23rd March 2025

 

Dear All,

 

“Just Vegetating” this week was “Oriental Vegetables” and Kate produced: Fennel salad with pistachios and oven-dried grapes, Jerusalem artichoke and mushroom dauphinoise and Vegetable Stir fry. Not particularly Oriental but well received nonetheless. It was the last session and the class were very kind in that one brought in a Birthday Cake and together they donated £315 to CEEM.

Birthdaywise I received a humbling amount of gifts and some very fine cards for which I am very grateful.

 

 

Birthday Loot

 

We walked on Tuesday this week as it was relatively local starting at Bourn where there is a Farm shop and café. The walk took in Longstowe and it was dry, warm and sunny which was a pleasant change from recent weeks.

 

 

Manor Farm, Bourn

 

 

Bourn

 

 

Leaving Bourn

 

 

Route of old Cambridge to Oxford Railway Line

In the evening it was a Church Business meeting where one of the major topics was a difficult neighbour who has fallen out with the Playschool and is making access to the lane very awkward.

On Wednesday I had a seasonal haircut, followed by church group and Garden Club which was taken by a lady garden designer who although knowledgeable, did not put her message over very well.

The last session of “Biographies” topic was the Emperor Justinian  482 – 565 AD who had one of the longest reigns at 38 years. He came from humble origins in North Macedonia, became a soldier and then a “tax and spend” Emperor.

 

 

Emperor Justinian

Most of the class celebrated the end of term with an Italian meal in The Maypole. In the afternoon Kate helped me plant main crop potatoes and I have also planted cabbage and lettuce and sown carrots and salsify.

The front garden is looking colourful and the magnolia is about to burst forth.

 

 

Front Garden

Kate has been busy constructing sweet pouches for Mother’s Day.

 

 

Colourful Kate!

 

Over won again beating Milton 2 v 0 but they were a few players short as someone was thoughtless enough to get married in the football season!

A mystery was solved thus week as when we were in Malaysia in 1996 we went to a wonderful market in Kota Bharu with a vast array of fruit and vegetables. I managed to work most of them out eventually but one eluded me – the pale green one in the centre.

 

 

I ran it past Chinese Veg expert Joy Larkcom this week and she did not know either, but she had a friend in Hong Kong who identified it as Turmeric flowers which are edible but have a short shelf life so have not travelled to Europe.

 

 

Turmeric Flower

Best wishes

Mike & Kate