Thank you Sam for a wonderful description of the land I love. I, for one, would be interested to hear more about the farm. In my youth I dreamed of farming in mid-Wales but life took me in another direction. Now I encourage my grandchildren to grow fruit and vegetables.
American here, and I've always dreamed of going to Wales. I used to claim Welsh ancestry as a boy until some cousins traced the family back to England and Scotland. :( Oh, well! lol.
I'm sure the English and Scots would welcome you Joseph! And to be honest, the majority of us in the UK (and our American relatives) are a complete mixture of genetic ancestry. So I have no doubt there's a little Welsh in you somewhere!
Thank you Sue. I'm certain the farm will always play a key part in what I share here, but it's good to know how interested you are in it outside of a source for food. The stories, people, crops, and climate are all such important features and I feel they teach us a lot.
My approach to food has always been land first. Grow what suits the land, then adapt to the fruits of that labour in the kitchen.
A beautiful meander through Welsh history, and even though we cannot grow peas; they always fail no matter what we do, I've noted your glorious sounding pea for next year.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the journey with me. I'm sorry to hear about your pea mishaps! Do you know what usually causes it? Do they suffer from a particular disease or pest?
They either shrivel up and don't flourish, get eaten by pests or don't germinate. Planted seeds usually do well as seedlings. It's downhill from there.
I love this - a far superior version of a soup I often make from my container garden. My version is simply to pick a few bits and pieces, lightly boil so still crunchy, then mix in miso. It's a very quick, easy and tasty lunch - but your version sounds much better. I look forward to trying it. Thank you.
Fresh garden harvests take so little work to unlock their incredible flavour. A soup like this is about veg first recipe, no ego and no flare, just simple, honest flavour and a complimentary broth. I’m glad you like it 😊
Really loving your posts, Sam! And I hope you continue to narrate them (and add in some Welsh language). I can't wait until your fermentation book arrives at my dootstep! (I've of course pre-ordered and encourage anyone else who's interested to do the same!)
Great to be off of YouTube and consuming what I call 'slow content' again. My brain is much happier. Thank you! 👏
Thank you! And I completely agree. This format is so much more nourishing! Slow living is something so many people strive for, it's lovely to find a platform that reflects a considered approach to life.
I love the idea of peaso/piso! So, this is interesting - I have a purple pea given to me by an old guy in cornwall who also said he’d been given it by someone (his dad maybe) who returned from the war with a few in his pocket…have we bothe been apocryphal taled (and if so, I’m still happy to believe it!) or just one of us…or maybe they both did return from the war. I’m happy to leave it as an unsolved mystery! Thanks for the great words Sam
Hi Mark, that is most interesting! I have a feeling soldiers picked up all sorts on their journey, and I'm more than happy to believe many were drawn to seeds and food as it's a beautiful thought that they still believed in a better tomorrow.
Thank you Lucy, I wasn't sure if going too far into stories and life outside of directly developing and sharing recipes would be that interesting for people, but I'm glad to see it is. I'll make sure to share more. And thank you for being a part of my little community on Instagram too, as well as here.
Sam, I have only just discovered you and I have already read your book. You need to write more... you have a soul. I am totally compelled to search for these peas! Thank you.
Is the llanover pea sugar snap or podded? I love heirloom varieties, and grow a pea developed many years ago by the local firm Kelways. Also this year happy to follow Huw with growing Rhonda Black beans
I love growing heirloom varieties (this year glad I followed Huw and grew Rhonda Black beans) I checked online for the pea seeds and it was described as sugar snap. I like the usual full podded pea. I currently grow a tall pea variety developed locally many years ago by the local firm of Kelways
Hi, just found you on Substack - I think because I started following someone with a Welsh name and then realised he lived in California!!! So the clever algorithm has brought me to you.
I already like the fact that you allow non-payers complete access to your newsletters and over time, that approach is more likely to encourage me to support you financially down the line. (Some interesting psychology there I think).
I am Welsh by birth/heritage and speak Welsh but haven’t lived in Wales for a long time. Grew up on a farm on the west coast so probably not far from where you are now.
Your pea recipe sounds wonderful so have shared that with my daughter-in-law who along with my son, has recently moved to a small farm in Devon. They would be the first to admit that (as yet) they are not serious gardeners or chefs but are eager to learn. And want to raise their children on good pesticide free home-grown produce.
I wish you every success in your ventures and congratulate you on choosing a very special country to call home!!! Pob hwyl i ti a’r teuli 🌺
Hi Joan, thank you for letting me know. I really appreciate it.
It can be a real struggle finding seed, especially from another country. We had an issue trying to track down a Welsh variety of runner bean a few years ago that nobody in Wales still grew. As it turned out, the Irish had plenty, but customes wouldn't let them back into Wales! Eventually we found a way. But let me know if you struggle.
Another totally delicious pea to look out for is called, appropriately for you Joan, Avi Joan. It's also difficult to get hold of but well worth hunting down. Of course pea seeds are easy to save so you only need to find it once - and then you can share with our neighbours, too.
Thank you Sam for a wonderful description of the land I love. I, for one, would be interested to hear more about the farm. In my youth I dreamed of farming in mid-Wales but life took me in another direction. Now I encourage my grandchildren to grow fruit and vegetables.
Your take on food is inspiring.
American here, and I've always dreamed of going to Wales. I used to claim Welsh ancestry as a boy until some cousins traced the family back to England and Scotland. :( Oh, well! lol.
