TARRAGON & THYME

Started early as we ended up going cherry picking down the garden.  Managed to pick about 11lb of cherries which have been bottled in syrup and then processed by the hot water bath method after adding a squirt of lemon juice to each jar.  We still have not finished picking the tree. I had a lovely evening sat on a stool in the garden, peacefully getting on with my repetitive chores of stalking the cherries, then washing and then pitting the cherries.  The work slow but rythmic and I found my natural rythm as I got into things, A time of work, but also to loose myself in just being in a peaceful balmy garden, and hearing all the noises of different life but just letting it wash over me and just chilling and relaxing.  Needless to say I had company the cats all came at some point just to sit with me, and Squeak bringing her latest victim a small mouse and then insisting on chomping it whilst she was sat beside me.  Poppy was just sat on the same stool wat...

A few years ago I went to the Christmas Market (Lincoln)with my cousin and partner in Crime Mandy.  There was a food market there as well and we were busy tasting the sample pots as you do and Mandy came upon a relish I wasn't too sure of at first sight but on tasting it was fresh and lovely.  I took a card but lost it and since then haven't been able to find it or a recipe.  I have found a recipe for a fresh apple and mint relish it hardly has any vinegar in or sugar in so I am going to play with the recipe and see what I can come up with as it was a lovely relish.  I wish I had bought some at the time. The following recipe which is a Simone Seekers one from her Quick and Easy Preserves book ISBN 0-563-36946-9 is the "Fresh" version and the original recipe ideal as a short term provision for the fridge.  The fresh version does not keep any more than a week in the fridge. Ingredients: 1 medium cooking apple 1 large eating apple 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar ...

Ingredients: 3lb/1.35 kg firm black cherries with their stalks on if possible 3lb/1.35 kg sugar 1 1/2 pints/750ml water Trim the cherry stalks to 1 inch in length (2.5cm).  Make up a syrup of sugar and water and add to the fruit.  Simmer slowly until the cherries begin to look transparent, rather like glace cherries. Drain the fruit from the syrup and spread it out on cake racks to dry.  Leave overnight in a warm place.  Next day spread them out on greaseproof paper and leave in an airing cupboard for another 24 hours.  Pack into a plastic box layering them with waxed paper. To serve as sweets dust them with icing sugar first or dip each into a little melted plain chocolate. These would be lovely to bring out as a special treat at Christmas, so time to make them now as the cherries start to put in an appearance.

Whatever course you decide upon There is always someone to tell you that you are wrong There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Well its been a hot old weekend here in Peterborough and today is a lot hotter than the rest of the week  As the song says its too darned hot!  The poor old cats really haven't known what to do with themselves all of them finding some shade to hang out in or asking to come in periodically. I have processed all my elderflower cordial now and have 18 bottles ready for the pantry.  Now I just have to find a place to squeeze them in.  I am looking forward to having a go at lots of other flavours now as well.  I also have four jars of strawberry syrup processed for the pantry. I am quite pleased that what I have done by way of syrups and cordials seem to have gone well this weekend as I have never really done them before and using the baby bottle steriliser has made for quicker processing.  I still have the tomato passata and the plum jam to do but that can be started tomorrow night when I come home from work The sage has been rubbed and decanted into the ...

Yesterday morning I went to the greengrocers for my usual Saturday morning top up of fruit and veg.  I always check in the bargain basket as they often have tomatoes, peppers, apples and grapefruit as well as other bits at a reduced price of 50 pence a bag; I find this very helpful as at this sort of price I can managed to put goodies up for The Pantry and the Winter months for next to nothing.  I always have a chat, as you do with the ladies who own the shop we always have a bit of a banter and Tyson my ginger tom camps out there during the day.  They were saying that  because it has been extremely warm strawberries have not been keeping well because of the heat and I was asked if I wanted a couple of punnets.  I said yes - they thought they would be useful for Jam but I thought syrup - something different that I haven't really had a go at before.  I was therefore given a bag of strawberries that they couldn't sell not because...

http://www.jamjarshop.com/   I like Mustard but use it sparingly and it is something I have never had a go at making before, but I have been inspired to have a go at making the same after seeing the tutorial on the jamjarshop website.  The link is above for those of you wanting to have a go. The full recipe and pdf instructions as well as there being a link on You Tube I have just put my seeds in to soak overnight (you use a yellow mustard seed and brown) and will be able to finish it off tomorrow.  So I am going to enjoy playing again and it all adds to The Pantry provisions and possible Christmas pressies.  So will play catch up tomorrow. update Must say I am quite impressed with this and I have five small jars out of the mixture. I used a honey beer and white wine vinegar.  Thought that this might be really strong but at the moment appears to be mild. Will be nice with some gammon or some beef.  Will certainly make this again. Photos will have...

