More walks in the fabulous autumn weather

Last week a visit from Susie's niece Emily and her boyfriend Steve, was an excuse to do the Cabantous circuit again and see the dusting of fresh snow on the tops. The weather was so Mild both Emily and steve took a dip in the lake.

Steve, Emily and Susie

The Cirque below Pic Rouge de Bassies

Yesterday another trip to the East this time to visit the Etang d'Artax and Roc de Querquéou in a nice circuit of 12km and 980m ascent. Great views of the mountains to the East and around Andorra as well as interesting perspective of out home mountains in the Couserans.

 

At the Col de Lastris

A western saddle bush cricket

view towards Andorra

The granite massifs of Pic rouge de Bassies/Pentussan and Certescan. Mont Rouch beyond

Approaching the Etang d' Artax, where we had a second lunch.

Colours at the Etang

The ubiquitous griffon vulture

The long descent through the beech forest

At home there's been a spate of sausage making to make space in the freezer for this year's game. 

And after our sour dough starter died, the creation of a new starter and with a new recipe the most fantastic bread.

Chocolate and orange entremet

This year's showstopper cake - 3 days in the making. Genoise sponge soaked in orange liquer syrup, feuilletine and praline, set orange curd, dark chocolate mousse, choclate mirror glaze and pistachios.

Pickled Shallots

It's turning out to be a very hot and dry summer. Both of our 1 cubic metre "cuves" of collected rainwater are already empty and there is no rain forecast for at least two weeks, just 30+ degrees of heat. The garden is giving in abundance whilst the water holds out and we are busy preserving for the winter to come. Pickled shallots for me and kimchee for Susie.

Ham

Tucked into the boneless ham I made last winter, it's been air drying for about 9 months - delicious!

Susie been hard at work on the vegetable garden, I've been finishing the chicken run (salvaging old chicken wire and repairing holes) whilst Jasper's started on digging for the last bit of garage concrete slab.

The cats are now happily out and about and using the cat flap and the weather is fabulous.

Stuffing

Best ever chestnut stuffing - onions, bacon, ardennes paté, chestnuts (from Quelebu), parsley, thyme, eggs, breadcrumbs, mushrooms, butter, salt and pepper.

Mushrooms

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A huge haul of mushrooms today - oysters, birch bolettes, hedgehog of the woods and girolles. Photo is of what was left after dinner!

Christmas Pudding

Today was the day to make the Christmas pudding. I never put peel in my puddings and usually substitute it with chopped apricots - this year for a change I'm trying cherries. 7-8 hours of gentle steaming this evening, then 4 weeks for the flavours to mature.

yum-yum

Bacon

Two days of heavy rain have kept me house bound, but I've been busy preparing the bacon, and doing some book binding (something I haven't done for a while).

Today the clouds have cleared and there's a good covering of snow. 30cm at the Port d'Aula weather station, so a tentative 'first ski tour of the season' might be made tomorrow.

Il a plu pendant deux jours et j'avais rester dedans. j'ai fait la poitrine et un livre. Ce matin les nauges ont disparu et il y a de la neige sur les montagnes. 30cm au Port d'Aula...peut être un ski demain?

Bringing home the bacon

A beautiful day. Visited Justin and Emily this afternoon and spent my time playing with chestnuts with the twins. I picked up some pork for this year's ham (which I'm doing off the bone for the first time) and plenty of belly which I'm brining for bacon.

Une belle journée. J'ai visité Justin et Emily l'après-midi et j'ai pris du temp jouant avec quelques chatâignes avec les jumelles. Aussi j'ai ramass&eacute un jambon et de la poitrine pour cette hiver.

Snow on the hills

Snow last night down to about 1500m. Hail and rain showers this morning whilst I was working in the barn building the new stalls. I used the small ash trees I felled in field 8 plus an old door and the adoption pen which I've incorporated in case I need it again next year.

Il neigeais jusqu'au 1500m hier nuit. il y aurais les averses de la graille et de la pluie le matin lorsque je travaillais dans la grange. Les enclos sont prêt. j'ai utilisé quelques frênes deu pré 8, une vieille porte, et le carcon de l'agnelage de l'année derniere.

Things are a bit brighter this afternoon and after starting the apple harvest, I'm getting ready to taste the first of the mutton - yum!

Un peu du soliel cet après-midi et j'ai commencé la récolte des pommes. Ce soir je ferai le premier gout d'agneau - miam!

Mutton

First job is to saw each carcase in half

Today I picked up the two sheep from the abattoir. About 26kgs for each carcase. I ended up butchering them both. Was pleased that the end result was pretty neat and that it only took me about 45 mins for each half.

