tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31183389872413496872024-03-13T12:33:41.673-07:00 FIGAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-77290725077460701722014-05-28T11:40:00.000-07:002014-05-28T11:40:46.783-07:00This Year's Vegetable Varieties - Part 1 In The Greenhouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Obsessed with Seeds..</span></h4>
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Long before I had a vegetable garden or greenhouse I was really interested in different vegetable varieties and used to peruse seed catalogues longingly in the same way my husband studied car brochures full of fancy cars we were never going to own. </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Even though we still don't have a fancy car, we do have a vegetable garden and greenhouse. This means I now study seed catalogues with a whole new degree of enthusiasm - a level of excitement usually reserved for a Prada catalogue.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Over the last few months I have had many DMCs (deep, meaningful conversations) with Tony - the real source of all the work, knowledge and skill relating to the garden mostly discussing what we are going to grow this year. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The seeds came from : Franchi (Italy), Thompson & Morgan, Tomatofest (USA), Victoriana Nursery and Sarah Raven </td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My Vegetable Varieties for 2014</span></span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;">The list is similar to last year with additions, adjustments and the odd thing such as butternut and pattypan squash we’ve decided not to bother with - more of that later but for now here's what we're growing in the greenhouse this year.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 18px;"><b>In The Greenhouse:</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The biggest change has been this year’s tomato choices. I discovered a brilliant US website called Tomatofest. They had a HUGE choice. I chose several varieties that are entirely new to me based on flavour (obviously) but also making sure I had different colours and sizes and some that were better for sauces.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Those marked with * came from the US supplier Tomatofest, The Costoluto Fiorentina came from Franchi seeds in Italy, Black Cherry from Victoriana Nursery and the remaining ones from Thompson and Morgan.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April. The tomato plants have just gone in to the beds or planters on the floor (which are a new addition this year).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Greenhouse today ( a month later). Despite the cold weather everything is doing well.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of April, mixed tomato plants go into beds in the greenhouse.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today, L to R: Black Russian, Black cherry, Caro Rich also in this bed (not seen) Tigerella and Costoluto Fiorentina</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This Year's Tomato Varieties:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">* <b>Aunt Ruby’s German Green - </b>a<b> </b>green beefsteak tomato with apparently excellent flavour (we will see…)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">* <b>Lime Green Salad -</b> a medium sized, chartreuse coloured tomato</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Sungold - </b>an excellent, sweet, orange-yellow cherry tomato - we grew it last year. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>* Ildi - </b>a yellow grape tomato - came as an extra with the other seeds I ordered, looks good though.</span></div>
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<b>Caro Rich </b>a medium sized, orange tomato with ten times more beta carotene in it than other tomatoes - very interesting</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caro Rich grown from seed now transplanted into in the vegetable garden. Those in the greenhouse will crop earlier</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Tigerella</b> a delicious large red and orange/green striped tomato. We grew this last year too.</span></div>
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<span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;">* <b>Matt’s wild Cherry</b> - </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Very small, red, cherry tomatoes. I’ve read mixed reviews of them but worth a try if for no other reason than my husband is called Matt!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>*</b> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b>Spoon </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">even smaller red tomatoes, the size of a pea. The novelty appealed to me, the website claims they're sweet and tart (but annoying to pick).</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tomatoes stay tiny - about the size of a pea. These are in the greenhouse but there are some outside too.</td></tr>
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<span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Costuluto Fiorentina </b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">the original, red, Italian beefsteak tomato. I'm trying this in place of last year’s slightly disappointing 'Brandywine'.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Black Russian</b> we grew these last year - a warm chocolatey colour - pretty, with excellent flavour.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Black Cherry </b>similar to Black Russian but cherry sized with very good flavour</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Like last year we’ll squeeze what we can into the greenhouse (about 15 plants) and the rest have been planted outside this week. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Also in the Greenhouse:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>‘</b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Socrates’ </b>a prolific,small cucumber sweet and delicious. Absolutely fantastic. Last year they were one of my favourite things that we grew.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of April, The cucumber plants are in planters on the greenhouse bench, they'll be trained up wires </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A month later, I counted 18 cucumbers on this plant so far.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first cucumber of the year, curiously way ahead of any of the others !</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chillies</span></b> - not sure what sort ! We grew some from seeds we were given at Wahaca (the Mexican restaurant), plus a hot chilli mix</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><b>Herbs </b></span>- Newly grown from seed in the greenhouse this year - Greek Basil, Chervil and Coriander. Everything else has overwintered ourside.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tray of Greek Basil. It forms a ball and looks a bit like a Box hedge<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yet more Squash<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Next time: The varieties we are growing in the vegetable garden.</b></span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-87294656120741968002014-04-28T12:38:00.000-07:002017-05-05T09:12:27.216-07:00Easter 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: large;">Hello again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "menlo";"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Spring is finally here, the daffodils are </span>nearly<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> over, the tulips are out and the flower bed in my vegetable garden is bursting with Spring flowers. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Dicentra commonly known as Bleeding Heart, one of my favourite Spring flowers</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "menlo";"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After three and a half weeks of school holidays with a constant stream of friends and relatives visiting (26 in total), I’m finally able to blog again. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">I'm a bit foreign....</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I’m Belgian (born in Brussels with a Belgian father and passport) but because I grew up in the UK, I think of it as my home and myself as English really. However there’s no doubt my motherland has had an influence, this is apparent in how we celebrate Easter so I thought I'd blog about my family's continental style celebrations.