TARRAGON & THYME

Big wave to everyone  - I am here really! So sorry I have not been about this week I have had a very bad attack of the lurgey which I have had trouble shifting.  I first encountered said lurgey 5 weeks ago and quite simply has not wanted to budge. I have been rough this week in bed for most of it and so have not been in to work. When I got home a week last Friday I felt ropey and descended to bed early and to try and sweat it out.  My temperature has been up and down like a yo yo and have had a migraine so I have kept in the warm and have been regularly taking hot drinks of homemade Rosehip Syrup and Elderberry Rob as well as hot Ribena as well as the occasional hot toddy, fresh mint tea and ginger and lemon tea  I had a lot of liquid in my tubes earlier in the week I was gurgling well although it has not been strictly a chest cold it seems to have been for the best part in my throat I have been croaking well. When I have a cold I keep off the milk as I ...

For January I was after Seville Oranges and other citrus fruit to preserve and put down for the kitchen Pantry. For February I will be after forced rhubarb primarily to bottle and put down into bottles for use in puddings throughout the year.   Rhubarb you say don't like that but its a funny thing.  We were not keen as children  but as we got older it was one of those flavours that we yearned for,  My OH is particularly fond of Rhubarb crumble but I also Rhubarb jam and chutney. Why not freeze it instead - but I do but my main and primary focus for the freezer is meat and veg.  and so if I can store stuff by another method that frees the freezer up I do do. Although I had done some fruit bottling over the years I had never tackled rhubarb before and so did some research on the subject.  I have so far made this rhubarb preserve for two years on the trot as a result of this very excellent tutorial.  However one thing I would menti...

May I just take a moment to welcome some new followers that I am aware of from the sources of google, bloglovin and via Blogger.  I do not always know from Blogger who is who, so please do excuse me you are all very welcome whatever the source.  I hope you find something interesting an useful in all my burblings.  You are all very welcome Pattypan x

Its been cold and miserable out here today in Peterborough and I have felt rough so I have stayed in the warm as I have got the cold from hell that I have had for 5 weeks and which refuses to budge  Unfortunately every time I cough it cripples me.  I can ill afford the time but needs must and all that. So I have wrapped up and been under a blanket for most of the day.  Needless to say she meaning (Missy the Jack Russell) has been very comfy thank you very much I think this photo speaks volumes. Catch you soon Pattypan xx

Whichever way you pronounce it this is meat roll/very large faggot/More condensed than a faggot and tasty very tasty - a lot spiceier in flavour.  I am Lincolnshire born and bread and I love proper Lincolnshire Sausage. We all clamour for continental meats such as pastrami, saucisson, Parma Ham, Salami etc when in reality we have some lovely goodies which have been available for English cuisine for a very long time and which in fact go extremely well with Home made pork pie, pickled shallots, chutney and tomato ketchup as well as stuffed chine.  Perhaps its what goes into said Haslet that puts people off but in reality this is peasant food at its most delightful and fits into my waste not want not philosophy.  It does not cost an arm and a leg to produce. I very much want to get back to my kitchen table again for reasons of flavour and economy - yes you can buy Haslet but where I used to buy mine from has closed for good. Franks the Butchers in Peterborough.  We can...

My father spent some time as a young man in the services (RAF) in Egypt and developed a taste for dates and figs.  Consequentially come Christmas we always used to have dates and figs on the "nibbles" table together with fresh Clementines and other speciality foods.  Unusual for the time but it is something that spilled over into the rest of the family as well.  Looking back I think on both the paternal and maternal side there is a strong link with food and having a good meal. We even used to have Pomegranates which we used to have half of each and prick the seeds out with a pin.  They were a regular favourite enjoyed by all of us. Mum used to keep dried dates in - when I was a child they were more commonly sold in little solid blocks the size of a jelly pack and you used to have to boil the dates up with some water to create a paste for use in cooking rather  than in the format we purchase them in today i.e. each date individually preserved and dried in su...

The recipe I am starting with does not use Saltpetre which is traditionally used to keep the colour of the meat more pink and which helps inhibit any nasties - but because there are some concerns about nitrates and the addition thereof for the time being I am not going there for the present we shall see how we get on. This is more an experiment for me in the basics of how to dry cure meat and to find my way through trial and error around this unknown quantity and to see if it produces a bacon that will suit our palate as OH is a firm fan of Streaky bacon.  At worst it will be too salty in which case I believe I can soak the bacon in water and then dry and wrap in muslin again or alternatively use it as lardons. Also from what I have read the longer the bacon is in the cure the saltier the product will be so from a start it would seem that we will have to go for a happy medium. I have seen recipes where the meat is left in the cure for up to two weeks.  This...

