A far cry from peasant farming in France!

A friend of ours has just bought something wonderful!  It can’t really be classed as his new toy - it’s a 44 foot Lagoon catamaran with 3 ensuite double berths, kitchen, living room (all with a/c!) and an enormous amount of deck space and Tony and I were fortunate enough to enjoy a day on it yesterday - photos below....

As you all know, we miss our home in France very much but days like yesterday really do help to ease the sadness! :)

As for our farming adventures, we’ve started composting (results soon come in this heat I would imagine) and we’ve got cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, aubergine, rosemary and basil growing well in the planters Tony built a while ago (they’re all up but not yet fruiting with the exception of the aubergines so photos of our bounty to follow but a small crop of our aubergines pictured below on the bbq).

Hoping this finds you all well - we’re still in rainy/hurricane season here but so far no hurricanes just plenty of rain periodically for which our vegetables are very grateful.  Although with all the rain we’ve had lately, we must be diligent as they’ve just passed a new law out here and if you now splash a pedestrian by driving through a puddle you can get fined up to $500!

Happy week ahead - with love the ‘pretend farmers’ that weren’t pretending to do anything except experience how the other half live yesterday!

Oh What a beautiful morning.... (anyone seen the film “Oklahoma”?!)

The photo above was taken just moments ago - a truly spectacular morning here in Cayman - one of the many that I either take for granted or miss because I’m busy getting ready for work or on the weekends still in bed!

Although in the middle of summer here and with that, rainy and hurricane season too - the last few days we’ve had a little respite from the intense heat and due to lots of rain, we’ve had some cooler mornings and evenings which have been lovely if a little heavy with mosquitoes!  But we take the good with the bad and keep smiling :)

Today we have a couple of friends driving, as I type, down to ‘chez nous’ in France where they’ll be staying for perhaps a few weeks.  We’re both so pleased that the place is being used in our absence although a little nervous as the place is far from ‘guest ready’ - it’s hardly somewhere (yet) that one can turn the key and enjoy - there’ll be lots of unveiling - plastic sheets - throw cloths etc. to do as well as getting rid of the mouse and rat poison dotted around the place - but we’re hoping we left it in fairly good condition when we left in July and that they’ll have a really good time.

In order that our neighbours and lovely stonemasons aren’t surprised if happening by, we’ve written to them all and just got a lovely note back from the stonemasons this week to say that they’d hoped to strim the courtyard for our friends but have been unable to get round to it between too many work committments and the crazy heat they’ve had in August - so although there’ll be some yard work for our friends to do, we hope the weather will hold out and they’ll be lighting the bbq and not the fire inside!

On an ‘agricultural note’, Tony has decided that he’s going to start off the first of the tomatoes of the season.  Although it’s too hot right now for them to do anything, we think we can start them off indoors with the intention of transplanting them around early October so that we can have fresh vine ripened tomatoes once again and not pay over the odds for ones that flown in from goodness knows where - picked green and vine ripened by being sprayed with oxygen to turn them red in some cases!

Wishing you all spectacular sunrises or sunsets wherever you may be!  With love from us - the transplanted pretend farmers! x

New Life

Some of you may remember my blogging quite some time ago about saving a Poinciana tree that was about to be destroyed.  We had no idea if the poor thing would survive the transition and as evidenced from the photo above, it has not only survived it has since burst into ‘flame’ as they do at this time of year.  We’re so pleased to see the new life growing and hope this bodes well as the tree settles itself into its new home!

I haven’t posted a blog for a couple of months but hopefully have been in touch with most of you so you know what’s going on - since the last blog, I have taken my first set of STEP (Society of Trust Estate Practitioner) exams - the first of 4 - which thankfully I have passed - the next exam is in early November so I’ll be back to the books in August in preparation for that one.  The exams are an extension of what I’m currently doing which is Private Trust administration and I have to say being based in Cayman is a bonus given that the majority of the offshore trust and related legislation, Cayman was (and still is) the front runner with most other jurisdictions then basing their legislation on ours.

