Saturday Soup

In the year 1598, it is believed by some that Henri IV of France wanted all labourers to have a chicken in a pot, referred to as Poule au Pot, once per week.  Some people now have stews and casseroles.  In Caribbean cuisine,  there is also the Saturday Soup.  The soup is typically orange in colour. In addition to various herbs the common ingredient is pumpkin or squash and/or carrots.  Meat can be included and there are numerous videos on Youtube that shows how to make Saturday Soup.

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Pumpkin Mash – Happy Diwali

As this is the first year (2026) that I managed to grow pumpkins, I decided to try them all before giving any away! I made a simple mash from one such slice.

You can also find a plethora of other pumpkin suggested dishes on the BBC Food website.  Just search for ‘pumpkin’.

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Pumpkins (1), Pumpkins (2), Pumpkins (3), Pumpkin (4), Pumpkin (5), Pumpkin (6)

Fried Pumpkin Dumpling

I included some pumpkin mixture in with a Jamaican style dumpling dough.  Then fried them in the usual way.  Search Youtube for Jamaican fried dumpling where you can find a variety of  fried dumpling recipes. 

After cooking, I simply dipped mine in tomato ketchup. Next time I’ll try it with Levi Roots Reggae Reggae sauce.  I expect that combination to make a good winter warmer too!  

                    

You can also find a plethora of other pumpkin suggested dishes on the BBC Food website.  Just search for ‘pumpkin’.

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Pumpkins (1), Pumpkin (2), Pumpkin (3), Pumpkin (4), Pumpkin (5), Pumpkin (6)

Another Anagram from Mona Lisa (5)

How many other words can you make from the name 'Mona Lisa' ?  Try using other languages such as French, Italian and Latin.

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Mona Lisa Anagram (1), Mona Lisa Anagram (2), Mona Lisa Anagram (3), Mona Lisa Anagram (4), Mona Lisa Anagram (5)

Leonardo Da Vinci’s, A cloudburst of material possessions c1506 -12 
Black chalk pen and ink (part 6)

I recalled seeing a section of Leonardo's sketch that included a number of animals 
that one would see if in Africa or India.

What can you see?

Yellow and green Brolly fabric have been superimposed and made semi-transparent on this section.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s, A cloudburst of material possessions c1506 -12 
Black chalk pen and ink
Link to:  Part One , Part Two, Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8, Part 9

Adapted Panch Phodoner Kaddu

I made an adapted version of panch phodoner kaddu.  I did not have all five usual seeds in my cupboard, (cumin, fennel, fenugreek, black mustard, black onion).  So instead I part fried some: spring onion, red pepper, small green chilli, cumin and coriander seeds before adding the cubed pumpkin pieces. Then I garnished it with chopped spring onion.  

I would try this again but use a regular onion at the start rather than frying the spring onion.

You can find a plethora of other pumpkin suggested dishes on the 

BBC Food website.  Just search for ‘pumpkin’.

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Pumpkins (1), Pumpkin (2), Pumpkin (3), Pumpkin (4), Pumpkin (5), Pumpkin (6)

Pumpkin in with the Rice and Peas

I have cooked a number of items that I would not usually mix with pumpkins but they tasted great all the same.

This time I mixed the pumpkin, (grown in our garden) in with the Caribbean style rice and peas. There was a tin of black peas in the cupboard so I used that.  The good thing with tinned peas is that you do not have to boil it in water for a long time!

You can find a plethora of other pumpkin suggested dishes on the BBC Food website.  Just search for ‘pumpkin’.

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Pumpkins (1), Pumpkin (2), Pumpkin (3), Pumpkin (4), Pumpkin (5), Pumpkin (6)

Waterproofing holey Smiley pots

I ran out of regular plant pot saucers and needed a method of holding plants without the water running out of the holes.

After a little consideration, (about the time it took to eat the contents) I decided to cut a crisp packet in half. I used one part for holding the plant, (with compost) and the other with the bottom sealed to capture any drainage.

The section holding the plant was partially taped leaving two small holes at the bottom.

The holey smiley pots are now being used without saucers.

The background frame is based on an e-processed green brolly fabric.

World Smile Day 1, World Smile Day 2, Waterproofing Smiley Pots

Some Pumpkin Meals

Roasted Vegetables

I have cooked some items that I would not usually combine with pumpkins but they tasted great all the same. Below are two versions of roasted vegetables I made.  One dish included white yam and the other an aubergine. I will think about giving the aubergine more of a crunch for next time.  The red cabbage sauerkraut was added after, (not roasted).  Both dishes have black pepper sprinkled on top too.

You can find a plethora of other pumpkin suggested dishes on the 

BBC Food website.  Just search for ‘pumpkin’.

The background frames are based on some e-processed green brolly fabric.

Pumpkins (1), Pumpkin (2), Pumpkin (3), Pumpkin (4), Pumpkin (5), Pumpkin (6)

Culinary Pumpkins are Amazing!

Pumpkins come in just about every colour reflecting the tints of Autumn.  I have attempted to grow pumpkins for a number of years, this being the first year of some success, albeit not the colours I expected!  I planted seeds from the Crown Prince and Kabucha varieties – both shades of light and dark green respectively, on the outside.

The first two that I have used had lovely dense textures and tasted delicious.  More about the produce to follow.  I have added the deep green South African Gem pumpkin bought from the Moseley Farmer’s Market to show size comparison.  The South African Gem standard size is around that of a tennis ball.

Pumpkins are reputed to be rich in beta carotene and also contains calcium, iron, folate and vitamin C.

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Pumpkins (1), Pumpkin (2), Pumpkin (3), Pumpkin (4), Pumpkin (5), Pumpkin (6)

Bullace Produce (6)

The bullace tasted sweet enough to eat as is, so some were eaten in their primary state.

