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Sarma

Not only karayemiş, but also grape vines for making sarma.

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Some kind of destiny

Why do we have a feeling of some kind of destiny? Because we moved into a little house in the Chilterns two decades ago and discovered that in its garden karayemiş grew. In my wife’s mother tongue, this bitter black fruit is known as zevar (spelling uncertain). Others call it Laz üzümü, or Laz grape. …

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The search

Found so far: Three floppy disks containing backups of old writing. My Istanbul wedding on VHS. Eight Video 8 cassettes. Two Minidiscs. My depressing school reports. A portfolio of design work spanning twenty years. The charger for a 2003 Dell Latitude C400. Annual accounts for one failed business. An oboe and set of sheet music, …

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Honest grub

Eat where the locals eat. Good honest food, freshly made on site. Honest, friendly service. Honest, fair prices. Will fill you up. No bad aftertaste.

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Self-sufficient

Just picked from the garden.

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English estate

Fruits of the English garden. Purple clematis weaving through the karayemiş. A tree full of ripening plums left untouched. Plentiful grapes winding through the hazel tree. Home from home.

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YouTube chef

It’s only taken me about thirty years, but I think today I finally discovered the secret of non-stodgy rice. You have to rinse off all the starch at the start. When the water turns clear, you’re done. Kudos to some random bloke on YouTube for setting me straight on this one. I wasn’t going to …

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Fry up

Clever lad made a fry up for breakfast today. Eggs and halloumi. Smells delicious. Did he make a serving for me? Don’t be daft.

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Spoilt

We’ve been spoilt all this time, not worrying about what we’ll eat each evening. Now it comes to the end of a working day, and I’m wondering what I will cook us tonight. If it achieves nothing else, I hope it will make our lad more grateful for everything his mum does for him. I …

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Try again

If at first you don’t succeed, try again. No new garden gadgets needed after all. Just persistence.

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Garden gadgets

I think I may gift myself a mini cordless chainsaw. I no longer have it in me to go into battle with just a bowsaw. These shrubs and trees defeat me. 

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Summer’s evening

Another evening of light gardening, though really it is too warm to work.

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Tidyish

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A lawn unto myself

There’s nothing like mowing the lawn after a long day at work. While all of England watches the match this evening, I will do a spot of gardening. Perhaps I will make headway in the jungle at the bottom and bring some order.

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