Aujourd'hui j'ai ramené la viande de l'abattoir. 26kgs chaque carcasse. J'ai fais toutes la découpage. C'est propre en fin et ca prend seulement 45 mins par demi-carcasse.

One half jointed up

Bagged and ready for the freezer

In the evening I installed my new stove. I have to wait for the fire cement to go off before lighting it.

Le soir j'ai installé le poêle. J'ai du attendre le ciment à secher.

Shrooms

On Sunday I took two sheep to the abattoir (Leia and Ziggy) very sad..it's a horrible place - I think I'd rather do it myself here, they looked so out of place in some concrete floored industrial building. I collect the meat tomorrow. Appetite dampens the sorrow.

It's a lovely time of year here. The leaves are turning and there are mushrooms everywhere. Each day the selection changes and a short walk gives you all you need.

I also made this year's pickle a few days ago. I'm not very scientific about my pickle, all the odds and ends of veg plus sugar, vinegar and a loads of spices go in the pot. This year's (on the right) is lighter in colour than last year's (on the left), probably because there are more carrots in it. It's a bit more piquante too (chillis).

La dimanche j'ai amené deux brebis à l'abattoir, triste...il est un place terrible - je pensais que je prèfer à les tuer sur place prochain fois, elle semblent déplacé la. Je vais ramasser la viande mercredi. Mon appétit diminue le chagrin.

C'est la plus beaux temp. Les feuilles tournent et il ya les champignons partout. Chaque jour une mélange different et un court promène me livrer assez.

Il y a quelques jours, j'ai fait ma "pickle". Toutes les legumes, sucre, vinaigre et les espices vont au pot. Le pickle 2009 est plus fonce que le pickle 2010 (il y a plus des carottes dedans cette année). Il sera plus piquante aussi avec des cayennes.

Membrillo

John gave me some quinces from his garden so I decided to make some Membrillo - the Spanish name for quince paste, quince cheese, or quince jelly. This particular recipe is quite sweet (some recipes have a bit more acidity). The membrillo is firm and cuts into slices for storing indefinitely in the fridge. The Spanish enjoy it with some Manchego cheese and a glass of sherry.

John m'a donné des coings de ton jardin, alors j'ai décidé de faire la Membrillo - le mot Espagnol de fromage de coing, ou pâte de coing. Cette recette est doux (quelques autres sont plus acides). La membrillo est solide et on peut couper les tranches à garder au frigo. Les Espagnoles aiment à manger avec le manchego (fromage) et une verre de sherry.

Carrot harvest

A beautiful hot day today - 30 degrees in the sun and hardly a cloud in the sky. I took advantage of the good weather and harvested the carrots before the moles/voles ate them all. About 40lbs (18kgs) in total. This year I've stored them dry in sand.
In the afternoon I moved the telephone line which used to enter the house in the middle of the front wall. Here it got hit by the snow sliding off the roof and was right across my view. Now it enters on the corner of the house with the electric supply. Moved the telephone socket inside the house while I was at it.

Une belle journée aujourd'hui - 30 au soliel et presque une nuage. j'ai profité du beau temps et recolté les carrotes avant le rat les mange! 18 kilos et cette année je vais garder au sable.

À l'après midi j'ai bougé la ligne téléphonique. Avant elle entrait la maison au milieu de la façade. La neige qui glissait sur la toit chaque hiver, charger la ligne et aussi la ligne traversait ma vue des montagnes. Maintenant elle entre dans le coin de la maison avec la fil de l'élécticité.

Boeuf

Today was the "Boeuf" in Massat. An annual day of celebration when an ox is spit roasted in the park and all the inhabitants of the Canton are invited to partake. There are usually 500-600 people and everyone is amply feed. It was unusually cold this year but I met up with Justin and Emily, the twins, Alun and Breezy, and a host of other people for a fine afternoon.

Enough for everyone

...even the dogs

Aujourd'hui etait "La Boeuf" à Massat. Un jour chaque l'année quand il y a un Beouf mechouie dans le parc de Massat gratuite pour toutes les inhabitents du canton. Il y a d'habitude 500-600 persons. Il fait froid c'est année mais j'ai rencontré Justin, Emily, les jumelles, Alun, Breezy et quelques autres pour un bon fête.

Shrooms

After a hot bath and a good long sleep I am at last feeling better today.

After a bit of farmwork, a short wander in the woods gave a good haul of mushrooms - Hedgehog of the Woods, Chanterelle, Cep, Orange Birch Bolette, Shaggy Parasol, Giant Parasol and a Gypsy Mushroom. With a handful of dried Horn of Plenty from last year a mega wild mushroom risotto is in the offing.

