Mrs S and I have enjoyed a few days away from commerce this week; (i.e. I went upstairs to turn off the cellphone and bugger the emails, she stayed in the home more than somewhat, and we have had a great week...).
So we've built a new fireplace after hating the old one for eighteen years, and had the occasional foray into the woods with JRT; just before we open another Chateau Swansea or similar...
But today, we took a small detour (bus passes at the ready), to a small pub near T.Wells, for a big, bigger, huge lunch - well why not? After imbibing several (bus remember - no car...), and taking on the largest portions of fantastic fare, Mrs S decided that we should top off with a glass of Calvados!
Check...
We both love Calvados. Ever since we started French holidays with ED and YD in Normandy years ago, we've gone for the best we can afford, enjoyed the roughest we've been sold, laughed every time we swung the glasses of the 'amber nectar', around the air before collapsing in an aromatic appley heap, and wished we could sit in a Kentish orchard for the rest of our lives, swigging the best of life...
The pub people are lovely - superb at running a pub, (editor's note - The George at Frant...); friendly, very attractive (watch it! Says Mrs S...) but unable to supply the simple apple requirement. (no probs there, something else did the trick...)
But, wait; we live in deepest Kent, where apples are coming out of our ears! We have two apple trees at The Turrets, and they're both Lord Lambournes.
'George' is an 'M27' stock, very short, small branches, but he fruits like a dervish. 'Mildred', close by, is a 'pyramid', and not prolific - probably only just able to keep George in bees and pollen, poor gal..., but she does the job; we love her, and she also provides a few apples.
George (pictured, with Mildred behind), goes bananas every year. He exudes huge apples, throws them all over the place, drops them on JRT, leans over lovely girls like Lils, and above all, makes us both very healthy every time about now...
George (pictured, with Mildred behind), goes bananas every year. He exudes huge apples, throws them all over the place, drops them on JRT, leans over lovely girls like Lils, and above all, makes us both very healthy every time about now...
So my question is; why on earth is there nowhere in Kent which can appreciate and work on the quality of a home-grown apple brandy, in a place where we can grow apples like nobody's business?
Perhaps I'll go and find out...and I may be some time...
MMMmm those apples look delicious Scrobs! Perhaps there is a new buisness venture for you!
ReplyDeleteWhy not indeed??
ReplyDeleteProbably some pathetic little jobsworth in Bruxelles (or Maidstone?) would object. Kent, rightly known as the Garden of England, always used to supply the UK with all the apples the population could eat - then we joined the common market and all you can get now seem to be French golden delicious. Shame really.
this is why i go to amish country for the things i want homemade...they do an excellent job and don't forget the older recipes...
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ReplyDeleteAn eminently sensible idea, scrobs. Put me down for a couple of bottles.
ReplyDeleteI take it that, if it tastes like antifreeze, a no-nonsense money back guarantee applies. You can then sell it on to the beast, whose tastebuds are shot after all that meths and vinegar growing up in Manc.
Those apples look scrummy, Scrobs. And the lunch sounds fab. I've never tried calvados but have enjoyed some home made sloe gin before now. Must get myself a sloe bush...
ReplyDeleteLils, they are great - we used to buy them from the local farm shop, and got hooked...
ReplyDeleteGeorge and Mildred used to have a brother in the front garden, but he gave up the ghost, or whatever apple trees give up when they turn brown and wither and die off...
Pommers - welcome - even the local shops still persevere at selling the cheapest, palest apples, all with the least flavour.
ReplyDeleteBut rockapes always buy crap like this; that's why they're rockapes...
Daisers - Amish people do apples as well?
ReplyDeletePlease ask them what types; I'm fascinated!
Comment deleted - well I never did...!
ReplyDeleteIdle, I always reckon that when I've got to the Calvados moment, I'm anyone's...
ReplyDeleteA very good chum has rows of bottles of the stuff stacked at his home, and is a specialist in the subject. Whenever he goes out on a company lunch, he is always choosing the best in the row on the shelves in the bar where the lunch is held.
Luckily, he (and his company), are the most generous of friends, (we really are very old chums...), and the Green 'Boulard' hits the spot like a feather in a wasp's nest...
We will remain pals until the great apple tree on high bows down to lift us gently to the basket of destiny on high...
Pips, just ask for it at any restaurant first - no need to buy a bottle yet...
ReplyDeleteWait until you taste and smell...
If you like Sloe gin (and I do), you'll love Calvados, but don't let anyone poo poo it; there's always a snobbishness attached to local 'brandies' made from local fruit.
The French got it right first time, and you also need cream somewhere else on the menu.
Just lie back and think of Normandy...
scroblene...i guess it depends on what you want done with apples...but they jelly them, chutney them, pie them, can them with cinnamon, omg they do everything in these here parts with apples...:)
ReplyDeleteDid you ask for apple brandy or Calvados? Nothing "made in Kent" could be labelled as the latter so perhaps you were asking from the wrong drink?!
ReplyDeleteDaisers - just about anything then!
ReplyDeleteJust a few seconds ago, I took two huge great chunks of one of those apples to sit and do this message - so you're the first to know!
Amish recipes must be based on 'Mom's apple pie' or similar...
I was sorry to hear the sad stories from there a few years ago - perhaps they'd always been around, but such a way of life can't be all so bad can it?
Bluesers; this was a small celebration so it could have been anything perhaps...
ReplyDeleteNo, the stuff we were after was unavailable!
Luckily, The George, is a great example of a good village pub, and, without casting nasturtiums at 'younger peoples', there was a total roll call of people like us there for lunch!
We always reckon that that is a sign of a pub where nobody gets ripped off, and the music is non-existent...
And the fish and chips are fan-bloody-tastic!
I miss our old apple tree. There's nothing in our new garden appart from slugs and cat poo.
ReplyDeleteIt seems we are both on the same page vis apples and indeed calvados.I have been ruminating with my wine producing family in California over the very problem you mention and may look towards some experimenting at some point in time.One advantage of being a builder is the availability of copper piping etc!....I will surreptitiously blog when the time comes.
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