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A basket of eggs about to be hidden. </td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When I was a child we quite often had Easter at my the farmhouse of my Walloon grandparents. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">They had 18 grandchildren and it wasn’t uncommon for us all to be there on Easter day.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Easter was a really big deal, at least as big as Christmas - possibly even more celebrated and la table de Paqûes</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> (the Easter table), was one of the highlights of our year. This is because being a bunch of Belgians A LOT of chocolate was involved.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We’d go to church in our best clothes (this always seemed to involve a very itchy jumper) and when we got back there would be a massive egg hunt in the garden.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">At this point there was no chocolate, instead we would hunt hard boiled, dyed hen’s eggs. It was perfectly normal for my grandmother to dye and hide over 100 eggs. My cousins, siblings and I would run around wildly, lobbing eggs into our little baskets. At the end they'd all be gathered in and carried off to the breakfast table.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiding dyed hens' eggs not chocolate ones is a tradition I have continued with my children.<br />
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Tulips Tony and I planted last Autumn ( see the Back to Black blog).<br />
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My Goddaughter Josephine and youngest daughter Dorothy looking for eggs among the tulips.<br />
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I had dyed 60 eggs - they were in and around the vegetable garden.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorothy looking in some herb beds.<br />
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A quince tree just beyond the vegetable garden.<br />
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More eggs at the base of the Quince tree. We never find them all there are always a few left behind...<br />
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My teenage daughter Mary joins in, heading towards the Spring border.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: x-small;">The border in the vegetable garden where lots of eggs were hidden</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This was always decorated and arranged in the utmost secrecy by the adults. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The table always looked absolutely beautiful with flowers and pretty crockery and baskets of the collected coloured hen’s eggs.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">At each child’s place there would be a relatively modest chocolate egg or bunny, but the rest of the table was <b><i>covered </i></b>in little clusters of chocolate eggs and dishes of Easter sweets were dotted about. It was a sight to make a child weep with joy and then send them into a sugar induced coma (</span>if left unsupervised).</div>
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View of this year's table laid for Easter breakfast.<br />
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A close up of the cut and decorated branches<br />
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Just like when I was a child everyone gets their own fairly modest egg or bunny too.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Traditions passed down</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; letter-spacing: 0px;">All these customs were faithfully copied throughout my childhood by my South African mother for the Easters when we weren’t in Belgium. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I in turn have recreated them for my children for the last 19 years and </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I have no doubt my children, </span>if or when they have children of their own will also recreate Bonne Maman's Easters. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just like Bonne Maman, I decorate the table with chocolates and sweets. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The collected hardboiled hen's eggs</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-39414725366566232462014-03-17T06:42:00.000-07:002017-05-05T07:44:53.018-07:00Hello Baby.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GJ9PlINA7X8/Uxdtml0qLcI/AAAAAAAAA5c/JxlNedWpK-Y/s1600/DSC_0008.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GJ9PlINA7X8/Uxdtml0qLcI/AAAAAAAAA5c/JxlNedWpK-Y/s1600/DSC_0008.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;">My newborn nephew Stanley</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: large;">Welcome to the world little baby</span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I LOVE babies. I am the person with mad hair (and eyes) who will play peek-a-boo with a stranger’s baby for hours on a train. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My daughters at 20, 18 and 12 are a few years off having children (I hope) but I pity them when they do, as I’ll be elbowing them out of the way to get at their infant and no one else will get a look in. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the meantime I get very excited whenever anyone I know has a baby and I like to mark the occasion.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When my firstborn arrived (all 10lbs of her) I received the most delightful card from my friend Veronica saying:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">‘Welcome to the world little Edith we hope you will be very happy’. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I still have the card. It was so touching I’ve used that wording on every a baby card I’ve ever written.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">For the baby:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I always send the same card. It’s very easy one to make and I think it’s lovely to get something handmade. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You Will Need:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">White felt or calico</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Embroidery thread & needle</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Thick cartridge paper </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span> <span style="font-family: "menlo"; text-align: start;">Step 1: Make a paper pants pattern first, folding it in half to get it symmetrical.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--MBJhGUSy20/UybMgzsfH-I/AAAAAAAAA7I/4oOUm1TC6WY/s1600/IMG_9760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--MBJhGUSy20/UybMgzsfH-I/AAAAAAAAA7I/4oOUm1TC6WY/s1600/IMG_9760.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; text-align: start;">Step 2: Cut them out of felt or </span><span style="font-family: "menlo";">calico (cut 2 for twins)</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-exCMAgiVLV4/UybMJubAMKI/AAAAAAAAA60/mMLjy3xYwgg/s1600/IMG_9767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-exCMAgiVLV4/UybMJubAMKI/AAAAAAAAA60/mMLjy3xYwgg/s1600/IMG_9767.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; text-align: start;">Step 3: Do running stitch leaving a big loop at the front which can <br />be snipped in the middle leaving 2 ends to be tied in a bow. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; text-align: start;">Step 4: Tie the thread into a bow and glue onto the card. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "menlo";">The finished card. </span><br /><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For the siblings:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With Dorothy, my youngest, I was so enormous and immobile by the end of my pregnancy (she was 11lbs) I spent the last couple of days making many, many little cellophane cones of jelly babies which her older siblings took into school to hand out to their classmates when she was born. