As I sit down to write this a saucepan is simmering on the hob – full to the brim with rosehips and cooking apples. After a night in a straining bag the concoction will transform into a jelly, which will lovingly see us through winter as a vital and delicious ingredient for stews, gravies and… Continue reading The joy of preserving (and a recipe for preserved green figs)…
Deep down I secretly enjoy the slow turn of seasons as summer melds into autumn. Yes, I miss wearing a bikini in the garden, slopping around in flip flops, sipping rosé in the sun, sitting outside late into the night, flinging on a pair of towering sandals, lighting barbecues, wrapping myself in floaty dresses and helping… Continue reading Damson ketchup is a winner…
When a friend visited recently she came bearing a bunch of green leaves – in all honesty, I had no idea what they were. It turned out to be lovage. She’d grown the ornamental herb in her garden and it had sprouted furiously. The leaves were big, lush and vibrant and the scantest of touches… Continue reading Why I’ll be giving lovage a home in my garden…
Occasionally things happen in life that are so memorable they stay with you forever. It might not be anything big or fancy, it may just be a fleeting experience that moves you in some shape or form. …a dance with a stranger in a backstreet bar, a random act of kindness in the supermarket, a… Continue reading My culinary life has changed forever thanks to fig leaf syrup…
I’ve grown artichokes for two years now. Grown from seed as much for their dominant structures as their distinct green globes. Over the years, I’ve eaten a few but not many – but this is all set to change. The memory of my first artichoke remains clearly with me. I was 13 and in France… Continue reading Growing globe artichokes…
For years I’ve tried to forage for wild garlic but never successfully found any close to home. When the wild garlic season hits full force, usually in April, I always think I should’ve grown my own. So, last year I did just that – in pots. This year they bloomed wonderfully. It was a small… Continue reading My first foray into wild garlic…
We’ve now been in lockdown for 28 days… …and today I got myself into a proper funk. I didn’t even want to cook – that’s how bad it was. I was thoroughly fed up – with the lack of freedom, lack of variety and lack of people. Although I’ve become rather used to the new… Continue reading The joy of frugal food…
A few months ago I met a wonderful woman who, in an instant, I felt I’d known a lifetime. There were many memorable things about her but most notably it was the fact that she was carrying her sourdough starter with her in her handbag (…it’s a long story). She immediately inspired me to start… Continue reading My adventures into the world of sourdough…
In December our first Hereford cow left the farm. We look after a small herd of Herefords who live outside for the majority of the time – feeding on grass and pottering about as they wish. In the winter months they’re nestled in an open cattle shed feeding on homegrown hay. Farming isn’t particularly in… Continue reading Musings on meat…
The day I thought would never arrive was here – it was the grand finale of The Great British Bake Off. For the past ten weeks I have baked (and occasionally cooked) my way through nine technical challenges – I’ll not lie it has felt like a lifetime. At times it has been emotional, at… Continue reading Would my souffles rise to the occasion…
