Autumn herb-gathering

Hello Friends,
As you might expect, I'm not a lover of Tory Conference season. In fact, I'm currently avoiding the media, as every time I switch on the TV, I am assailed by David Cameron's hammy face telling me how the Conservative Party is a friend to the poor. Yes, making poor people a whole lot poorer apparently teaches them self-respect. I would like to shut Cameron, Hunt & IDS in a small, damp, one-bedroomed privately rented flat with a three-day food bank parcel & a copy of 'The Ragged-trousered philanthropists'. This would culminate in a test on the causes of inequality. The real ones. Not the pretend ones, promoted by their media friends, which ensure that people turn on each other, instead of the real enemy.

So there's not much news consumption going on here. Instead, I'm throwing myself into catching up in the garden. I'm rather behind, but at least nothing this time of year (apart from bringing in frost-tender plants) is urgent. 

Today, I've gathered the last of the cherry tomatoes in every shade from the brightest red to the dodgiest green & tackled the herb garden. What a pleasant couple of hours - warm October sunshine, a robin singing in the greengage tree & surprisingly, good things there for the taking! I normally would have done my final herb harvest of the year a couple of months ago, but the warm weather has kept everything going, so I was able to cut & tie plenty of bunches for drying.

These are sage, oregano, bay, marjoram, rosemary, thyme & winter savoury. All now hanging from the beam in the kitchen to dry. I was annoyed to find that the tarragon had been entirely eaten. The chief suspect had taken up residence near the sole remaining twig & was duly sent space-wards - us gardeners soon develop an impressive slug-launching arm! 
I recommend growing winter savoury. It's an inexpensive plant to buy, easy to grow & it survives snowy winters. The aroma is quite like thyme, but the leaves are tougher, which makes it an excellent ingredient in slow cooker stews, which give it the time it needs to soften & give up its flavours.  I use it finely chopped in my home-made burgers too. If you enjoy cooking & don't grow it, it's well worth having.

Now, the word 'beam' may give the impression that we live in an ancient 'chocolate box-style' cottage.........whereas the truth is that our beam is the result of some past idiot owner knocking a supporting kitchen wall out of our extremely ordinary 1930s house! It's very useful for drying herbs though, & festooning with Yuletide greenery later in the year. 

I don't bother drying mint or basil, as neither herb dries well. I've chopped basil & frozen it in ice-cube trays for use during winter, & put a bunch of mint stems to stand in water ready to make apple & mint jelly at the weekend.

Albert Whiskers has been of no help whatsoever, but has at least calmed down from yesterday's rain, when he was on permanent 'Wet playtime'. Attacking doormats, jumping around in all the cabling behind the TV, helping himself to stuff from my knitting basket, chomping my hair & nibbling my tights at every opportunity.

Today is thankfully looking a lot more like this. 
Hope everyone is managing to get at least a bit of time outside in the autumn sunshine.
Till next time......unless I have turned into a giant pear, which is quite possible with the amount of them we are currently having to eat!
C x