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">They were a big hit and looked so charming that since then I make the same cellophane cones to send to siblings of a new baby with a note congratulating them on becoming a big sister or brother. If you want to make the cellophane cone with jelly babies </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You Will Need:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For 1</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1 x square of cellophane 35 x 35cm </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2/3 of a packet of jelly babies</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">45 cm of narrow ribbon </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Obviously you can make these any size, but this is as they're pictured.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">* If you can get hold of it, florist's cellophane which comes in big rolls is fantastic and can be used for wrapping flowers, as an extra layer when gift wrapping and also covering books. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; text-align: start;">For 5mm ribbon you need 45cm for 15mm ribbon - 50cm</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; text-align: start;">Step 1: With the bottom corner of the cellophane square pointing towards you, roll the left corner </span><span style="font-family: "menlo"; text-align: start;">towards right side corner and secure with 2 small pieces of clear tape. Aim for a long narrow cone.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; text-align: start;">Step 2: Fill 2/3 with the jelly babies and tie with ribbon et voila !</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: large;">For the parents:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I rarely give baby clothes, over the years food has been the most gratefully received present.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If I can deliver it, I make a stew (always in a takeaway box so there’s no pressure to return dishes) or if it's by post I buy a big tin of chocolate biscuits. Chocolate biscuits are pretty much always a good idea but if a breastfeeding mother is involved she will probably want to bury her face in them and if she isn’t breast feeding, so hasn’t developed a dysfunctional relationship with sugar, she can hand them out to the stream of visitors.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; text-align: start;">Stanley's feet</span></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-9985161523349937682014-02-26T11:50:00.000-08:002014-02-26T14:47:38.234-08:00Creating a Vegetable Garden from Scratch: Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">May 2012. The beginnings of cabbages..</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Winter 2012</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Two years after buying the house and after A LOT of planning we finally started work on the garden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Trying to get it right first time.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;">The last hurdle before putting the finishing touches on the design, was to mark out the proposed dimensions of paths and beds using canes and spray chalk to check Glenn, Roger and I were happy with everything.</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After some tweaking, Glenn completed what we thought were the finalised plans and work began in November.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Failing to get it right first time</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;">However once the plot was properly cleared (by spraying what we didn't want to save, letting it die back and clearing with big diggers) Roger suggested adding an opening through the Crinkle C</span><span style="font-family: Menlo;">rankle</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;"> wall. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The idea was to have a wide path </span>across the vegetable garden that led to a<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> gate, through to the garden beyond.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Glenn had to redo the plans accordingly and all the beds had to be moved. Luckily as we hadn't got very far it was pretty straightforward.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It was a great decision and the archway through the wall to what later became a herb garden is one of my favourite things about the entire vegetable garden.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">What had to go</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;">The greenhouse (which I had been pretending was not a complete death trap for the past two years) finally had to come down. It was so rotten that from time to time</span><span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> panes of glass would just slip out of their disintegrating frames and smash. Going in there the </span>previous<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> summer to look after the tomatoes had been like an extreme, game </span>show style<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> challenge.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Next to the greenhouse was an equally rotten tool shed home to a giant (and I mean GIANT) hornets' nest. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">That was another extreme </span>challenge situation - though I didn't know it at the time.<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> When pest control came to get rid of the nest before we took the shed down they </span>appeared<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> in full protective gear with tanks on their backs like something out of Ghostbusters.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">They were horrified when I admitted I'd been blithely going in there to get tools etc...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The potting shed also </span>needed to partly go, as one side<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> needed to be rebuilt and the rotten, leaky roof needed to be replaced. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Finally the very sick espaliered fruit </span>trees against<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> the Crinkle Crankle wall were removed</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; text-align: start;"> November 2012 The cleared plot with some beds already in position.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; text-align: start;">The beds before we repositioned them and added the path.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">December 2012 The view from the kitchen, you can just see the transverse path </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: start;">The Crinkle C</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">rankle wall before we added the opening.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: start;">The Crinkle C</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">rankle wall with the opening, photographed from the other side</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Spring 2013</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">By March, despite the VILE weather, all the beds were in position and the basic frame of the fruit cage had been constructed.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The potting shed had been rebuilt and </span>re-roofed, we'd added<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> a stable door and on the end wall a small window salvaged from the house. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The foundations for the new greenhouse were done and the diseased fruit trees had been removed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo;">Because Suffolk is so dry we installed underground rainwater harvesting tanks from Halsted Rain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Menlo;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We had also widened the flower border by the Crinkle Crankle wall and built the long beds where the avenue of espaliered fruit trees were going. These beds and the edge of the herbaceous border were constructed from Suffolk White bricks, this use of red and white bricks reflected the mix of bricks used on the main house. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; text-align: start;">March 2013. The long beds </span><span style="font-family: Menlo; text-align: start;">In the foreground </span><span style="font-family: Menlo; text-align: start;">are for the avenue of </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo; text-align: start;">espaliered Clapp's Favourite pear trees and Egremont Russet apple trees.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; text-align: start;">March 2013. The central 8 beds are narrower and taller than the outside beds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Menlo; text-align: start;">Here you can see the reconstructed potting shed. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Early Summer 2013</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The hedging arrived and was planted in trenches with rabbit proof fencing. Some plants went into the herbaceous border though the majority were planted in the Autumn.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;">The greenhouse was </span><span style="font-family: Menlo;">completed and the </span><span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;">bed next to the cold frame was finished and planted out with herbs.</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; text-align: start;">May 2013.The new greenhouse put to immediate use </span></td></tr>
