Apart from the usual farm chores, we topped some fields and cleared

patches of nettles.

We also pruned some hazel and holm oaks that tend to grow in

swallow holes. Pruning these trees provides firewood and also

makes the presence of swallow holes more visible. We thus also

repaired the fencing around these limestone features.

Recipe of the month: Steak with cheese and onion sauce

This is a very simple, fix a quick meal recipe.

1 steak per person

For the sauce:

I finely diced medium onion

400g flavoursome, finely grated cheese (adjust quantities if using blue

cheese).

300ml milk

Two tablespoons plain flour

Three tablespoons olive oil

Herbs and spices to taste (salt, pepper, oregano, basil....)

Serve with steamed vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and leeks

at this time of year.

Gently fry the onion in the olive oil. Gradually stir in the flour making

a paste and then gradually add milk stirring continually to avoid lumps

forming (should they do so, use a hand held liquidiser to solve the

problem). Add salt, pepper and other herbs and spices to taste and

then stir in the cheese until melted. Keep on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Cook the steaks either by frying on on a skillet and steam the vegetables.

Once ready place a steak on each place and pour over some of the sauce,

adding vegetables.

Flower of the month: Creeping cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans)

This plant, also known as creeping tormentil or European cinquefoil,

is native to Euroasia y Northern Africa. It was used in traditional

medicine for diarrhoea, ulcers and open wounds for example. It has

no particular forage value. The name “cinquefoil” is derived from

the Old French “cinc”, Middle English “cink”, and Latin “quinque”,

all meaning “five” and “feuille” and “foil/foille” which mean leaf.

“Potentilla” comes from the Latin word for strong and is thought

to have been used for its medicinal value.

The start of October was very wet and we collected more than 100

litres in the rain gauge during the first week. Other days the warm

south wind dried out the fields and we then had more rain. Tempera-

tures dropped to 7ºC some mornings and rose to 23,4ºC at midday.

Fog reduced visibility some mornings

and rain with sunny spells other days meant we saw many rainbows.

Total rainfall over the month reached 254 litres.

The dairy herd only grazed a little and we gave the cows dried forage,

silage and some feedstuff. The heifers and dry cows did graze.

We saw quite a few moths and butterflies including this Rosy

underwing (Catocala electa)

and, unfortunately, the moles (Talpa europaea) are back in action

in the allotment and fields.