Saturday 7th October 2023

Its good to be home, and its doubly good to be the weekend too.

And the weather was expected to be up to 10 degrees above seasonal norms, so lots of opportunities to get and do stuff.

With me away again for four days this week, we needed little shopping, but as we were off out with friends that evening, we bought wine and cider as the Dining Club doesn't sell booze.

Back home for bacon butties and brews, then at ten, off out for a walk, as the weather was so glorious.

Still no Clouded Yellows in the fields of lucerne, but one I had climbed to Windy Ridge, there were butterflies galore along Green Lane, and dragonflies, all Common Darters, in good numbers too.

I had indented to go just across the fields, but ended up doing the full circuit, along all of Green Lane and then back down to Collingwood and home.

Along Collingwood, I saw a Hummingbird hawkmoth flitting for somewhere to perch, so to get out of the breeze. And sure enough it did settle, allowing me to get shots. 9,990 steps done, and all hot and bothered.

Worth it, though.

Back home, I got baking.

We had a leftover tin of pineapple slices, and I got the idea of making an upside down cake and real custard, as I had made a lemon custard for the recent Italian lemon tart.

I found recipes for both, but adapted the one for custard using single cream and milk instead of double cream, and using less liquid to ensure it was thick.

Well, readers, as you can see, both came out well, and the custard with a mix of vanilla pods and extract was perfectly flavoured.

We sat down to eat just after one.

Yummy indeed.

And so, to the football.

There is something comforting in the live football commentary on Radio 5, interspersed with scores from the forty or so other English League games. I have the radio on and watch the videoprinter via the red button on the i player.

Norwich fail to hold on to a 1-0 lead, and conceded a last minute own goal at Coventry.

Then time for showers, as we were off out with Sean and Ange, to the Dining Club.

We went into Dover to pick them up, then back out to Deal, parking in the main square, walking through to the Just Reproach where, as hoped, there was a green beer on, this one by Hop Fuzz.

And finally to the club, where only seats on the ground floor were being used, we sat down and enjoyed:

CHESTNUT MUSHROOM & BLUE CHEESE RAREBIT

SHALLOT CONFIT, MUSTARD CRESS

SOUP: SPINACH & BACON

STARTER: CHICKEN & TRUFFLE TORCHON, PICKLED GRAPES, BRIOCHE

MAIN COURSE: VENISON SHEPHERD’S PIE, CONFIT BEETROOT, SPICED CARROT, VENISON & PORT SAUCE

DESSERT: RHUBARB CRUMBLE and CUSTARD

Followed by cheese.

Sean and I decided we needed port, so I found a local wine shop that was open, we walked between courses to the store to find it a part music club where just a single couple were listening to a guy noodling on an electric guitar. We get a bottle of port, go back in time for desert and the cheese course. And as conversation flowed, three quarters of the bottle of port vanished.