This is on the agenda for having a go at, at the end of the month, but first I need to get some bits together in preparation for having a bit of a play.  Thought I would share in case you want to have a play too. For Streaky Bacon To start with I need a reasonable sized box that I can get into the fridge or a couple of Boxes Some muslin  For the Cure 2lb Sea Salt Bay Leaves Juniper Berries Soft Light Brown Sugar  I always keep some latex gloves in for handling bits and bobs as well. I am looking forward to having a serious play. Pattypan x

I think sometimes I am a little odd in that with the introduction of duvets I still hung on to my hot water bottles (I stress the plural) and my blankets and rugs when everyone else was getting rid of theirs.  In retrospect I am so glad I did. They get used on the bed with the duvets as well as when I am sat watching TV or listening to it on the sofa.  You can get hot water bottles from Wilkinsons pretty reasonably (the hottie botties as I call them) and you can always dress them up.  They keep your tootsies warm as well for little expenditure but they do sterling duty and we all have to watch the pennies in this day and age. Unfortunately I am a cold mortal and once I get cold it takes me ages to warm up and when I am like that out comes the hot water bottle and the blankets.  However if I get really cold on the inside as I call it then I am usually poorly.  The trick is not to get cold but that is not always easy to achieve. It gets worse -  I h...

I hve a few more lemons from the shop and his time I have decided to turn into Lemon Jelly Marmalade.  OH prefers jelly marmalades as he does not go a bundle on the peel - there is no need to keep the peel in and I usually run it through a sieve so that he just gets the jelly after cooking and prior to bottling.  Ingredients: 3lb lemons/1.4 kg 6 pints of water/3.4 litres 3lb preserving sugar Method Scrub the lemons well then peel.  Finely shred the peel and put in a pan with half of the water and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours.  Chop the fruit roughly and put in another pan with the rest of the water and simmer covered for 1  1/2 hours.   Strain the fruit mixture through a fine sieve or muslin and add this juice to the peel.  Bring to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes then add sugar and stir until dissolved.   Boil rapidly until set then pour into hot sterilised jars.

I was quite industrious in the kitchen yesterday afternoon Sunday dinner was gorgeous, We had Pot Roasted lamb cooked on a bed of veggies which were used to make gravy, roasted sweet potato, red onion, parsnip and roasties, with cauliflower, broccoli, peas and carrots with plenty of home made gravy.  It was very tasty.  There is a scuttle full left so its up to his lordship if he would like that  for tea tonight or something with chicken.  He has a choice - I suspect he will go for leftovers so it will be something with chicken for tomorrow night's tea.  I made French Onion Soup which is in the freezer and if anything is leftover from the leftovers it will be going into a family favourite of leftovers soup with a few additions here and there.  It would be scrilege to waste what is left of the gravy especially as a lot of effort goes into making it but it makes seriously good gravy and is a good way to use up older vegetables. I also retrieved...

Ingredients: You will need the rind of one sweet orange  Juice of 3 Seville Oranges 75g of Butter 225g Granulated Sugar 3 eggs lightly beaten Method Finely grate the zest of the sweet orange. Squeeze the juice from the Seville Oranges.  Put the zest, juice, butter, and sugar (run the eggs through a sieve) into a saucepan and heat gently stirring until thick. Put through a funnel into sterilised jars and allow to cool. And you have home made Seville Orange Curd

The Oven has gone on and a piece of lamb studded with some garlic and cooking on some veggies (for the gravy) is in full swing and on the second shelf I have a tray of onions (using up onions past their best) roasting for use in French onion soup for later on.  Once that comes out in will go a tray of roasties including red onion, parsnip, potato and sweet potato to have with tea later on which I anticpate serving with some cauliflower, carrots and peas with lashings of gravy. There is also a small piece of ham on the bubble for packups during the week. The bread machine is currently hosting a white bread loaf and will probably go on later again for the dough for some buns and also a fruit loaf later on so that we can have hunks of this toasted and dribbling with butter. Depending on time I might make some pastry as well.   So its full throttle in the kitchen this Sunday afternoon. Catch you later. Pattypan x

 I know its early and we have only just got over last Christmas but I am trying to allow myself more time to prepare and get projects for Christmas presents finished this year and also space the costs out a little so it does not hit the purse as hard. I also want to be able to take advantage of reduced items as well as finding those individual presents at craft markets fairs or in shops as well. Offers on candles for lighting displays especially church style candles of differing sizes.  I love candlelight during the winter months I think it is very soothing. Pretty bottles and jars for Christmas pressies (not only for preserves but for other items as well. Pretty tins.  Ideal for popping some sweets or cookies into. Storage containers/carryalls like for cupcakes and larger cakes. Pretty ribbons, fabric and lace for use in sewing and in card making Cellophane.  Always useful for wrapping presents of a craft or future nature or plant life. Blank cards for ma...

