Fresh beginnings

We lingered in bed this morning. After animals were fed, watered and then liberated for toilet duties, we snuck back under the duvet and listened to the radio. “We’ve no bacon” I wailed, as we began to be aware of rumbly tumblys. “Fancy an egg roll instead?”

Well, I don’t know if the girls were listening to me, but look what Mr L found when he went out to remove Nell from the chicken run:

Fresh for breakfast

And I get to post this as a Saturday Scramble, though we had them fried. 🙂

Am tempted to say “about time too!” but I’ll settle for appreciating the fact that the girls seem to be starting the new year as they no doubt mean to go on. Me, I am starting my new year badly and being very lazy indeed. I think I shall light the fire soon and then just sit and knit some more border onto my shawl. I’m willing to bet that Mr L will be popping outside on the hour, every hour, in search of further egg production. Actually, I could get behind the idea of a cheese soufflé this evening — there’s a stack of fromage left over from last night!

One of the delights of last evening was the Smoked Salmon Triumph. Mr L has not tried smoked salmon previously. I had, once or twice. ((We are both a bit funny about fish — typical cod eaters, we prefer fish that isn’t… er…. um… fishy.))  However, he had said that he would like to try it some time, and I had grabbed a packet last time I was in town.

The salmon was not exactly wafer-thin, so I doubted our ability to just knife-and-fork it with a wedge of lemon. A bit hard-core, for beginners. I knew from a previous experience that thinly sliced smoked salmon becomes quite palatable when combined with cream cheese, so I mixed up a filling from cream cheese, lemon, and dill… just a hint of black pepper to enliven it. I cut four discs of salmon and stacked it in pairs, with plenty of cheese filling between. The remaining salmon bits I chopped up wth spring opnion, cucumber, and a tarragon mayonaisse – and I served a quenelle of this “tartare” on the side, added some melba toast and a few slices of fresh cucumber and… you know what? It was a delicious starter, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it!

So, we begin our ninth year of marriage as egg-producers, and  confirmed smoked salmon eaters. Who’d a’ tho’t it?

Happy New Year, one and all. I hope that the bells brought you good surprises and new beginnings too.