Chilly September day

Its a cold chilly grey September day today and rain is promised for later on.  Its a day that reminds me so much of when I was a youngster and we used to go to my Nan's ostensibly to start the apple harvest, often going back a week or couple of weeks later  to finish off as  she had a mixed bag of trees all old English varieties, all full of flavour but funnily enough we never had a cider variety but that never stopped her making cider or wines and she was very good at it.  

There was always something going on when we went to my Nan's ostensibly to do with food either cooking it preserving it sowing it or planting it.  At specific times of year you did this or that and therefore to me September/October was always apple picking weather, along with bringing in the last of the marrows and putting the other veg like onions to dry in the big old garage that latterly never was used as a garage but as a foodstore and implement store.  It also followed true to form that if you wanted to talk to my Nan you had to be with her doing something useful as many hands made light work and the sooner we got through things the quicker we would get sat down for a cup a tea and quick snack.

Today I too like my Nan in years gone by have been in the kitchen.  I have some greengage jam on the go which will be lovely in croissants for breakfast.  Greengages remind me so much of my Nan.  She had a greengage tree and she never had fruit from it apart from once  - that was the year before she died and there was loads of fruit which was spread as usual liberally around our family and friends.  I am sure that tree wanted her to have the fruit just that once.  The following year there was no fruit again.  But the Orchards have all gone now  - the person who bought her bungalow completely decimated the deep hawthorn hedge, took out the 8ft tall copper beech hedging and arbour, took out all the fruit trees and sold the land off and had it split into three - thus completely decimating it.  It was a special place to our family for over 60 years.  Anyway I digress.

I have been busy pottering, radio going in my own little world, making the greengage jam and preparing another batch of vegetables to make picallili.  This has red onion, marrow, shallots, green bean, pepper, courgette, caulflower, tomato in it and looks really pretty. Soothing work, rythmic work a time to dream a time to consolidate my thoughts.  There will be more to do next weekend I am nearly out of sugar I seem to have depleted the stock that I had, but that will get put right come pay day.  I also have some chilli jam and some apple chutney to make, so I am beavering way a bit at a time.  I have in mind to make some tomato and herb sauce and also some barbecue sauce as well the the souper stock which I use a lot of so all vegetable based at the moment.  Then we will see what comes our way by way of produce  as to what else I do although I do have to do some pickled eggs and tomato ketchup.

I have stated a new book and I desperately want to get back to it, but work comes first I am afraid. We are not having a joint for tea tonight but minted lamb chops, done with carrots, peas, cauliflower, mashed potato and may be some cabbage.  Solid tasty food to suit a chilly day.

Right I am off to get on - what sort of day are you having and what have you been up to today.

Look forward to hearing from you

Pattypan

xx

Comments

  1. Hi, Pattypan, came to you from Little Cottage Comforts.

    What are you reading? I am reading Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd (about England!)

    Nancy ... i will be lurking around here more..

    ReplyDelete
  2. You have been busy again.I have made my New Zealand tomato relish.I love you posts about your pickling etc.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I too did a lot of things with my Nan :o) She was the one that taught me to bake, to sew a straight (line on her well used Singer treadle machine) and to assist at jam-making time. She didn't have an apple tree but if she had I'm certain we'd have doing the same as you did! She used to make lots of home made wine, I remember the smell of it brewing in her large stoneware 'jowl' bowl (which I still have though sadly cracked now), the fresh yeast placed on top on a slice of toast floating on the liguid. The bottles and jars stored in her larder with the cold stone shelf and meat safe.
    Today - cold, dark and decidedly miserable I'm sitting thinking of all the things I SHOULD be doing...Making jam from the blackcurrants and raspberries, redcurrant jelly (all from the garden but stached (sp?) in the freezer.) I was lucky enough to get beautiful fat fresh figs on offer from Lidl that are prepared and also in the freezer ready for the day I FINALLY get around to making it all...
    I've enjoyed reading how you are making good use of your day Trishia, for me? Maybe next Sunday ;o)
    Rose H

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rose

      It sounds as though we are from similar backgrounds. My Nan used to make the wine with the toast method too originally. Nan also had a large larder with a meat safe, cold slab, lots of shelves that a tiddler couldn't get to where most of the expensive goodies were stored together with her eclectic bags and baskets, bags of recycled paper bags and paper and string. She never threw anything away. I also think that after the war years and the lack of ingredients I think things were appreciated much more than they are today. I think also there was great pride in bringing a bottle of home produced cherries down off the shelf at Christmas or pears or mixed fruit salad for High Tea on Sunday. Happy Days. Its peeing down with rain and has been since I posted my last post.

      Take care

      Pattypan

      xx

      Delete
  4. Hello Nancy and welcome please make yourself at home. I hope you find something of interest.

    In recent weeks I have been picking up books from my local charity shop for 50 pence each and I picked up Labryinth by Kate Mosse which I thoroughly enjoyed and felt bereft after I had read it. Yesterday I picked up another of her books Sepulchre which I have only got a few pages into. I quite like her style of writing. Plus I have a load of Phillipa Gregory and also Elizabeth Chadwick books to read as well when I get to them, however at the moment when I see them I just pick them up and put them in the stockpile. Sarum sounds really good too (I googled it) and it will be one I will look out for. Thank you

    Take care

    Pattypan

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Welsh Poppy

    I love cooking and making preserves is one of my passions. I am glad you enjoy. Thanks for popping by hope you will do so more regularly

    Take care

    Pattypan

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi sounds as if you have had a lovely kind of day. I would love to say I have been in making jam but sadly no I havent! I have done a bit of knitting though and am now catching up with my blog reading! enjoy your week.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Anne

    It has been quite a nice productive day taken at my own pace. I take it you have been knitting squares? I have a knitted blanket that is still in the process of being stitched up, and I have started knitting a band (like you would a cardigan band) for the binding to give it a firm edging. Hopefully it will be finished in the next week or two and will pop up on the blog for everyone to have a look at.

    Take care and thanks for popping by

    Pattypan

    xx

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Hello, thank you for popping by

Popular Posts