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The view towards the kitchen before the Breedon gravel went down. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo;">May 2013. The tree supports go in.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: start;">May 2013. Before the vegetable garden was </span><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small;">finished it was already in use. </span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small;">The weather was so cold everything was at least a month late. </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">May 2013. The hedging arrives, beech </span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small;">and box.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">The box hedging for the perimeter of the espaliered fruit tree beds. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">The box going in round the frames that will support the fruit trees. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O3lROYlXXL8/Uw47n11XOcI/AAAAAAAAA4o/WaYIvSYStsY/s1600/IMG_7058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O3lROYlXXL8/Uw47n11XOcI/AAAAAAAAA4o/WaYIvSYStsY/s1600/IMG_7058.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">The trench was dug to partly bury the chicken wire. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5fxd03fnPD0/Uw3a0kQixZI/AAAAAAAAA3c/t2mXug8yzhw/s1600/IMG_7091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5fxd03fnPD0/Uw3a0kQixZI/AAAAAAAAA3c/t2mXug8yzhw/s1600/IMG_7091.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">The completed rabbit proof fencing. Eventually the beech will hide it. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N6qD0cHvpO8/Uw3a7m667sI/AAAAAAAAA3k/a7q1pzQtank/s1600/IMG_7100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N6qD0cHvpO8/Uw3a7m667sI/AAAAAAAAA3k/a7q1pzQtank/s1600/IMG_7100.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"> End of June 2013 our first year growing our own vegetables.</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Menlo; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Autumn 2013</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The gates finally arrived and the fruit cage was finished</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8tZD0jExb0Y/Uw48qesWSUI/AAAAAAAAA44/r7WyUlobOGc/s1600/IMG_8555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8tZD0jExb0Y/Uw48qesWSUI/AAAAAAAAA44/r7WyUlobOGc/s1600/IMG_8555.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">November 2013 </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vKAcNPPV-48/Uw5Ejfqv89I/AAAAAAAAA5I/8WK0zfkR9Go/s1600/IMG_7701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vKAcNPPV-48/Uw5Ejfqv89I/AAAAAAAAA5I/8WK0zfkR9Go/s1600/IMG_7701.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">November 2013 Salad from the garden</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Menlo;">Next time; Creating a herb garden from scratch</span></span></h3>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-18429178999426007692014-02-13T10:25:00.000-08:002017-05-05T09:26:57.491-07:00A Valentine’s Dinner from Paris 1987<h2>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">(Pepper, Salt & Lemon)</span></b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: x-large; text-align: start;">Pepper</span><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: large; text-align: start;"> </span></h3>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cFHKitYJJsM/Uvubb-BhI-I/AAAAAAAAAyQ/FYQkKu86x28/s1600/grinder+straight+on.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cFHKitYJJsM/Uvubb-BhI-I/AAAAAAAAAyQ/FYQkKu86x28/s1600/grinder+straight+on.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 12px;"> This is actually an old fashioned hand coffee grinder, now used for</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 12px;">crushing large quantities of peppercorns - perfect for Steak au Poivre</span> </td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Living in Paris </span></b><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In my twenties fresh out of College I lived and worked in Paris as a fashion designer. My then boyfriend (now husband) was a pizza waiter/would be cartoonist and would come and visit whenever he could scrape together the coach fare - it was all glamour in those days…</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My first flat was in the Rue St Martin it was typically Parisian, charming and utterly freezing in winter. Even back then, when I wasn’t working my two favourite things were cooking and going to all the marché aux puces dotted around Paris, so nothing much has changed there.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The kitchen in my ‘appartement’ was minuscule with only a two ring hob and no oven. Given my very limited budget and utensils as well as the restrictions of the kitchen I had to be very enterprising but bit by bit I built a very rudimentary ‘batterie de cuisine’ much of it from my beloved marché aux puces. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Even now more than 25 years later I still have many of the utensils and pieces of equipment I bought as well vivid memories of some notable culinary disasters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Salt</span></h3>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bO5OtbqemPo/Uv0I7v0kLgI/AAAAAAAAAz0/tlJXTNMGThM/s1600/IMG_9273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bO5OtbqemPo/Uv0I7v0kLgI/AAAAAAAAAz0/tlJXTNMGThM/s1600/IMG_9273.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12px; text-align: start;">My enamelled tin salt box was my very first Parisian flea market buy.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Things that went wrong</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The‘Coq au Vin’ I made for a dinner party using an actual coq not a chicken. After about 1000 hours of simmering and then some desperate boiling, it was still like trying to cut an old boot. We just gnawed at the bones in the end. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The ‘Charlotte Mousse au Chocolat’ that I carefully and proudly released from it’s spring form tin and then dropped into a sink full of dirty washing up. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The time I ruined a whole weekend for guests visiting from England by poisoning them with dodgy oysters - Happys days…</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But I did learn how to make Steak au Poivre and this was something I would make for a very special occasions like Valentine’s day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Lemon</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uqic8RNDP3k/Uv0IfPpjZdI/AAAAAAAAAzg/MP5aGtt6wwU/s1600/IMG_9257+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uqic8RNDP3k/Uv0IfPpjZdI/AAAAAAAAAzg/MP5aGtt6wwU/s1600/IMG_9257+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 12px;">My vintage lemon squeezer from Clignancourt</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Valentine's day 1987 to Valentine's day 2014</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">So as a Valentine’s celebration, this February 14th I’m going to recreate a meal from Valentine’s day 1987 using my beloved kitchen equipment bought in Paris at flea markets all those years ago. Only this time I have an ice-cream maker instead of a plastic tub and a fork and three of my four children will be there for our romantic meals - ah well...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Menu</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Steak au Poivre with lemony green beans and roasted baby new potatoes</span></h3>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mnEcHniqOIw/UvziyzEEUiI/AAAAAAAAAyw/1OyntJd2bcE/s1600/IMG_9453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mnEcHniqOIw/UvziyzEEUiI/AAAAAAAAAyw/1OyntJd2bcE/s1600/IMG_9453.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #282828; font-size: 14px;">1987 revisited. Steak, cognac, cream and butter - not for the faint-hearted</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Steak au poivre</span></b></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There are endless different versions of this recipe some with wine, some without, ditto the cream, some even have shallots in the sauce. What they all have in common is steak, cognac, butter and peppercorns - so whatever version you decide on you really can't go that wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Ingredients for 2</b></span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px;">I am usually more of an Onglet/Rib-eye fan, but in this instance fillet is the classic choice, but any cut works, just ensure it's thick cut.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2 x Fillet steaks (thickly cut) weighing approx 160g each </span></div>
