Jottings - 25th October - Autumn

 

If there's such a thing as a theme to these ramblings, then this week's is about enjoying autumn - from delighting in the glorious colours of the trees or kicking up fallen leaves, to searching out new seasonal recipes, it's all mood-enhancing, and an antidote to the gloom of political and coronavirus events. If the weather's been fine, I've been out walking. If it hasn't, I've watched the leaves drifting across the lawn, and searched my recipe books for warming dinners.

I started the week with an afternoon at Kedleston. The weather wasn't great but it stayed dry, and we had an enjoyable potter under the trees of the Long Walk, spotting various sorts of fungi on the way. 

Being determined to keep my new exercise habits, I've been out walking near home several evenings, when even a suburban tree becomes beautiful, with streetlight glowing through yellow leaves.

 And of course, with clear sky and a bit of clever timing, there's always a sunset to be seen.

At home I have a variety of trees - apples, birch, cherry - but this week two have been particularly delightful. The rowan outside my window is an absolute joy on a sunny day, and even the far-too-large-for-its-space sycamore or field maple just outside the garden, which annoys me most of the year, now looks wonderful glowing against a blue sky.  

A little wind brings the leaves falling  over the lawn in a golden shower and settling in my vegetable patch where they contrast sharply with the dark cavolo nero kale.

It's getting colder though, so time to double-up skater boy style by layering two t-shirts; a Sean McGowan shirt (from the old days of going out to gigs) with an appropriate slogan for this week - When people are divided, people can be owned. (don't start me on the way Manchester has been treated or the despicable way the government has got out of funding free school meals for half term because this is meant to be an upbeat sort of post)

Having got back into the habit of cooking more dinners 'from scratch', I've been on the hunt for warming autumnal meals. I spent a busy afternoon immersed in cookery books tracking down recipes that would use the produce coming from the allotment. The Abel and Cole Cookbook, being centred around seasonal produce, was particularly helpful with lots of ways to use pumpkins. There's a sad lack of ideas about how to use the constant supply of kale, so that's back to my inventiveness. 

We have beans as well this week, as the plants have been cleared out, so I decided on 'borlotti bean and squash stew' - though these Kentucky Wonder Wax beans are nearer to cannellini, and I used pumpkin instead of squash.

It was another week ending on a good note and a family visit. This time from our toddler grandson (and his parents). We went kite-flying on the playing fields and then for a walk round the wood, though with a toddler in charge of the expedition we ended up in mud! 

Life at the moment is, I feel, a lot like this photograph taken from the far side of our local wood. Just out of shot is an encroaching housing development, which like the virus, and the restrictions to contain it, could spread across enjoining areas. For this winter, I'm going to keep my sights on the field and countryside beyond - not going out further other than to places I know are safe, finding good things around me, and trying to not worry too much about things which are out of my control.