Continuing my back-dated journal from new temporary home DARP
Mon 19 April
Team meeting first thing, really appreciate an early start and sorting plans for the week. Cleaned the communal areas then I fixed the house bikes using my basic knowledge and rudimentary tools; tightened brakes, oiled gears, straightened handlebars, attached baskets. Love working things out with no time pressure and a bit of perseverance. Ate leftovers from last night’s dinner with a poached egg and some pickles. Cycled to the shop to get sugar and oats.
We had a glut of easy peelers from a Co-op surplus pick-up last week (probably about 50), so I went about processing them fiveways:
Clementine, rosemary blossom and black pepper marmalade (Recipe at end of newsletter) q
Simple sorbet which I’ll blitz and refreeze tomorrow
Dehydrated pulp leather
Dried peels for firelighters
Dried rounds for bathroom pot-pourri
Made a flask of hot toddy and set myself up in the basketball court with a dictaphone and head torch to record an audio version of an essay for a radio show on NARR. Although I had a nice time, on reflection it might be pretty dull to listen to. Topped up the hot toddy and edited the recording.
Tues 20 april
HAPPY 420
Left the house early with Chris and walked to a local coffee roaster. We had a nice chat with the guy as he was roasting and picked up some trade price beans for the crew. Took the long way back by the canal, it was quite stunning and still! Had therapy while walking through the glades & tbh was rlly distracted. Ended up talking myself into a hole. Maybe therapy is the only time I don’t like doing multiple things concurrently.
The communal pantry idea is slowly coming together, we have decided on what we’d like to share – rice, lentils, oats, tinned tomatoes, loo roll, oil and vinegar – and already get leftover organic groceries from Trinity Farm and surplus from the Co-Op. The only thing is we haven’t formulated an in-house system to ensure these always get done. Having housemates with cars and the shared bikes-with-panniers setup, we should be able to sort most of our food needs on a weekly basis, just topping up with a monthly bulk order.
made a vegan shepherds pie with crispy lid (like I dreamed about last night). In the evening I had a videochat with Hugh and we bitch about ppl who make no effort, and have an honest chat about our mental health. We read each other very well and I feel supported by him. Afterwards, my bro texts me some updates from rural Denmark, he’s smashing it: tiled the wall in his deli with no prior experience!, writing a food curriculum for a college, heading to Copenhagen for leisure. We don’t chat as often as i’d like but honestly we’re both busy boys and know the love is there.
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Wed 21 april
Had a zoom meeting w Ellie Doney and some fermentation geeks about her pHd research project, which was pretty fun and interesting.
Spent almost the whole day in the garden: potting on, weeding beds, watering seedlings. Time skips away, can’t remember much else except I went to read down by the lake and ate peanut chili soup with my housemates when I got back.
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THurs 22 april
Happy Earth Day
Never Forget Stephen Lawrence
Sugababes’ “Freak Like Me” 20 year anniversary
Breakfast - Grilled croissants w Cheshire crumbly, koji tomatoes, blanched garlic mustard
Made coffee in my ceramic drip and packed a lunch to take to Nottingham. Got the train from Ilkeston with my bike and met with friend-of-a-friend Dudley in Sneinton. The city was warm and popping, cafes and bars pretty busy, lots of plaza-style seating. Went to see the amazing Brian Clough statue which was slightly larger than life and had 2 identical feet. Dudley, their friend Nick and I then cycled along A roads, through fields, across the motorway and beside canals all the way back to an allotment in Ilkeston. It was the most beautiful self-contained plot containing 40 chickens and a landscaped donut pond. We drank a beer and ate salt and vinegar chipsticks while talking about Elton John’s beautiful silk robes.
I got home just as dinner was being served up - spanish tortilla, roast potatoes, green salad and pickles. Eating together twice a week (at the very least) is such a highlight of co-living. The warmth of collaboration and sensitivity towards diets and intolerances pulls us tight. Time moves strange here, the slippages are welcome. Communal meals framework a little structure into the floppy weeks.
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Fri 23 April
I have an early zoom meeting, then go about my non-human care duties: worms, seedlings, food waste and smother some crumpets in marmalade. I push back my volunteering at Trinity as Jonny is coming up for the weekend and he’ll cycle there from the train station. We weed perennials from a plot of soon-to-be flowerbeds and create pathways, then barrow a strip of manure down the middle of each.
We take the super long way home on our bikes; first I take him to Bennerley Viaduct, then we skirt around the outside of a huge water treatment plant and almost touch the M1. After crossing the canal, we dismount and push through the glades lit by the waning sun. I’ve caught a little sun on my face, JJ has a pink nose. Can’t remember what we cook, but we both wolf it down, wash up and get an early night. We watch an hour-long doc on “bent coppers”, which I obviously fall asleep in immediately.
Sat 24 April
Up at 5.15 to see the sun rise. Fingers nearly fall off as we bomb down the hill towards the viewing platform. We’re the only ones out, which doesn’t seem so rare any more. We don’t last long on the 20 foot high structure and pelt it back for another few hours’ sleep. Around 9 I bring him tea and some brekkie and we plan our day. We do a short yoga flow in the breezy morning sun, then shower and cook some gnocchi with garlic mustard and curds to take with us for lunch.
The route to Attenborough almost perfectly follows the waterway that boundaries Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Cycling on well-marked and -maintained paths is such a treat. We lock up in the carpark and set off on foot. All the paths are understandably busy, it’s a gorgeous day. The lakes are vast and calm, JJ spots a cormorant, then two flirting bluetits. I pick hogweed shoots and teach him how to collect nettles without gloves. We each lunch on a jetty hanging into the Trent facing self-built homes, converted canal boats and what looks like a tiki lounge. The afternoon is mostly spent watching a local cricket game then blissing out in a distant field listening to football scores.
When we eventually head back towards DARP, the smell of the chip shop halts us before too long. I get a bit trigger-happy – 2 regular chips, 2 battered halloumi, 2 springs rolls, 2 mushy peas. We crouch on a dilapidated bridge in the orange sunset at chow down. We are re-energised and spend way more than an hour marvelling at pictures of fluorescent sea slugs.
Sun 25 april
Late, lazy morning, marmalade then eggs on toast. We play footy in the park with Chris for a few hours. Both my shoes break so we get an ice cream and take the scenic route home through the forest. Cauliflower stirfry in a peanut mirin sauce with plain rice and golden swede kraut. We stream the cup final, JJ leaves and I make a pineapple pickle to accompany the nice curry Ella and Jake prepare. Big dinner for 10, and everyone is stuffed! I slink off to bed to watch Line of Duty, except I fall asleep and don’t again.
Clementine & Rosemary Marmalade
https://www.injennieskitchen.com/2012/01/clementine-rosemary-marmalade-day-175/
I followed this clear and simple recipe, doubling the volumes and cooking times.
1.5kg / 30 easy peelers (surplus from Co-op)
80-100 rosemary flowers
1.2kg white sugar