Table of contents for August 2017 - Issue 62 in The Simple Things

“The bigger the bag, the more clobber can be transported to the beach” The beach bag is one of those items that get jettisoned in the last moments spent packing for summer holidays. When the choice has to be made between squeezing in another pair of shoes or this useful but often bulky bag, the shoes inevitably win. Which is a mistake. You can make do with flipflops and one pair of heels but you can’t cart your towel and sunscreen to the beach in your leather handbag or trundle them down in a trolley suitcase. The solution is to check in your suitcase and comandeer your beach bag as carry-on luggage. (It can also double up as a shopping tote providing the design isn’t too garish.) This will mean…

Here at Quicke’s, we know our cheese. The Devonshire family farm, which has been around for nearly 500 years, specialises in cheddar, from buttery to crumbly, from creamy to nose-ticklingly vintage. Each handmade truckle goes from field to table on one site; we nurture the grass that feeds the cows who make the milk for our artisanal cheeses. And now, all our clothbound cheese is made exclusively with Cornish Sea Salt, adding a new complexity of flavour. So who better, then, to try to come up with a dream cheese toastie? With such amazing ingredients to hand, our team took the challenge pretty seriously. Here we share our mouthwatering, winning recipe. To buy online, visit quickes.co.uk Campfire cheese toastie Serves 4 300g Quicke’s Mature Clothbound Cheddar, coarsely grated 150g Quicke’s…

Thrrrrrrrrp-clack! The weeping willow bends low to softly kiss the lazily meandering river. Probably. Thrrrrrrrrp-clack! A pair of swallows brush bellies against grass tips before rising and falling on sweptback wing as if discovering their aerobatic artistry for the very first time. In all likelihood. Thrrrrrrrrp-clack! Monkton Park, Chippenham, the summer 1987. That much is certain. Your correspondent is hazy on the surrounding detail on account of focusing heavily on opening his arms to send a cigar-shaped cylinder flying fast along two lengths of string and hitting hard against the handles held by his nan. Thrrrrrrrrp-clack! She spreads wide her arms to return the favour, and on it goes, back and forth, far beyond what might reasonably be asked of the older player’s patience. Thus, the game known as Streaker.…

River BY OLIVIA LAING In her magical meditation on landscape and memory, Olivia Laing follows the course of the River Ouse in Sussex, tracking its ebbs and flows, and pondering the meanings of solitude and loneliness, myth and history, geology and ghosts. I’m haunted by waters. It may be that I’m too dry in myself, too English, or it may be simply that I’m susceptible to beauty, but I do not feel at truly at ease on this earth unless there is a river nearby. “When it hurts,” wrote the poet Czeslaw Milosz, “we return to the banks of certain rivers”. I take comfort in his words, for there’s a river I’ve returned to over and again, in sickness and health, in grief, desolation and joy. I first came to…

He gave it to me on my 41st birthday. It was the first gift he’d ever chosen by himself and he was giving it me for a reason. We’d just become friends again after 16 years apart, me and my dad. As a child, I remember him always carrying a penknife and using it for all sorts of useful things in the garden, in the house, on holiday. With my impending trip to Brazil it’s no wonder he chose this gift. Since then, me and my Swiss Army Penknife (SAP) have been to all sorts of places but the ones which make me smile (and cringe) are those where we nearly parted company. There have been quite a few near misses over the years, always due to my lax attitude…

“Jen, you won’t be doing anything for the Bank Holiday, will you? You can be our man on the ground for the launch.” Her boss. Not a demon, but consistently thoughtless, casually sexist. “We should make it a condition of employment, ‘surrender your life at the door’! Maybe then everyone’d be as reliable as you.” A giggle came from behind her, one of the girls whose diaries were always full of plans: flight departures, rings on fingers, gaggles of fun. Jen took a sharp breath. “Actually,” she said, “I’m… going away.” “Oh?” “I was planning to put my holiday form in today. Sorry, I…” He’d stopped listening. She was no longer useful to him. Her grandpa had given her the globe for her tenth birthday, for planning purposes, he’d said.…

