Sitting here in Tuscany on a glorious spring day it’s hard to worry about wash-up or indeed the forthcoming election. We bloggers have given some thought as to how we should tackle parliamentary purdah and the upshot of it was that we shall steer clear of outright political issues until the silly season is all over. That’s fine by me, not a political thought is going through my head. Actually I’m far more concerned at present with Italian vegetables. Some Italian friends asked me to being parsnip seeds from England, which aren’t available here because most Italians don’t eat parsnips, or swedes or turnips come to that, considering them fit only for animal food but my enlightened friends are determined to grow their own. In exchange they have given me some agretti seeds. Agretto is a marsh grass which looks rather like chives but tastes more like samphire or spinach. It’s known here by local names, in Lucca it’s barba di frate (Friars beard) ; in Bologna barba di negus and further south roscano. Delicious with butter and lemon. It’s traditional country fare fare for Easter. It’s a relatively short season and will have disappeared by summer. I’m going to try and grow some at home in Norfolk. 
The Italians are passionate about vegetables though although they are rarely served in restaurants in any variety. The local farmers’ market has a staggering range of different types of radicchio, endive, cabbage, onions, beans,fennel and multi-coloured salad leaves. Everything is still available only in season, so until Sicilian tomatoes re-emerge we have a relatively modest selection of tomatoes from the glass houses on the Ligurian coast. You see I’m concentrating on important matters here.
I just looked at the wash-up programme in the Lords for the next two days before prorogation; looks to me like an awful lot of controversial stuff is being shovelled through the machine in a very short space of time. There’s some bills having their second readings today and all their Lords and Commons stages on the same day. Even if the principles of a bill are agreed on, these bills will get no scrutiny in either house. Not a good way to legislate, in fact a recipe for producing ill-thought out law. Why do we allow this crazy wash-up process to continue? The answer is probably that it suits the Usual Channels.
“Why do we allow this crazy wash-up process to continue?”
My Lady, how can we stop it ? Most thinking politicians know it`s wrong, the public think it wrong it just proves how undemocratic our process is at times and the few really don`t care or want the “change” they spout so loudly about in times of election. Where is transparency in wash-up ? Back room deals by virtue of the whips!
Parsnips, swedes or turnips ? Sounds very much like the choice for the next Government. Meanwhile us mushrooms await in the dark to see what manure the wash-up will feed us.
Good luck with the veggies, it may become a necessity come the cuts.
John Redwood (the third best blog on the internet) is rather cross about the wash-up. http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2010/04/07/democracy-day/
Given the shameful lack of Parliamentary scrutiny of most of these bills (even by recent standards) I think your Lordships should shelve the lot. There really is not reason they cannot wait ’til the next Parliament.
Carl H, If I agree with you about the voting being for parsnips, swedes and turnips I may be in trouble for being political….let’s just hope for some red hot radishes and a few cool cucumbers.
The problem Chris K is that we peers can’t ‘shelve the lot’ of these bills, the political appointed because they have to follow their party whip and crossbenchers because we don’t have an opportunity to make a contribution. There’s only one day left and it will all happen in a flash behind closed doors.
They look like a contender as a plant for my wildlife vegetable garden, ie one that does not get gobbled up by Deer and Rabbits because they just do not like the taste.
I like the wild animals in the garden, but carrots would be hopeless!
So far, they do not seem to like Garlic or onions.
I have watched the deer from the window early in the morning to see what garden tender tips he likes. Tulip flowers just about to emerge are a favourite, but growing what they do not like is a way of enjoying both the wildlife, and the veggies, rather similar to, but different from growing a garden which is bee friendly.
Some people are determined that deer are a pest, but nothing could be further from the truth. Rabbits are …well…..
“known politician who lives in the Chilterns”
Not Hever Castle?
“Motivating” is surely the word to describe what Hell fire preachers do? As long as they don’t want me to be motivated every other day of the week,as well, and don’t upset my Sunday lunch, I don’t mind them at all.
Gelert probably has her own systems for motivation, by now!
No its not a good way to legistlate is it.
Bad bills being forced through the Lords whilst Peers are living it up in Tuscany.
Lord Blagger
http://www.lordsoftheblag.net
The voters polemic?
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
Fool me thrice, shame on both of us.
Fool me again and again and again, shame on democracy.
News Items:
Commons Treasury Committee 30 Mar 2010
NHS Spending 0:47:00/0:51:45
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/house_of_commons/newsid_8592000/8592834.stm
Justice Committee 24 Feb 2010
Constitution considerations for a hung Parliament: 0:50:30
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/house_of_commons/newsid_8531000/8531257.stm
Well, if we can’t talk about politics, there is always religion and sex…
http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=1039
The article above is clearly not from an impartial news source. But as someone who spent a significant amount of time in my youth being told about ‘evil’, things being ‘sinful’ and what might put me on the path to hell, I do find it rather astonishing that people today seem to think that hearing a bit of ‘hell-fire’ preaching constitutes some form of ‘hate-crime’.
I’m afraid my faith is probably even less alive than that professed by a.. er, certain well-known politician who lives in the Chilterns in ‘magic fm’ land these days.
But the idea that people’s free speech can be infringed in this way is rather alarming.
What next ? Will hoteliers be arrested for having the ‘Gideons Bible’ in their rooms ?