I'm sure the English and Scots would welcome you Joseph! And to be honest, the majority of us in the UK (and our American relatives) are a complete mixture of genetic ancestry. So I have no doubt there's a little Welsh in you somewhere!
Thank you Sue. I'm certain the farm will always play a key part in what I share here, but it's good to know how interested you are in it outside of a source for food. The stories, people, crops, and climate are all such important features and I feel they teach us a lot.
My approach to food has always been land first. Grow what suits the land, then adapt to the fruits of that labour in the kitchen.
A beautiful meander through Welsh history, and even though we cannot grow peas; they always fail no matter what we do, I've noted your glorious sounding pea for next year.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the journey with me. I'm sorry to hear about your pea mishaps! Do you know what usually causes it? Do they suffer from a particular disease or pest?
They either shrivel up and don't flourish, get eaten by pests or don't germinate. Planted seeds usually do well as seedlings. It's downhill from there.
I love this - a far superior version of a soup I often make from my container garden. My version is simply to pick a few bits and pieces, lightly boil so still crunchy, then mix in miso. It's a very quick, easy and tasty lunch - but your version sounds much better. I look forward to trying it. Thank you.
Fresh garden harvests take so little work to unlock their incredible flavour. A soup like this is about veg first recipe, no ego and no flare, just simple, honest flavour and a complimentary broth. I’m glad you like it 😊
Really loving your posts, Sam! And I hope you continue to narrate them (and add in some Welsh language). I can't wait until your fermentation book arrives at my dootstep! (I've of course pre-ordered and encourage anyone else who's interested to do the same!)
Great to be off of YouTube and consuming what I call 'slow content' again. My brain is much happier. Thank you! 👏
Thank you! And I completely agree. This format is so much more nourishing! Slow living is something so many people strive for, it's lovely to find a platform that reflects a considered approach to life.
I love the idea of peaso/piso! So, this is interesting - I have a purple pea given to me by an old guy in cornwall who also said he’d been given it by someone (his dad maybe) who returned from the war with a few in his pocket…have we bothe been apocryphal taled (and if so, I’m still happy to believe it!) or just one of us…or maybe they both did return from the war. I’m happy to leave it as an unsolved mystery! Thanks for the great words Sam
Hi Mark, that is most interesting! I have a feeling soldiers picked up all sorts on their journey, and I'm more than happy to believe many were drawn to seeds and food as it's a beautiful thought that they still believed in a better tomorrow.
That is exactly what I choose to believe too. Plus imagine amidst the horror and fear how good something just picked would taste
Great to read that story. I’ve been following you on instagram for ages so it’s nice to put it all in perspective (sort of).
Thank you Lucy, I wasn't sure if going too far into stories and life outside of directly developing and sharing recipes would be that interesting for people, but I'm glad to see it is. I'll make sure to share more. And thank you for being a part of my little community on Instagram too, as well as here.
A lovely love-letter to lovely Llanover ... I'm going to be looking for these peas. Thank you Sam 💚
Thank you! It’s such a wonderful plant and delicious food. I believe we sourced ours from Real Seeds
Love the peastory and the recipe - will try and track some llanover peas down for next year's garden!
Thank you! I’d like to include more of these stories about our discoveries from the farm and kitchen. I hope they bring a little life to the food.
Sam, I have only just discovered you and I have already read your book. You need to write more... you have a soul. I am totally compelled to search for these peas! Thank you.
Is the llanover pea sugar snap or podded? I love heirloom varieties, and grow a pea developed many years ago by the local firm Kelways. Also this year happy to follow Huw with growing Rhonda Black beans
I love growing heirloom varieties (this year glad I followed Huw and grew Rhonda Black beans) I checked online for the pea seeds and it was described as sugar snap. I like the usual full podded pea. I currently grow a tall pea variety developed locally many years ago by the local firm of Kelways
Hi, just found you on Substack - I think because I started following someone with a Welsh name and then realised he lived in California!!! So the clever algorithm has brought me to you.
I already like the fact that you allow non-payers complete access to your newsletters and over time, that approach is more likely to encourage me to support you financially down the line. (Some interesting psychology there I think).
I am Welsh by birth/heritage and speak Welsh but haven’t lived in Wales for a long time. Grew up on a farm on the west coast so probably not far from where you are now.
Your pea recipe sounds wonderful so have shared that with my daughter-in-law who along with my son, has recently moved to a small farm in Devon. They would be the first to admit that (as yet) they are not serious gardeners or chefs but are eager to learn. And want to raise their children on good pesticide free home-grown produce.
I wish you every success in your ventures and congratulate you on choosing a very special country to call home!!! Pob hwyl i ti a’r teuli 🌺
Hi Joan, thank you for letting me know. I really appreciate it.
It can be a real struggle finding seed, especially from another country. We had an issue trying to track down a Welsh variety of runner bean a few years ago that nobody in Wales still grew. As it turned out, the Irish had plenty, but customes wouldn't let them back into Wales! Eventually we found a way. But let me know if you struggle.
Another totally delicious pea to look out for is called, appropriately for you Joan, Avi Joan. It's also difficult to get hold of but well worth hunting down. Of course pea seeds are easy to save so you only need to find it once - and then you can share with our neighbours, too.
Gosh YouTube comments section is a strange place sometimes! Sorry to hear that happened but so lovely to hear the feedback now!