Anyone who’s ever had to choose a paint for a wall or a piece of furniture will have found themselves immersed in colour charts and sampler pots where there’s more to colour than their product codes or Pantone reference. Every shade, tone, and hue comes with its own name – chocolate comtesse, mineral grey, crushed oregano, millennial pink. In a description of just two or three words, a whole world can be conjured up or reimagined. But what about all those colours yet to be given names? What would you call the blue the sky turns 20 minutes after a summer sunset, for example? Or the particular grey the clouds look when half the sky’s about to storm and the rest is brilliant sunshine? How should you describe the colour…

Sometimes you just have to leap. I’d been a lecturer, and left in my mid-20s to go into journalism. I had 20 happy years as a writer and critic, but wanted a challenge. I was in my early 40s and knew if I was ever going to do something different, I should do it then, although the recession had just hit. I was too scared to take out a loan or give up my day job so I tried to think of something I could do from home. Be inspired by what works for other people. I got my veg box delivered one day and I had a really nice chat with the guy who brings it. I’d spent about 18 months trying to work out what I could do…

LAVENDER AND HONEY CAKES Makes 12 40g salted butter (room temperature) 120g plain flour 140g caster sugar 1½ tsp baking powder 120ml milk 1 egg 1 tsp lavender essence for the icing 80g unsalted butter (room temperature) 160g icing sugar 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp lavender essence Purple food colouring Dried lavender to decorate (optional) you will need 12-hole cupcake or muffin tin lined with 12 paper cases 1 Preheat oven to 170C/Fan 150C/325F. Measure the butter, flour, caster sugar and baking powder into a bowl and use an electric whisk to beat until the butter is incorporated and you have a sand-like texture. 2 In a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg and lavender essence and add slowly to the dry mixture, mixing to form a batter. 3 Pour…

*There’s no better way to get to the heart of a city than through the people who live there. Every month, we ask someone, clearly in love with their city, to take us on a personal tour and tell us what makes it so special. You may feel inspired to visit one day or to rediscover the charms of a city closer to you, but for now just sit back, relax and enjoy some armchair travel. How long have you lived in the city? I don’t actually live in Cork city, I’m in a seaside town called Kinsale about a 25-minute drive away. I’m usually in Cork at least two or three times a week though, visiting friends, going out and taking pictures. It’s like my second home. Tell us…

Summertime, and the living is easy. The heat levels might not be totally tropical but generally, we are wearing less, relaxing more and getting wet. Without a regular splashing of water, the days are just long, and a bit hot. The steady rhythm of a sprinkler is synonymous with bare feet on grass, squealing children, a hastily inflated paddling pool. A trickling fountain and stress are incompatible; giving the garden a drink after work is as refreshing as giving yourself one. The sight of a semi-submerged frog in a pond, just sitting there breathing, is a cure-all for the hot and bothered. On the surface of a pond, no matter how small, the earth meets the sky. A pond can be as simple as a wide, galvanised tub or a…

PROUDLY HOMEMADE TROPICAL LIME GRANITA The sharpness of the lime granita is a treat when balanced with lovely sweet fruit. Tastes of tropical beaches Makes 700ml (6–8 servings) 180ml caster sugar A pinch of coarse sea salt 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn to release their flavour 1 stick of lemongrass, bruised 150ml soda water 350ml lime juice (1 lime usually yields 20–25ml) ½ small pineapple (about 150g), peeled and roughly diced* 100ml coconut cream, to serve 1 In a large saucepan, heat 180ml water, the caster sugar, a pinch of salt, the lime leaves and lemongrass until the sugar has dissolved and the flavours have fused together; this should take 8–10 mins on a medium heat. Discard the lime leaves and lemongrass. 2 Add the soda water and lime juice…

