Plans change

My planned day changed to what it should have been which was a shame but never mind.  It will be re-arranged, and so for once I took some time out for myself.  Writing posts, (which are still not finished) and doing further research for articles yet to come.

It has also been a bit of a scorcher of a day in any event and I don't really function properly if it is over hot so in the greater scheme of things I made the right decision.  When I watered up earlier it was cooler fortunately. The hosepipe is now in operation and so I used that and it certainly made things a lot easier.

I also picked a small cherry tomato and a larger tomato and a couple of apples which are ready on my tree. The tomatoes were sweet and delicious and the apples are eaters and are crisp and sharp.  A nice change will go nicely with a piece of cheese.  The courgettes are in blossom and there are a lot of flowers so I am looking forward to harvesting some of those in due course.  

Next year I really am going to get the garden going properly.  It is a big thing in the greater scheme of things relating to my plans.  I like going out into the garden to collect fresh ingredients the same as I enjoy harvesting and putting ingredients up into chutneys, jams and other preserves as well as putting stuff into the freezers.  I love it.  For me it is kind of getting back to  my roots and I now understand why my grandparents and my parents used to garden and grow stuff.

We had a simple tea tonight.  Omlette with cheese and onion in for OH and the same for me but I also popped in chopped chives, parsley, chervil, tarragon, nasturtium leaf (nice and peppery) and rosemary.  Was very tasty and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Sometimes it is the simplest of meals that give the most enjoyment.

I am hoping to get piccalilli made this week.  It is one of my regular makes something which OH really likes although I have never been too fussed with it.  However I do like the Waitrose recipe with stem ginger in it and this is the version I will be making.  I will also be making a batch of runner bean chutney for OH as well.  Both are firm favourites with him.

When my Nasturtiums eventually flower I also have a couple of preserves to put up using them, one of them a salad dressing, another a vinegar and the third a salt which uses dried blooms.  I also want to try stuffing some flowers and deep frying them in a tempura batter which I have never tried before.

I have been looking through some of my books for different recipes.  Initially I was looking for cheap and cheerful meat recipes to try out.  Old recipes which are kind of new to me.  I am looking forward to trying out a couple of these in the next few weeks.  I have started to compile a shopping list in this respect also to ensure that I have the meat to hand to make them and then that the freezers are up and running in which to store them.  However I shall put up a separate post about these in due course.

I also have plans later in the week to have a Jam and Jerusulem session with two of my friends who I have agreed to show how to make jam which I am also looking forward to.

I have also discovered some older preserving recipes (also in some of my books) which I am eager to try out.  The reductions at my local veg shop should help in this respect also.

I have also been searching out recipes for making bits and bobs for the Christmas season including food hampers and bits and bobs to go in them.  In this respect I need to source some containers, boxes that can be used for chocolates and home made sweets, containers to create mini hampers like small straw baskets, bags that can be used for sweet bags (I was thinking those polythene triangle bags sold for use as icing bags with some decoration on and some small tins.  Will see what I can find.  

Right upwards and onwards still a load more research to do and sorting out what I actually want to make and not make.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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