If you could only grow one fruit ...

Posted by Rosie

... what would it be?

Chopped Rhubarb

I ask this because for the past few weeks I have been picking and cooking rhubarb .... and I am still not bored of it!  Other fruits are great but limited in what I (can) do with them.  I love blackcurrants in jam, on cheesecake/pavlova and bottled; the first warm strawberry from the garden is delicious but my enthusiasm for them wanes when I have been stooped over picking them for an hour or so.  Likewise with many of the soft fruits I grow - I love them but many are time consuming to pick and none are as versatile (or as easy to pick) as rhubarb.  A few quick yanks of suitable stems, leaves cut off and either composted or used to make a natural pesticide and I'm back into the kitchen in no time at all to start chopping.

So, what have I done with the rhubarb?

Bottled

• Baked in the oven and eaten with thick yoghurt or on top on cereal for breakfast
• Crumble - of course!
• Compote which I have bottled
• Slices in syrup, also bottled
• Rhubeena - in other words rhubarb cordial, which the boys love on their cereal and I love both in fruit salads and over ice cream  We even occasionally drink it in the manner proposed or add it to fromage blanc for home-made lollies.
• Frozen - ready for more rhubeena and crumbles through the winter
• Rhubarb cheesecake
• Rhubarb and ginger jam
• Rhubarb and date chutney - Ben's absolute favourite.
  

Rhubarb and Date Chutney

I have also found a recipe for rhubarb and elderflower frangipan tarte and a slightly weird Asian dish called rhubarb and beef khoresh; weird because at the end of cooking you strain off and discard the beef!  It does however suggest another recipe where you can use the beef, thank goodness.  I have yet to try either of these and according to some I may need to be quick.  As you may be aware, the leaves of rhubarb are poisonous due to their high oxalic acid content and during June this oxalic acid begins to move down the stem.  That said I have picked and eaten it much later in the year with no apparent ill-effects and this page from the RHS deems it safe to eat into August if the plant continues to crop suitable stalks. In that case I may well have more to pick and should get the chance to make both the frangipan tart and the khoresh. 

This year I have had help with all the picking and chopping.  Sarah, our latest volunteer helper from Taiwan will now return to her native homeland armed with the array of recipes above that she helped me prepare.  Initially she did not recognise rhubarb but a quick Google in Chinese revealed that in fact she did know he plant, but in a very different form.  The dried root is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine - details here. Sarah is however not sure whether she will be able to buy the stalks to use fresh.

Do you have an all time favourite fruit that you could not live without?  Do let us know ... and if you visit us here at Eco-Gites of Lenault at the right time of year you may well be able to taste some of the many fruits I grow in the garden and orchard.  Oh and if you have any more rhubarb recipes do let me know ... just in case I get bored of the ones I have already made!

Not quite the walk we were expecting

Posted by Rosie

Clécy

On Saturday Simon suggested we took the boys, our Taiwanese volunteer helper and the dogs for a walk Clécy.  Clécy is the "capital" of the tourist area of Suisse Normandy, just a short drive from here.  Famed for it's river and water sports, rocks and climbing, paragliding and beautiful countryside that seemed a great idea.  I imagined either a gentle stroll along the river, eating ice cream and watching the canoeists paddling by ... or perhaps we could drive up to the view point and walk along the top admiring Clécy and the surrounding countryside below us.

WRONG!!

Simon had however had thought the same as we so parked near the river and off we set, underneath the viaduct and along the riverbank. All was well for about 5 minutes until first Tom and then Ben suddenly dived into the undergrowth and declared this was the way we were going ... up a rock-strewn slippery slope to the bottom of the rock climbing area and then on UPWARDS along increasingly narrow paths between the rocks and trees.  Had I know we were doing a slightly more adventurous walk than I had imagined, I may have dressed in proper boots rather than the soft shoes I had on which, I quickly found out, had very little grip!  Sarah, our volunteer, had the same problem but we struggled on after the boys who were scampering about the rocks like young mountain goats.

The dogs were also obviously enjoying themselves and completely disappeared for ages, only to reappear rather wet. They had gone all the way back down to the river for a swim when we weren't looking.  I just hope they didn't pinch any food from the many groups of rock climbers who were taking the sheer route up to the top!!

