Storms and an Open lunch

It's one of those British three-seasons-in-a-day. Mouse woke me at 0700 demanding breakfast, and it was already grey with the occasional flash of hot sunshine. So I headed up to the plot early, hoping to get in a couple of hours' work before the rain arrived. I took my camera only to discover, once I was there, that the battery was flat. Huh. The newly-planted broad bean seedlings are all doing well, there are tiny fruit on the squash plants, and the tomatoes are thriving and full of fruit. I tied in all the new tomato growth, weeded, watered the shed plants, and found I had the first crystal apple cucumber!

I got home just before the first heavy shower. Rang Q, who was now on the plot and soldiering on with weeding the empty onion bed, and heard that he's had swine flu - the first person I know to get it. Thankfully, he's fine now.

Back home, I did some tidying in the garden. This is the dill that I bought from Walthamstow farmers' market a couple of weeks ago - growing very well. Next to it is the squirrel-proofed Sicilian rocket mix.

Here are my Amish toms - already developing their beefsteak ribbing.

Then it was time to make lunch and settle down in front of coverage of the Open championship. I have no idea why I like watching golf but it's become a bit of an addiction. And this Open has become a real thriller. Go Tom! Go Ernie! Anyway, back to lunch. First up, a beetroot salad with an Ottolenghi-adapted dressing of maple syrup, peanut and olive oil, sherry vinegar and garlic. I've added the last of the Barkham blue, rocket, sorrel and radish sprouts.
Then I fried up some of last night's lottie potatoes in walnut oil.

Add a scotch egg pasty and there you have it. (And the pasty tastes even better today.)

Mouse is not too impressed with the golf and has settled down to some heavy duty snoozing.