Since my last blog, we’ve also been to France for a very short visit and although the time just flew (we had less than 2 weeks over there), we still managed to pack in a fair amount of activity including a birthday (mine) lunch with the neighbours in one of the local restaurants (photo above) - these particular neighbours have been so welcoming since our arrival in the hamlet in 2006 and even take it upon themselves to collect our walnuts when we can’t be there at harvest time.  They very kindly greeted us this year with a sack  containing 14kg’s of our walnuts and felt it necessary to apologise that they couldn’t collect more but their backs were bothering them (they’re both nearly 80!).  So I managed to bring a few kg’s back in my suitcase along with the most spectacular walnut oil locally produced which has given us incentive to invest in a walnut press and have a go ourselves - having only tasted the slightly rancid walnut oil available on the shelves here it was a real joy to taste the good stuff!

We also had some good friends from Cayman come and visit and very kindly included us on some Bordeaux chateau tours they’d arranged - the photos above and below are taken at Chateau Pontet-Canet which we were both thoroughly impressed with - it’s an organic operation that still uses horses instead of tractors and all the grapes are handpicked - incredible!  So we splashed out and bought a bottle from the year we got married and now have a 1999 Chateau Pontet-Canet sitting in our wine fridge here in Cayman to enjoy on our anniversary this year - cheers!

We finished our french adventure with the most spectacular meal (photo below of the phenomenal dessert we finished the meal with) at the home of our stonemasons who are renovating the piggery for us.  Their son works in a 1 Michelin star restaurant in Perigueux and had a day off, so they asked him to cook for us.  We arrived, not really sure what to expect having never been to their home and were welcomed so warmly, and although being our last day in France and with lots to do to pack up the house were hoping we might escape with just a 2 or 3 hour lunch under our belts, it was a full 5 hours later that we were saying our goodbyes with regret - an absolutely amazing meal and one that has me worried about reciprocating when we return so I’m trying out new things and have just made a soup from a recipe given to me by a good friend and cooking guru which is so simple and yet so tasty I’ve included it below in case anyone else would like to give it a try.

Cold Pear & Red Pepper Soup

2 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped

2 pears, peeled and roughly chopped

1 shallot, peeled and chopped

pinch of salt and ground white pepper

1 can or about 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock

Saute the shallot until translucent but not discoloured, add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the pear and peppers are soft - leave to cool a little then puree until smooth.

Chill and then serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a splash of regular heavy cream or a dollop of creme fraiche - ENJOY!

Learning to harvest okra

The photo above is our first crop of okra harvested over the course of the past week - sadly we lost the very first crop - about a dozen okras - because we left it too long - they were enormous (apparently when it comes to okra bigger isn’t always better!) and when I cut them, they felt incredibly hard so I googled “how to harvest okra” to discover that you want to pick your okra when they’re about 2”-3” and no bigger - as they get too big, they are only good for harvesting the seeds which we’ve done so thankfully our very first crop wasn’t entirely wasted and we can use them for next years planting.

So, tonight we’re looking forward to some jamaican style fish parcels with our very own okra, onion & local scotch bonnet peppers served over local greens - if any of our aubergines look good for picking we may also bbq some of that sliced and brushed with olive oil - see the photos below of our aubergine plants which have seriously kicked off since Tony added Epsom salt to the soil - he’d read that if he added Epsom salts (1tbsp per gallon of water) to the soil, specifically to  aubergine, tomatoes and peppers that it would encourage prolific, healthy fruiting (apparently it’s the magnesium and sulfur which are macronutrients and foster fruiting) and it has done exactly what it said it would and we now have almost a dozen aubergines in the making with many more flowers popping up every day (photo below of some of the first aubergines still growing).