Tis full moon tonight and I am [if the moon puts in an appearance  and we are not clouded over]and I can see her I am going to cleanse my crystals in the moonlight to recharge them. The new moon is  according to the astrologists the beginning of a new period in our lives, and apparently a lunar eclipse is due to occur tonight with a solar eclipse in precisely two weeks time  - apparently they travel in pairs. (I don't think we will see this in the UK but if you live in Western US, Canada, Alaska, Antartica, Australia and the Middle East and Asia I belive you will see this.  I just take it that we have come full circle for this particular period Never mind UK that we are dipping out again. Funnily enough, my friend has twin daughters and the past few days they have been kicking off and causing problems, and she laughed whe I suggested that it may be just the run up to the full moon upsetting them. But despite all that to me the moon is pretty m...

I have been down the garden and the cherries are nearly ready.  I am getting ready to pounce and intend to pick the riper ones a little later on as normally the birds manage to snaffle the lot. They usually ripen whilst we are at work. The variety is called Stella it was sold to us on a dwarf rootstock, but something has gone terribly wrong and its massive.  Will have to drag the little ladder down the garden a bit later too muggy at the minute and at least that way I will get some cherries.  Will probably bottle them in a syrup they are a nice bright red and yellow cherry not a purply wine coloured one, but all the same cherries.  The one or two I have had this afternoon taste very nice. Just hope I get there before the pigeons do.

Its that time of year where I am busy going through my storage cupboards using up items before they get past their sell by date and half a jar of this or that.  Am doing the same going through the freezers and the jar store.  First to hand was some marmalade and I don't like wasting much if I can help it.  Now I am sure that I am not on my own with this Ever ended up with half a jar or just some marmalade on the pantry shelf and not really know what to do with it. Here are some ideas Mix marmalade with some honey and fresh grated ginger and use as a marinade for chicken.  This is very tasty. Combine chopped rosemary and marmalade and spread over a leg of lamb half way through the roasting. Add a tablespoon of marmalade to your gravy for roast pork, lamb, and chicken to give a tangy richness Heat up some marmalade in a pan with some water once warmed through sieve to remove the rinds and then serve as an orange sauce with some ice cream or with duck t...

A lot of us (not everyone) have items in the kitchen cupboard that we are probably not always using to their full extent or we wish for an easier method of processing stuff without the expense.  One example of this is that I have on my list of to do's a go at making soap in a slow cooker.  From what I have read it is safe and contained, and there is less risk of injury using this method. One of the problems I have come up with during my journey through home food processing is the question of finding a nice sized bottle that would hold some goodies for the pantry in like for home made ketchup, fruit sauces, ice cream sauces, cordials etc. I acquired some nice sized sauce bottles from Ascott and yet again that was as far as it got.  That is until I decided to do the elderflower cordial and wondered what I could put it in and also keep it for quite a lengthy period of time. I have therefore been experimenting this week as a while back I had a thought and acte...

Ingredients 1.4 kg/3lb cooking apples peeled cored and sliced 300ml/ 1/2 pint/1 1/4 cups water 900g/2lb/4 cups sugar grated rind and juice of 4 lemons 50g/2oz/1/4 cup butter 5ml/1 teaspoon ground ginger 2.5ml/ 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg 8 egg yolks lightly beaten Method Put the apples into a preserving pan with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer until the apples are soft. Press them through a sieve. Return the apple to the cleaned preserving pan and add the sugar, lemon rind, juice, butter and spices. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, then removed from the heat and stir in the egg yolks. Cook getly until the mixture is hoit but not boiling and has thickened. Pot up the curd in warm clean jars and cover. Makes approxiately 5lb/2.3 kg.

This is the first recipe I have come across which doesn't use turpentine and I was pleased to find this as I have had some difficulty in locating turpentine; I can find a substitute but not the real thing. Ingredients:- 85g/3 oz beeswax 30g/1 oz white wax or 1/2 standard sized candle 600ml/1 pint of white spirit 600ml/1 pint of hot water 1 tablespoon washing up liquid Method Over a moderate heat and using an old saucepan (certainly not one that you would use for food) melt the wax.  Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the white spirit.  Mix in the washing up liquid with the water and gently add to the wax mixture.  Let it cool, stirring occasionally then put into screw top jars and label very clearly.  When using allow the wax some time to sink into the furniture before polishing off with a clean cloth. Taken from Recipes for a perfect country weekend by Linda Burgess and Sally Anne Scott ISBN 1-85029-333-3

