Nectarine

I have planted a nectarine tree outdoor 5 years ago, next to the barn wall, It does not enjoy wet cold spring and always have leave curl problem, needless to say not bearing  any fruits. 

This year, it did beared a few small fruits but most fall off except one, which slowly grows. I have wrapped with a net to stop birds and wasps attaching it. Finally it falls off into the net and declare itself to be ready to consume. 

Fragrant, soft and good balance of sweet and sour, more like a yellow peach than nectarine. 

Plum pudding

A light dessert using seasonal produce, plum, for a sweet touch after a big meaty meal. 

The base is a thin layer of frangipane (almond flour, egg, butter, honey). The plum is precooked at 200˚C with a good sprinkle of cardamon powder fro 20 minutes to reduce moisture. Then layer on top of 2/3 cooked frangipane to finish, very tasty. 

Eggplant

Gradually eggplants are producing fruits, one at a time. I cut it up and steam for 8 minutes, just enough to soften and still keeping the beautiful purplish colour. Then mix with a sauce of soy sauce, miso and sesame oil, simple yet tasty. 

Soy bean

I have sowed this small variety of organic soy bean grown in Austria that I bought for making Natto. They are now having beautiful small purple flowers, hope they can manage the cooler weather and produce pods, so that I can look forwards to enjoy edamame. 

Water melon 山椒鳥

This is the first water melon that I notice its appearance on end July, already a 5 inches long fruit. Now its tendril turned brown and dry, together with the length of time it has set as fruit, indicated that it is ready to consume. 

A disappointment that it is not red enough, but the sweetness is there, being crunchy and not sandy like a fully ripe water melon. Still very pleasant to eat with the eyes shut. 

For the remaining water melons, I will let them have at least 8 to 10 weeks of growth together with the tendril turning brown, before I taste them. 

3.5kg sea bass

Fisherman is overjoyed to be able to catch a big sea bass, 82cm long 3.5kg, It is cut up into 5 portions to enjoy. 

Fish head is baked until golden in the oven and then cook with tofu as a soup.

One section was cooked on bbq but proved difficult to cook through without overcooking. 

The third piece, after salt and pepper seasoning for a day, is wrapped in baking paper with oil and slices of onion. Baked at 200˚ for 30 minutes, just cooked through, very juicy and tender meat. 

Tomato harvest

With a poor start of the growing season with cold May weather, killing the first batch of tomato seedlings, the second batch was planted in early June and finally I have some ripen tomatoes to enjoy. 

Red Ailsa Craig and bright orange Vivacious, both growing well bearing many fruits, just need the weather to stay not too cold for them to ripen gradually. 

Vivacious is a variety famous for robust growth and has a high level of beta carotene. It is a fleshy type with little juice, mild taste. 

Ailsa Craig is an heirloom variety famous for its deep red colour, medium size and good balance of sweet and sourness. 

2026年8月29日 拔蟶子

前天是每月的潮水大退日子，新認識的西班牙釣友帶我們來到巨大淺灘收集蟶子。

這位醫生獨自一人到來工作，所有工餘時間都在海邊度過，是尋覓野食高手，釣魚外，用網捕捉蝦和蟹，又愛吃蟶子。在公立醫院內工作，亞洲人多過愛爾蘭人，大家交換免費海產地點，所以他知道很多尋寶地點。

曾在電視節目看到如何把鹽倒進洞內，蟶子便自動投降伸出頭來，抓緊拔起就成。今回自己試做，真的如是，蟶子怕鹹，下夠鹽便會出現，用力拉穩拔出，這部份十分容易。

最難的，是找到它們的洞！是個似普通鎖匙插入的洞，細小長方形，似片深色海藻，在那大灘上行來行去兩個小時，我只找到三只，三個人合共十一隻，時間上完全不化算。西班牙人不好意思，不停解釋估計早一日已經有人到來尋寶，所以才如此難找。

無論如何，非常感謝有那經驗，且好享受那美麗寧靜的環境。回家把蟶子浸鹽水清洗多次，然後放在燒烤爐上，猛火快烤，殼爆開就吃，好鮮嫩。

Golden mullet

First time for fisherman to bring back a golden mullet. Turn out to be a good fish for sport fly fishing, as you can see it on the surface hence know where to aim the line, and it is a strong fish to have to struggle to wheel it in. 

A fish with drier meat and goes well with strong sauce. I season with salt and pepper for a day and stuff red curry paste mixed with miso and rice wine into the belly. Bake at 180˚C until cooked, around 20 minutes. 

 

Lacto fermented cucumber

When there are more cucumbers than I can finish within the day, I ferment them to preserve and have a small portion in every meal.  Fulfilling this year’s plan of having more fermented food regularly. 

Cut cucumber into slices, weight and mix with 2% its weight in salt for half a day to soften. Fill a jar 2/3 full with softened cucumber and its juice, cover up with 2% brine, cover loosely with cling film and leave at room temperature to ferment. It will start bubbling after a day, after 4 days it will be sour enough for my taste, transfer into a preserving jar and keep in the fridge with the lid loose. 

Can be served as such, or change the flavour by adding a spicy plum sauce and a sprinkle of sesame and seaweed. 

Sea bass

First time fisherman brought back sea bass, a good looking silver fish with white flesh, similar shape and taste to salmon just meat colour different. Grilled on bbq with scale on to keep the fish moist, easy to please juicy meat.