Morning all. 23 deg outside when I got up this morning. Black clouds around especially over the mountains but rain radar shows nothing coming our way at the moment. SM shop this morning lets hope all the shoppers are social distancing.
It was 23 and rising here too ... I’ve watered everything that’s in pots ... toms, hostas, canna, agapanthus, PSB plants that are waiting to plant out, ferns, Morning glories, pelargoniums, hardy begonia, herb pots, pots of annuals, the lollipop bay, ferns, biennials in their module trays, OH’s big yellow dahlia and the Cautleya spicata ‘robusta’ which @Hostafan1 gave us and is now in three large pots and flowering merrily.
The runner beans, squashes and courgettes have been given a drenching, the birdbath has been refilled and the chillies in the studio have had a drink.
I’ve picked another load of runner beans ... looks like it’s courgettes and beans with our chicken and couscous for supper.
Oh, and I’ve had Sungold tomatoes for breakfast 😋
Ill just finish this coffee and get on with making some bread ... I’m toying with the idea of sourdough focaccia for a change ... what do you think?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thunderstorms-Pah Rain Huh- 2 claps of thunder in the distance last night nearly 8 spots of rain twice! Another horrible night, sat in the garden at 2:30 am in my PJ's for half an hour to cool down. PLEASE can we have some rain today?
I love proper Italian focaccia but it's many years since I had a sourdough bread of any kind cos I didn't like the sour flavour. Tried it from an organic shop in Keswick, just the once. loved their sunflower seed bread tho.
I have been underwhelmed by the flavour of the Sungold tomatoes I bought after the cancelling of the local plant fair in march meant I couldn't get my usual supply of heritage varieties. Not impressed with Black Crimea either but they cook up to a good sauce if I add tomato purée. We'll be trying the first of the big, fat orange beefsteaks today.
We've had a short vertical shower accompanied by thunderclaps so loud that Bonzo doggy tried to climb on OH's lap. He doesn't like electrical storms. Looks like most of the rain is going to skim past tou our south west and fall in the Atlantic which seems a shame. The ocean is already wet enough n'est-ce pas?
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
@Obelixx -don't give up on Sungold too soon. I am thinking of going back to them next year. I grew them for several years & they were great then had a disappointing year or two but I realise that it seems to depend on the weather. A lot of people at the 'plots are moaning about a lack of taste this year but I think we are having to water so much to keep them alive that they lack flavour. That is all varieties this year not just one or two.
To put it in a nutshell, the degree of ‘sourness’ in sourdough bread depends on the length of time the flavour has to develop ... if you do the overnight bulk prove method, or make a poolish or sponge which stands overnight, the bread will have a more pronounced flavour. I’m still reading and experimenting ... 👩🍳
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Another unexpected sun-drenching looks on the cards today - we were forecast to be in the midst of storms and (brief!) sunny spells by now. We got some rain o/night but not sure it was that much and no repeat of the thunderstorms the previous night.
@WonkyWomble Unfortunately, it would've taken more than a face mask to disguise my unkempt appearance should I have wanted to venture into the outside world yesterday. More like a body bag!!!
That's interesting @Dovefromabove cos when I made that bread with a poolish a while ago it wasn't sour at all but I was using fresh yeast, not a mother.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
That would be very different @obelixx ... the sourdough starter I use is over 20 years old and has developed quite a complex flavour ... with sourdough you can start with an autolyse of just flour and water ... this can 'work' to develop the gluten for a couple of hours or overnight ... if you add the sourdough starter to the autolyse the flavour will really develop ... some folk miss out the autolyse stage completely which is the method I've been following until now ... I may try the autolyse before long ... when I get my head around the hydration and timings ... 😵
As for today, it's going to be an ordinary white sourdough loaf ... I've realised that the boiler is being serviced tomorrow morning and the kitchen will be unavailable to make bread and we're almost out of toasting bread ... so a 'proper' loaf it is.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Another horrible night, sat in the garden at 2:30 am in my PJ's for half an hour to cool down. PLEASE can we have some rain today?
I have been underwhelmed by the flavour of the Sungold tomatoes I bought after the cancelling of the local plant fair in march meant I couldn't get my usual supply of heritage varieties. Not impressed with Black Crimea either but they cook up to a good sauce if I add tomato purée. We'll be trying the first of the big, fat orange beefsteaks today.
We've had a short vertical shower accompanied by thunderclaps so loud that Bonzo doggy tried to climb on OH's lap. He doesn't like electrical storms. Looks like most of the rain is going to skim past tou our south west and fall in the Atlantic which seems a shame. The ocean is already wet enough n'est-ce pas?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Another unexpected sun-drenching looks on the cards today - we were forecast to be in the midst of storms and (brief!) sunny spells by now. We got some rain o/night but not sure it was that much and no repeat of the thunderstorms the previous night.
@WonkyWomble Unfortunately, it would've taken more than a face mask to disguise my unkempt appearance should I have wanted to venture into the outside world yesterday. More like a body bag!!!
As for today, it's going to be an ordinary white sourdough loaf ... I've realised that the boiler is being serviced tomorrow morning and the kitchen will be unavailable to make bread and we're almost out of toasting bread ... so a 'proper' loaf it is.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.