friture

I went up to the col this morning into the forest to collect some sphagnum moss for my hanging baskets. I love sphagnum moss - the earthy smell and the spongy texture just make me want to lie down in it and go to sleep.

This year I'm planting tomatoes in my baskets. I ordered tumbler seeds on the internet which are supposed to produce "attractive clusters of fruit on trusses that trail down from all sides" and yield over 4 lbs of small, cherry-sized fruit. I line the baskets with the moss first then add a plastic liner cut out of an old compost sack, some broken-up terracotta pots for water retention (plenty of them around here since the builders' rampage!) and fill up with compost. All being well, I shall be in tomato heaven this summer.

At this point I should segue into a recipe featuring tomatoes ... but today friture was on the menu - fresh whitebait dusted with seasoned flour and fried in corn oil until just crispy. Don't overcook them or they'll taste like dried-out, burnt chips (fries) and not taste of fish at all. Serve with lemon/mayo/chopped parsley/garlic oil and eat with your fingers.