The jam I made in September included the following from our garden: Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Bullace and Victoria Plums, (sliced and checked for grubs!).  All of these fruits contain vitamin C amongst other minerals.

All previously washed and frozen then half used in September and the rest will be used just before Christmas.

As the bullace looked like large sloes, some are now fermenting in London Gin!

You can see a sketch of the sloes and bullace side by side on pages 156-157 of Edith Holden's 1905 Nature Notes.

The scones shown in the photo are homemade, not by me though.

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Bullace 1, Bullace 2, Bullace 3, Bullace 4,  Bullace 5, Bullace 6

World Smile Day ( 2)

Motto, "Do an act of kindness. Help one person”. 

‘Smile a while and give your face a rest!

Then shake hands with the ones you like the best

Now turn round to those near by

And greet them with a smile’

Adaptation

The background frame is based on an e-processed yellow brolly fabric.  

World Smile Day 1, World Smile Day 2, Waterproofing Smiley Pots

Multi-headed Sunflower

This sunflower started as one little seed of four that I planted in small biodegradable pots. Not bothering to pot them on as they grew, I chose to put them in our raised beds.  As they grew, I took out three that I spotted, the fourth must have been too small at that point.  Sometime later I noticed it had suddenly grown like it was competing with the Tower of Babel!
There are now more than ten flower heads, six already in bloom, which reminds me of Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflower painting.

Yes I did climb the ladder to take the photo.

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Upcoming World Smile Day

Thinking ahead …

World Smile day takes place on the first Friday of October.  This year it will be on 2nd October 2026 with the theme, "Do an act of kindness. Help one person”.  You needn’t wait till then.  At the very least, if possible, smile a while and give your face a rest!

I wonder how the Sedum floral clusters will get on in these pots!

The background frame is based on an e-processed blue brolly fabric.

World Smile Day 1, World Smile Day 2, Waterproofing Smiley Pots

Bullace plum (part 5)

I harvested the Bullace plums on 29th August 2026 and to my surprise the quantity was two and half times as much as last year, (see part 2)!

Edith mentions not finding any when she looked in 6th October 1905 and wondered whether it was ‘due to the late frosts we had in May’.  Well we had a heatwave late in May 2026!

I have included a Victoria plum, Cherry, Honeycombe and Alicante tomatoes for size comparisons.  With the recent rainfall, the grass is turning green again too.

The background frame is based on an e-processed yellow brolly fabric.  

Bullace 1, Bullace 2, Bullace 3, Bullace 4, Bullace 5, Bullace 6

Bullace Tree (4)

The bullace fruit are well into the ripening stage and the tree planted 80 degrees east in our garden, is overall in a better condition than our Pyracantha.   The Pyracantha has had it’s upper leaves scored by the sun although the London Pride sheltered in a pot beneath the Pyracantha, is happily continuing to grow.  They are situated in our back garden 272 degrees west and have endured concentrated warming in the last few heatwaves.

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Bullace 1, Bullace 2, Bullace 3, Bullace 4, Bullace 5, Bullace 6

Bullace Tree (3)

After the concerns of April, I’m very happy to see some fruit on the Bullace tree.  Not as much relative to the amount of blossoms that was showing in March but thankful that the fruits are progressing well.

The background frame is based on an e-processed pink brolly fabric.

Bullace 1, Bullace 2, Bullace 3, Bullace 4, Bullace 5, Bullace 6

World Environmental Day

With the successful Sarehole / Middle Earth / Tolkien Festival held only last weekend, it seemed a happy co-incidence to find a plethora of oak saplings behind our shed, (some from our neighbour’s too).  The bags may look small here, but there actually over 500 saplings! Aided by a Facebook friend, I was able to locate a conservationist group that was willing to have them.

Author of Lord of the Rings, J R R Tolkien was particularly fond of trees.  They featured in his novels and were included in his maps.  As we live near what I envisage the Shires to be, it seemed apt to show the map here.  I can imagine those saplings being from one of those areas. 

Edith Holden mentions various stages of growth of the oak tree in her Nature Notes of 1906 too.

Another happy co-incidence is that it is 5th June 2026, World Environmental Day.

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My Country Diary Mocktail

 

Updated on a very hot .... 26th May 2026

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Aquilegias / Columbines

On the fully open flowers, the stem tops of these blooms looks like a cluster of graceful birds.

.

 ‘To the medieval mind those fluttery petals were akin to bird’s wings – the association stuck. Columbine from the Latin columba meaning dove gives us the link to the Holy Spirit while aquila gives us the eagle  – and Christ in the form of an eagle soaring heavenwards ’

Source: The History Jar 

Interestingly one of the birds I heard today was the Collared Dove, (for the first time since using the Merlin Bird Id).  The Collared Dove is shown first on the list below.

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Archaeoplanting and Orange tip Butterflies

I have seen numerous Orange Tip butterflies this month of April 2026, both in our garden and elsewhere such as Elmdon Park and Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens.

The back story to seeing them in our garden is partly due to the outcome of mud being dispersed from a flooded area to other parts of the garden, (I've coined the term Archaeoplanting for this).  Later on the Garlic Mustard plant appeared and Orange Tip butterflies have been visiting our garden since!

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Health Benefits of Garlic Mustard
'Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is very good for you, acting as a highly nutritious and safe wild edible. It is packed with vitamins A, C, E, and minerals like calcium, iron, and potassium, alongside omega-3 fatty acids. It has a peppery garlic flavor, is excellent for boosting immunity and reducing inflammation, and can be used in salads, pesto, or cooked like spinach.

AI overview 6th May 2026'