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5-6 tbls Peppercorns, very roughly crushed - a pestle and mortar works well.</div>
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2 tbls Olive Oil</div>
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2oz /55g Butter</div>
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2oz /55g Cognac or brandy</div>
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2oz very reduced home-made stock - veal is the classic but chicken is fine. </div>
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2 tbls double cream.</div>
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<b>Method</b></div>
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Start with room temperature steak, rub them all over with a drizzle of olive oil and press the peppercorns on each side.</div>
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Using a heavy based frying pan heat the oil and then add half the butter, the pan should be hot.</div>
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Sear the steaks all over, then continue to cook until a dark crust forms but take care not to overheat the pan and burn the peppercorns. </div>
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Once the crust has formed transfer the steaks to a warm plate to rest, turn off the flame and add the cognac, it will bubble and reduce as you de-glaze the pan by scraping up the crusty bits.</div>
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Turn the heat under the pan back on and add the reduced stock.</div>
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Whisk in the butter and finally the 2 tablespoons of cream.</div>
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Pour the sauce over the warm steak.</div>
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N.B If you want your steak medium rare transfer to a preheated oven 220c for 7-10 mins to continue cooking while you make the sauce.</div>
If you don't have reduced stock use Knorr stock pot<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></h3>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Lemony Green Beans</span></b></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Easy, pretty, delicious. Lemon added to the cooked red onion turns them a beautiful magenta. This is probably too much for 2 people but it works just as well cold as a salad the next day</span><br />
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<b>Ingredients for 2</b></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">250g Green beans (very fine)</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Juice of a lemon</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">1 small diced red onion</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">5 tbsp olive oil</span></div>
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Salt</div>
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<b>Method</b></div>
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Steam the green beans </div>
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While they are cooking soften the red onion in the olive oil over a low heat with a couple of pinches of salt till it is soft and translucent.</div>
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Add the lemon juice and a few twist of pepper.</div>
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Leave for a few minutes and watch the onion turn magenta.</div>
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Add the onion/lemon mix to the green beans and serve.</div>
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If you want to prepare this ahead put the green beans in an ice bath once they're ready to stop them continuing to cook and fix the colour, this also brings the natural sugars to the surface and improves flavour. Once they've cooled down drain thoroughly and when you're ready to serve re heat the beans gently and only add the lemon/onion mix just before serving.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Roasted Baby New Potatoes</span></b></h3>
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Back in 1987 I pan roasted these as I didn't have an oven but it's easier to roast them in the oven.</div>
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<b>Method & Ingredients for 2</b></div>
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Boil 200g baby new potatoes for 5 minutes</div>
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Drain</div>
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Toss in a pan with a couple of glugs of olive oil, salt and pepper.</div>
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Place in a pre-heated oven 220 for 20 mins (or until they look like the picture). </div>
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Give them an occasional shake so they cook evenly.</div>
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<br /><b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Salted Caramel Ice cream</span></b></h4>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;">This is not an original recipe, it is a classic with no twists but as my husband said when he tried it again - </span><i style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;">that is the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted. </i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #282828;"><span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Serve with two spoons from the (</span><span style="font-size: 12px;">customised)</span><span style="font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> tub </span></span></span><br />
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<b>Ingredients for 4</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;">6floz/170g caster sugar</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">8floz/225ml double cream</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">5floz/150ml milk</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">4 egg yolks</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">½ tsp Maldon sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Melt 5floz/140g of the caster sugar in a hot pan until it </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">becomes an amber / caramel colour, stir with a wooden spoon </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">to ensure it caramelises evenly and doesn't burn.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Add the double cream and bring back to the boil.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Stir in the milk and take off the heat</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks and remaining caster </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">sugar until pale and foamy (this is called a sabayon).</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Pour the hot caramel on to the sabayon and whisk well, then </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">sieve and chill it. When it’s cold add the salt to the </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">chilled mixture and churn in an ice cream machine.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="color: #282828; font-size: 13px; margin-left: 36px; text-indent: -36px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Or if you don't have an ice cream machine, pour the mix into a </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">plastic box and freeze removing it from the freezer every </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">hour or so to work the frozen edges back into the middle. The </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">texture won’t be as good but it’ll still be the best flavoured ice cream EVER.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center; white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY</span></h2>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-39133436884208481712014-02-06T06:56:00.000-08:002017-05-05T09:27:13.098-07:00Creating a Vegetable Garden from Scratch<h2>