Although sad not to be harvesting from our vegetable patch in France, we’re still thoroughly grateful for the opportunities that returning to Cayman has afforded us (especially the ability to continue paying for work to continue on the piggery in France).  AND, we are today only 4 weeks away from returning to France for a very quick visit - just 2 weeks - and so Tony will be reunited with his tractor!!  Photos to follow as I’m sure it won’t be long after we’ve arrived before she’s out of the barn and being taken for a “spin” in the fields!

Tony will want to investigate our old traditional bread oven in France (found in one of the outbuildings) as he’s been taking his bread making very seriously and the photo above is a loaf we enjoyed with our breakfast last weekend - home made bread with scrambled local eggs made with fresh picked scotch bonnet peppers and basil - I am definitely going to have to see if I can encourage scotch bonnet peppers to grow in France - watch this space.....

We’ve been off line for some time - I’ve got some work related exams this coming week so the past few weeks have been spent being rather dull but studious and so we’re very much looking forward to our time in France - although short, it is looking like it will be fairly action packed - we have some friends from Cayman who will be visiting family in Normandy and then driving down to see us - they’re also planning on a few days in the Bordeaux/St. Emilion area and have a few vineyard tours and lunches arranged and have invited us to join them which we feel would be rude not to do and look forward to blogging about our wine-soaked adventures in the last 2 weeks in June...

In the meantime we shall keep you updated on progress with the aubergines and okras and hopefully come up with some interesting recipes to include (I’m thinking there’s definitely a vegetarian curry in our future) :)

Happy Sunday one and all - it’s a rainy one here which is fine by me as I’m supposed to stay indoors studying all day but I suppose quite depressing for those who were looking forward to a sunny bank holiday weekend (Discovery Day here in Cayman tomorrow) - as my sister commented on the phone earlier this morning, “What do you call a sunny day after a rainy bank holiday weekend?.....Tuesday!”  This won’t make sense to the retirees amongst my audience but will certainly ring true for my fellow cubicle dwellers!

Farmageddon - A Documentary

Well - if you want to watch an interesting documentary about how the US Government is harrassing those US citizens who’ve made a conscious choice to farm and/or consume their own produce (and specifically raw milk which gets them quite excited it would seem) - this is worth a watch.

Apparently there are only about 28 states in the US that allow raw milk to be produced and sold (for personal consumption).  In addition, the only natural product that is policed as much as raw milk apparently is marijuana!  It’s also completely illegal to transport raw milk across state lines - and this is true of any state.

As a result, one of the farms in Georgia with a loyal customer base some of whom used to purchase the milk and take it home to a neighbouring state, got raided, and the USDA and FDA insisted all raw milk stocks be destroyed in their presence.  Because of this, the farm that was based in Athens, Georgia decided to take this to court in an attempt to have the law changed to allow raw milk to cross state lines.

The FDA moved the court to dismiss the case and in its motion stated that,

a) there is no absolute right to consume or feed children any particular food; and

b) there is no generalized right to bodily and physical health

Is that not incredible?  Not only their points above but the fact that the FDA (Federal DRUG administration) should have a say in whether or not people should buy and consume fresh food farmed and produced locally.

As one of the complainants stated - even if you were to get sick from the produce at least you know where it comes from and can trace it back to the animal within a matter of minutes - how long do you suppose it takes to track the animal your milk came from if you purchased it pasteurized from a supermarket chain?

I’m not saying everyone should drink raw milk but I am saying if a product like Cheetos (I have been partial to them in my time but I challenge anyone to dispute the fact that they are more poisonous than raw milk) is readily available and allowed to cross state lines - surely fresh raw (sensibly produced) milk should be as readily available.

In closing, I would suggest that the fact that the FDA state that “there is no generalized right to bodily and physical health” is an acknowledgement (and in a sense an admission) that raw milk or fresh farmed food in general is going to encourage bodily and physical health - surely that’s something worth fighting for! (and so I also include a photo of our lovely mustard greens growing the our backyard - no cows or raw milk yet - soon come as they say over here!:))

Saving a Flame Tree!

