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Today was one of cloudy sunshine with April showers in the afternoon. We took an early morning drive into the forest.
When we encountered a piece of heavy plant blocking East Hill in Lymington we wondered why, with the temporary lights at red, no traffic passed it on the way up. This, we discovered, was because there was a queue of vehicles too wide to manage it.
Moving on, the swiftly flowing ford stream at Norleywood did not deter a cheery cyclist.
Further along that road to the east, a black dog trailed behind a young woman leading white one and a horse.
A loaded tractor on Charles’s Lane
gave us plenty of opportunity to admire the flanking forest scenery.
Throughout the New Forest at this time are posted requests to dog owners to keep their animals to the main tracks in order to protect ground nesting birds. This one is at Wootton, where
ponies blend or contrast with the landscape.
The Yellow fields along Hordle Lane are examples of those throughout the country in springtime.
“Selby House is a small farm in the middle of Northumberland.” It has this explanation on its website. “Rapeseed oil comes from oilseed rape, a root vegetable and cousin of mustard cabbage. The name is derived from the Old English term for turnip [the Latin] rapum. And yes, it comes from those yellow fields you can see in late spring.
Cold pressed means that the composition of the oil isn’t altered by heating. It isn’t the most efficient process but this oil isn’t about efficiency it’s about taste and purity.
The seed husk that is left over is called cake and this is mixed with other cereals into a safe and nutritious animal feed or some people use it in their solid fuel burners since it is a very low carbon renewable fuel.
The oil has delicious earthy, nutty taste – try it in dressings, stir fry, roasting, dunking.
Compared to olive oil it has half of the saturated fat and a much higher natural omega 3 content, the one in our diet that is often lacking.”
Becky and Ian arrived this afternoon and we all dined in the evening at Lal Quilla. Food, company, and service were all as excellent as ever. My main course was king prawn Ceylon, with chapatis. We shared onion bhajis. Kingfisher and Diet Coke were imbibed.
