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