The Poinciana or Flame Tree as it’s called locally, is a spectacular tree that produces the most phenomenal bright red flowers and I’m pleased to say that Tony and I have just saved one!  Sadly it’s not the right time of year for the flowers so I don’t have any photos of what it looks like when it’s in full bloom but I shall endeavour to update the blog once our very own flame tree starts producing.

Two weeks ago, Tony called me to let me know that he had a lovely mature flame tree on his building site (approx 15-16 feet tall) and it was right in the middle of some underground electrical service work they had to do and so it was going to be chopped down and discarded unless I knew of anyone who would be prepared to pay for it’s removal in order to transplant it.

Both Tony and I were very keen to save this spectacular tree if at all possible and so after much discussion decided to see if our strata might be willing to pay for it so we could enjoy the tree in our own backyard.  Initially it looked as though it wouldn’t be possible given the cost of digging it up and transporting it in addition to digging a hole at the other end and filling it with soil can cost anywhere up to around $1,200.

However, given that Tony is on a building site and has a few local contacts with one of the landscaping companies, he managed to negotiate a price of $400-$500 all in (with Tony arranging for the tree to be dug up at his end - easy enough to do on a building site with all the right equipment to hand!).  Of course, no-one could guarantee that the tree would survive the journey or take at the other end but we thought that was a price worth paying if it meant there was a chance to save this lovely tree (photos below of the tree being removed from the job site).

So I’m pleased to report that 2 days after having been transplanted, the tree is looking healthy and we hope it continues to be healthy so that I might post photos of it flowering one day in the not too distant future.  The photo below is the transplanted tree - with alot of  it’s greenery chopped back - this was of course necessary in order to transport the tree.

And, in signing off, I’m pleased to announce the birth of our first aubergine - photo below!  Hopefully more will follow.....

Unhealthy pastimes!

Tony and I have discovered our love of breadmaking, pie making and ice cream making.......not the best combination for trying to maintain a waistline - and I don’t mean a small waistline just any waistline! :)

Photos above of Tony’s last pie that I’ve already blogged about - since then he’s also done a tropical coconut pie using his lovely homemade pastry incorporating blanched ground almonds - it was another spectacular effort (photo below).

Today, I made my first batch of coconut ice cream in my brand new ice cream machine (a gift from Tony) - having never owned an ice cream machine I was pretty excited but am absolutely amazed at how simple it really is to make something so utterly bad for you!

On a slightly healthier note, I did also make some fresh pesto using the excess of basil we have in our “kitchen garden”, and substituted all pine nuts for half pine nuts and half walnuts because we do still have some walnuts left over from the harvest in France - it’s delicious and made even more delightful by using my lovely new food processor - also a gift from Tony.

Pesto

1/4 cup toasted pinenuts (not essential but I think this adds a little extra richness - you can dry “toast” them in a non stick frying pan - you don’t need to add anything - there’s enough oil in the nuts - shake for a few minutes until lightly browned then cool)

1/4 cup walnuts (toasted or not but you can add them to the pan with the pine nuts)

5 cups basil (packed)

1 cup olive oil

8-10 cloves garlic

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

salt & pepper (about 1tsp of each)

Put the nuts in the food processor with the garlic until they’re all broken down, add the basil and salt and pepper then drizzle the olive oil in slowly - add the parmesan and incorporate until you’ve got a nice “sauce like” consistency - use immediately or refrigerate or freeze with a layer of olive oil over the top to keep out the air.

Suggestions for serving,

Toss pasta or potatoes in it

Spread over french bread in place of garlic butter for a twist on garlic bread

Use as a chicken or shrimp marinade

Experiment as you see fit!

Our garden is going well - we now have basil, rosemary, scotch bonnet peppers, tomatoes, aubergine (plants - still no fruits!), okra, peppers, bok choy and a variety of greens (mustard greens, arugula, mesculin lettuce).  But as healthy as all that sounds, with the amount of experimenting we’re doing (and of course the eating that comes as a result of experimenting) we really are going to have to increase the exercise regime if we’re to survive the experience!