Anyway, we bravely continued our upward journey, finally emerging at the top path where we could admire the view.  To be fair it was worth the scramble and the views were great.  Our journey home was slightly easier and took us over the old railway track on top of the viaduct where we were keen to show Sarah what we did to volunteers who didn't do enough weeding!!

A Damsel is Distress?

Then it was back down to the river where we ambled along, had an ice-cream and watched the canoes and pedalos.  Trouble is we think the the boys might just have seen the new dare-devil rope and clapper bridge walkway high up on the rocks above the river ....

Onward and UP-wards

Attic October 2009

Eighteen months ago I started (with HelpX'ers) on our attic space.  This was just to insulate it.  I only got as far as the insulation boards.  Then just before last Christmas (over a year later) I managed to get it fully insulated - making the house about 4°C warmer - and then get some plaster board on.  I even managed to get some of the wiring in place as well.  And there it waited.

Attic 02/08/2011

And to be fair, in between I have converted a barn into a gite plus done one or two other jobs. So at the end of last month I was able to get back to it.  The worse part was trying to remember what wiring was for what but eventually that was sorted and Ady (HelpX) and I were off.

We completed the wiring, finished the boarding, put timber up on the ceiling and partition wall.  Prepared the walls and painted them.  Ducting for a heat exchange unit is being laid in and shelves constructed (mainly me).

Attic Room 13/08/2011

We have now laid the floor (mainly Ady) and now, at long last we have something that looks like a room.  We have some electrics to finish and all those finishing touches that need to be done - timbering edging etc. The worse part of the project, apart from having to lug everything up and downstairs, is the moving of all the boxes and furniture around.  Definitely a job made easier having a helper. 

So hopefully very soon we will have another bedroom and living area.  The next job is to put in a first floor bathroom, which I'm hoping to start next week.

Bakery - On Going

Ady (our HelpX) and I have had a good run on the bakery and are very pleased with the results.  It was hard work and both of us had aching shoulders from lifting up the stone and mortar mix. We have finished the stone work - mainly due to Ady challenging me to get it done in two days - two very long days (thanks Ady!).  Now have the timber work to do - so doors etc are on the agenda for tomorrow.

When finished it will be a good area for storage and butchery plus Rosie is hoping to get a 'meat safe' in there, so we can hang meat for a few days without flies taking their part in the process.

I only wish Rosie would do an 'anti-rain dance' now, so we can get on without the soaking we got today!

On going list!

Posted By Simon

I've been back here a week now and it has been it's usual non-stop list of jobs to get on with. The snow here was washed away by Saturday and although cold the weather has been better than in parts of the UK.

One of the jobs was to slaughter the first three of our Kune Kune pigs. This was done Friday and then on Saturday we butchered them up into various cuts and loads of mince. A chop was quickly fried up on top of the wood burner and divided up for a taste test. I think Ben summed the taste up by instantly asking for more or even better chops for dinner - duly actioned. The rest is now in the freezer although Rosie made faggots this evening which were lovely. There is something very rewarding in producing your own meat from birth to table - the slaughtering aside!

We now have another helper staying for a couple of weeks so we are getting on with insulating the attic and are splitting it up making it into a guest room cum living room and a storage area. This job was started over a year ago put on hold whilst we finished the gite and now it's happening again. Proper storage will be great as there are still boxes that have not been unpacked since we arrived here. Also the extra room will be blessing when people stay - especially pleasing Tom who is nearly always moved to accommodate guests.

Returning to the subject of pigs we should be - well the sows should be - having more piglets very soon. So one other job that had to be done was to separate the pigs into their own pens. This entailed some fencing being done and making each their own bedroom. As seems the norm, this one job led to about another 3 or 4 jobs that were not on my list. At least we got some other areas tidied up and sorted that were not urgent but it does all helps.

Anyway check the blog for updates on 'Pig Watch Lenault' - we could be busy in that department very soon.

Bother

Posted by Rosie

Simon and our HelpX friend worked hard today on clearing out the barn. The hay is now in there, not in the side barn where the door whips open at great speed when it is windy, potentially doing a passer-by a nasty injury. Loose hay has been bagged up and the stuff too dusty to use as feed put in bags to scatter in the duck pen when it gets very slippery. Rubbish has been recycled or taken to the tip and generally it is looking very tidy. There is also space for the car so I don't need to scrape the windows on frosty school run mornings. Well it could were it not for this .....

