TARRAGON & THYME

I have been playing again over the weekend. The gooseberries literally fell out of the freezer saying use me use me - and being as I couldn't quite get them in again I succumbed and emptied them into a preserving jar with about an ounce of sugar and topped up with a litre bottle of Voddie. Naughty me! The intention is once the fruit and voddie have macerated together that I will strain off and then add a little elderflower syrup so in effect will have a Gooseberry and Elderflower tipple. Well thats the plan anyway. Will let you know how it goes. I may do half and half i.e. half the liquid just goosebery and the balance gooseberry and elderflower. Something else for the booze cabinet for Chrimbo. Ooh that word again.

I have a batch of small clementines of which I am going to make some curd with some but a few I thought I would prepare now and get one more job off the Christmas to do List. The project is from a book by Stephanie Donaldson called "Aromatic Gifts" ISBN No 1 85368 600 X. I thought I would give the instructions now and it will give some of you a chance to collect your ingredients together in order to have a go. The pomanders are cured in a spice mixture which are very fragrant and ideal for the festive season. Don't throw the pomander away once the scent has gone simply pop them in some warm water very briefly and then dip them in the remains of the spice mixture turning them regularly. The spice mix although it sounds a lot can be used for several batches of these pomanders and also for re-curing ones that had previously been made. You will need the following ingredients and items: 100g/4 oz powdered cinnamon 50g/2oz powdered cloves 15g/ 1/2 oz powdered allspice 15g/ 1...

I have been nosing through my books again and I have come across this recipe which I intend to try (once I have enough wine saved up to use) - Its a real excuse for drinking red wine - well I think it is. The Recipe comes from the Organic Cafe Cookbook by Carol Charlton ISBN No 0-7153-0940-4. Peel 2 oranges (2 per bottle of wine) so that the peel comes away in one lovely looping piece. Hang up to dry for at least 2 weeks. Collect the bottle ends of red wine and put into a lidded preserving jar topping up each time you have some remnants of red wine. Once you have enough wine together to make a couple of bottles of wine place the dried orange peel in a wine bottle with brown sugar to taste and pour in the wine. Cork and leave to stand for a minimum of 2 weeks until the wine has soaked up the taste of the orange peel and the sugar has replaced the taste of vinegar. Serve and enjoy

Well here are some of the flowers that I have dried whole for use in pot pourri. I have dried cornflowers and whole rose heads and I must say I am quite pleased with the results for a first effort with whole flower heads - never attempted this before. I currently have bay leaves and other leafy material drying and I thought that to make the pot pourri look aesthetically pleasing from the top the whole flowers would finish off the pot pourri. All experimental of course but am getting there very slowly. Will post the recipe(s) for pot pourri separately.

Ingredients 4 cups dried lavender I have pale lavender and deep blue combined 3 tablespoons of round orris root powder (this is what fixes the perfume) 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, mace and allspice. 6 drops of lavender essential oil. There are two methods of making pot pourri wet and dry. This method is the dry method. 2 days before you collect your ingredients together mix together the lavender essential oil with the orris root powder using a teaspoon to blend and combine the two together. Pop into a pot with a lid to mature for a couple of days. Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix really well. Then add the oil and orris root mixture and combine really well. Put the mixture into a paper bag or a kar with a lid and store away in a cool dark place for about 6 weeks for it to cure. Use as required, adding whole spices, leaves, flower heads, flower petals for decoration and to bulk out. This can be used in an open bowl in scented sachets or in a proper pot pourri bo...

Earlier on I posted about collecting ingredients together to make your own home made pot pourri etc. At that time I asked my lovely mum if she would mind collecting any dried flower heads from her garden, particularly the roses. Tonight we popped over to see her for a little while - didn't tell her we were going and surprised her. Bless her she has done as I asked of her she has been collecting the flower petals for me and drying them as I asked and tonight I have bought two jars of dried rose petals home with mer. I am rather chuffed as when it was my parents' 40th wedding anniversary I bought them a Rose for the Garden called Ruby Wedding. It has been a prolific flowerer ever since and it is this rose's flowers that make up the bulk of the petals. On an even more romantic note, my Grandfather George (mum's dad) on the day that my mum was born he was down at his allotment and brought back a huge bunch of red roses for my Grandmother Dora, and being as she was bor...

This is very refreshing and very simple to make; it is also very cooling. I use this regularly to freshen my skin up. Ingredients 1/4 pint rosewater 1/4 pint witch hazel Combine both ingredients in a bottle and shake together - its that simple. If your skin is really oily adding more witch hazel will make it more astringent and suitable for an oily skin. Equally if you have dry skin add more rosewater. if you have exceptionally dry skin add a few drops of glycerine to the mixture this helps balance the ingredients out and makes a very soothing addition.

Today I have started the process of drying the rose petals of my above shown plant which is relatively easy. This particular rose has no scent which is a pity but it will still if dried properly help bulk out some pot pourri later on in the season and take some of the essential oil that will be added then. I use kitchen roll to lay the rose petals on, which is initially draped across a tray and then the petals are sorted out petal by petal. I cup the rose from underneath and then drawn all the petals together and then tug gently this should loosen the petals from the stalk and the stamen section of the flower. I have found this the simplest way of disconnecting the petals from the stem. I then segregate all the petals out on to the kitchen towel on the tray singly. If you look closely at the rose petals right at the point there is a white "heel" - this is the bit that has been connected to the stem and is often referred to as the white part. If you are frosting or crystal...

Before you can make this natural room fragrance you have to collect together all manner of plant materials to bulk out the pot pourri and to scent it. Some of the items that are useful are: Basil leaves Carnation/ Clove pinks petals (also known as the Gillyflower) Rose petals Scented Geranium petals Lavender Leaves and flowers Rosemary leaves Strawberry leaves Marjoram leaves Tansy leaves Chammomile flowers Angelica leaves Lemon balm leaves Bay leaves Mint leaves - there are various varieties available such as apple, orange, chocolate, eau de cologne, spearmint Woodruff leaves Jasmine flowers Sweet pea flowers Pansy flowers Rosebuds Marigold petals Heather Forsythia Delphinium Teasels Rosehips Larkspur flowers Cornflowers Hibiscus flowers Lemon Verbena Bergamot leaves and flowers Whole dried flower heads such as dahlia peony rose pinks or rosebuds To name but a few Also orange lemon and lime peels dried So now we have things growing in the garden, once the flowers blossom or we have a...

I have been watching this excellent series on BBC2 at 8.30 p.m. a Monday night and I have been inspired to say the least. Practical know how on things that are all around us, that are not going to cost the earth and we know that all the ingredients are natural and that there are no additions in there. I have always been fascinated as to what to do with various plants and materials - my grandfather was very interested in herbs and honey, and I think I soaked a lot in by being around him. Honey is a natural antibiotic in itself and can be used on wounds and cuts or ulcers and it works by getting rid of any nasties and often if used leaves a nice minimal but clean scar. People often don't think to use it - its usually in the kitchen cupboard - well it is ever present in my pantry as I use it for lots of things. Granddad kept his own bees, as did my Uncle and my Dad - I have been on a beekeeping course but as yet have nowhere to keep bees. Where I live I have twitchy neighbours w...