Sourdough trials

At end of end of September I was lucky enough to go visit Vanessa Kimbell at Juniper and Rose and learn how to make sourdough.  I will get round to posting about the day itself but below is one of my first loves.  We were sent home with a goodie bag including some Doves Flour and Maldon Salt so there were no excuses to get baking!

My first trials at home have proved very successful and I feel that bread making is going to become very much part of our weekly life at home.

Autumn Rose

This final bloom on the Margaret Merrill was just in time for my birthday.  It survived until the weather changed last night.

Veg and Berries

 The sweetcorn was sown very very late - so not a bumper harvest but we have managed 8 cobs from 5 plants.  I was told my carrots would never grow as the ground was too stony - look like they were wrong!

Manage to get a handful of berries every time we visit.  Hope the raspberries will produce loads more next year once more established.

Plums

The old plum tree at my parents has once again produced a fantastic harvest.  Dodging the rain showers in mid September we were able to pick bucketfuls.  Normally I just make a really good Plum and Sage Jam and some Spiced Plum Ketchup.

However this year I experimented with some Apple and Plum Compote and Spiced Brandy Plums.

Spinach ....

 Not quite sure what to do with a glut of spinach a few years ago, I discover a recipe in Nigel Slater's Tender Vol.1 for a variation on Sag Aloo.  This uses homegrown potatoes, onions, garlic, chilli and spinach with a few shop bought spices.

Tastes delicious, freezes really well so always make a double batch.

Warden Pears

I cannot do't without counters. Let me see; what am
I to buy for our sheep-shearing feast? Three pound
of sugar, five pound of currants, rice,--what will
this sister of mine do with rice? But my father
hath made her mistress of the feast, and she lays it
on. She hath made me four and twenty nose-gays for
the shearers, three-man-song-men all, and very good
ones; but they are most of them means and bases; but
one puritan amongst them, and he sings psalms to
horn-pipes. I must have saffron to colour the warden
pies; mace; dates?--none, that's out of my note;
nutmegs, seven; a race or two of ginger, but that I
may beg; four pound of prunes, and as many of
raisins o' the sun.

From 'The Winter's Tale' by William Shakespeare