I’ve also just discovered an awesome way to make healthy burgers or meatballs, using extra lean ground beef and aubergine.  This makes the meat stretch further and adds back some juiciness that will be missing from the lack of fat - you also don’t need eggs or breadcrumbs.  Cook the aubergine in a microwave or oven until it’s cooked (collapsed) - this takes about 6-8 minutes in a microwave for a decent sized aubergine - probably 30-40 minutes in the oven.  Chop off the top before cooking to avoid any explosions then once it’s cooled a bit - peel it reserving all the flesh - chop finely and add to your extra lean ground beef with some garlic, onions, hot peppers if you like some spice, and some parsley - make it into burgers or meatballs and cook as normal - they’re a bit more delicate on the bbq but will cook just fine and will remain tender and juicy.

Bon apetit!

Our jungle experience in Honduras

It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog so I can only apologise to those friends and family members we don’t get to see often - I’ve realised my blogging was far easier when I wasn’t required to spend a minimum of 7.5 hours each day in a cubicle! :)

I also have to apologise as the blog of late has been less about pretend farming and more a diary of our adventures away from the farm - growing as much as we can in our limited concrete jungle that is our home in Cayman and enjoying the experience of spending the winter away from the much colder temperatures of the “sunny Dordogne” that we’ve become so fond of (I’m not sure the blog will be as “sunny” if and when we have to spend our winters in France!).

And on the subject of adventures, I can report that Tony and I have safely returned from a long weekend in Honduras (www.lascascadaslodge.com) - the first time either of us have been there and we’ve both returned with great memories of a wonderful time spent in relative luxury in a little corner of the jungle.

The property is Las Cascadas (found at www.lascascadaslodge.com), a property of 100 acres with 4 waterfalls, and a couple of beautiful cabins nestled amongst lush greenery, although only an hour by plane from Cayman, seriously a world away.  The photo above is of our “living room” area in our private cabin - the “Bejucco cabin” on the property, which boasts a stone bath, an outdoor shower and a canopy bed with a view of one of the waterfalls (photos below).

Whilst there, we made the most of our time without feeling as though we were always on the go (we both read a couple of books during our 4 day stay - an absolute treat) and went horseriding and also enjoyed a ziplining canopy tour which involves swinging through the jungle and across rivers (photos below).

This was a spectacular weekend away from our cubicles and although we’re both still so grateful for the opportunity to have cubicles to be gainfully employed in during these trying times, we also thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to sit back and soak up the atmosphere of the jungle whilst being waited on hand and foot by an excellent staff who really were on hand to ensure we wanted for nothing from pina coladas made from fresh pineapples grown locally to local food specialities such as smoked pork, huevos rancheros and phenomenal chicken curry nicely spiced with the chefs local blend of scotch bonnet with carrots and goodness knows what else (photo of our first lunch served by the waterfall on day one of our trip - this is where we also had breakfast served daily).

So we’re back to our cubicles staying thankful for everything and still hankering after the day when we might return to our more rural existence in France to explore all that has to offer.

Tony is still keen on becoming a world class pastry chef and I couldn’t sign off without including  details of his latest pie (photos to follow) - made for a dinner party shortly before we left for Honduras - the most delicious lemon pie known to man and I do believe our guests left with the knowledge they’d been fortunate enough to sample a delicacy made by a world class pastry chef!

We’ll be back with more garden tales - although I’m sad to say all our “sexing” of the aubergines hasn’t made a difference and we’re still waiting for our first aubergine.....soon come as they say in the Caribbean!

Good bye January - Hello tomatoes on the vine!

