Nov. 9 2010
An iron grey day with silver edges, just past Bonfire Night – such a strange holiday, and so very British, to commemorate a crime that never happened! Apparently back in 1605, a group of men plotted to blow up Parliament and kill King James I. A man named Guy Fawkes was captured in the cellars of parliament with several dozen barrel of gunpowder, just before it exploded. All of the conspirators were imprisoned, tortured and killed. And every year since, in celebration of the prevention of treason, a “Guy” is burned in effigy on the huge bonfire lit in every village.
There are fireworks, and children chant this poem:

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot…

And they don’t! Long memories, these British…
I have new company in the kitchen this morning – a beautiful young African grey parrot whom we’ve named Fergie, after the little grey Fergie tractor that is so revered in this country. He looks like a small falcon – hooked beak, dark grey eyes, silvery plumage and a bright red tail. He has a bright and acute intelligence – different than a human intelligence, but no less sharp. I’m interested in what it will be like, to share space with another type of intelligence – and it seems like a continuation of the other things that I’m interested in at the moment –the living-ness of kefir, of sourdough starter, of food – so much richness in the living world, and so many different kinds of life!
I’ve always wanted an African grey, and never had one before, although I’ve been owned by an Umbrella cockatoo and a mini Macaw in my distant past. African greys are known to be the smartest, and the quietest of the parrots, famous for their abilities not only to mimic speech, but to use it meaningfully. They have been proven to have the ability to identify colors and shapes, hold interactive conversations and doing all sorts of things previous assumed to be the sole privilege of primates…I asked Rich if he would mind if we got a parrot, and he agreed, if dubiously. We went to look at one adult parrot listed for sale, and ended up pelting out of the house and down the sidewalk, with the bird’s shrieked obscenities following us down the path. So I thought it would be better if we got a baby parrot. That way, we can teach him what we want him to know. And if he turns out to say swear words, at least they’ll be ones that we taught him.
So, Fergie. The children are enchanted with him, Rich is uncomplaining, and I like the sense of company in the kitchen as he sits on his perch, destroying a cluster of seeds with one claw and gazing at me with wise, unfathomable eyes…
Just below Fergie’s perch is a box of pineapples, and a box of lemons. I bought them from the farmer’s market on Friday, and am planning am ambitious sort of pineapple-lemon marmalade. I thought I was going to have to make up a recipe, but actually found one in the battered Compleat Farmhouse Cookbook by Mary Norwak. Here’s what it says:
Pineapple Marmalade
3 sweet oranges
1 lemon
1 large can pineapple chunks
4 lb sugar
Slice oranges and lemon, just cover with water and simmer until tender. Add the juice from the can of pineapple chunks and the finely cut fruit, and simmer until fruit is well blended. Add sugar, stir until dissolved and boil rapidly to setting pint. This is a particular favorite with children who do not always care for the traditional marmalade, and is very good served with steamed puddings or with vanilla ice cream.
I’m going to make mine with fresh pineapple, and without the oranges, as I don’t have any on hand. I’m just going to use lemons, to try to put a dent in the massive box of lemons that I bought for £3. Also, other marmalade recipes I have seen recommend that you take out the lemon pips, put them in muslin bag and boil them along with the fruit. This is to get the pectin into the mix, which is the stuff that makes the jam set properly. So I think I’m going to do that as well. Then it’s easy to pull the muslin bag out before you add the sugar. And a final word – these old fashioned recipes always add an absolutely tooth-shattering amount of sugar! I find that I generally use about half the amount they recommend. Although with my lemons, I’m going to need a lot of sugar…hmmm…anyhow, if you’re trying this at home, add the sugar little by little, and adjust to your own taste.
But today on the farm the jam is going to have to compete with the soap! I made batches and batches of goats milk soap ready for Christmas, scented with mint, lavendar and lemon. It’s now sitting cut up into chunky little bars, all over the kitchen table, wafting its gorgeous scent through the room. Rich has made me some little shelves from reclaimed pine that look like bird houses. Yesterday we spent a peaceable afternoon together in Rich’s wood workshop, as he sawed shelves to the right length and nailed them together, and I coated the wood with Bree wax…The soap will be displayed in the shelves, with a sign that says “Homemade soap from the Soap Shak,” (The name taken from a sign that Joli made for me – original spelling!) And then I’m going to have to summon up the courage to walk into shops around the area and ask them if they’ll sell it…not a prospect that I’m looking forward to!
Today, I have to wrestle with the labeling. EU regulations dictates that it all has to be done just so, Latin names of ingredients and all. Intimidating…
So, after the milking of the goats and the feeding of pigs and the sheep that are being fattened in the top shed, it’s back into the kitchen to chop up a load of pineapples and lemons, put the jam on to boil, and straight into the soap labels…