Manimurci Puella Campania IGT Falanghina 2016, £13 A vibrant white from Campania, with notes of green apple, pineapple and lemon juice. Freshness of acidity makes this a versatile food wine, especially with Italian-inspired dishes. It would work particularly well with the fragrant pesto. Chateau Brandeau Joue Franc Jeu, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2016, £16 This biodynamicallyproduced Cabernet Franc from Bordeaux is fuller and with juicier fruit than those from the cooler Loire Valley, but retains that pleasant, easy-drinking lightness for which the grape is famed. Its peppery bite is ideal for savouries like sausage rolls. Llopart Brut Reserva Rosé Cava NV, £17 An exuberant Cava rosé, loaded with sweet spices, red berries and honey. Sip this alongside the traybake; the spritz will cut through the sweet, rich chocolate, while red…

JOURNEY Roads get narrower from A to B; slow it down. Walking pace living Camp shakshuka with smashed avocado & sourdough This spicy tomato and egg breakfast, hailing from North Africa, can be rustled up over a campfire or stove. Pimp it with fried chorizo and a spoonful of natural yogurt, if you like, for a delicious alternative to bacon sandwiches. Serves 4 for the smashed avocado 2 medium, ripe avocados 1 lime Salt flakes for the shakshuka Glug of olive oil 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and diced 250g cherry tomatoes, halved 2 tbsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 4 tbsp tomato ketchup 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes Salt and pepper 4 eggs Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped 1 Using a sharp…

IT’S A SUNNY MONDAY morning and I’m in a light and bright café, to master the art of baking olive oil breads. The course is run by Simon, founder of Stoneham Bakehouse, a community-supported bakery in the Poets Corner area of Hove. There are six of us on the workshop, all willing, eager and at the novice end of the scale when it comes to bread-making. First we make a batch of dough from which we make grissini and fougasse breads, learning useful tips along the way such as the importance of measuring with digital scales for precision. Once we’re all owners of balls of dough, we set them aside to prove for about an hour (they can also be left overnight for quick fresh bread in the morning). Simon…

‘Oye Como Va’ Willie Colon & Tito Puente ‘Mambo No5’ Perez Prado ‘House of Bamboo’ Earl Grant ‘Tijuana Taxi’ Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass ‘South American Way’ Carmen Miranda ‘Campanitas de Cristal’ Omara Portuondo ‘La Cucaracha’ Pica-Pica ‘Fuego’ Juanes Safari’ J Balvin, featuring Pharrell Williams, BIA, Sky ‘El Pito (I’ll Never Go Back to Georgia)’ Joe Cuba ‘Soul Bossa Nova’ Quincy Jones ‘Welcome to Tijuana’ Manu Chao ‘Crickets Sing For Anamaria’ Marcos Valle ‘Mas Que Nada’ Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 ‘Tequila’ Eclipse Listen at thesimplethings.com/blog/latinplaylist stop listen look Tunes to make your hips swing and your summer sizzle…

Morning! Ooo, it’s early. When’s the kettle going on? I start work at 7.30am – I mainly work in the garden at Bodelva and I only live five minutes away, so I can’t complain about the commute – so morning tea break (or ‘crib’ as it’s known in Cornwall) is my first chance to sit down, check my emails and have my tea. I’m a bit fussy about it: I only like loose leaf Darjeeling with lemon and not too strong either. Tell us a bit about your work. As a gardener, it’s very seasonal. In spring andsummer, it’s planting, weeding, watering, hedge cutting and lawn mowing. In autumn and winter, it’s cutting back, bulb planting, mulching, pruning and planning. Sometimes the job takes me off site: I’ve been to…

Favourite shops BROCADE AND LIME Vintage clothing boutique and retro beauty parlour in a restored 1850s townhouse just off Patrick’s Street, the main shopping street. STONE MAD GALLERY Like stepping into a magical jewellery box. Jill buys jewellery from all over the world and sells them in her tiny Kinsale store. stonemadgallery.com Favourite market THE ENGLISH MARKET This is an experience not to be missed; even the Queen had it on her itinerary when she visited Ireland. You can get everything here and its presence in the city is a driving force for the foodies. englishmarket.ie Favourite cafe BUTLERS CHOCOLATE CAFÉ A lovely little chocolatier in the heart of the city. They sell cakes, sandwiches and coffee, too. butlerschocolates.com Favourite restaurant THE IVORY TOWER Well known for its sushi and…

