TARRAGON & THYME

Well what a week, rain rain and more rain.  Even today although we have had a far better day the sun has been out, but we have had another heavy shower this evening.  Our weather seems to be changing and we seem to be getting all the weather in one hit and sort of nothing in between. Ah well we need the water  there have been large cracks in the land where we walk the dog and not just small cracks quite large.  Its a firm fact that without water we don't eat or survive, so we really do need it. I had a bit of a lay in this morning, until 10.00 a.m. then I have been pottering getting the washing done etc.  The past two weekends I haven't been home so its very much lots of work to do this weekend. I have been busy as usual paid a visit to the veg shop this morning had my usual Saturday morning chat with the ladies.  They report that the farmers local to them are having trouble getting the grain in - from going to very dry weather and then to torrential...

This is a recipe to make use of the wild fruits that are free for the picking from the hedgerow that makes a lovely flavoured jam  to have on piles of hot buttered toast. Ingredients: Equal weights of blackberries and elderberries washed and stalks removed (with the elderberries I use the tines of a fork to pull the berries off the very fine stalks) Preserving sugar Method Weigh the fruit and then put in a preserving pan.  Using both hands squeeze all the fruit gently (the colour does stain the hands but it does wear off eventually so you might like to put on a clean pair of food hygiene gloves at this point).  Slowly bring to the boil stirring the fruit constantly then keep boiling for approximately 20 minutes. Meanwhile for each 450g/1lb of fruit measure out 350g/12 oz of preserving sugar and warm briefly in the oven (this helps speed the setting process up) .  Add the sugar to the pan at the end of the 20 minutes then mix thoroughly, bring back to the b...

Preserving time, the time when I peacefully get on with the process of preparing fruit for bottling together  with preparing fruit for pickling.   A time for thinking and contemplation and making sense of all those thoughts that run through my head at breakneck speed  and sometimes do not get to see the light of day. A time for cogitating and making sense of a number of factors. The beetroot is bubbling away in the big stainless steel pot on top of the cooker, as I write, following a well versed process in readiness for being pickled.  Alongside in a saucepan sugar is melting into water in readiness for being made into syrup to preserve the blood red plums and the blackberry, pear and apple mix, the pears and the nectarines for the pantry shelf.  All is calm apart from the gentle hubble bubble of the water as it reaches peaks and troughs and slowly cooks the contents of the pan. The work is methodic and calming and the peace and tranquility gently ch...

I am a great believer in seasonal food and enjoying foods as they come into season, but I also love putting up food for those dark days of winter when everything is grey and cold. Being able to eat well during those grey days is what spurs me on to do more and more myself for my pantry shelf.  But its not that far back that if we didn't put down a much food as we could - we just would not have survived through the winter months of the year.  With large supermarkets containing near enough everything we could wish, dream or hope for - there would appear to be no need to do anything about it. But hey, life has a habit of kicking things into touch when you least expect it.  I am not so sure about this practice of over-reliance as we only have to go back as far as the Second World War to see the effect of food not being available and everything being rationed.  I think an over-reliance on what is available in the shop can be dangerous, and I think that is ...

This morning, I have woken to golden sunbeams blazing through the windows and infecting every nook and cranny with joy, instead of rain which we have had on and off for the past few days, but we needed the water to freshen up this world of ours.  Sunshine makes me feel happy it soothes us all like balm infecting everyone with a better mood.  This bodes well for the day which is going to be busy and another family orientated one. Even though we live in the city there is a certain kind of peace that descends every so often and  you can simply be in the moment.  Its rare here but we do get it, whereas in the countryside it does not take as much finding.  I hope you have a lovely day wherever you are.  Missy needs a walk am going to see whether can wrinkle OH out of bed so that we can stretch her legs. Catch you all later Pattypan xx

I have had a quiet day today - have been researching some recipes for future posts and generally having a wander around, lurking and mooching and enjoying myself after a busy week at work, as well as doing the washing and some general tidying i.e. putting some of my numerous books back on their respective shelves. However I did go to the veg shop today primarily to get a new sack of potatoes and also a tray of eggs as I was out of both.  The potatoes are Wilja not a long keeping potato, but I am only ever happiest when I have a sack of spuds (£6.75 a sack) in as you can always get a meal in a hurry with the aid of the humble potato.  (Like tonight's tea - fried egg and home made chips [I always save the vinegar from pickled onions and use it occasionally on chips to give a spicy lift] served with bread and butter.  Went down a treat.  Perhaps we are a bit odd but we only like home made chips!  We do eat them very occasionally from ...

My Grandparents used to speak glowingly of Marrow Rum - in fact  I believe my Nan used to make her own as she used to make many things. I remember as a youngster being intrigued by Nan's Pantry - she would never let me in for fear I would knock something over, but I remember there being all sorts of goodies in there with a big Meat Safe at the bottom.  Ah now Meat Safe's there's a subject for another day.  Equally I have heard all sorts of horror stories about how it went manky (the marrow) and it didn't look very appetitising etc etc.  But when hearing older people speak there has always been the "romance" or rose coloured spectacles element when they reminisce about certain wines or alcoholic conconctions and they seem to gain this glazed look as they are looking back on a memory from so long ago. I however have never tasted it - never tried it and really don't know what I am letting myself in for but I have decided to bite the bullet and have a go. ...