Halloween

Posted by Rosie

For several years now we have had friends over for a spooky Halloween supper, decorating the house, dressing up and eating horrible food. This year was no exception with the only difference being we had a HelpX volunteer arrive this evening, just as our friends turned up in their costumes. He must think we are completely mad.


So 2 Witches, a devil, a vampire, a mummy, a skeleton, a ghost, a monster and our HelpXer sat down to the following Menu:

Swamp Soup (pea soup with croutons and lardons) and homemade bread rolls

Witch's Special - Spinach and Pumpkin filo parcels, purple potatoes and "bloody" ratatouille

Blood Jelly and Chocolate Brains - Raspberry jelly with fruit and sweets added and Krispie cakes with added marshmallows and dried fruits.

Our friends also bought some extra puddings - Toad shaped Krispie cakes and Snake biscuits.

And to drink - Blood of course - better known as cranberry juice and lemonade!

Au revoir Lou

Posted by Rosie

After a friend wasn't able to help out in the few weeks before the gite needed to be ready, we put a call out on HelpX for anyone daft enough to come and help us finish off about 4 weeks worth of work in two. Bonjour Lou. She came, she worked her socks off and then she stayed!! She finally left for home yesterday morning after 7 weeks with us. Thank you so very much Lou - you helped us out more than you could have imagined this summer; you were like a part of the family and now it seems so very quiet without you.

(However we are planning to make the "croissants in a tin" you bought and are enjoying the cheese you forgot to take home!!)

Gingerbread Men

Posted by Ben

We made Gingerbread Men yesterday morning. We had great fun, we made a lot of mess and the dough was really, really big. We cut loads and loads of shapes and Sally (my aunt) made several dinosaurs and a pterodactyl and a scottie dog. Tom made a HUGE fish and he it it all. Here is Tom, me and Lou (a HelpX helper) making the gingerbread men. Mum says please ignore the messy house.

Gite News

Posted by Simon

I picked up the paint and varnish plus other materials in the UK. It was a very quick trip - in fact I spent less than 8 hours over there. Since my return we have been busy painting and varnishing.

And we have help. Two British girls, Freddie and Cat, who have been the main painters and 'varnishers'. This has meant I can spend the time laying floors, doing skirting boards etc and other fiddly time consuming jobs. Rosie has been busy looking for and ordering soft furnishings and helps with staining timber and varnishing. So things are moving along quite quickly.

The paint and varnish I got is organic. Although a little more costly it's been lovely to use. One room is painted with one of the major brands (so called) eco-paint but this is far inferior in comparison to Ecos Organic Paints. I must admit I did make one, slightish, error. I had two tins of Straw for the main bedroom and a tin of Sorbet for the mezzanine. We now have a Straw coloured mezzanine and a hybrid Sorbet/Straw bedroom. As it happens I think the Sorbet would have been too dark for the mezzanine and we all like the mix for the bedroom - although possibly a little too much on the yellow side.

One other job we have decided to do whilst the helpers are here is to pick up the stones from the grass area where the fosse has been installed. We decided we would do half hour per day. Yesterday we did just over that and it does make a difference but it was quite hard on the back and was a little tedious. And today? - well maybe 2 half hour session tomorrow!

Normandy Wellies

Posted by Simon

Now rain is something a future gite operator does not like to mention too often, although it is a necessary fact of life. Well like the UK we have had our fair share of rain at the moment. Plus the place resembles a building site. Your average mud wallower would be in it's element here.

So when our hard working Helper left he decided to take drastic action to protect his shoes. Well with a train journey to Paris and future flight to the States I can understand why.

I think the dogs where rather bemused - or perhaps they're thinking if they are available in doggy sizes!

Bed Time

Posted by Simon

We have another 'helpex'er' arriving tomorrow and it was with a sudden realisation that we did not have enough beds. Sleeping on the floor is okay for a while but for a few weeks is not so nice. Also one of the beds is Ben's old toddler bed and he is now too long for it. So I decided to make a new bed for Ben.

Over the last couple of evening I have been working away in the workshop and last night it was finished. Ben was bought in, with eyes closed, to the workshop and when he opened them and saw the bed his face was a picture. Then he saw that I had routed his name in the headboard - he was over the moon. He then spent the next hour helping us sand it down.

