And yesterday, after weeks of living behind a screen of 2 metre high corn, the silage harvesters came into the field at the back of the house and restored our view out over the new South Downs National Park.
We decided to mark the event with late 'elevenses' in the garden, watching the precise choreography of the harvester and the tractors towing the trailers to collect the silage as it was cut, since by then they were working at the lower end of the field. I made scones adding cheese, apple (no surprise there if you have read my previous posts) and rosemary. I imagined these additions would work well together as I know that apple pie served with a mature cheddar is not unheard of and I have recipes for apple pie which have cheese added to the pastry. From there my mind moved to the cheese and rosemary flapjacks I used to make from a Cranks recipe and then it circled back again to the internet recipes I have seen lately pairing apple with rosemary. Being a little short of milk I substituted creme fraiche mixed with water instead. I was pleased that the whole recipe worked very well. The creme fraiche made the scones very light and the flavours all worked together. Warm from the oven they went down a treat.
Making the most of the glorious sunshine we went to Old Winchester Hill for an afternoon stroll. Hazy though the sunshine had become, the views were as lovely as ever.
Walking back to the car, we seemed to be engulfed in small clouds of airborne ladybirds. Whatever social ritual they were involved in, I have only once before seen them in such large numbers - oh, the aphid population must have been quaking in terror!
Back home as I loaded the laundry basket with fresh garden-dried bed linen, I heard a piercing call high above me and looked up to see a buzzard hanging high up in the blue.
Just one day and so many pleasures.
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