The first 12 months - February 2011

From Sydney to Cygnet, from unemployment to part-time to full-time work, what a jam packed year it has been. I apologise to anyone who may have been hanging out for the latest installment of our sea/tree change – but you know how it is, life has a way of taking over and sweeping you away with it.

‘Tis the time of year that our fruit (should be) ripe or ripening. It has been a mixed bag , as the summer has been dismal and my vision of becoming the supplier of intensely hot, beautifully formed, ripe red chillies to Southern Tasmania, soon came to naught – naught is the nice round number of chillies I have managed to produce! Our cherries, though netted (but not pegged) were completely wiped out by blackbirds and to add insult to injury, they followed that performance with delightful displays of pink shit on my car for several days. Talk about full circle…

The cherry plums have been abundant, and the nectarines and pears are coming along well. As for hubby’s plantings, though summer is almost finished, the tomatoes are still green. The strawberries have regularly been devoured by something before they ripened, all other berries have failed (- luckily the McArthurs have supplied us a staggering amount of strawberries & raspberries from their endeavours) and SOMEONE left a fantastic crop of lettuces in the ground to turn to slush after a few days of rain.

It has been great fun scooping up lots of cold dirt and unearthing fresh Dutch Cream potatoes, ranging from cherry tomato in size to about 6 inches long and they have been delish. As have the local Pink Eyes, a spud for which the region is rightly proud. I’m sure there’s little money to be saved but there is something so satisfying about harvesting your own crops.

And of course, there are no excuses now for a second rate dinner - with such wonderful produce and a new Ilve oven and cooktop…… The old oven was on its last legs so I finally relented and opted for the very best I could buy (pay off on the credit card). It’s the first new oven I’ve ever had and it’s so much more efficient, it’s almost like learning to cook all over again! The first attempt – roast chicken with roast root veggies was ready half an hour early…totally unheard of on a weeknight at our place.

Now I’m nicely settled in my full time job, I promise to update more frequently, so until next time……au revoir!