This morning we moved beds and furniture around, as we'll have both Tom and Ben in our room for the next couple of weeks. Dragos (helpex'er) and I got the new bed into Ben's bedroom- through the window and tonight Ben gets to sleep in his new bed. But only for one night as our other helpex arrives tomorrow. Ben is back in the toddler bed.

And I'm sure you can guess - yes, I'll be making a bed for Tom next.

Works Update

Posted by Simon

The beginning of this week we have been organising and ordering materials for future works plus we went to Caen to get the doors and windows for the gites (see previous post). Yesterday I managed to get the windows installed but I hadn't chosen the best of days as the wind was howling. I now have to do some finishing work but otherwise I'm really pleased they are in and the difference is noticeable. Well I suppose it would be considering what was there before!

The first of our two 'Helpex'ers, Dragos, arrived yesterday and was put to work first thing this morning. He has done a lovely job back filling round one of the septic tanks - one down one to go - and another job can be crossed off the list. He did well but jet lag and lack of sleep finally got to him this afternoon. And I didn't slave drive him, honest - he volunteered.

I continued work on the filter beds and finished laying the pipes in the third trench and got the final two trenches dug. These went much better. I decided to leave digging them until today as the forecast had promised dryer weather, which was the case today, and with the wind as well the soil had dried out. Also I did dig them further apart which meant I was not pushing soil, or sliding, into the other trenches - maybe all the practise I've had - but to me it looks a neater job.

Tomorrow I'll get the gravel and pipes in and hopefully it can then be inspected before being filled it - a lot of work just to go to the toilet though!

On and on and on and on and on

Posted by Simon

I'm still struggling on with the sewage system. After what seems like an age and a few false starts the tanks are in and the outlet pipes are now in place to the filter beds. And we carried out a water test and it seems all the levels are correct and there are no leaks. Pete (Helpex) and I worked hard getting the pipes through the gite. We had to cut through two stone walls and dig a 6 metre trench in between. It went really well. I had visions of taking at least a day cutting the holes into the walls.

Now I have started the filter beds and this is incredibly slow work and much harder than I thought it would be. The sheep are definitely learning some new words - not just the usual baa! The pipes have to descend at less than 0.5% - in other words less than 0.5 of a centimetre per metre - all on a bed of gravel. Not as easy as it sounds and very frustrating. I'm going to try an alternative method, tomorrow, for the second of 5 trenches.

But I have been kept rather amused by Saari who has taken to mothering the ducklings. She gently checks on them and makes sure they are together. If they get split up Saari rounds them up again. Also, if she's a little bored she divides the poor ducklings up, only to herd them back together again. We're not sure if that is what the ducks really want but it keeps Saari happy for hours. Although we were a little concerned the other evening as we thought two of the ducklings were not very well - actually we think they were just so exhausted from the constant doggy attention. Now we keep Saari away to give the ducklings a rest.

And to add to Rosie's earlier blog - a special thanks to Pete and Tash for their help and hard work. It was very welcome and much needed. Now I'm off to taste the roast pork dinner with fresh vegetables (all home produced) which has been playing havoc with my nostrils for the last hour or so. And Pete I'm also enjoying a glass of 'Speckled Hen'.

And talking of sheep - why did the sheep cross the road?

To go to the baabers - of course!!!!!!

Thank You Pete and Tash

Posted by Rosie

Sorry about the lack of posts recently - we have been busy getting on with all sorts of work much assisted by our first HelpX volunteers, Pete and Tash.

From New Zealand they have been travelling round Europe and needed a place to fill a gap between other HelpX stays - and they chose us! They have worked so hard, helping in the gite, the garden, the house and with the animals. The boys loved them and after a lot of hotels and hostels they said they really enjoyed living en famille once again. Thanks to all their efforts, the Fosse Septiques are almost in, the polytunnel is cleared and dug, the kindling is chopped, the dogs have had some extra walks, the washing up got done before bedtime, Fabulous Hallowe'en costumes were made, the sheep have been moved .........

It wasn't all work though: they came to the Food Fair, we had a day at Cité de la Mer up at Cherbourg and last night we had a farewell pizza at our favourite Pizza Restaurant, Les Trois Ecus, in Condé-sur-Noireau.

Thank you very much Pete and Tash.