I was tired with a sore throat and trying not to be grumpy. John asked if I could do a quick rough layout shot for a client and they'd bought the food props already. We were late home, but when I started it was actually fun, and Jan was playing creative director. I don't write much about my actual work in this country diary, but I'll make an exception when it shows off why I love where I live. 

The best bit, other than having fun photographing, was the cheese they bought from Silo - which we kept and ate on the weekend. A couple of regulars, the Quicks cheddar, some Pont L' Eveque and a new one, San Simon. It's a Spanish pasteurised cheese, tear shaped with a smooth yellow/brown rind and a hint of a smoky flavour. The cheese book says that's because it is lightly smoked. It comes from Galacia, the western tip of Spain, famous for it's lush pastures and contented cows, and it has been made for 'many generations'. The texture is springy and the taste buttery, also just as the book says.