Taste-Italia

Mike thurlows garden thoughts

Leo — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:43:19 +0000

I hope I will be meeting lots of you Essex vegetable growers
when I come down to Ramsden Heath, on the 10th March, to my friend Leos cookery school
Taste Italia is one of a handful of schools where growing is given the importance it deserves
their traditional approach to cooking and maintaining rare and unusual vegetables is exactly
what I believe in, eating fresh from the garden 365 days a year is achievable
All my working life I have been involved with growing, Its a hard but good life as we gardeners are
demonstrating our respect for generations of growing.

In the mid 1800s at AUDLEY END where I work
the house carried a team of 12 gardeners to feed the house Often exotic fruits
and vegetables from other lands to grace the Masters table,
the gardeners sat at the bottom of the table, and were the last to be fed.
not a lot changed there then
Today myself and a team of selfless volunteers (unpaid)
maintain the gardens as they
Leo has asked if I would write a few words on planning your growing year so
here goes.

thinking about spring, growing your own to eat well.

Leo — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:55:23 +0000

The days are beginning to stretch, our rather confusing winter hopefully
has gone and we should lay our plans for the new season
One of the highlights of our spring classes is Saturday March 10th
growing your own vegetables with Master gardener Mike Thurlow
Mike is resident head gardener at Audley End if you need a little inspiration
about your own growing plans, I suggest a trip to The Kitchen garden at Audley
End, English Heritages beautiful estate nr to Saffron Walden.

Two acres of kitchen gardens laid out precisely to the garden plan for 1880
Historic vegetables,many rare varieties look carefully in the rhubarb patch and you are likely to bump
in to Mike, tousle haired wiry welshman, like all Welshman he enjoys a chat,
and freely dispenses info, to any willing listener.
Mike’s expertise in vegetable growing is unsurpassed.
Mike acts as advisor to Taste Italia on Kitchen garden Matters
and you will find his seasonal growing blogs on Taste Italia new website
Remember the secret of great Italian food is freshness, try growing your
own from Seed its totally satisfying.
Leo (son of the soil} Smith

hi everyone,

Leo — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:10:53 +0000

Its almost 2012 and we are reflecting on the passing year.

At Taste Italia we are are pleased that so many of you have enjoyed

The Taste Italia experience, what is clear is that our approach of family based food

and the importance of our eating together as families and friends is what you like

As you can see we have a new website which I hope you find easier to navigate ,with all the New Media add ons like

Facebook and Twitter, mainly at the gentle prodding of my 14 year old granddaughter

I have decided to enter this new world, my hope is that we can make it easier to share our

classes and message with you and your friends only time will tell in the meanwhile a

Very Happy and Healthy New Year to you your family and your friends

Leo and Maureen Smith