<span style="font-family: menlo; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Part 1:</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "menlo"; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Planning and Designing the Vegetable Garden</span></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Produce from October 2013</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;">In the beginning</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In October 2010 (after four years of looking) we found our house in Suffolk.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was love at first sight not least because of the plot of land that came with it. The house stood at the end of a long drive, there was a copse to the left of the drive and behind the kitchen the perfect spot for the big vegetable garden I'd always dreamed of. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Feb 2011.Before we started work. The potting shed was doorless and needed </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">re-roofing, the oil tank was too small, rusty and an eyesore</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The kitchen garden is pretty much south facing with a long undulating red brick wall typical of East Anglia - a Crinkle Crankle wall. These walls are constructed using only one course of bricks and the recesses provide shelter, so are perfect for espaliered soft fruit trees.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">October 2011. A view of the Crinkle Crankle wall. This peach tree was badly diseased</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> and was later </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">removed to be replaced. The oil tank had been replaced and relocated.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The previous owner (a very sprightly octogenarian) had maintained the main garden but after the death of her husband two years previously had left what had been their vegetable garden untouched.</span></div>
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<b style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Starting the vegetable garden plan.</b></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was a very long process. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We waited more than a year before we started, this was partly due to lack of funds as we were renovating the house itself and partly because I wanted a year to see the garden in all seasons, see what came up and really think about how everything would work and where I wanted what, before we started. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">July 2012. Another view. We watched what came up over the course of a year</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> and </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">lifted and saved </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">what we could before clearing the plot.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">July 2012. The view from the derelict potting shed. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The raspberry canes hadn't been weeded or pruned for 2 years but were still producing fruit !</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Ideas </b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had a big file of images, built up over the years of gardens I loved, torn from magazines or photocopied from books as my starting point. I also had lots of firmly held views about what I did and did not want. This is not always a good thing as I have a tendency to have very strong opinions about things I know little or indeed nothing about, so with not much practical know-how I needed to enlist the help of someone who actually knew what they were talking about.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>The Garden Designer</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This is where the garden designer Glenn Swann came in. As Glenn was a friend I knew he would listen to what I wanted, wouldn't mind if I contributed design ideas myself but would guide me in terms of what was feasible. I knew he would diligently research what was appropriate for the location and period of the house and as the icing on the cake, as an ex graphic designer, I knew he was brilliant on a computer and could produce isometric drawings of what the garden would look like once it was completed - particularly helpful as while I find it quite easy to visualise interiors I find visualising gardens much harder.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">October 2011.The two massive original vegetable beds. To the right of the kitchen </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">window was </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">a rotten garden shed covered in Old Man's beard, complete </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">with an enormous hornets nest full of hornets !</span></div>
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Plans for The New Vegetable Garden</h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The existing vegetable garden had consisted of two huge beds with a very narrow gravel path between them. I knew I wanted several smaller raised beds, as after extensive research and extensive boring the pants off vegetable-growing friends with my endless questions I had established these were easier to manage and less back-breaking to weed. Raised beds also looked a bit more formal and as I wanted a french potager style vegetable garden that was another advantage. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I also wanted paths wide enough to fit a wheelbarrow and something underfoot it was possible to push a wheelbarrow on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;">There's a really lovely view down the garden from the kitchen window I wanted to accentuate so I was also keen on the idea </span><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 14px;">of a</span><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> wide path leading from the window with an avenue of espaliered fruit trees to lead the eye.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I wanted to delineate the space more, it wasn't a walled garden but something where the boundaries were clearly defined would be great and finally we needed to protect the vegetables from the large and hungry rabbit/deer population.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Glenn came and took lots of photos and measurements, listened to me drone on for hours, took away my tear sheets and in consultation with the Landscaper - </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Roger Gladwell, this was what the final plan looked like.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Glenn, Roger and I did a lot of marking out with canes on the original plot </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">to arrive at these measurements.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Enclosing the garden.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px;">My original idea had been to have hoops with netting over them to protect each bed from being eaten by wildlife, but because we were going to delineate the vegetable garden with hedges the next logical step was to completely enclose the area to protect the vegetables by adding gates and rabbit proof fencing behind the hedges.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The plan was for the perimeter hedges hiding the rabbit proof fencing to be copper beech and the low hedges edging the beds containing the espaliered fruit trees to be box.