“Will hoteliers be arrested for having the ‘Gideons Bible`”.
No only for not allowing two Gideons to share a room !
😉
I see that their Lordships (inc. Lord Norton) were up until 2.30 this morning sorting out the Constitutional Reform bill, which is very impressive. (Although obviously extremely poor that they had to!)
What’s even more impressive is that Hansard had been written up for me to read on-line this very morning.
Would we rush Courts who interpret the Law in the same manner we rush these bills through ?
You cannot timetable proper scrutiny and in no way should Bills be timetabled as they are being at the moment.
I`m astonished and ashamed that Law is put into being in this fashion, it makes a mockery of the once highly esteemed British Legal system that was known Worldwide for being well thought through and scrutinised.
These Bills are put forward as being in the best interest of the Nation, they should be scrutinised as such, they should not be subjected to a procedure, wash-up, which in no way constitutes the best interest of the Nation.
“ashamed that Law is put into being in this fashion”
Even compared with 1997-2001 when the conservative party had almost ceased to exist, and when one tory opposition leader was successfully nominated by a member of a completely different party to do the job…..
yours truly.
I think it was one of the late great Gwynneth Dunwoody’s meeting , who allowed me that extremely dubious privilege in a transport committee of which the now unmentioned leader was a member.
There appears to be a variety of different seeds which pass as “agretti” in different places, is it a generic term? Here’s some recipes if you haven’t come across them already:
http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/agretti.html
Dandelion was good in the drought years of 1976-7 but they seem to call it rocket salad now.
Tasty recipes there!
Toss eggs with garlic!
Liscari Sativa (Salsola soda) Agretti is acknowledged to be the name for either of these but
Opposite Leaved Saltwort, Oppositeleaf Russian Thistle, or Barilla Plant is what is given by Wikpedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salsola_soda
The jpg provided by the baroness is identical with a picture called salsola soda
on http://www.answers.com/topic/salsola-soda which calls it either salsola soda or agretti.
Salsola Kamarovi is a Japanese “Land sea weed”
The plant is often grown in saltwater irrigated land in the Mediterranean Basin,
it will grow without salt water. Salsola soda is harvested in bunches when small.
Called in plain English Monk’s beard (Barba di Frate, It.) or Goat’s beard.
I have eaten the Japanese Kamarovi from a cellophane pack bought in Dean St market perhaps.
Answer.com [provides an unusually comprehensive explanation of the species and its various names.
Agretti or Roscana or Agretti roscana.
The wikipedia link above provides an interesting picture of Salsola which is not identifiable at all with the Agretti shown by the baroness.
It may be that the wiki jpg is larger and shows a more woody two year old specimen.
Perhaps they should be growing it in the salt pans of Australia, that we hear so much about, as a biodesalinating companion plant
to other vegetables.
Stephen P, well thanks for those but life’s too short for stuffing sushi with agretti don’t you think?
Liscari Sativa (Salsola soda); Agretti is acknowledged to be the
name for either of these but
Opposite Leaved Saltwort, Oppositeleaf Russian Thistle, or Barilla
Plant is what is given by Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salsola_soda
The jpg provided by the baroness is identical with a picture called
salsola soda
on http://www.answers.com/topic/salsola-soda which calls
it either salsola soda or agretti.
Salsola Kamarovi is a Japanese “Land sea weed”
The plant is often grown in saltwater irrigated land in the
Mediterranean Basin,
it will grow without salt water. Salsola soda is harvested in
bunches when small.
Called in plain English Monk’s beard (Barba di Frate, It.) or Goat’s
beard.
I have eaten the Japanese Kamarovi from a cellophane pack bought
in Dean St market perhaps
Answer.com provides an unusually comprehensive explanation of the
species and its various names.
Agretti or Roscana or Agretti roscana.
The wikipedia link above provides an interesting picture of Salsola
which is not identifiable at all with the Agretti shown by the baroness.
It may be that the wiki jpg is larger and shows a more woody two year
old specimen.
Perhaps they should be growing it in the salt pans of Australia, that
we hear so much about, as a biodesalinating companion plant<
to other vegetables.
Liscari Sativa (Salsola soda) Agretti is acknowledged to be the name for either of these but
Opposite Leaved Saltwort, Oppositeleaf Russian Thistle, or Barilla Plant is what is given by Wikpedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salsola_soda
The jpg provided by the baroness is identical with a picture called salsola soda
on http://www.answers.com/topic/salsola-soda which calls it either salsola soda or agretti.
Salsola Kamarovi is a Japanese “Land sea weed”
The plant is often grown in saltwater irrigated land in the Mediterranean Basin,
it will grow without salt water. Salsola soda is harvested in bunches when small.
Called in plain English Monk’s beard (Barba di Frate, It.) or Goat’s beard.
I have eaten the Japanese Kamarovi from a cellophane pack bought in Dean St market perhaps.
Answer.com provides an unusually comprehensive explanation of the species and its various names.
Agretti or Roscana or Agretti roscana.
The wikipedia link above provides an interesting picture of Salsola which is not identifiable at all with the Agretti shown by the baroness.
It may be that the wiki jpg is larger and shows a more woody two year old specimen.
Perhaps they should be growing it in the salt pans of Australia, that we hear so much about, as a biodesalinating companion plant
to other vegetables.