Seeing the world through a sceptimist's eyes - with some trepidation thrown in for good measure...

Radio Two, Monday morning and I was listening to Pause for Thought – I didn’t get to mention this yesterday but I love this word. Apparently a sceptimist is an optimist with the hand-brake on. What a great idea – and just where I think I am at the moment, busy dreaming wonderful futures for myself through the day and then applying the brakes during night-time which generally has the annoying effect of spoiling my sleep – though last night it was the weather and an irritating blind that woke me rather than my brain’s handbrake.

            Spending the day writing means I sometimes forget to check on my darling pigs, I remembered yesterday and they were fine all day, even managing to avoid the pealing skin of sunburn, today was a different story. I went out, camera at the ready so that I could brighten up this blog and what did I find? Just the Reverend, quietly churning over the ground and looking for bugs and truffles as pigs are wont to do. (I’ll let you know if we ever find truffles.)

            Where then was Pig – the well behaved one? With some amount of trepidation I gently called her name, soon raising my call to a rather concerned shout. I couldn’t see any gaping holes in fences so felt sure she hadn’t gone off on a neighbouring garden mission but nevertheless, I couldn’t find her. Then, just like yesterday I heard a grunt and next news a huge swine was barrelling towards me – I know you can’t really see the speed in my photo but I think you get the idea. And where had she been?

            In our sacred trees no less.

            Well they’re not really sacred but she’s not meant to go there so you get the picture. Pigs have very strong snouts and the thought of two swine indiscriminately rooting round our trees’ precious root systems is rather distressing. This time they’ve (for I’m sure The Reverend must be involved also) managed to power down a 6 foot piece of fencing just for the pleasure of basking in our trees – well at least now I know how they keep off the sunburn.

            Let’s calm with a recipe.

Peppered Salmon with Garlic Chickpeas

Inspiration: Good Food Friends App

Ingredients: (to serve two)

Salmon fillets (I prefer skin on) – however much you want to eat

1 x Lime

Baby spinach

Cherry Tomatoes

1 x carton chickpeas

Peppercorns

Paprika

Garlic

Olive oil

Homemade chicken stock (remember your carcass? substitute veg stock for non-meat eaters)

Homemade Tear and Share bread to serve (recipe tomorrow – it’s ever so easy)

Here’s what I do

First warm your oven to gas mark 5 and salt the salmon skin (I use salt from the Carmargue because I’ve been there and it is the most delicious salt but just use the best you can find).  Leave for a moment whilst you chop some garlic and put it in a dish with your cherry tomatoes, drizzle them with olive oil and then place on the bottom shelf of the oven. Heat some oil in a pan (or hob/oven dish if you have one) and put the salmon in skin-side down cooking it until the skin is crispy. Whilst it’s cooking crush up some peppercorns along with the zest from a lime, the paprika and a couple of teaspoons of olive oil so you get a paste. Spread this over the top (flesh-side) of your salmon but mind you don’t burn your fingers. Once the salmon is coated and the skin crispy transfer it to the top shelf of the oven – it will take 12 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon.

            Meanwhile, chop some more garlic and fry this off in a small saucepan, when golden tip in your chickpeas and stir to coat. Add some warmed chicken stock – about a ladleful (or try wine for a different flavour) and allow to reduce a little before mashing it to a lumpy consistency – you don’t want to squash every single chickpea. Stir in your baby spinach and put on the lid so that it wilts.

            Serve the whole thing so it looks lovely, along with candles (not for consumption), wine and a good friend.

           

The Pigs are Escaping (is it the smell of our Sunday roast?)...

Having had our two new additions for over a week we decided it was time to let them roam around more. Still in a restricted area of course – we need to know they can find their way home and obviously we don’t want them getting too adventurous and going digging up neighbours’ gardens (as two unruly previous pigs did)! Yesterday morning then, we opened the gate to the pen and let them have access to the old vegetable plot and also a large stretch of very exciting rough land (well I think it is exciting if you’re either very small – like the size of a Borrower or a pig).

            Now I’m not sure whose idea it was (although Pig maintains it was all down to The Reverend) but around 2pm I was alerted to the fact that something was amiss by the noise from my hens. This wasn’t the hysterical alarm calls that warn of a fox visit but nevertheless they warranted inspection. Just as I got outside I caught sight of The Reverend tiptoeing past my greenhouse with Pig close behind and they certainly were not supposed to be there.

            Knowing a little bit about swine and having already become close friends with Ezekiel and Pig I quickly grabbed some pig nuts and encouraged the beasts to come to me – which they duly did, nibbling my toes along with the food and leaving some nice smears of mud on my legs (which I understand is good for my skin). My plan was to keep luring them steadily back to their allotted area via the use of tasty pig food.

            And it would have worked…

            Bar for the fact that The Reverend is clearly a rather unruly and adventurous soul and not at all worried about dashing off to pastures new even if it means leaving Pig to snaffle all the food. Before I knew what was happening The Rev was off up the lane, bound speedily for my father in law’s farm – luckily The Rev had turned left instead of right at the end of our drive. Now my pigs were separated and I had to try and round up Pig single-handedly whilst all the while looking out for The Reverend and hoping to capture him on his return, lest he should dive off down the village and wreak havoc.

            Luckily Rob returned and was able to laugh (encouragingly?) at me as I tried to shepherd a reluctant Pig back to her quarters whilst darting nervous glances up the lane in anticipation of either a violent clamour and/or the return of The Reverend (for I felt sure she would return, given the presence of two large and violent looking – though they are in fact very loving – German Shepherds in the farm yard).

            It wasn’t long before I was proved correct, out of the corner of my eye I spied a movement about 400 metres up the lane – and it was approaching fast. Now I don’t know how much my darlings weigh but I can tell you that when they nudge me for food in the mornings it is with some great force and when standing on their hind legs they can get their feet to my shoulder height – so they’re not small or lightweight that’s for sure. The sight of one of these beasts running downhill towards you at great speed is definitely a cause for concern and it is testament to my considerable farming skills that I was able to maintain my position, attempting to block any further passage downhill without diving for cover behind the nearest fence.

            In the end we got them both back in their new garden and managed to block up their last exit point.

            Today all I have to worry about is sunburn.

            And they can forget about Sunday Roast for at least another week…