The Garden of England.

For those of you who read my blog abroad you may not know that Kent where my family has lived for the last 33 years is known as the Garden of England. Famous for growing so many things as apples, cobnuts and hops, produce that has driven the fading British food culture for centuries. Actually cobnuts have more or less died out recently but they are still to be found in these parts. And of course the hops, the staple of ale. It seems very strange to me that I have only really started drinking real ale since last year. Kent boasts the oldest brewery in Britain, Shepherd Neame at Faversham.

So why mention Kent today? Well I'm down visiting my dad. I haven't seen him since mum's funeral. Sadly it is another funeral that draws us together at this time, that of an old friend known to both of us. Yes the deaths keep happening. In total since my last descent into my madness at the end of February I have lost 6 people.

But it is not all bad. It is great to see people and we're having friends round for dinner. My mum invited people around occasionally but her overwhelming anxiety she experienced in her last years often made these events rather traumatic for her. Today has been more relaxed than that.

I'm using local belly pork although done in a Spanish way, local cabbage and carrots for a magnificent Middle Eastern version of coleslaw flavoured with cumin and lemon, and then local strawberries after. To start I bought some top quality Spanish jamon and chorizo along with some olives and hummous-a true Mediterranean theme here in the outer recesses of East Kent. I very much hope Beka and her mum enjoy themselves. And of course my dad.

I'm off for now, more soon.

I Heard a Voice.