The cows were given grass silage, alfalfa, a little feedstuff and

were also able to graze a little.

Flower of the month: Heath speedwell (Veronia officinalis)

Some of the speedwells are very similar and the Thyme-leaved

speedwell we featured some time ago is very similar to the Heath

speedwell in the photo above. In the past it has had both medicinal

and culinary uses… particularly as a substitute for tea.

Recipe of the month. Fish wrap with cheese sauce

4 fillets of salmon or cod

1 courgette

Pats of butter

250g strong cheese, grated

500 ml milk

2 tablespoon of plain flour

Olive oil

The quantities of the ingredients for the cheese sauce can be varied

according to individual tastes, with more or less milk for a thicker or

thinner sauce and more or less cheese according to tastes.

This recipe is suitable for the beginning of autumn when the weather

is rather unpredictable and we can’t be sure if it will be hot or cold,

but we can still find courgettes in the allotment.

Wash the salmon. Wash and peel the courgette and cut in thin strips

lengthwise. Wrap strips of courgette around each fillet of salmon and

place in an overproof dish with a little water, salt and pepper to taste

and a pat of butter on each fillet. Introduce in the oven for 15 minutes

or until done (the fish flakes easily).

Whilst the fish is in the oven prepare the cheese sauce:

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Slowly mix in the flour until

paste-like. Add milk little by little stirring all the time to avoid lumps.

Should lumps form use a liquidiser.  When a sauce like consistency is

reached add the grated cheese and stir until completely melted.

Once the fish is ready, serve with the cheese sauce. Seasonable

side vegetables such as broccoli, leeks or carrots can be steamed

and served with this dish.

We have seen quite a few stick insects this year.

Two heifer calves and one bull calf were born in September.

The weather was very changeable once again, with rainy days

interspersed with dry weather, but with midday temperatures

over 20ºC throughout the month and dawn temperatures vary-

ing between 11 and 17ºC. We collected a total of 149 litres in

the rain gauge, most of which fell in only 6 days (but not con-

secutive).