Gourdon Bennett!

*For an explanation of the title see the very bottom of the blog.

It starts with a rather round, flat on the bottom and not too big, not too small gourd. This one I bought on Ebay; I am growing some in the garden, but they won't be ready until next year about this time.


Cut the top off. Scoop out the inards, sand and sand. When it is smooth, sand some more, then apply your design. In this case I used wood colouring pens, after I burned the design in with a wood-burning pen.



Then, a clear shellac was applied to both the inside and outside. It will be food safe this way. Voila, a yerba mate cup.



Now I will wait for a bombilla from my daughter who is going to Argentina soon.








***************************************************************************************

Peas fresh from the garden! I blanched them, then stir fried them. Then, added pre-fried bacon lardons and garlic that I did a bit earlier. Then, de-glaze the pan with Mirin.



Simple, Elegant and Delicious!

***************************************************************************************

The garden continues to do well....Even the weeds are thriving! I manged to keep them pretty much out of the garden beds, but I must really work on the paths. Here are some images of the good stuff not the weeds, who wants to see weeds? Certainly not me!







The Rocket has bolted; not to space, but has gone to seed. Will use some of the flowers to garnish a salad soon.

***************************************************************************************
We had a salsa bar feast with all the cilantro (coriander leaves for my British friends) from the garden. No ladybirds were harmed in the making of this salsa.




From the top going around clockwise:
-Mango salsa
-A cilantro salsa creation involving cilantro, onion, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro oil made with EVOO.
-Guacamole
-Heirloom Tomato Pico de Gallo

Pass the tortilla chips and MOCO ColoRouge/sharp cheddar quesadillas.

The cilantro has already grown back for another go!

****************************************************************************************

*Gordon Bennett explained:

Gordon Bennett! is an expression or exclamation common in some parts of the United Kingdom that connotes (often exasperated) surprise, annoyance or shock.

Bennett — the son of James Gordon Bennett, Sr. — was a New York newspaper proprietor and playboy during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who became widely known in North America and Europe for his extravagant lifestyle and shocking behaviour. He has been described by the Dictionary of American Biography as having been "one of the most picturesque figures of two continents". For example, he arrived late and drunk at a party in the mansion of the family of his fiancée, socialite Caroline May, and then urinated into a fireplace in full view of his hosts. The engagement was broken off immediately, and the subsequent notoriety caused Bennett to move to France. This incident appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records under "Greatest Engagement Faux Pas".

A variant of the newspaper mogul story is given by Anglophile American writer Bill Bryson as follows:

James Gordon Bennett, a newspaper baron, liked to announce his arrival in a restaurant by yanking the tablecloths from all the tables he passed. He would then hand the manager a wad of cash with which to compensate his victims for their lost meals and spattered attire. Though long forgotten in his native land, Bennett and his exploits were once world famous, and indeed his name lives on in England in the cry, "Gordon Bennett!"

This was taken from Wikipedia and pretty much sums it up.

Stay tuned for another project that features Gordon Bennett!

See I'm not the only Anglophile on the planet. :-)