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Our precious pumpkin. This is not going to be carved up for Halloween. It will be sitting roasted on our Christmas dinner plates, hopefully
Our real (NZ) pumpkin is turning yellow. Here it is still in the garden, balancing on a narrow wall. A few days later in high winds it fell into the garden but thank goodness didn't break or suffer any cracks. It's now on an outside table slowing changing colour.
This is the year of the squill. These odd stalky flowers come up every autumn but never in such numbers. Underneath is a huge bulb which we hang on our front door for good luck at Xmas
Two weeks ago we were given 5 litres of this years olive oil.
Olive picking has just begun. The trees only produce olives every second year and around here it is, generally, a non-producing year so we were lucky to be given this.
Many of the trees have a bug which bores into the olive and reduces the quality of the oil. Normally the first oil press is a dark green. Raw virgin oil! This first press is not so green but it is thick and full of taste.
All the way down our mountain road the wild crocuses are appearing.
Crocuses in October? Wow they look incredible in such a natural environment. Normally we see them in winter on graves and in gardens.
ReplyDeleteThe crocuses seem to grow more often in the piles of pine needles under the trees. Not much else grows in pine needles . There are clumps of them everywhere in the forest
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ReplyDeleteGoodness, anonymous is back. Presumably a bot?
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DeleteThat's a mighty pumpkin. Hope it tastes as good as it looks.
ReplyDeleteSo do I! I don't want any more watery squash
DeleteWhat a gorgeous pumpkin! I hope it will be tasty and good on your Thanksgiving table :-)
ReplyDeleteIt will look even better on s dinner plate!
DeleteGood luck with the pumpkin, it is looking wonderful. Those long tall thin flowers look amazing, as do the crocus.
ReplyDeleteThe crocus really brighten up the landscape.
DeleteIn the UK I was always able to buy new unfiltered Olive Oil, but not here. I'm sure your Pumpkin is the same variety as mine. Mine are not huge, as they should be, but will still be good eating.
ReplyDeleteGood eating is what we want with a drizzle of that olive oil.
DeleteYay you have a NZ pumpkin - that'll be nice to eat. We only buy olive oil to cook with, there's nothing nicer.
ReplyDeleteWe always take bottles of olive oil when we visit NZ. Last time we had to pack it in our suitcase . A bit of a risk but it came through fine and it's always allowed through.
DeleteI would not make a good Greek or Italian because I don't enjoy olives or olive oil. I do use olive oil for all my cooking but buy the light oil (light in taste). I have had fresh olive oil that tastes delicious so perhaps it's that is the reason? I will eat olives but only a few. Perhaps if I lived where you do I'd adapt and eat like a local!
ReplyDeleteThe first oil has a very strong taste. My kids don't like it. I use oil even for baking cakes. I must have got used to the taste.
DeleteOlives, well some I like and some I don't. There is a huge variety in taste.
so much food in that pumpkin...I once read that pioneers would rub pepper onto the cut edges to keep it fresh! xx
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try that! Once it's cut you have to use it pretty quick. Thanks
ReplyDeleteWe passed a small unattended roadside pumpkin patch by a lake a few days ago - probably when you were posting this - F's eyes stuck to the pumpkins until they were out of sight. Pumpkins have started to appear in laiki, and we saw loads on roadside stalls in Evia in November last year - but none like yours. F says it looks like a buttercup variety - nice and dry and fluffy, and excellent a little caramelized on the edges from a good hot roasting pan (and mutton fat). Enjoy.
ReplyDeletePumpkin or squash? It's always a risk. I've seen pumpkin type squash and bought them only to find them watery. We really are crossing our fingers that this is the real thing!!
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