TARRAGON & THYME

I have been in town for the best part of the day with mum  - I took her shopping. I think we will end up having to go again at some point but we did not do too badly and as usual I was Sherpa. I did buy some more Kilner jars and some new lids for jars. I was offered some black cherries quite cheaply yesterday by my Greengrocer and so have prepared some cherries in syrup which are a favourite here.  I was tempted to add some kirsch but I did not think OH would go a bundle on this and I think also I have more flexibility with them prepared this way and so I have played safe and just prepared them in syrup. I am hoping to make a Black Forest Gateau for the Christmas celebrations and as I have a small bottle of Kirsch in the cupboard I can always add a dash then and might also make a deconstructed Black Forest Trifle as per the programme with Paul Hollywood on the other day which seemed nice and easy.  I managed to get 5 pint jars and one small one so not too bad and ano...

Now what is she going on about!  My camera that I used for posting lots of photographs on this blog has been missing for about a year and a bit. I have hunted high and low for it and tonight whilst sorting out the dining room I was sorting one of the drawers in the dresser when I realised there was something wedged at the back. Gingerly pushing my hand into unknown territory I was very surprised and pleased to retrieve my camera.  Its an idiot proof one and is ideal for snapping away for the blog.  Now I need to find the battery charger as the battery has gone as flat as a pancake in the interim.  I hope I can get it working again.  OH did buy me a new one but I haven't quite got round to looking at the instruction book; I will do as it is a super proper camera that will be kept for best.  I had a feeling I would come across it one day although initially I thought I had lost it at work! Big sigh of relief.  All say ahh! Pattypan x

Well this week I have added: 2 packets Cadburys Fingers (£1 per pack) 2 Packets Cadburys Fabulous Fingers (£1 per pack) 2 jars of gherkins 2 jars Peppadew peppers (OH likes these) 1 bottle of rum (need this for the rum sauce to go with the Christmas Puddings and for the Masawati coffee to keep the chills at bay) 1 bottle of Hobgoblin    (for the home made mustard) 1 bottle of Speckled Hen (for the home made mustard) "Stocked up on" excuse the pun Oxos all three flavours and  a jar of marmite (OH demolished the last jar and the cupboard was bare when I came to make stew). And a 2kg bag of popcorn kernels for home made popcorn (you can always jazz it up with caramel and almonds I was also given a load of cooking apples so all sorts of things are being prepared with them including spiced apple jelly.  There are also more shallotts and pickling onions being prepared so many a day so we should be well stocked for a few months at least. The cu...

Come this time of year I am forever on the look out for the first cranberries as religiously every year I make Cranberry and Apple Jelly and I make a lot of it as we use it throughout the year.  This little gem is worth its place on the Pantry shelf as it can be used in sauces in sandwiches in gravy.  I popped the recipe up quite some time ago but here is the link http://tarragonnthyme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cranberries.html So in the next few days or so/weeks I will be on the lookout for the first cranberries in order that I can get stuck in and get a couple of batches made to last the year.   There is of course also the Cranberry Gin, Cranberry Cheese, Cranberry Membrillo and Cranberry Curd, Cranberry and Clementine Chutney and Cranberry and Cointreau Sauce for the Christmas Turkey to make as well. I am taking my mum shopping tomorrow in Spalding so I shall have a look out there as mum wants to stock up at the supermarket whilst we have the chauffeur...

I have also managed to make: This time round no bought goodies just home made items  Strawberry fruit sauce Bottled Rocha Pears in syrup [7 jars] Started Marrons Glace 5 Litres (5 jars) Apple Puree Green Tomato Chutney 3 big jars and one standard Christmas Puddings x 2 Pickled Onions  Pecans in Honey Almonds in Honey Hazlenuts in Honey I think I also forgot to mention that I had made the Christmas Cake and a Dundee Cake which are "maturing" in the Pantry in the tins. So I am getting there very slowly still lots to do though.   And I have some ornaments for the tree I want to make too. Catch you soon. How many more sleeps before the big day? Pattypan x

As the song goes "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire".  When I was younger we did have them straight off the fire.  I always remember my first taste of chestnuts though was when I was about four when my Dad one Christmas whilst we were shopping took us to a chap in Peterborough (we used to come in from Uppingham every so often shopping) with a brazier and bought us a bag.  I had never tried them before then but was absolutely hooked and they have always featured just roasted in all our Christmas' down the line I even have a special Chestnut roasting pan.  But I have never turned them into anything else or made a preserve with them but it looks as though that is about to change. I found a recipe that I can do a bit at a time but it will fit in with my busy working schedule and the preparations in the run up to Christmas and it is for marrons glace and the recipe is as follows just in case you want to have a go and play yourselves.: Ingredients: 1 1b/500g ...

Its late for stripping the vines out but a little bit of bounty all the same courtesy of my mum who stripped out the vines in her greenhouse they were still producing fruit but the fruit was not ripening a sure sign that the plant for this year are spent. When I started writing this post the Green tomato chutney was simmering away and true to form I had not got all the exact ingredients but I had similar ones. This is how recipes are changed if it works I will do it again or follow the exact recipe another time. The recipe called for brown sugar and malt vinegar  and sultanas but I have used white sugar and white wine vinegar as replacements and golden sultanas.I have also slowly simmered the mixture not boiling it to death but letting it simmer gently more to retain the colour than anything else. It is a beautiful pale yellow (I did not want it to go darker and browner) fortunately it is still a pale yellow. Out of 1kg of tomatoes, 500g of apples, 500g of onions I have ende...