I love eggs. Free range of course, and preferably from a small backyard flock. We buy ours from a lady down the road at the bargain price of 1.25 a dozen.
They are my favourite food. Hard boiled, dipped in Maldon sea salt and white pepper - best eaten in the sun, sat on grass. Gently fried in butter, nestling on a slice of toasted granary with a dab of ketchup. Poached to wobbly sublimity with sauteed mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce. Roughly chunked into creamy mayonnaise, folded into lettuce leaves and tucked into a brown roll - add a dash of chilli sauce for piquancy. Soft boiled in a pretty vintage eggcup, with Marmite soldiers. These are just a few of the egg's outstanding solo performances. And in its virgin state, it provides a simple but perfect decoration. If you want to learn the basics of light fall, study an egg.
They are my favourite food. Hard boiled, dipped in Maldon sea salt and white pepper - best eaten in the sun, sat on grass. Gently fried in butter, nestling on a slice of toasted granary with a dab of ketchup. Poached to wobbly sublimity with sauteed mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce. Roughly chunked into creamy mayonnaise, folded into lettuce leaves and tucked into a brown roll - add a dash of chilli sauce for piquancy. Soft boiled in a pretty vintage eggcup, with Marmite soldiers. These are just a few of the egg's outstanding solo performances. And in its virgin state, it provides a simple but perfect decoration. If you want to learn the basics of light fall, study an egg.
I adore auriculas. They have a recherche charm and, like Audrey Hepburn, they are exquisite under any circumstances. I only have a few, and they are sadly neglected. I'm surprised that they flower at all, they get such bad mothering. They come in a huge range of elegant colour combinations and are the dandies of the flower world. When I am truly a lady of leisure I will have a white wood Victorian conservatory, filled with row upon row of these beautiful little darlings. Like elegant lords and ladies at a grand promenade, they will parade their latest cravats and crinolines, discreetly turning their heads to peek at what the others are wearing. Quietly gossiping...'peagreen Taffeta is so last season my dear...'
And finally, we are pleased to offer our congratulations to Mr and Mrs Jackdaw. Their eggs cracked at dawn this morning, producing a hungry and garrulous family. The chimney breast echoes with scrambling claws and anxious 'chacks'. From the garden we can see the new parents huddling on the pot and peering nervously into their nest, which is about level with our heads when we are in bed. Mr Jackdaw, looking somewhat weary, said
'It's amazing, it totally changes your life! I can tell we're going to be up even earlier now, with this lot to feed!'
And so, if past years are anything to go by, are we.
'It's amazing, it totally changes your life! I can tell we're going to be up even earlier now, with this lot to feed!'
And so, if past years are anything to go by, are we.
13 comments:
I wish i was not allergic to eggs. I cna eat them in things but not on their own. Auriculas are lovley plants, I was only recently goggling over a whole stand in a glossy magizine pictures. Mrs Duck has hatched her eggs here. I looked out the window the other morning to see a happy family waddling through the grass.
Congratulations to mr and mrs Jackdaw :)May their little ones have feathers of gold and a cool breeze under their wings...hehe!
Your post has made me crave for eggs!!! Will have some for breakfast me thinks.. ;-)
Has every artist studied an egg? Is it a universal thing I wonder!!
x
Maya
Oh you made eggs sound so delicious. Lovely flowers and congratulations on the new arrivals!
Jackdaws, duckies and baby chicks! It must be spring.
Eggs are lovely, both to eat and look at. I spray painted some large, wooden ones white for the 'value' portion of my classes. It is the funnest to draw! :-)
I'm afraid I'm with Joanna (above) about the eggs, but I'm with you 100% over the victorian conservatory. Mine will have strelitzias, exotic ferns and wicker furniture as well. :-)
regards
Oh yes, love all of this. And what about dangerously-lightly cooked scrambled eggs? with smoked salmon? yum.
I'm glad to here auriculas will survive neglect, I've been wanting to get some.
We have sparrows nesting somewhere nearby - hoping for lots of babies being fed in our "bird tree", like last year.
GOW responded to your nerdy record alert - apparently Bike was on Piper at the GoD first - I didn't know that! but then also on Relics a bit later.
I've been singing it all week!!
MmmmmI adore eggs. Our chickens lay the most delicous golden yolked eggs ever. I love them poached on a bagel or muffin with lots of cracked black pepper.
Love the auricula, they are such a lovely old fashioned flower.
Congratulations on your new arrivals :-)
I think I'll have to have an egg mayo sandwich for lunch now ... ;)
Lovely post - eggs, flowers and jackdaws ... it all sounds idyllic ... I'd rather be woken by baby jackdaws than traffic noise any day ... ;)
The auriculas are lovely, don't think I've seen them before. I'll have to get some seeds (or bulbs?) to counter the peace lily army that's threatening to spread and take over the house.
Having followed some links and talking of eggs, how is Celia's coming along?
Hi Becky, I bought mine as plants, but to get a really good range you'd best be going to a specialist. I wonder if some cuttings would survive in the post? Shall I try? I've got some spare ones if you'd like.
Celia did in fact get started, but I've got 3 jobs on at the moment, so she is quietly nursing her egg at the side of my studio. She is very patient...
Wow, thankyou very much, it would be fantastic it you wouldn't mind attempting to post some cuttings up to sunny London if you can spare them and if you have time. And congratulations on having 3 jobs on the go at once!
Thanks again and I'm sure Celia's wait will be well worth it :¬)
oh you linked me! Thanks!
Beautiful bowl of eggs, that. I'm right with you on their many charms, at least up until the marmite soldiers... You English!
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