 I have the Seville Oranges and a bottle of vodka lurking in the cupboard  and this will not be a time consuming exercise but should make a liqueur type drink for special occasions. Something for Christmas 2015.  It only uses the peel from the oranges therefore with  little extra vodka some Rose wine, red wine or white wine you can make Vin d'orange at the same time so as not to waste the oranges. Ingredients: Peels of 6 Seville Oranges 6 fresh rinsed leaves if available (optional) 1 1/2 cups sugar dissolved in 1 cup of hot water (stir over flame and do not let it carmelise) 1 bottle of cheap vodka Method Allow the sugar syrup to cool. Place the thinly sliced peels and leaves into a wide mouthed jar, pour in the syrup and top up with the vodka.  Cheap vodka works best because the more expensive stuff has its own flavour and aroma which you do not want interfering with the Liqueur. After four weeks, taste it to see if you need to adjust the sweetnes...

Today is the day I picked up my Seville Oranges to prepare my annual batch of home made Seville Orange Marmalade to grace the breakfast table throughout the year. I make other marmalades as well but to my mind Seville Orange Marmalade is King and you cannot really beat the caramelised sweet and sour flavour of this particular marmalade but its not the only thing I do with them.  There is a lot more to the Seville Orange that meets the eye.   I look for new recipes to me (sometimes they are very old sometimes they are more modern) and sometimes I have had the recipes for sometime and re-find them not remembering where I got them from and sometimes they are passed on to me so a right hodgepodge of resources and ideas.  Previously I have also posted other recipes.   http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/breach-ora nge-vodka.html   http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/orange-winele-vin-dorange.html http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot...

Well its been a busy week one way or another with a surprise visit from my friend Veronika and her son before going back to Russia but it was lovely to see them and spend just a little time with them.   And then last night I was partying at my firm's Christmas party at the Beehive Pub and there was a live band as well.  Company, Food and entertainment was brilliant and I got up and had  couple of wobbles on the dance floor as well  - lets just say this morning I can feel where I wobbled but that is par for the course these days.  I am also very blessed to have some very good friends.  This morning I have been taking things easy. My nephew is also 21 tomorrow it does not seem that long ago that I received news from my mum to say that I had a nephew.  The street where I live in Peterborough used to house the District Hospital and the Maternity Wing.  Both have now closed and moved to what was the Edith Cavell Hospital site and which is now ...

Heat oven to 180 degrees C/160 degrees C fan) Gas Mark 4 Ingredients: 200g/3 1/2 oz Self raising flour 25g/1 oz chilled and cubed butter 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp poppy seeds 2 tblsp cold water These crackers can be made up to two weeks ahead Prepare a baking sheet by lining with baking parchment Put Self Raising flour cubed butter salt and poppy seeds into a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles find breadcrumbs.  Add cold water and pulse to make a soft but not sticky dough (add some more water if mixture too dry). On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until it is 2mm thick then cut 6cm/2 1/3 inch squares re-rolling trimmings as necessary (You may need to cover and let trimmings rest for ab out 5 minutes before re-rolling. Place on the lined baking sheet no need to leave space between the crackers and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crackers feel dry (they ay still feel soft but will harden up when cooling).  Transfer to a wire rack an...

Whenever I buy Cranberries I get double duty out of the Cranberries as I get Cranberry Jelly and Cranberry Cheese. I have also sourced some ideal containers for the Cranbrillo/Cheese.  You know those posh Gu puddings fro the supermarket come in little glass dishes I use those and then seal with some greaseproof and paraffin wax.  Since dealing with the this way I have not had any cheese go off. Anyway for the Cranbrillo you will need: 300g/11 oz cranberries 250ml/9 fl oz water 300g/11 oz caster sugar 2 tsp powdered pectin Method Put the cranberries in a small pan with the water and bring to the boil.  Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the fruit has cooked down.  Cool slightly then push the fruit through a fine sieve into a clean pan (this is time consuming and will take some effort but it is worth it). Stir in the caster sugar and pectin then cook gently until the sugar dissolves.  Turn up the heat and simmer for 45-50 m...

Last Year I found in Waitrose something different to serve with the cheeseboard known as Pan De Higo (dried fig cake)  which is traditionally served in Spain with cheese. Its usually kept on the Cheese counter. So much so I decided earlier on this year that I was going to create my own to serve with the cheeseboard this year; unfortunately I did not quite get there.  The intent was there, I just ran out of time. Needless to say it is on the list for this year even if I am a tad early at the moment.  The inspiration for this post was me sorting out my dried fruit and how to use it up. If you want to make the traditional recipe then here is a super link here for a very traditional version. http://gildedfork.com/pan-de-higo-spanish-fig-cake/ Then I found this recipe for Spanish Fig and Almond Spheres in one of my magazines. 4oz/100g of whole almonds 500g/pack dried whole figs with the hard stalk and centre removed 85g/3oz dried Apricots chopped into smal...