I needed some more lemons as I have elderflower cordial on the go and also have some Elderflower Champagne to get started. So I nipped round the shop to get some lemons and came back without them.  I was not paying 40 pence per lemon.  They would have to be gold plated before I pay that! Daylight robbery. That was the Co-Op. So I went to our market today in town and got 10 large lemons for 20 pence each  £2 for the lot.  I nipped into Waitrose for a browse on the way back as I like this shop and to get the latest recipe cards  and evey they were only charging 20 pence per lemon.  Come on Co-Op its about time you got your act together.  I Will get some more lemons at the end of the week as I also want to make some Apple and Lemon Curd too.  I am starting to gear up to get some precious preserves put up for the winter months.  Judging by the holly berries on my bush in the garden its going to be another hard winter, so the more I ...

I love home made muffins  - they fill all criteria for me as severe comfort food when I am feeling blue - especially blueberry ones which are my all time favourites, but apple and cinnamon and raspberry and white chocolate are also hot on their heels. Coffee and pecan nut the flavours are only limited by your own chocie.  They can be served with coffee, as part of a pack up box, as a filler in between meals, served as part of a breakfast or as part of high tea and if you make them yourself you get far more for your money and you can always freeze the extra until they are needed so that they do not go to waste, although I cannot ever foresee muffins going to waste - well not in my household. Ingredients: 250g/9 oz self-raising flour 2 x 5ml spoons (2 teaspoon) baking powder 1/2 x 5ml spoon (1/2 teaspoon) salt 100g/4 oz caster sugar 1 egg beaten 250ml/8 floz buttermilk 50g/2 oz melted butter 150g/5 oz blueberries Method Sift together the flour, baking powder and sa...

I watched the sky tonight  - I had to go out into the street as I could not see the moon from my house.   She appeared to be slung very low in the night sky. There is something magical about the moon that lights our night skies, something hypnotic, something soothing  The sky was midnight blue and had a rippled effect of light and dark like a raspberry ripple ice cream.  There was a bright glow in the sky where the moon was but I did not see her just like a zig zag effect in the night sky the zig zag being the light from the moon in the night sky.  A touch of the Harry Potters and the zig zag from his wand creating mystery and anticipation; with a doseful of magic and serenity to boot. The wheel has turned again,  the nights will grow longer the days shorter and nor shall we see or travel this path again; another month, another year another place; we move ever onwards time travellers in space, time and ether to new events and new exper...

This is quite a versatile recipe by virtue of the fact it doesn't matter about how much of a particular fruit you use its the total weight that matters so you can basically make use of what you have available in the garden if you have your own fruit bushes, so getting the maximum amount of use for a little fruit.  If you don't have your own fruit such as myself at the moment you are not restricted as you can check out the bargains on reduced fruit or can even make a cheats version of this with a mixed bag of fruits from a freezer centre as long as the weight of the prepared fruit equates to 1lb. Ingredients: 450g/1lb mixed berries (i.e. strawberries, blueberries, raspberries reducurrants blackcurrants etc) 450g/1lb sugar freshly squeezed juice of 1 large lemon Method In a preserving pan mix together the berries and sugar and then stir in the lemon juice.  Warm the mixture over a low heat stirring gently until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and bring to th...

"And when you come to a meeting of many ways and do not know which to choose, do not choose at random but pause and reflect.  Breathe with the trusting, deep breaths you took when you first came into the world; let nothing distract you, but wait and go on waiting. Be still and listen in silence to your heart and when it has spoken to you rise up and follow it" Susanna Tamaro from "Follow your Heart"

I haven't done much housework this weekend (shock horror)  as I have been quite tired after a very busy week; so I have been playing hookey and been playing with lots of other things including making the elderflower and chammomile hand gel and the preserved peel in syrup; trouble is when you having fun time soon flies and I still have had loads of other things to do as well. But its nice to have played for a change has been a luxury .  Its fun to play especially after being  at work all week.  Truth is I am ready for a holiday but it doesn''t look as if that is going to happen either.  Yes days off work but not holiday holiday.  Never mind will get there in the end one day.  OH has been fishing, Missy went with him, Tyson has spent each night on the foot of the bed with me, enjoying sprawling and taking full advantage of the fact that Missy is not  there, and renewing his claim to the bed.  This afternoon went for anot...