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Copper beech and box contrast each other really well in terms of colour and texture. Although strictly speaking Beech is deciduous, as a hedge it doesn't really lose it's leaves until Spring when the new buds cause it to shed the now copper coloured leaves, so even in deep Winter it provides some screening and a lovely contrast to the evergreen box.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">View towards the house. The addition of the 2nd brick pier 2nd </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">was Roger's </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Materials.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The house is partly built from red brick and partly a beautiful creamy-grey brick called Suffolk White. Suffolk White bricks are mostly used on facades etc.. as they're much more expensive than regular red bricks but very good in a garden as they're very hard and frost resistant. To reflect the mix of bricks used in the house we decided to use them to create the beds containing the fruit trees and also the edging for the big herbaceous border by the Crinkle Crankle wall. They were also the chosen material to be laid as paving at all the thresholds into the vegetable garden.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Between the beds we decided to use used Breedon gravel, a self binding gravel made of crushed limestone, practical and a lovely soft, creamy, gold colour which would look beautiful against the Suffolk White bricks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The raised vegetable beds would be made out of green oak and the fruit cage out of rustic cundies. A cundy is whole uncut piece of wood, treated and stripped of it's bark.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IIT8V1hV-EM/UvKKseavISI/AAAAAAAAAvw/nQoLNSZfUQI/s1600/KitchenGarden010213_1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IIT8V1hV-EM/UvKKseavISI/AAAAAAAAAvw/nQoLNSZfUQI/s1600/KitchenGarden010213_1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> Above. The opening in the Crinkle Crankle wall was Roger's idea. It leads to what </span><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;">later</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> became </span><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;">a herb garden. In the end we didn't have a gate between the </span><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;">two gardens</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;"> as we also rabbit proofed the herb garden beyond.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LlipXXzyU9E/UvKQn6rjiTI/AAAAAAAAAwE/5vkFHymfG-Y/s1600/KitchenGarden010213_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LlipXXzyU9E/UvKQn6rjiTI/AAAAAAAAAwE/5vkFHymfG-Y/s1600/KitchenGarden010213_9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Above. The big,rustic fruit cage was inspired by pictures I'd seen of </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Bill Amberg's beautiful Somerset garden. The 8 central beds are more raised.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UH7YuH7vWuA/UvKQ_UAQc-I/AAAAAAAAAwM/1vuXISD6dbE/s1600/KitchenGarden010213_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UH7YuH7vWuA/UvKQ_UAQc-I/AAAAAAAAAwM/1vuXISD6dbE/s1600/KitchenGarden010213_6.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;">Above. The new view from the kitchen window. The frames would provide support </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0px;">for espaliered apple trees (Egremont Russet) and pear trees (Clapp's Favourite)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Above. As the house is early Victorian, the gates were copied from an original </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Victorian </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">design. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Here you can see the two brick piers mirroring each other clearly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Next Time</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "menlo"; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Part 2: Building and Planting the Vegetable Garden</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px;"> Glenn Swann Designer:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.theauthenticgarden.co.uk/" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">http://www.theauthenticgarden.co.uk</a></div>
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Roger Gladwell Landscape </div>
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http://www.rogergladwell.co.uk</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-48966864458793695282014-01-22T11:21:00.000-08:002017-05-05T09:27:31.651-07:00Roast Pumpkin and Kale Salad.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RMbJw-X8c7E/Ut_815rYm4I/AAAAAAAAArE/uJ3jBB6QAks/s1600/IMG_9108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RMbJw-X8c7E/Ut_815rYm4I/AAAAAAAAArE/uJ3jBB6QAks/s1600/IMG_9108.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasted Kale, maple roasted pumpkin, balsamic roasted red onion, pumpkin seeds & Berkswell.</td></tr>
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A Super Seasonal Salad.</h3>
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An easy, substantial winter salad. You can feel pleased with yourself about how seasonal it is and smug about how healthy it is AND most unusually for recipes that make you feel virtuous it's delicious too.</div>
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The idea for this came from a variety of sources; a radicchio and rocket salad I had at The Pig and Butcher in N1 featuring chunks of pumpkin and a generous sprinkling of grated Berkswell, a recipe from the fabulous Big Flavours & Rough Edges where roast pumpkin is paired with balsamic vinegar,red wine and thyme roasted onions and finally from my deep and abiding love of kale.</div>
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Pumpkins from my garden</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rM-h3Nk-PYI/Ut_7E5pZvEI/AAAAAAAAAqc/OvLNhEo5hkk/s1600/IMG_7387.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rM-h3Nk-PYI/Ut_7E5pZvEI/AAAAAAAAAqc/OvLNhEo5hkk/s1600/IMG_7387.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just picked Turk's Turbans. The stalks should dry out before harvesting. </td></tr>
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I used Turk's Turban in this recipe, which we grew this year. Turk's turban is lovely to look at and has a good flavour and stores well. Butternut squash or kabocha or ironbark pumpkin would also work well here.</div>
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Kale</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurrah! Kale that comes ready washed and chopped.</td></tr>
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Kale is the new wonder food. Apparently it will save your life or something like that. This is good news for me and my family because we all love it. The trick with kale is to cook it carefully (no boiling) to avoid it tasting like cattle food. This winter I grew Cavolo Nero (which is posh Italian kale). It's fantastic but given my family's brassica 'habit' we didn't grow nearly enough so it's all gone and I've started buying curly kale instead. </div>
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However, every cloud has a silver lining, as now I'm buying kale I get it in big bags, ready washed and chopped, whereas before (with my own home-grown kale), the kitchen, my face and apron would be covered with minute little fluttering white insects. I have no idea what they were but they were a pain to get rid of, we definitely ate more than I rinsed/scrubbed away.</div>
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Berkswell</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Berkswell the 'it' cheese of the moment</span></td></tr>
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A hard rinded ewe's milk cheese. This cheese is ridiculously in vogue - incredible but true there are even fashions in cheese. I've seen it on practically every gastropub menu in the last 4 months. However it deserves it's success, it's REALLY good.</div>
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If you can't get Berkswell an aged Manchego or even a Pecorino or Parmesan would also work.<br />
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Red Onions</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the addition of the wine and balsamic vinegar.</td></tr>