Dad has been and gone (photo above of Dad with Tony’s bike - no, he wasn’t allowed to ride it!) and the time just seems to be flying - it seems like only yesterday we were planting tomato seeds and celebrating Christmas and just this evening, we enjoyed our first tomato of the season, fresh off the vine!  Reminiscent of our summer in France.  That said, having half a dozen tomato plants in pots isn’t quite the same as having a few dozen in the ground - not something we took for granted but something we do miss.

We are enjoying life out here though, and, much as we miss life in France, we do realise how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to be gainfully employed especially in the Caribbean (and especially in the winter!) which as I’m sure everyone will agree, is really no bad thing!

Between our jobs and our garden in pots, we’re keeping ourselves fairly busy - in addition, Tony has just bought himself a cookery book by a famous french pastry chef and has now decided that he’s going to be a world class pastry chef - although excited (and I have to say the creations I’ve already tried are quite spectacular), I am concerned that I’m going to have to join the gym in order to keep my job as chief taster and still fit into my work clothes!  The latest creation was a lemon pie - the pastry was divine - ingredients included ground blanched almonds and vanilla essence amongst other things - this phenomenal pastry shell was then filled with a lemon cream that can only be described as buttery lemon velvet - I’d share the recipe but it did take almost all day and so I think we’ll keep that one to ourselves and simply commit to making it for anyone and everyone who visits with us either in France or Cayman - a special dessert by a world class pastry chef (when he’s not pretending to be a farmer).

I will however share a Blue Cheese souffle recipe that I just tried on the weekend - the first souffle I’ve ever made and my only regret is that I didn’t take a photo to accompany the recipe - that said, you do have to be quick - I’ve discovered when serving souffle you really want your guests to already be seated at the table - if they’re not there is a danger of the souffle deflating quite substantially by the time everyone is seated!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the ramekins

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup scalded milk

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of paprika

4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

3 ounces Roquefort cheese, chopped/crumbled

5 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Butter the inside of 6 individual serving size ramekins OR an 8-cup souffle dish, and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.  Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the paprika, and nutmeg.  Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.

Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time.  Stir in the Roquefort and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat until they form firm, glossy peaks.

Whisk one quarter of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten and then fold in the rest.  Pour into the souffle dish, then smooth the top.

Place in the middle of the oven.  Turn down to 375 degrees.  Bake for 25 minutes if using individual ramekins or 35 minutes if using a larger dish, until puffed and brown - DON’T PEEK!

Serve immediately.....BON APETIT!

Extending the ‘veggie patch’

Condo living can be a little limiting compared with living in rural France when you want to grow vegetables and so in order to give us more “ground” and provide more room for the lettuce and other vegetables whilst abiding by the strata laws, Tony decided to design and build a couple of planters - tasteful yet functional.  Interestingly, the planter costs $50 in material to construct and $80 in soil to fill - one can understand why not everybody chooses to grown their own vegetables here - it’s like investing in real estate!!

The photos above and below are of the very first planter already filled with little lettuces that we planted from a mixed bag of heirloom lettuce seeds - the lettuce and arugula we’ve already enjoyed grew really well so we got a little carried away and now have close to 100 growing in pots so we will either be on a lettuce cleanse or more likely gifting lettuces to friends and family in the not too distant future!

The tomatoes are doing well and we hope to have our first batch sometime next week.  The aubergines not so well - they keep producing these beautiful purple flowers but they aren’t getting pollinated - not many bees in the area (not a problem we had in France!).  We have discovered that aubergines don’t need another plant in order to produce fruit - they can self pollinate having male and female parts to their flowers.  So, armed with this new knowledge, we are now pollinating the plants (essentially taking a Q-tip and touching both male and female parts of the flower in order to encourage the ‘self pollination’) on a daily basis and hope to see the (aubergine) fruits of our labour before long!  Photo of one of the aubergine flowers below.

Dad arrived in Cayman safely on Friday night and will be visiting with us for the next 2 weeks - splitting his time between me and my sister = photos to follow of the fun and frolics we plan to partake in over the next couple of weeks!