Halloween Party

On her way to the party as an exotic princess (of course)

Foraging

It's mushroom season around here. Step out of the door to be greeted by an array of fabulous fungi, both edible and inedible

The Fly Agaric

"

We found our first cepe (porcini). It's of modest size, but as we saw them in Selfridges last week for 72 Pounds per kg, this one works out about 8 quids worth. Lara (Neils french cousin) burst our bubble however, by announcing she found 2 kilos of them the day before

It was lovely on toast, sauteed with home grown garlic and parsley

We turned these into a spicy roast chestnut and parsnip soup

Gorgeous

Unfortunately, Margiela doesn't make kids clothing. Thankfully (well...), one of Elaine's lovely wool knits went through the wrong wash years ago and came out the other end as boiled wool and about Pickle size. We're keen on this look

Apologies for the delay...

Here are some clips of our UK summer trip...

Dress up with cousins Ava and Reuben in London

Discovery in Dover Street Market

Lunch at Ottolenghi

Tea in Liberty's

Marianne North gallery at Kew Gardens. Too amazing

Discovering the beach

Windswept puffball delight

Cornish reflection

Gazing...

...at the view

Hotel coordinated coziness

Longest lawn running at Trewithen Gardens

Sennen Cove

Cont...

Bankes Arms beer festival featuring Two Burgers Balson

Fore...

Aft...

Harry at Lulworth Cove

Katie, Mark, Eden

Catching Naomi red-handed with ones sippy cup at Elsie's birthday party

More from the jardin

Perfect pod of peas

Our courgettes (zucchinis) are coming along famously. Pickle's eating one a day from our plants at the moment

The Epselette pepper is a Basquaise treasure, and we have one growing nicely in our garden. Soon it'll turn red and sweetly spicy

This is our Black Cherry tomato bush, currently dripping with a silly amount of fruit

Ripe figs foraged from a neighbors tree. Actually the house is currently empty, so it'd be a shame to leave the figs to rot

Lucius loves eating freshly picked peas straight from the pod

LTDF

Le Tour De France is currently rolling through our 'hood. We watched them ride past our local village, Rebenacq, on the Bagnères-de-Luchon to Pau stage. Nice to see, but all over in a matter of seconds. The roads were lined with fans (many also wearing tight lycra). Our area is steeped in a very rich cycling history and proud to have Le Tour ride through in stages 16 & 17.

Le Grand Fromage

The farmer whose cows graze our land in the spring and autumn dropped by the other day with a little chunk of goats cheese (Brebis d'Ossau) from his very own herd. I wouldn't like to guess the street value of that. Needless to say it has since been dispatched to the safety of our tummies

A Baker's daughter indeed

Someone loves le baguette

Jardin

Runner beans and sweet peas either side of the front door, climbing our foraged obelisks

We dug up half of our over wintered garlic, and it looks amazing! Now we're proper French

Salsify and scorzonera, our new favorite crop

Potato patch

One of the pear trees

A Portugese Brandywine tomato

Peas are good, peas are good, yeah

Grapes

Beets

Lots more to follow shortly

Dress Up

Little Lucius has taken to accessorising

Mum's things will never be safe again