Life around Garden and Café

[Joao]

Growing the salad greens right out front where customers can see them is brilliant. Must be a great conversation starter too.

 

[Phaedra]

I've been missing you. Been missing the pictures of your daily life, the shop, the food you prepare, the garden-flowers and vegetables, the chickens, quail and dogs. Most of all-YOU. I'm glad that you are working out the hours in the shop, what to grow and prepare. Experience is making it better. And you are right in staying small, more is not always better.

Dear Bay,

I miss you and all the lovely TEG neighbors as well. Time really flies. The café will turn two this May, and I can hardly believe it.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is this: since the café is a bit like a home office, when there are no customers, instead of staying in the shop wondering what I should do better, I simply return to the house and continue with the rhythm of daily life.

Staying small is not always easy, but it brings many quiet kinds of beauty.

 

[Phaedra]

Guess what I am doing this while? I put a small greenhouse in front of the cafe, and made it into a small plant stand - kind of honest shop, you pay what you think proper.

So, all the volunteer plants, perennials that need to be lifted every few years, and extra seedlings - they will travel to other gardens and continue their journey there.

I even found several young Rhodrodendon plants near the pond area! (I thought it's very difficult to grow them from seeds or layering, but those are self-seeded and very likely cross-polinated.)

Well anyway, some I will keep, and the others I can share now.
Seedlings are doing well, too.

I sowed the final package of broad beans 'Aquadulce' last month. Some were transplanted in the garden, some are still in the greenhouse, and the rest I put in this stand to share.

Let's make some tags

Also self-seeded cornflowers
Gradually I will move more plants to this tiny stand.

One more lovely task done, and gardening is now even more attaching to my cafe. I can keep propagating without worrying space and time to take care of them.

 

[Phaedra]

My daily life is still simple, around the garden and cafe.

Some food I made recently

Daily lunch set

British scone, homemade cream (browned butter + mascapone) and earl grey strawberry jam

Almond Tart with Plum and Sour Cherries

Tomato and wild garlic toast

Tiramisu - Mixed Berries

I also tried to use different herbs in the chiffon cake batter - rose and chamomile were both delicious. This week, I tried sage.

(I have changed my chiffon cake roll into gluten-free version this year)
and paired with blueberries and green grapes - refreshing and light

 

[Phaedra]

A bright day, and the cafe is close every Wednesday and Thursday, so I merrily spent the entire morning in the garden.

Seedlings are doing well

So, time to pruning this arc a bit

really wild...

done.

I am also preparing plants for the sharing stand in front of the cafe.

They will stay in this east-facing shelf for morning sunlight, and be moved to the greenhouse after noon time.

 

[Phaedra]

As @digitS' said, after the 'garden' part, here comes the 'flour' part --

A spinach and black sesame loaf

Still some older tomato + wild garlic slices, i love the color contrast

Dark chocolate and berry-sauce (under chocolate layer) tartlets

simple cupcakes

 

[Dahlia]

As @digitS' said, after the 'garden' part, here comes the 'flour' part --

A spinach and black sesame loaf
View attachment 80189
Still some older tomato + wild garlic slices, i love the color contrast
View attachment 80190
Dark chocolate and berry-sauce (under chocolate layer) tartlets
View attachment 80191
simple cupcakes
View attachment 80192

Oh yum! I'll take a strawberry cupcake and a tartlet!