Including other People

The danger with being an Enneagram “5” and a Myers-Briggs “Introvert” is that I could easily complete this project entirely on my own - so finding a way to involve other people is going to be an important feature. When I contacted Jill and Ian they insisted that it was their turn to invite me to supper. I’m not so sure it was, but I didn’t put up much of a fight! I was a bit worried about how to break the news to them that I wasn’t actually travelling end-to-end, but after a fleeting moment of mystification (reminiscent of that day in the kitchen with my kids) they took it in their stride and kindly dug out the routes, photos and journals from their two previous rides. 

It was lovely to travel with them down “memory lane” - with Jill commenting on how young she thought she was looking on the first trip. (I recalled that we had all been in awe of her, as she had celebrated her

50^th birthday whilst on the ride). Ian, meanwhile, was warning me about various stretches of the route and waxing lyrical about other sections, to a chorus of “she’s not really going Ian..........” from Jill.

The two routes Jill and Ian took lean north or south in Cornwall and west or east for the remainder of the route - and at first I considered walking up the more south Cornwall/westerly route and cycling down the more easterly/North Cornwall. However, I had already decided that (whenever it happens) I will really travel to the point where the ‘walking north Christine’ meets the ‘cycling south Christine’. If they were to take different routes then this would be impossible, and I realised that I was going to have to choose between them. This was much more difficult than I had anticipated but, deciding that I’m essentially a west-coast-girl, Jill and Ian’s original route won the day – weighing in at a hefty 1113 miles........

The supper Jill produced was amazing and she has kindly agreed to share it here to launch the culinary aspect of the project (more about that later).

California Pork chops

6 loin or pork chops                                                     

 ¼ pt chicken stock, white wine or water

1 oz flour                                                                            

½ pt orange juice

Oil                                                                                          

½ tsp dried marjoram or 1 ½ tsp fresh, chopped

2 oranges peeled and sliced                                       

2 medium onions sliced

2 tablespoons brown sugar                                        

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tsp cornflour

Season chops, roll lightly in flour and brown well in oil.  Arrange browned chops in a large shallow casserole, preferably one that will enable you to crowd them in one layer.

Sprinkle orange slices with 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar and let them stand.

Blend cornflour with the stock or wine, the orange juice, marjoram and rest of brown sugar.  Pour this mixture over the chops in the casserole and arrange the onions on top.

Sprinkle the onions with parsley, cover and bake 1 hour (1 hour 20?) in a 350 oven.

Arrange the orange slices on top and bake 15 minutes more, uncovered.  Serves 6

So while you are all trying that out –

2011 has dawned - let the project begin!