Summer's bounty


The warmest weekend of the year and the fruit crops in the garden need harvesting.


I used the strawberries to make strawberry jam and the gooseberries made a huge gooseberry fool. What is your favourite summer fruit? I love them all!

The cherries in our neighbours tree look like beautiful jewels and have already attracted the birds.

This weekend was Weymouth Sea Food Festival. The stalls line both sides of the harbour. The food for sale is always spectacular and colourful. It is provided by local restaurants and West Country producers.


The garlic for sale from Isle of Wight garlic farm included smoked, normal and Elephant Garlic We grow garlic in our garden, but it is not to this standard.


The festival also includes cookery demonstrations and we are lucky to have many well known and good chefs in the area. John Wright (on the left),  known for his foraging on River Cottage, demonstrated cooking using sea weed and mushrooms.


The prettiest stall has to go to Nicole Phillips for her sea themed textiles. I loved her sea themed  tea towels.


 The temperature over the weekend has reached 30 degrees. I can't remember it being so hot for many years. We have tried to keep Daisy in the cool, despite her loving to lie out in the sun! Her daily weekend walk has been moved to the evening.


However a walk in the cool of the evening brings its own rewards - such as watching the sun go down over the sea.


I hope you had a good weekend too. Welcome to my new follower Tammy and thank you all for visiting me.
Sarah x

Comments

  1. WILLIE...! =(^..^)=15 July 2013 at 19:24

    Lovely post to finish the day on....! :)
    Love sea food and crustacea and of course garlic.
    Brought up on garlic and olive oil, as long as l can remember...It's not an apple a day, that keep the doctor away...It's a clove of garlic...HeHe!
    And, olive oil...Best thing for aching joints..!
    (Give some to Daisy...Put a shine in her coat).

    Last photo is really lovely...Bed Time..?
    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZ!

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    Replies
    1. Down by the sea16 July 2013 at 07:19

      We also use lots of olive oil and garlic. We usually give Daisy fish oil, I will try the olive and see what she thinks!
      Sarah x

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  2. Castles Crowns and Cottages15 July 2013 at 19:55

    Oh how I love your blog, sweet Sarah (and Daisy, too!)

    From the ripe cherries (MY FAVORITE!) to the strawberries and the textiles, I am enchanted. AND the best of all is seeing sweet daisy on the pebbles, and YOU BOTH on the shore. There is nothing like the ocean, and you my dear are so lucky. We have many lakes here and that is good enough for me, for I hope that when I wish, I can just take a trip to my dream ocean destination.

    All is well here, but we have had more rain this year than usual, but today is a scorcher, that's for sure!

    Hugs to you and Miss Daisy!!!!! Anita

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  3. Leanne15 July 2013 at 20:02

    Olly eats my strawberries as they ripen. My Gooseberries aren't quite ripe enough to pick yet, but I have a huge crop. Very excited.

    I love those tea towels too.

    Leanne xx

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  4. forgetmenotsblue15 July 2013 at 20:06

    Wonderful photos. What a harvest looks yummy. Daisy is sooooo cute :) x

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  5. Petra15 July 2013 at 20:07

    Ooh Sarah it looks very nice and tasteful. The big shrimp are my favorite i like them so much every thing looks very delicious. Have a nice week Sarah, with a lot of sun shine. Greetings Petra.

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  6. a breath of fresh air15 July 2013 at 20:16

    Hi Sarah

    What a lovely blog and oh to have a food festival like that up here. Hope Daisy keeps cool, Rannoch cools off my regular dips in the sea.
    Annie xx

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  7. rabbitquilter15 July 2013 at 20:37

    That last photo is just...wow!!! Just beautiful. Oh, how I wish I was sitting on the beach too!! Back to my glass of Pimms in the garden hehe!!!

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  8. JuanitaTortilla15 July 2013 at 21:19

    What I would do to visit a Seafood Festival like that one. Did you get to sample any delicious seafood? Those tea towels are really pretty.

    It is getting hot around here, too. My furry cats have been really sluggish.

    I can only imagine what you'd be doing with the plentiful cherries you'd be harvesting.

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  9. CJ STITCHING AND BLOOMS15 July 2013 at 22:36

    Hello Sarah, I always love it when you go Down to The sea. WOW I would LOVE to eat some of those shrimps.. I have not seen a photo of a gooseberry in years and years.. What is Gooseberry Fool... How wonderful that you have such lovely fruit in your own backyard. Great photos thanks for sharing. Have a lovely week. Hugs Judy

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    1. Down by the sea16 July 2013 at 07:15

      Gooseberry fool is gooseberry puree mixed with cream or yogurt or custard - there are lots of recipes on line.
      Sarah x

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  10. SeagullSuzie15 July 2013 at 22:50

    I'm not sure I'd like smoked garlic! Gooseberry jam is one of my favourites, so I'd make jam with that lovely bowl full. Beautiful images of the festival and I love the sea themed stall. It's been very hot even for Brixham as we've had virtually no wind to cool us down which is very unusual. I've been out with the dog very early in the mornings, it's so peaceful and cool, but that setting sun picture is hard to beat...how lovely.

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    Replies
    1. Down by the sea16 July 2013 at 07:12

      I usually use some of the gooseberries to make gooseberry curd. We are lucky to still have a slight sea breeze, which makes the heat a bit more bearable!
      Sarah x

      Delete
  11. Art and Sand16 July 2013 at 00:19

    Those sea themed towels are wonderful and they look great flapping in the breeze.

