TARRAGON & THYME

Over the past few days things have been all systems go in the kitchen.  I am still processing lots of goodies for the Pantry shelf. As I have been busy in the kitchen OH has ordered take away in from Bone Jam which is run by Chiquitas at Hampton who predominantly sell ribs..  He ordered something called poppers, which basically are a soft cheese stuffed Jalapeno chilli which is served with a Jalapeno jelly.  I am cautious on all fronts concerning Chillies but I absolutely love these poppers and the Jalapeno sauce.  When I find food that is tasty and I enjoy I look around for recipes to see if I can have a go at making my own.  Well not quite the stuffed chillies yet but that will be next.  As I am in preserving mode I have found a recipe for the Jalapeno Jelly which I want to try out.  I have lots of sweet peppers inhouse at the moment as I managed to buy quite a few in and yesterday I tried another recipe out for pickling them but more on them in anot...

I thought I would share some of the recipes I use for preserving, just in case some of  you would like to have a go.  All standard preserving practicalities like sterilising your jars either in boiling water, the oven or in the dishwasher I would advocate as necessary.  It is something I do as a standard practice.  Despite the regulations changing which are not so strict I would rather be safe than sorry. 1. Spiced Pickled Oranges I have been making spiced orange rings for years and it is one of my mainstays.  They can be used as a pickle in their own right, however I tend to use them to decorate the outside of a ham or gammon before putting a glaze on and then caramelising in the oven.  A few years ago I did actually put the recipe up on the blog and the link and recipe is below. Pickled Spiced Orange Slices 2. Pickled Red Cabbage Pickled Red Cabbage Pickled Red Cabbage 2 OH is fond of this, although I must say in the winter months if you add some of the p...

The other day I started re-organising and cleaning four cupboards in the kitchen.  If the truth be told they are the last four to do.  I have already done 1  1/2   3cupboards; (just one more to go now) so far most cupboards have been stacked with some of my baking tins.  Some have been relegated to the bin and some to the charity shop. There are still loads more to be added which are in different locations of the house. I popped up on Instagram some of the items had found as a result of the clear out.  I then got to thinking that we are all interested in other people and what they get up to, but wouldn't it be interesting to see one of their cupboards all tidied, and done.  Thought it might inspire some of us to do a cupboard at a time, instead of whipping ourselves internally for not doing this or that.  Me being the typical "Bull in the China shop", has to do things all at one go, but I am slowly learning that, getting something done is better t...

I have made this Pantry Preserve for a lot of years.  It is used by OH for all sorts of dishes (not necessarily politically correct) as he just loves the Mint Sauce, I therefore endeavour to always have a small stock of this on the Pantry shelf at all times.  This year I lost quite a lot of my herb plants in the fire, so this particular batch has been bought in from Waitrose who do very large bags of mint leaves for £1.50 a bag.  I bought in two bags and have a new bag and a little bit left over from the first bag.  I have two jars full of chopped leaves and vinegar. I recently posted on Instagram that I was making this. The instructions have been covered on my blog before and the link to them is here: Long Keeping Mint Sauce It is a very simple way of keeping mint sauce on the shelf.  It is an old recipe, that I have been using for at least 30+ years. Even if you do not have access to a big bed of mint, it is worth making with shop bought mint as well. Sorry I ...

  Aran Style Blanket/Throw My mother was extremely talented when it came to hand knitting and machine knitting and we never went without on the cardigan or jumper front from a very early age.  She also nearly always had jumpers on the go for one of us including herself from as far back as I can remember.  She was also exceptional at hand knitting Aran style cardigans and jumpers and oh they do keep you so warm.  I have a go at knitting and I have picked up more than I realised but I am still very much a novice.  Mum got into machine knitting when I was about five years old.  I inherited her machines, including her first one.  I am not quite sure what to do with them really as I haven't got a clue how you set them up or what.  They are just as she left them, all four of them. After she passed I ended up with all her crafting stuff.  I have loads of Aran wool, and I do like a good throw and I spotted this, initially thinking that it was knitted...

