7 june-Ceiling first floor

Here a detail shot of the ceiling in the bottom bedrooms. Very exciting. The nerves of the wooden planks are showing. This is the final product.

26 APRIL- 2nd floor is in!

Hello Robbert.

Today we finished with the concrete, the steps and the balcony. From the day after tomorrow we start working at the walls of the second floor.

Ι am working the plans of the outside area and I believe you will have news from me at the end of the week.

The day after tomorrow I will sent you also the costing estimate for the concrete, digging, pluming, and electrical

Mayonaise

Friet met Mayonaise, Patatje met!!  A true Dutchman needs mayonnaise with his friet.

And nothing better then home-made mayonnaise.

After various unfruitful attempts , Illanique showed me how to.

And it is actually very easy.

1 egg yellow

teaspoon musterd

dash of vinegar

some fresh lemon juice

250ml sunflower oil

salt

All room temperature

mix egg, mustard, vinegar and lemon and salt

slowly drop for drop( use a fork for the adding at the beginning) add the oil to the egg mixture while whisking non stop. (I use a mixer) Continue until all oil used.

I end it of with adding a bit of cold water so it is a bit creamier and a little whiter

You can add garlic or tarragon or whatever you fancy to give it a bit of a twist

Now some nice chips!!

Baby Marrow Salad

This is a beaut of a salad. I first ate it in Morzine in the French Alps where Carol's sister made it on New years eve. Yes lots of champagne and wine to accompany it.

Toooooo easy to make, and these marrow's grow as weeds in the garden.

Ingredients:

A few baby marrows, Sliced lenghtways with a potato peeler

Handfull of pine nuts, lightly roasted.

Parmesan cheese sliced

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

That's it. Toss it all together and Bon Appetit!!

Optional add some cooked noodles and a dollop of creme fraiche.

Poached eggs with sage butter!

This is why friends and family like to pop in on a sunday morning. They know that after my mountain bike ride on the slopes of tablemountain early sunday morning we get down to a breakfast of poached eggs with sage butter accompanied by whatever is growing.

Poached eggs:

Bring water to the boil. Add salt and a dash of white vinegar(stops the eggs from breaking up)

Get the water to a gentle boil, stir the water and crack open an egg and gently drop it in the water. approx 3 min.

Sage butter:

Melt butter with fresh sage leave and slowly crisp the leaves . Take off when butter is browned.

Add some chillie or and garlic.

Serve with toast, stirfried spinach, and some yoghurt.(Or whatever tickles your fancy)

Arum Lily

Not too many veggies grow in our garden during winter, but there is an abundance 

of flowers.

One of them is the Arum lily (Zantedischia).  It's a plant native to Southern Africa.

It is also very poisonous, and can produce irritation of the mouth and throat, accute vomiting and diarrhea........Nice one!!. The Arum Lily grows naturally in marshy areas and is only deciduous when water becomes scarce. It grows continuously when watered and fed regularly 

Sage filled with Ansjovis paste.

The best snack ever!

Fresh sage leaves

anjovis paste or litlle white ansjovis

any leftover beer

flour

sunflower oil

make a batter with the beer and flour

take 2 sage leaves

put some paste on one of them(or a whole ansjovis)

squash together with another leave.

take it trough the batter

deepfry till golden and crispy.

Haleluja!!