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  12. Angie16 July 2013 at 00:51

    Oh my --- sooooo gorgeous--- all of it---especially the 'sun down by the sea' photo---oh I am suffering a serious case of pure green envy. ;D

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  13. beachcomber16 July 2013 at 02:58

    gorgeous photos as always!
    love the one of your dog and the tea towels are beautiful.
    x

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  14. Bobbie Lynn16 July 2013 at 03:19

    Hello Sarah,
    I have never seen a cherry tree before. Wow. What beautiful berries, lucky girl. The food look amazing. Your girl Daisy is adorable. I told hubby that my next dog I want a West Highland terrier. Love the photo of you and her, so sweet.
    Have a wonderful week. Blessings.

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  15. Unknown16 July 2013 at 03:22

    Daisy looks so sweet and I love the sea themed textiles! Another beautiful post, thanks for sharing! X

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  16. Vintage Sheet Addict16 July 2013 at 07:54

    Daisy daisy knows how to model doesn't she, I love sea food! :) x

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  17. Anonymous16 July 2013 at 09:06

    I think these are your best photos yet Sarah- they are absolutely lovely. The fruits looks wonderful. Ted says hello to Daisy x

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  18. greenthumb16 July 2013 at 10:35

    Loos like you had a fabulous weekend, with so much fresh produce, I think you can't beat a fresh mangos. Daisy is such a pretty little thing.

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  19. Sally16 July 2013 at 11:26

    Hi Sarah, hopefully we'll have some gooseberries this summer, as I moved the one bush we had to a sunnier spot and a friend gave me one. But my favourite summer fruit are raspberries. I plan to plant my garlic this week, and I'm going to feed the plants with lots of alpaca poo! Love that you're having such warm weather what a nice way to end the day. S:)

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  20. kristieinbc16 July 2013 at 13:02

    Fresh garlic is so good! I will be leaving behind my garlic crop for the people who bought our house, but I have harvested 4 heads to take with me (we leave for our new home in a couple hours!). Poor Daisy. When it is hot here Fergus will want to come sit on the back deck with me, but after a few minutes he wants to back in.

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  21. The Faerie Factory16 July 2013 at 16:08

    Wow the food festival looks amazing. I remember visiting the garlic farm on the Isle of Wight, couldn't quite manage the thought of the garlic ice-cream though ~ Sarah x

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  22. thriftwood16 July 2013 at 16:38

    Ooh, a lovely, summery, foodie post!

    xxx

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  23. rusty duck16 July 2013 at 18:56

    Raspberries are my favourite summer fruit. Ours have suffered with the heat and lack of rain though, so we will have to get proper watering organised for next year.
    That last photo is a stunner!

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  24. Freda16 July 2013 at 20:07

    It is a really lovely post. What a productive garden you have. But 30 degrees! I'd just melt....

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  25. June16 July 2013 at 23:06

    It's too hot for our hounds - they just find the shadiest place in the garden. Oh, to live so close to the sea to be able to see the sun going down.
    June

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  26. Annie Cholewa16 July 2013 at 23:50

    How wonderful that last photo is :) We've moved the whippet's walks to the evenings too, or very early in the morning, it's just too hot for them at other times.

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  27. lucent imagery17 July 2013 at 01:58

    The mushroom man! We've been watching The Great British Food Revival series lately too. My favourite summer fruit is mango. And that sunset photo is divine.

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  28. Kylie17 July 2013 at 02:00

    I had to look up "gooseberry fool" because I had no idea what it was! So I learnt something from your post (as well as seeing the gorgeous pictures) :)

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  29. lucent imagery17 July 2013 at 07:13

    p.s. I'm so happy for you all that you are having a proper summer to enjoy now. I hope you're having lots of fun!

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  30. Wendy17 July 2013 at 11:29

    Lovely photos of summer, especially the Daisy in the dusk and the gorgeous sunset. I can never choose between strawberries and raspberries, I love both! As I'm keen on foraging, I would have liked to have seen the seaweed and mushroom dish.

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  31. Leanne17 July 2013 at 13:13

    lovely post as always Sarah. 30 degrees is killing me too! It was 31 here this week, further North than you. I guess you have the sea breeze to help, but here further inland from you ,its been scorchingly hot. My garlic needs lifdting, may do that this afternoon, if I can summon up the energy!!

    Leanne x

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  32. Paula17 July 2013 at 17:03

    I love almost any kind of seafood. I remember catching crab with my dad and sister many years ago, it was delicious.

    Hasn't it been so hot? I think I could do with a little less heat now.

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  33. Emma Wigginton17 July 2013 at 21:49

    it has even been hot up here in Cumbria, tho not as hot thank goodness as down south! the fruit looks wonderful, very impressed with your strawberries! annd thta last photo is sublime, it's that summer thing of being out in warm scented air late at night...I just don't want to go to bed!

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  34. Patricia18 July 2013 at 17:35

    Lovely photos Sarah. Your last one of the sunset on the beach is just how I like to end a day too. Cool relief after a swelteringly hot day.

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  35. Anonymous19 July 2013 at 13:57

    Your blog makes me so happy. Thank you.

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  36. Gracie Saylor20 July 2013 at 23:44

    Your photo of gooseberries prompted me to search Wikipedia for more info. As a child...lo those many years ago :) I was given a bite of gooseberry pie, but the berries were more the size of blueberries as I remember, at least. I have not seen them in the wild or for sale in stores where I have lived across the USA, but I am going to search to see if they are available around here. The Wikipedia article was very interesting and its explanation of the etymology of "gooseberry" gave me pause!
    xx, Gracie

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  37. Gemma11 August 2013 at 21:23

    Daisy is gorgeous and the sunset-wow!

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