Après un bain chaud et un nuit pendant que j'ai bien dormi, je sent mieux enfin.

Après un peu de travail au ferme, un court promenade au bois me donne quelques champignons. Ce soir un risotto.

Champagne!

Another lovely day splitting logs in the morning and scything in the afternoon. In the evening Ben came over (mountain walk planned for tomorrow) so we decided to taste the 'just about ready' meadow sweet champagne - it's fantastic! Also I've found out that meadowsweet contains aspirin so the champagne even cures your hangover if you drink too much of it!

Ben brought some produce from his farm (beetroot, chard, runner beans and kohlrabi which I'd never tried before) which we mixed with some of my potaotes, an ox tongue fungus and an orange birch bolette, for a rather odd but home-grown dinner.

Les beaux temps encore, j'ai fendu les bouches le matin et fauché l'apres-midi. Le soir Ben est arrivé (une rando ensemble demain) et nous avons décidé de gouter la champagne de Reine du Pré - c'est formidable! Aussi j'ai découvri que il y a aspirin dans Reine de Pré - alors on peut boire comme vous voulez sans un mal au tête le matin prochain!

Ben a emporté des légumes de sa domaine (béterave, chard, haricots et Kohlrabi) avec mes pommes de terre, quelques champignons (langue de boeuf, bolette du boulou) nous avons fait un repas.

Meadowsweet Champagne

Quélébu Champagne take 3. This time no added yeast and no metal containers and meadowsweet flowers rather than elderflowers. Smells divine, already fizzing - fingers crossed they don't explode this time!

Champagne de Quélebu essaye 3. Cette fois pas de levant, pas de cuve metallique et reine-des-prés plutot que fleurs des surreau. Une belle aroma, deja gazeuse - j'espere qu'il ne va pas exploser.

Tomatoes

After the tremendous heat of the last few days, today it has been cold and rainy...but the heat returns tomorrow and Thursday looks like being a scorcher. My cherry tomatoes are at last turning red - there must be 20 kgs of fruit on the bushes but it's all been green for weeks and weeks. The first harvested fruit is fantastically sweet.

Works at Pont de la Taule continue, the end is in sight but I'm really getting sick of it! I hate doing the same thing for too long...and 4 weeks is too long.

Après la chaleur de ces derniers jours, aujourd'hui, il fais froid et il pleut... mais la chaleur revient demain et jeudi s'annonce très chaud. Mes tomates de cerises sont enfin mûre - il faut 20 kg sur les buissons, mais c'etait tout vert depuis quelques semaines. Le premier fruit récolté est fantastiquement douce.

Les travaux au pont de la Taule continues, la fin est en vue mais je suis vraiment tomber malade d'elle! Je déteste faire la même chose depuis trop longtemps ... et 4 semaines est trop longue.

Wild food

The huge cep (no it's not a loaf of bread) and my cherry liqueur

Now the hay is all safely stowed away in the barns and the machinery has been cleaned, the fields were all scythed very early this morning to get rid of the last 10 days of bracken growth. After a cuppa tea, I walked down to the village by a circuitous route finding a huge cep on the way and bumping in Paul. After a quick drink at his, I popped into see Minsou and Louise before picking 1lb of bitter cherries from La Pelade which are now seeping in vodka to make some cherry liqueur which should be ready for Christmas.

The vegetable garden is last doing much better: fresh peas, radishes and lettuce, the spinach is just about ready to start picking, potatoes will be done in few more weeks, the carrots are up, the tomato plants bushy (though no fruit yet) and the courgette is flowering. Only the onions are poor - I'll have to get some leeks going to keep me through the winter.

Maintenant, le foin est tous rangés en toute sécurité dans les granges et les machines ont été nettoyées, les champs ont tous été fauchés très tôt ce matin pour se débarrasser des 10 derniers jours de croissance fougères. Après un thé, je me promene vers le village par une route détournée et trouve un cep énorme. Après un petit verre à chez Paul, j'ai visité Minsou et Louise avant recolter un barchette des cerises amères de La Pelade. Elles sont maintenant s'infiltre dans la vodka afin faire quelques liqueur de cerise qui devrait être prêt pour Noël.

Le potager fait beaucoup mieux enfin: petits pois, les radis et les laitues frais sur la table, les épinards sont sur le point de commencer à récolter, les pommes de terre se fera en quelques semaines de plus, les carottes sont pousser, les plants de tomates touffue (mais pas de fruits encore) et la courgette est len fleur. Seuls les oignons sont pauvres - je vais semencer des poireaux à me garder pendant l'hiver