Thursday 9 June 2016

Five on Friday

Well, it looks like summer has arrived at last.
Despite a damp start to the week the temperature is rising daily.
Time to join Amy @ Love Made My Home for Five on Friday.
My Five this week -
 
Pottering.
 
My potting table, a corner of the garage that is all mine!
A box of mixed petunias to liven up some pots and two new additions to the herb garden, flat leaf and curly parsley.
 

I also potted up some more courgette plants and brought a pot of sweet peas outside to harden off before planting out.
 
I never throw away a piece of Quimper faience if I can help it, no matter how cracked and chipped it may be.
This battered old bowl features a lady from Normandy wearing traditional costume although you can't see her for all the seed packets jumbled in there.
Lots of mixed varieties of salad leaves.

Flowers.
Wildflowers, picked whilst out walking Fleur, freshen up an old, chippy white enamel jug and bowl and make working outdoors even more of a joy.

Herbs


My herb garden is thriving after all the rain, the chives are flourishing and attracting bees which I love.

Menthe Marocaine - my new favourite aromatic herb. There are so many varieties to choose from, this one is delicious and we've been enjoying the je ne sais quoi it brings to cocktails and salad dressings.
Some mint plants I've had in the past have taken over the potager. I'm keeping this one pot bound for now.



Wind chimes.


A souvenir of one of our many visits to Savannah, the wind chimes hang from a damson tree growing beside the potager.

Food.
This week cucumbers and radishes seem to be the legumes de jour at the local markets.

A simple dressing of crème fraiche, dill, garlic & chopped red onion combined with chunks of cucumber and thinly sliced radishes was yummy.


Last night I made a cucumber, spring onion, mint and radish salad, the dressing ingredients were extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, white wine vinegar spiced up with a couple of shakes of dried piri piri flakes for a bit of a kick. Delicious!


I served the salad with slices of Lorraine Pascale's crème fraiche quiche.
I couldn't find the recipe on line to share with you so if you'd like to make it yourself you might have to buy the book!
 

23 comments:

  1. Wonderful, Maggie! I wish our cucs were producing but they won't until July. Lovely FIVE!

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  2. You know I smile seeing snippets of your little slice of heaven. Wishing I had a bunch of those radish for this evening's salad.

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  3. That salad sounds to die for! And yes, every photo is a gem. I wish I could step right thorough the screen and enjoy your part of the world. I know what you mean about mint -- I pulled out a bunch last year but I have a feeling most of it will be back this year or next!

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  4. French radishes are so much better than UK ones. That salad sounds delicious. I'm glad the summer has finally arrived in your part of the world. B x

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  5. Yes at last summer has arrived here to in the Haute -Vienne. Loved having a peep at some of the corners of your garden. That radish salad with a creme fraiche sauce sounds delicious. I had mint growing everywhere in my first garden here in France & vowed I'd never grow it again, but that Moroccan mint sounds very tempting, I'll have to look out for it, is it easy to find ? next time I'm at the market I'll concentrate more at the plant stall. Loved all your lovely photos .

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  6. Menthe Marocaine - is that the one they make the tea with? I remember how refreshing it was when we visited Tunisia some years ago and I've never managed to find the right mint since!

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    1. I would think that you could easily make tea using Menthe Marocaine and green tea leaves, I think I'll give it a try!

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  7. Your garden is looking lovely! I love Lorraine Pascale, have a lovely weekend xx

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  8. Beautiful garden pictures. Herbs and Wildflowers are all that I can manage in the garden. Lavender has to be my favourite.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  9. How lovely, such a wonderful five and so many gorgeous things. I've just bought radishes, beetroot and avocado to make a salad for tea.Love the faience bowl, your lovely wildflower display and all the herbs:)

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  10. I need a potting table! Love the petunias. Your herbs are wonderful. I love radishes and always enjoy reading new ways to serve and eat! I'd keep the Quimper faience, too ... no matter what shape it is in. Wind chimes make me smile. Have a great week.

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  11. You have been busy! Lovely pictures, all. I'd love to taste the salad and the quiche. I don't know the book, but will have a browse this weekend. Wishing you a good slide into the weekend!

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  12. Everything looks totally delicious! :-)

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  13. Hi Maggie! So many pretty things to scroll down and see. Love your healthy looking chives. Those radishes are so lovely, too. I'm sure you enjoy your fresh salads. You pottering is giving you some great yields! Enjoy your weekend.

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  14. I love the potting table, such a delight to see. The salad sounds divine, a beautiful taste of summer.

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  15. I really need a potting table rather than having a bag of compost on the ground and having to bend over to pot up my plants. I have planted some chives this week from cuttings that I was given, I hope they thrive and flower like yours to attract the bees. xx

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  16. Is the wind chime from Savannah, Georgia? We live just south of there and of course think it's a wonderful city. Looks like you're going to have a very aromatic garden.

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  17. Hi Maggie, lovely to see all your beautiful and lush plantings! Love your pretty wildflower bouquet and your seed packets in the Quimper bowl. I have one little piece of Quimper ware - a honey pot that was a gift from my Dear Mom. She loved all things French :) I am also a fan of wind-chimes. I believe you can't have too many.... A happy week to you! xx Karen

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  18. Ohhh those radish look delicious, a real taste of summer. I really enjoyed your five and your beautiful photos, thank you for sharing.

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  19. What a lovely spot you have for pottering! I hope that you enjoy growing your seeds and plants and enjoying the produce. The photo of the bunch of radishes is beautiful!!! Thank you for taking part in Five On Friday. I hope you have a great weekend! xx

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  20. I always plant any mint variety in the garden out and all to try and keep it under control. It usually works well.

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  21. So many wonderful pictures of your herbs and flowers! Loved every minute of this walk thru your life!

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  22. When I hear you talk about your potager, it makes me want one. I just don't know if I have what it takes to keep it up anymore. And I love mint. But good plan to keep it potted up. I've had it take over too.
    Happy Gardening.
    Cindy Bee

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