When I can I add a few extra basics to the Pantry shelf, normally when there are sensible true offers on stuff that will keep for a relatively long period of time and which we will eat. I do also keep an eye on the long stop dates as well. This is useful as you can to some extent plan out the sort of eating you can achieve for your family by using these dates. I do tend to keep an extensive "Tin" Pantry as well. Several reasons for this as well. If I am not here OH needs to get himself something and whilst not to everyone's mind a good meal, it does provide a meal of sorts. The same as home canned items do. This evening (Thursday night) I popped to the shop and found a few such offers. I will list what I bought below and why I bought them. I tend to use butter if I am using a fat in cooking, although I do use a little lard and also Stork.  I do try not to cook these days in oil or fat, I have been either grilling or dry frying, for health reasons, but I do still have ...

I am still hard at it in the kitchen.  I am cleaning out the cupboards in the kitchen and getting my baking trays etc. all sorted out and organised so that I can use them much more easily.  It is a long job and the stuff is not suitable for the dishwasher, so not only is the cupboard being scrubbed out everything in them is as well.  It is a tedious job at best.  Be a job long overdue and I will at long last be able to find things.  Stuff that has more specialised use will go into the cupboard under the stairs which will be a much more efficient use of the space available in the kitchen. This morning we went to B & Q to get some paint for the kitchen and for the bathroom.  Have just gone for white to freshen things up a bit and make things look cleaner.  Whilst out we also had a look at some tiles and have come back with some for the windowsill which are also white.  Just wanted simple.  I have however seen some nice flooring for the kitc...

 It has been all go in the kitchen over the last few days and at long last I now have a properly functioning sink, mixer tap, and new units.  So it has been a bit of a day and a result. It has been bliss to be able to mix hot and cold water.  Wherever else I have lived I have always had mixer taps.  I know I am sad, but little things make a real difference.   To celebrate I have scrubbed the washer down and it is currently on a proper drum wash.  Hopefully will be able to use the dishwasher soon as OH has replaced the tubing and fittings there as well.  It did not like the previous old system that was there.  We will see.   Equally though, the new sink is lovely too. We have had to cut the worktop to insert it, but that means I can use the area for food preparation as well.  Kitchen counter tops are at a premium here. Slowly, slowly catch a monkey hope will be able to replace some of the other units soon.  The units we hav...

 Back to the housework at the moment, even though I want to be preserving.  Have a lot of stuff to do in the house which takes precedence at the moment and I am doing stuff in the kitchen.  Hopefully I will be able to make a semi-return to the preserving tomorrow evening.  Fingers crossed and toes plaited. Bought a few more things for the Christmas pantry, a couple of blocks of chocolate Le Menoir I think it is called milk chocolate and shall buy some more of the dark next time I go.  Have also bought a couple of boxes of After Eights, and a couple of small boxes of Bahlsen chocolate biscuits.  Cannot have Christmas without After Eights, and lots of stuff for turning into preserves for the pantry shelf. Nuts are expensive this year the shelled ones. Managed to get the first net of some Chestnuts which I want to turn into some treats for the sweetie table i.e. Marrons Glace.  They are £10.50 a jar and I know that there is not a full net of Chestnuts in ...

 I have always prided myself on keeping a good stock of lids, seals, rings etc for my preserving projects, often buying a few each month to keep things stocked up especially for the onslaught of a new preserving season.  I am glad that I have had this practice for many years and recently I have been able to find new seals for my canning jars but they are few and far between so if you see some buy some if you can or bottle. In the middle of my epic jamming, pickling and preserving session I have run out of jam jar lids.  So I legged it into town to see if I could get any.  Have come home from Lakeland with six packs of 12 and am now the proud owner of 72 new lids 6 packs x 12.  I have plenty of jam jars but am going to have to very slowly  build my stock of canning jars up again.  I was lucky to find 4 such jars for £5 today so that is the start of the new stash of canning jars.  They are the Bormioli Staggioni (I am not sure that is the way to spe...

As I indicated in a previous post, I received a bonus crop of Tomatoes albeit green from seeds that had set themselves in the garden.  So in the spirit of "Waste not, Want not", I decided to make use of them and turn them into a preserve for the pantry shelf. Yesterday I harvested them as the weather is changing and it has been colder the past couple of days so I brought them in. Today I set too and started processing them.  The recipe I am using is an old one and you do have to start it off the night before.  Please note that it is quite normal for the colour of the preserve to change.  The preserve will not remain green, but will go a browny colour.  This is all quite natural. Ingredients: 5 1/2lb of Green Tomatoes (I did not have full quantity so padded out with paler red tomatoes from supermarket) Approx 1lb onions sliced and chopped 3 teaspoons of salt 1-3/4 pints vinegar.  I used malt vinegar. 6oz Sultanas.  I used the Golden Sultanas from my loc...