The Garden Kathleen Jamie What little I know of the way of the world - scarce anything. There’s mystery in my own back green - especially in my own back green! Of drizzle spangling the plum tree the woodstack’s shade, the way a peanut-holder judders when a speug’s just flown - and as for these daisies encamped all over the grass - same as last week’s, last year’s, same yet not identical to those I gazed at as a girl candid and undemanding all receiving their share About the author Kathleen Jamie is a poet and essayist from Currie, near Edinburgh. Her writing ranges through travel, women’s issues, archaeology and visual art. She writes in English and occasionally in Scots, enjoying “the feel of it and the texture of it…

After winding down country lanes for several hours, through the tall, green hills of Dumfries and Galloway, I alight from the little bus at the harbour in Kirkcudbright. I make my way onto the High Street, passing rows of terraced cottages, their surfaces a mixture of large, uneven brown stones left bare or painted over in tasteful pastels, and I reach my home for the night: The Greengate. This white cottage, with a bright turquoise door and window frames, was the home of Jessie M King: artist, illustrator and designer of pottery and jewellery, and a member of the Glasgow Girls. She is one of my heroes – I have always been captivated by her delicate and dreamy take on art nouveau. She and her husband, artist EA Taylor, lived…

Nasturtiums Nasturtiums are plants that just keep giving. From the moment they are planted in spring, they respond to the smallest amount of care (a bit of earth, occasional watering) with vigorous growth, lily-pad-shaped leaves and then, around about now, cheery and abundant blooms. Not only do the flowers look good in the garden as they scramble and tumble about, but they make a pretty, peppery addition to salads, and they can be brought indoors for an instant bit of summery colour.…

Light a lantern on a summer evening and it’s like pushing open a door into an out-of-the ordinary world. As the natural light dims, the lantern brightens, gathering everyone close, their faces softly illuminated in its warm and friendly glow. Rather than scuttle indoors and be startled by electric lights or be stupefied by the TV, you can linger in the garden and continue to loaf about. The evening suddenly elongates, stretching unhurriedly ahead with the promise of convivial times as the lantern’s magic pool of light creates an intimate space where confidences can be exchanged. Good news then that the choice of lanterns has never been so vast or so appealing. Whether you opt for a candle, electricity, paraffin or butane gas (one for the campers), the principle is…

PROUDLY HOMEMADE Sometimes we take them for granted. We get so caught up in the 9 to 5 that we forget to appreciate that park at the end of the lane, how magical our road looks under streetlights, or how it transforms through the seasons. These projects are reminders to appreciate them; love letters to cities and towns. The places where we live and the places we like to explore, expressed through the constant companion of the tote bag. Our inspiration is from Lindsay Zier- Vogel’s brainchild, The Love Lettering Project – @loveletteringproject on Instagram or loveletteringproject.com. The idea came when Toronto-based Lindsay was in a park with her friend and they decided to write love letters to the things around them. They then hid them, “in a bin of…

Quartz breccia Made of fragments of other rocks, breccia rocks are the ones you don’t want to tread on – they’re the more angular ones. Flint A form of quartz, coloured by the inclusion of other minerals. One of the hardest materials and used for tools and weapons in the Stone Age. Jasper A common impure variety of quartz, usually red, yellow or brown. Although impure, it polishes up lovely, and has been used for vases. Sandstone One of the most common rocks but each is made of its own special blend of sand-sized minerals, usually quartz or feldspar, and rock grains. Conglomerate A trip to the beach brings people together. As is the case here: it’s formed by rounded pebbles cemented by the action of moving water. Spotted slate…