News from Nelson - March 2016

Hi everyone,
We are both OK: busy, as usual, but also making lots of preserves at present for winter. 

Tracey and Erica have an organic farm in Appleby, which is 20 minutes away from where we live. it is a largely horticultural block, with tunnel houses and fruit trees (though they do have some organic Angus beef, and free range chickens as well).

We have been picking and processing tomatoes, pears and peaches from their place. And by processing I mean bottling, so we now have many litres of pear quarters (from our pears), peach halves, and puréed tomatoes with onion and basil in jars down in the cellar... all ready for winter consumption by both families. Tracey grew; we processed :-)

I have 60 litres of tomato purée in the cellar... I think that may be enough!

Jan has also made apricot jam, mixed berryfruit jam, the blackberry jam, kiwifruit jam, and plum jam (from our own Damson plums). We also made juice from our own Granny Smith apple tree (about 10 litres), and preserved black boy peaches from our black boy peach trees (which are the most delicious peaches on the planet).

Our Damson plums

Our Beurre Bosc pears

Our black boy peaches

Everywhere we go, Jan has been giving friends and family his jams. I think it is always nice to have the personal touch!


All in all, it has been a very fruitful start to autumn, and a good break for both of us from work.

For Easter there was a Kuwilsky family reunion in Taupo: Tanja and her partner Tony, as well is Lars and his girlfriend Ann, flew in from Australia; Brigitte and John drove up from Wellington, as did Tina and her partner Brad. Joerg, Melissa (and her friend) drove down from Morrinsville. We flew in to Taupo late on the Friday afternoon, and Tina picked us up from the airport.

The family had organised a great house to stay in, just out of the city, and we had a great weekend, with coffee forays, some walks, and some great places to catch up, talk, and eat.

Anne, Joerg & Jan having a great lunch in Taupo

Our selfie at Huka falls

Aratiatia Dam spillway, looking downstream (click to open a video)

Jan & Ann at Craters of the Moon

Jan & Sam attempt another selfie

The family on the first night

Otto & Lara couldn't be there as Jeremy was hospitalised with gallstones as he was driving up to to Taupo. He recovered reasonably quickly, but this was a great shame, as it would have been the first time almost all the family has got together for a long time. 


But hey: some is better than none! 

On the day we got back from Taupo, I met up with some Nayland Old Girls - Robyn, Nik and Chris - at Toad Hall. While Jan & I had been in Taupo, the Nayland College Reunion had been on. As I felt it more important to go to the family event rather than the school one, we arranged a catch up with some of those who were staying on after the event for coffee and a goss instead.

Sam, Robyn, Chris & Nikki

 
Sam (& Jan)