TARRAGON & THYME

Last Night Tuesday I set too and made the Quiche and the Custard Tart last night and they are both relaxing in the fridge ready for tea later on. I was considering blind baking as I normally do but then decided would try and all in one method.  I was then looking on the Be Ro Recipe site and came across a tip to prevent a "soggy bottom" when working with pastry so I decided to give it a go to see whether it would work or not. So I did blind bake. Basically you cook your tart blind, lining it with proper clay beads or what I tend to do utilise some Pearl Barley or whatever else is going to hold the foil down in the pastry case to stop it rising up.  These are then kept separate in a jar to bring out for further use.  Cannot waste a thing.  The tip then is to bring this out of the oven, remove the baking beans or whatever you are using and then wash the bottom of the pastry tart with some egg white.  Pop it in until it sets and then bring it out and fill with your...

I was still up at 1:00am and it was unbearably hot so did not sleep very well. Nodded off and was awake at 6:00am but nodded off again and it was 10:00am before I did manage to get up and mobile.  It is just how things are with me these days. I have been busy in the kitchen.  Tea tonight was supposed to be a homemade Quiche which we have not had for a while and was going to be served with salad and some baby potatoes. However, as it is so unbearably hot have had a Take away.  Fish and Chips which we have not had for a long time. Was delicious. Quiche will now be had tomorrow with salad and new potatoes and maybe a herb dressing of some sort. It is really just a matter of switching things about a bit. Earlier in the week, I processed my Bay Leaves and also the Black Peppermint both of which had been left to dry on my Dresser.  They were the first batches dealt with and quite a few more batches to come.  I have more Mint and Bay leaves ready to be picked and dried...

These days I am not good at getting up of a morning. I have always been wonky of a morning and if I am to have a fit it is normally (although not always) first thing in a morning, when my blood sugar is at its lowest.  It is my weak spot as it were.  Therefore if I feel not with it of a morning I stay where I am.  In the past when I have not taken notice of this I have ended up having a fit, the last ones at work and I ended up in Hospital both times. I appreciate it must be frightening for those looking on, but I tend not to know anything about it whilst it is going on, however I do usually pay for it afterwards.  So I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to mornings.  I am not good at remembering days these days.  I was convinced earlier on that it was Wednesday.  I do try to play lots of word games (not maths) on a daily basis to try and keep the little grey cells going. We had a rough night with our Jack Russell last night who just woul...

Not experimental like the preserving I did the other day, but it is now time to deal with the first batch of Bay Leaves which are now dry and the first Batch of Mint predominantly for use within the Winter months as Mint tea.  I will decant both into new jars for this year's season appropriately marked up as I still have Mint and (bought) Bay Leaves leftover.  Want to create a distinct line for both. I will also check the garden to see how the Mint is doing and whether or not I can take another gathering to dry off the Dresser Shelf. One of the things I have found out by using my home dried mint for teas is that for using I really need to have some little draw string bags that can be washed and then re-used again.  These are on the "To Do List" to make on my machine (when I find the foot pedal) probably one of the earlier projects.  I have since found some Calico with which to make the little bags from so that has worked out well.  This is a personal preference,...

Am so sorry have been missing in action for the past day or so.  Things have been very busy here.  I eventually got to my preserving.  Been frustrating getting there, but did it eventually. Got up early this morning specifically to deal with it and from just under 3kilo of Rhubarb I now have 8 jars of puree for the Pantry shelf.  I think this is going to be a useful item for making all sorts of puddings. The bulk of the work has been done, so it will make it quicker to make puddings straight off the Pantry shelf - probably just make a cake or a bit of pastry and you have a pudding. Technically speaking could rustle up something quite quickly.  However what inspires me is the possibilities of what I can cook and how I can use said preserve. At the moment I am thinking that this puree could be used in the following: Mini Rhubarb Ambers; A large Rhubarb Amber; Used to fill small pastry tarts; In yogurt as part of breakfast; On Muesli or on porridge; On top of Chees...

 Sorry folks it has been a bit of a frustrating paperwork day.  Have not managed to do what I had planned.  Therefore regrouping and am going to try again tomorrow. Therefore no post today. Have a lovely evening. Catch up soon. Pattypan x

 Today has been a busy day.  Washing accomplished and line dried.  Now in the pile for ironing.  Still more to do hopefully tomorrow, however if it is wet (there is a chance of some rain showers tomorrow) then it will just be delayed. I have spent time in the kitchen trying to tidy things up a bit including a lot of washing up.  The washing up was accomplished and then I set too to make a proper cooked meal which I was in need of.  Today I used the last of the chipolatas up for a Toad in the Hole.  I served this with some of the veggies I obtained in my little haul yesterday.  The veggies I selected were mashed potatoes, steamed Broccoli, Carrots and Peas. and an onion gravy. Went down very nicely.  Managed to get a portion of the Toad in the Hole for tomorrow night's tea as well.  Just have to cook some fresh veg.  Might do some Cabbage and Cauliflower tomorrow to ring the changes a bit.  I like Cabbage with sausages.  Re...

 We did not have a cooked tea last night.  Despite being an overcast day, it was warm and muggy, and to tell you the truth I was just not hungry.  Despite pennies being tight we have not done too badly for food the past few days and so I checked on the Pantry situation.  That is low at the moment, but I am hopeful that in the not too distant future I will be able to remedy this.  Just a matter of waiting and timing.  I located what I thought was the last couple of tins of Tuna on the Pantry shelf and I fancied Tuna and Mayonnaise sarnies for tea followed by some fruit and cream. Propeer Sunday afternoon tea.  In this instance we had Mandarin oranges with the last of some cream that was in the fridge.  Nice and simple but it did what it needed to do.   I had initially planned on prepping a cooked meal probably a Toad in the Hole with the remaining sausages and some simple veg like mashed potato, Broccoli and carrots for today.  Howev...

...... and ourselves.  Without the Land we cannot feed ourselves and cannot protect and nourish our loved ones.  For me it has been very much a trip down memory lane after reading this particular article.  Very happy memories that I am very privileged to have experienced.  I think once you have had something really good - nothing else quite lives up to things, but each time and season is its own and life is about different experiences. I always read with interest anything that Guy Singh-Watson has to say about anything to do with food basically as overall I think he is right.  We all need a connection to the land but as with all things that connection is lost through various things and because of circumstances people are not always able to reconnect with what is an inherent part of things. This is the latest article on his Instagram account link is here:  Land and People Husbandry   At least he is trying to do his bit and inspire the younger generation...