 Apart from the technology issues, today has been a relatively productive day.  I managed to get the pickled cabbage and the pickled cucumber all finished off.  The eggs were finished yesterday. I only managed to prepare 2kg of the pickling onions but they have been finished off as well.  Shall have a proper reveal of what have managed later on in the week. Tea tonight was for me a delicious Steak and Stilton pie served simply with mashed potatoes and gravy. It was extremely tasty and lots of meat in the pie.  Not a big pie, but about three times deep as a standard pie so plenty in there. Tomorrow will be a chutney kind of day.  I have already prepared the Green Tomato chutney as it has to salt overnight.  I shall also make the Ratatouille chutney. The pickled peppers I did not get to yesterday. However they are destined for tomorrow as well.  So it is going to be a very busy day.   May get the chilli jam done tomorrow and the chilli jel...

What a lovely Autumn day.  The sun has been out, my washing is out and so far the day has been frustrating.  Hopefully things will sort themselves out later on. The best part of the day has been trying to sort out the Internet connection which was just not paying ball.  In the process a new Ethernet lead was purchased as the plugs on either end were a bit iffy and slipping out when they felt like it.  A new keyboard has also been purchased.  A quiet one.  As I am fairly fast at typing on a keyboard, I had not realised but my typing away of an evening was aggravating OH.  Peace has been restored for him on this score now. Also a new leadless Mouse.  It is wonderful reacts when I want it too.  That is a novelty.  The keyboard is wonderful.  I can get a right wriggle on with it now.  Mobile phone keyboards drive me up the Swanee.  I hate them with a vengeance and much prefer a proper keyboard. Things are a lot quicker and eas...

 OH was supposed to go fishing yesterday but he changed his mind and stayed in bed.   Meanwhile I had planned to do some preserving in view of the fact that His Highness was fishing. So I was up early at 7am. We had found out earlier in the week about a Farmer's Market which is held in Oundle once a month and we had considered going but then he was invited to fish and as he hasn't been for a while I told him to go.  As I was already stuck into the preserving by the time he had decided not to go I then asked in the circumstances if he would take me to the market. We had a lovely time here.  A small very friendly market and quite a variety of food traders.  We came back with some goodies.  Photos below (to follow download of photos taking ages as usual). We bought four Lamb Samosas which were rather tasty. Two large Onion Bhajees which I am fond of. A large Pork Pie. A Chicken and Mushroom Pie. A Beef and Stilton Pie A Venison Pie. We also bought cheese ...

I was browsing my Christmas magazines from years' past when I came across this recipe in the Good Homes Ultimate Christmas for 2017,which sounds good on paper and which ingredients are relatively easy for me at the moment to obtain.  It sounds a nice easy recipe and so I thought I would share just in case any of you have any ingredients hanging around and want to use them up. I know that a lot of you grow your own veggies, equally people like myself who do not grow their own are often happy to source the ingredients from either a market or a shop or like myself a veg shop.  I have not made this before so it is a new to me recipe.   Ratatouille Chutney Ingredients: 750g mixed red peppers, courgettes and aubergines chopped (about one of each) 250g of tomatoes chopped 2 red onions chopped 1 Bramley Apple peeled, cored and chopped 1 Red Chilli seeded and chopped 175g light brown muscovado sugar 250ml of cider vinegar 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds 1 teaspoon of fennel or co...

Thought would give an update as to how I have managed to progress during the past week and also on the additions I have added to the list.  Bearing all of that in mind here are my plans for this week on the preserving front. Running Friday to Friday.  I find these lists helpful in that they keep me on track with what I need to do.  I am keen to get as much done as I can as we are hoping to go away again before Christmas so want as much as I can get processed done and out of the way with. The Cucumbers need to be turned into Bread and Butter Pickle Preserves.  OH eats these like sweeties. Four Boxes of eggs need boiling, cooling, peeling and then added to jars and spiced white vinegar added. Eating apples to be turned into Apple Butter, and Dried Apple Rings.  Going to use the slow cooker or cookers for doing the Apple Butter and the apple rings will also go into the dehydrator. Naval oranges to be turned into Spiced Pickled Orange Rings. I use these to decorate ...