as a balance to stronger flavours, Courgettes roast and steam well too - but of course you need some seasoning or dressing for their mild flavour to be brought out.

[Stanfordian]

Tasteless things - I can't be bothered with them.

A few months ago in Morrisons a young checkout assistant asked me what type of vegetable were the courgettes I was buying.

[Serial_Apologist]

A few months ago in Morrisons a young checkout assistant asked me what type of vegetable were the courgettes I was buying.

She should have been marrow-minded enough to have known.

[gurnemanz]

Tasteless things - I can't be bothered with them.

Can be tasty. I try to pick them at a length of no more than four inches so that flavour and crunchiness are optimum. Supermarkets tend to sell them at too large a size and I only ever buy them if I can select the small ones myself, eg at a market stall. Cook very briefly so they are still al dente, and not squidgy. Fast fried with garlic and fresh basil, possibly also tomato, they are delicious. I don't like marrow (ie bloated courgette) which does tend to be tasteless.