Five hours kitchen duty

Young Nicola fancied getting physical logging so I went for lunch duties as I was on the follow-on washing up duty rota. That all netted out to five hours gathering, prepping, cooking, serving, eating and washing up. Almost as tiring as filling a trailer full of logs.

The first task was to locate, identify and cut leaf beet and spinach for the soup, which unhelpfully doesn't come pre-packaged and labelled.

So hunted around in the garden with a colander and filled it up.  Meanwhile Chrissie from Hawaii started prepping the onions and garlic indoors whilst I lingered in the garden talking to someone in the greenhouse planting new seeds for a new generation of veg.




Back to the polytunnel to select a large mix of lettuce, time to chat to Ian and Chris about their hangovers and the continuing Greek like epic that is the new polytunnel construction job.

They have spent all week outside digging and constructing it, estimating about two weeks work all in for two people to complete it.

Whilst scrubbing up the carrots I found a pair of star-crossed lovers, Montague and Capulet carrots entwined and spooning until cruelly separated, decapitated and chopped up into the salad.

Why does love always seem to end this way?

Maestro in the kitchen was resident Philip who is due to leave with his family to his house in England, starting to feel separation pangs already.  He said he found himself unexpectedly taking long walks with his wife around the island and spoke about it during this morning's check-in circle.

I was on washing-up within a young American and discovered her friend is closely related to Camila Batmanghelidjh - my modern day hero.

So we had a good chat over the dirty Ecover dishwater making an expected connection that was close to home for both of us.

Meanwhile hours earlier Philip had deftly directed us on task aimed to be 12:30 ready to feed hungry field and candle polishers.

I could be found cutting lots of leaf beet and lettuce, knife work and getting wonderfully soaked washing the veg.

When all was ready Philip asked I walk along the Erraid street and hill summoning, by an old school-bell, the field workers to come eat, probably the best bell we have heard in a long time.

Of course everyone keeps working until the food is ready and the bell sounds, so lots of smiles and relief when I turn up making a din.

So a fantastic morning, a lot spent outdoors foraging for food, and then the pleasure of cooking and serving it up to the community with Chrissie and Philip.