At the time of typing this I have not tried this recipe but I intend to as soon as my preserved peel is ready as I am a great fan of tea breads of any kind.  They are the original cut and come again food and spread with butter  - very yummy.  I cannot wait to try it especially after the lovely fragrance of orange and lemon emanating from the preserve jar of peel.  I have some ordinary peel so I may well make this before then if I find I cannot wait. Ingredients Rind or two oranges coarsley grated 4floz/100ml of orange juice 4oz/125g mixed or preserved peel chopped 4oz/125g margarine 3oz/75g light muscovado sugar 1 egg 3oz /75g self raising flour 3oz/75g wholemeal flour Method Grease a 1lb /450g loaf tin.  Mix together the orange rind and juice and the peel. Cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the egg accompanied by 2 tablespoons/30ml flour, add half the remaining flour with half the orange mixture and fold in carefully with a...

I am very fortunate in that I have quite an eclectic mixture of books with lots of recipes and/or projects to have a go at and I like trying new things out.  Mind you most of my projects usually have to do with food one way or another. I also love reading my books and am always researching recipes playing with them and then sometimes adding my own twist on them.  This recipe I found yesterday and it would appear so simple which is what attracted me to it.  I was going to wait until the first batch was completed (this is very much a work in progress recipe as you add the peel when it is available with a layer of sugar) however after poking my nose in after one night the aroma is wonderful and the sugar is turning to a syrup that I have decided to post the recipe here together with a follow up recipe for a Tea Bread which is also in this delightful little book.  I must say all the National Trust Cookery books I have are well worth their weight in gold. This particular...

When you have too much you don't appreciate what you do have and when you haven't got much its the simple things that give the greatest pleasure "the silver lining" if you like. My simple pleasure in the last few weeks are the first flowers off a rambling rose that seems to have come into its own this year. I have never had flowers off it before and yet there have been so many stems of beautiful gently scented blooms that each one has made me smile. I have tried to do little bits with them like drying the petals, and a small bunch of them and also the heads of some others, but these ones I have put in a posy just for me, but then that is being selfish so I want to share them with you. Roses the flower that speaks so much to everyone but straight from the heart.  I love Roses they mean a lot to me and they are one of the first flowers I ever remember; my grandfather used to grow quite a few of them on his plot and they were always so lovely each one so different....

Ingredients 3 tablespoons of Arrowroot 100ml/4fl oz water 2 tablespoons of Dried Chammomile 2 tablespooons of Dried Elderflowers 3 tablespoons of glycerine Method Gather together the ingredients and measure them out. Prepare some small screw top pots ready for storage. Heat the water and add the herbs. Leave to steep until thoroughly cooled. Warm the glycerine in a double boiler and add the arrowroot. Stir very well. Strain the infusion. Gradually add to the glycerine and arrowroot mixture and stir until it is clear and starting to gel. This is important becuase if the mixture thickens too much it makes it very greasy and gritty - the skin does not absorb properly (guess who found out the hard way) The mixture sort of goes translucent and shiny and starts to thicken when ready.  If mixture does go too thick add a little more liquid to thin it down but use a whisk to combine the mixtures together.  Decant into pots. The mixture when ready should be gent...

This is something that I try to make year in year out,  It is on the Pattypan list of makes for the Put Down each year. Ingredients: 450g/1lb nice dark cherries (traditionally Morello cherries are used) 75g/Approx 3 oz of sugar (or add less or more depending on how sweet you want this) 600ml/1 pint of brandy Almond essence 2 drops  - Optional Method Remove all the cherry stalks and keep these to one side.  I have found another recipe for using these which I intend to have a go at this year.  This will be posted separately. Prick each cherry all over with a sterilised needle or wooden cocktail stick.  I use a cherry stoner to remove any of the pits, especially with a view to eating the macerated fruit later on. Layer the cherries with the sugar alternating in a sterilised jar to within approx one inch of the top of the jar.  If using the Almond essence add now. Pour in the brandy to cover the cherries by about half an inch.  Seal the ja...

I am a great list maker  - I make lists of the things that I would like to do - sometimes I complete them sometimes I am a tad optimistic, but I do find lists helpful a good memory jogger and it is so satisfying ticking things off as items being accomplished and those items not achieved can always be carried forward. Shopping Before I start anything tomorrow evening I need to do a little bit of shopping in order to make some of the bits and bobs I have scheduled to have a go at.  So first things first is the shopping list: Butter - for everyday and making curds - done Milk - for everyday, yoghurt and cheesemaking Cream - for puddings and cooking. Lemons - for curds and cleaning - done Basil Tray of Eggs - obtained Puff Pastry couple of packs done Apples - obtained Oranges Cooking Apples Glycerine Yes Strawberries - first batch for syrup done Beeswax Rennet  Yes Sunflower Oil White wine vinegar Hops Jasmine leaves Orange blossom water Rose Wat...