Sunday evening catch up

I cooked Sunday dinner last night the first time in weeks.  We had a piece of brisket which I slowly cooked over onion and a little water under a foil tent.  I then upped the heat after I had drained off the gravy and then popped in the fat for the roast tatties and browned off the meat at the same time.  It was very tender and tasty.  Served with peas, new potatoes, carrots, broccoli and spring cabbage it went down very nicely.

And of course had to have my weekly fix of Poldark.  I enjoyed it the first time round and am really enjoying this version.  Best of all though is seeing all the beautiful scenery that Cornwall has to offer.  Just wish could be down there at the moment.  I love the beaches and going rock-pooling and collecting shells and of course having a paddle and curling ones toes into the wet or dry sand.

I then set too and got all the gooseberries topped and tailed and into freezer bags.  They are now safely tucked up in the freezer.  Will try and get some more as I am quite partial to gooseberry jam on toast or just as bread and jam.  I wish my pantry and my garden was a lot bigger.  But we have to make the best of what we have.

I always remember gooseberries in large Kilner jars on the pantry shelf of both my mum's pantry and my Nans.  There was always at least 20 jars  of gooseberries alone weighing down the shelves.  Nan always used to make gooseberry pie and my mum used to make crumble.  I don't mind crumble but I wasn't so keen on the pie.  I think it was all the bumpy gooseberries under the pastry top that put me off. I have never bottled gooseberries but I might well give it a try as it would free up a little space in the freezer for something else.  My Nan always grew lots of gooseberries and mum used to get a few from her and also from the market.  Might have to fit in a visit to a fruit farm in the next few weeks or so.

However I do intend to put some peaches in syrup up and some pears.  I also have plums to turn into plum jelly, apple and plum jam and plum jam.  The plums were reduced and a little too ripe for bottling so jam it is.  I also want to get some Chinese Plum sauce underway in the next few weeks as well.  One of the things I do with plum or orange jelly is to use it as a base for a home made Chinese you do not need much but it does give it a bit more flavour.  It sort of embraces the idea/ethos of Chinese cooking i.e. using what you have to make something tasty to eat.  I tend to do one once a week as a way of using up all the bits and bobs of fresh veggies left over in the fridge.  In the winter months it all goes into stocks or soups.

I have this Friday off work - I have a new barbecue arriving and also a pizza oven/smoker.  Pizza is a favourite here but its getting far too expensive to buy.  Much cheaper to make one's own.   I always have plenty of flour in and I keep pepper and courgette in the freezer, there is always cooked meat i.e. ham and chorizo and tinned pineapple and anchovies and tomato paste.

My gazebo has arrived but I still have not got it up - hopefully that will happen in the next week or two.

Well my tomato plants are coming on great guns and I have some small cucumbers forming as well.  I need to get some more planters this week as I have some more plants that I want to get underway.  Hopefully soon I will be able to get stuck in more and get the greenhouse sorted out as well so that it is up and running for the new year and the garden cleared down the bottom to get the fruit garden going properly.

Going along the salad shelves yesterday at Waitrose has determined me even more to grow a bigger range of things next year.  I saw lots of lovely cherry tomatoes red and yellow I am determined I will have more of these next year as I only have three cherry tomato plants.

I have some fresh reduced tomatoes to turn into home made pasta sauce tonight.  We shall have a quick tea  probably the remnants of Sunday dinner but whatever we decide on will be quick as I have an awful lot to do as usual.

So as usual lots to do and so little time to do it.

Hope you all have a good day.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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