As we've had a great success with aubergines and Rik isnt too keen... Ive had to get making different ways to cook them... this is the best one so far... he loves it...
3 large aubergines sliced.
2 onions,
tomato sauce, thats sort of a Passata stuff not heinz!
plenty good stong cheese sauce to cover the lot.
Fry the aubergine slices gently till golden brown, fry off onions till soft, layer baking dish with aubergines, onions, tom sauce untill full, then top off with cheese sauce and bake till all is soft and brown and bubbling.... hmmmmm yum.
I serve it with rice n beans and plenty of veg... cauli and carrots make a nice colourful plate...
Frugal living in the Portuguese countryside,Eco-tourism, Agri tourism, recipes,family life, self sufficency, eco living, vegetable growing, tips and self help ideas for country living.
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Summer update.
Well its mid July, the weather is still a little strange at times, one week in the high eighties low nineties next week... overcast and rain, but Im not complaining, it means we've got more work done and I get to sleep at night more often.
The pool has been a gem this year, I dont know how we ever managed without it, although its not a posh in the ground tiled huge thing, (its an above ground 15 metre round one) its perfect for us and we tend to have at least one dip every day... now the sun deck/terrace is finished too, it really looks lovely, its all tiled and you can walk straight to the pool ladder now, the back terrace wall is stepped with irregular shelves that we have decorated with plants and laterns and candles for at night... its beautiful!! Cant you tell I just love it....hopefully we'll get some pics up on the website soon, Rik is actually building the new BBQ/summer kitchen under the seating area today, so that whole area will be done then... he's worked so hard ..maybe have a little BBQ party next week to celebrate...
The garden is still cropping heavily, tons of weeds, they have taken over at the mo, I just cannot keep up, as stuff comes out and we get empty space, the weeds just take over... never mind, we just treat it as green manure and plough it in later...
We ate the first tomato yesterday... still warm from the sun, you just cannot beat the taste...
tons of peppers, aubergines, caulis, french beans, courgettes too... the squash are looking fab, more leeks coming on, millions of cabbage and the brussels have baby ones coming... we even had parsnip thinnings baked with butter and a pinch of sugar the other night.... stunning..
The cottage has done well and we still have more guests to come...
Im still madly stashing away food and all kinds of grocery stuff for the winter, in case we have a tricky winter like last year, this time I'll be ready, the freezer is groaning even now...
We really have to spend some serious time on the wood barn though, times getting short to get it filled up... there just doesnt seem enough hours in a day at the moment...
For all those who were kind enought to ask... Bonnie is fine again now, still digging up my yard...
The pool has been a gem this year, I dont know how we ever managed without it, although its not a posh in the ground tiled huge thing, (its an above ground 15 metre round one) its perfect for us and we tend to have at least one dip every day... now the sun deck/terrace is finished too, it really looks lovely, its all tiled and you can walk straight to the pool ladder now, the back terrace wall is stepped with irregular shelves that we have decorated with plants and laterns and candles for at night... its beautiful!! Cant you tell I just love it....hopefully we'll get some pics up on the website soon, Rik is actually building the new BBQ/summer kitchen under the seating area today, so that whole area will be done then... he's worked so hard ..maybe have a little BBQ party next week to celebrate...
The garden is still cropping heavily, tons of weeds, they have taken over at the mo, I just cannot keep up, as stuff comes out and we get empty space, the weeds just take over... never mind, we just treat it as green manure and plough it in later...
We ate the first tomato yesterday... still warm from the sun, you just cannot beat the taste...
tons of peppers, aubergines, caulis, french beans, courgettes too... the squash are looking fab, more leeks coming on, millions of cabbage and the brussels have baby ones coming... we even had parsnip thinnings baked with butter and a pinch of sugar the other night.... stunning..
The cottage has done well and we still have more guests to come...
Im still madly stashing away food and all kinds of grocery stuff for the winter, in case we have a tricky winter like last year, this time I'll be ready, the freezer is groaning even now...
We really have to spend some serious time on the wood barn though, times getting short to get it filled up... there just doesnt seem enough hours in a day at the moment...
For all those who were kind enought to ask... Bonnie is fine again now, still digging up my yard...
Monday, 6 July 2009
Update
Well the van initially failed its safety check.... what a bummer... but at least you get a month to remedy stuff and get a 6 euro recheck... it was nothing that Rik couldnt fix, so he took it again this morning and .... HURRAH!!! we are legal and back on the road...
Its been an expensive time again lately and we have to really tighten up an already tight belt, although we have rentals in the cottage, we have to try to acrue a small cushion for when the winter comes.
Our lovely Bonnie cost us 80 euros the other day, she'd been shaking her head a lot for the past three days, I'd looked, bathed and ointmented her ears but to no avail, Rik loaded her into the van complete with waterproofs as she's generally car sick (yes he drove illegally but needs must) and she quivered and drooled and shook all the way to the vets, he examined her and discovered a nasty wound so far in it was almost in her inner ear... he had to knock her out to locate it, then panicked a little as she went under so deep it was dangerous, he hadnt realised just how tired she was ...she hadnt slept much for a few nights, he gave her something to bring her round a little and she was fine. He seems to have sorted the ear out, we put some liquid in every day and she's much better now...
Somethings cost a lot but mean so much its irrelevent in the end...
The Garden
Well we've pulled the green beans... they all had some kind of blight and were no good, the french beans seem okay and are producing plenty.
Caulis are coming on nicely, we've had four so far, but a little smaller than I'd hoped...
The potatoes are fantastic...
Onions , lots and all plaited and hung up ....
peppers producing nicely..
toms are loaded... still green though...
Courgettes still plenty,
the squashes are going mad....
Parsnips coming on..
Beetroot.... bloody beetroot.... tons!
My life is a mad dash between the garden and the kitchen to process it and freeze it all....
At least the weather is good, actually its strange, cooler than normal for this time of year but for me thats not bad, we can work and sleep ...
Pat
Its been an expensive time again lately and we have to really tighten up an already tight belt, although we have rentals in the cottage, we have to try to acrue a small cushion for when the winter comes.
Our lovely Bonnie cost us 80 euros the other day, she'd been shaking her head a lot for the past three days, I'd looked, bathed and ointmented her ears but to no avail, Rik loaded her into the van complete with waterproofs as she's generally car sick (yes he drove illegally but needs must) and she quivered and drooled and shook all the way to the vets, he examined her and discovered a nasty wound so far in it was almost in her inner ear... he had to knock her out to locate it, then panicked a little as she went under so deep it was dangerous, he hadnt realised just how tired she was ...she hadnt slept much for a few nights, he gave her something to bring her round a little and she was fine. He seems to have sorted the ear out, we put some liquid in every day and she's much better now...
Somethings cost a lot but mean so much its irrelevent in the end...
The Garden
Well we've pulled the green beans... they all had some kind of blight and were no good, the french beans seem okay and are producing plenty.
Caulis are coming on nicely, we've had four so far, but a little smaller than I'd hoped...
The potatoes are fantastic...
Onions , lots and all plaited and hung up ....
peppers producing nicely..
toms are loaded... still green though...
Courgettes still plenty,
the squashes are going mad....
Parsnips coming on..
Beetroot.... bloody beetroot.... tons!
My life is a mad dash between the garden and the kitchen to process it and freeze it all....
At least the weather is good, actually its strange, cooler than normal for this time of year but for me thats not bad, we can work and sleep ...
Pat
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