Field Notes

Occasional writing on gardening, bread and slow travel.

Starting tomatoes indoors

Six weeks before the last frost is the usual advice, but a sunny windowsill and a cheap heat mat make a bigger difference than the calendar does.

A forgiving sourdough schedule

Feed the starter in the evening, mix the dough the next morning, and let the fridge do the rest. Flavour improves with a longer cold proof.

Night trains

Arriving rested in the centre of a city, without an airport transfer, is still the best way to start a trip.