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In this salad they are roasted till they caramelised with red wine, balsamic vinegar and thyme which intensifies the colour and flavour.<br />
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Pumpkin seeds</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkin seeds from the Turk's Turban ready to roast.</td></tr>
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I used a combination of raw, green, hulled seeds from the supermarket and whole unhulled ones from the pumpkin which I roasted along with everything else.<br />
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Ingredients:</h3>
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700g pumpkin or Butternut Squash peeled and cubed<br />
600g kale washed chopped <br />
4 red onions<br />
60g Berkswell or similar<br />
2 tablespoons Pumpkin seeds <br />
Plus pumpkin seeds from your pumpkin<br />
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar<br />
100ml red wine<br />
3 tblsp maple syrup<br />
a few sprigs of thyme<br />
About 260ml olive oil (this may seem like a lot but a fair bit is left behind in the pan)<br />
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Serves 6 as a main course</h4>
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Method</h3>
Set your oven to 200c on fan setting.<br />
Everything in the recipe is roasted at that temperature.<br />
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First deal with the red onions:<br />
Peel and cut each into 8 wedges being careful to retain a piece of the root so they don't fall apart.<br />
Pour 3 tblsps of olive oil into a small roasting pan that will hold the onion segments in a single layer.<br />
Place over a high heat and add the onion stirring them about to distribute the oil taking care not to break them. After a few moments add the wine and balsamic vinegar, season and sprinkle over the thyme. Remove from the heat, cover with foil and transfer to the oven. After 25 mins remove the foil and roast for a further 8-10 minutes. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"> What they'll look like once they're roasted</span></td></tr>
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Next peel and cube your pumpkin.<br />
I found about 1.5kg of pumpkin once peeled, deseeded with stringy flesh removed yielded about 750g. If you are using butternut squash you'll get a better yield. You can buy butternut squash ready prepared at some supermarkets.<br />
Mix together 3 tblsps Maple syrup with 4 tblsps olive oil.</div>
Toss the cubed pumpkin in this, season well and roast until the edges are slightly charred and it's soft to the point of a knife - about 20 mins.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From this...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">to this..</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">To maple roasted pumpkin chunks. The sweetness complements the kale.</td></tr>
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Once the pumpkin is roasting, rinse any saved seeds and remove any strings of pumpkin flesh, pat dry, toss in a little seasoned olive oil and roast till crunchy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6msmdKMywrA/UuAKyihttbI/AAAAAAAAAso/Atl6oJKdN9c/s1600/IMG_9077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6msmdKMywrA/UuAKyihttbI/AAAAAAAAAso/Atl6oJKdN9c/s1600/IMG_9077.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very nutty indeed. Roasted pumpkin seeds.</td></tr>
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Wash, dry and chop up your kale. I used bags that come ready washed and chopped.<br />
Toss all the kale in 150ml of olive oil to thoroughly coat it. This is approximately 3 tblsps / 200g bag. Spread out in a single layer on a roasting tin, season it and roast for 7-10 mins. Halfway through turn it over, scooping the outside bits into the middle so it cooks evenly.<br />
You may have to do it in batches.<br />
You will end up with some very crunchy kale (not unlike crispy seaweed) and some just slightly crunchy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJWJcorspwA/UuAJyfpUUvI/AAAAAAAAAsU/GCyqS5Wym9A/s1600/IMG_9075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJWJcorspwA/UuAJyfpUUvI/AAAAAAAAAsU/GCyqS5Wym9A/s1600/IMG_9075.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crunchy roast kale </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Finally with a potato peeler, shave 60g of the cheese onto a plate.<br />
Once everything has cooled to room temperature you can assemble it.<br />
<br />
Make a bed of Kale, dot half the pumpkin and roast onions about and scatter over half the cheese. Do exactly the same again with another layer of kale making sure you've retained Berkswell shavings for the top, as well as the raw hulled pumpkin seeds and roast, whole ones.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJvhKcZtjXk/UuAZU8m-ZPI/AAAAAAAAAtc/HwSDwYO8TUs/s1600/IMG_9097+cropped.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJvhKcZtjXk/UuAZU8m-ZPI/AAAAAAAAAtc/HwSDwYO8TUs/s1600/IMG_9097+cropped.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty and healthy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The End (literally)</td></tr>
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<h2>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-83579741528625119362014-01-15T07:24:00.000-08:002017-05-05T09:28:23.983-07:00Cupboard Love<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-795ct2xJrf4/UtaVFloYpWI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/ZNFftaq8yQ0/s1600/IMG_9005+cropped+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-795ct2xJrf4/UtaVFloYpWI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/ZNFftaq8yQ0/s640/IMG_9005+cropped+3.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the finished cupboard</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As I may have mentioned in previous blogs I like </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">things REALLY tidy. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This is an unfortunate state of affairs as I’m </span><br />
<br />
inherently fairly untidy and my family are all<br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">horribly, irredeemably, spectacularly messy. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s a constant, rather wearing fight to keep the </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">house from being a tip. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">One thing I’m fanatical about is storage. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">If you don’t have somewhere to put whatever it is </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">away, then the task of keeping a house tidy </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">escalates from difficult to impossible.</span><br />
<br />
This was very much the case in the bathroom shared<br />
<br />
by my three daughters.<br />
<br />
Their toothbrushes, toothpaste, face wash<br />
<br />
etc..were kept on shelves next to the sink but as<br />
<br />
they are 19,17 and 12, the quantity of other<br />
<br />
hair,beauty and bath products was mind boggling<br />
<br />
and without proper storage on every available<br />
<br />
surface.</div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Storage</h3>
<br />
I decide a cupboard, rather than yet more open shelves, was the best solution as<br />
<br />
a cupboard can hold a lot and the contents wouldn’t gather dust.<br />
<br />
I found this cupboard at an auction for £12.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-artlZ_2fa9s/UtaVLXMp8NI/AAAAAAAAAnY/Gk9rCWWmSG0/s1600/IMG_8480+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-artlZ_2fa9s/UtaVLXMp8NI/AAAAAAAAAnY/Gk9rCWWmSG0/s640/IMG_8480+cropped.jpg" width="371" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the 'make-over,' scruffy but the right dimensions for the space.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I wanted the cupboard to be glass fronted to give it the look of an apothecary’s </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">cabinet. </span>I needed to replace the door panels with glass, also alter the shelves.<br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vlOcgoP9nIU/UtaVPUMke6I/AAAAAAAAAng/ZV-hIRYxRh0/s1600/IMG_8489+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vlOcgoP9nIU/UtaVPUMke6I/AAAAAAAAAng/ZV-hIRYxRh0/s640/IMG_8489+cropped.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looked like it had come from a garage as it had engine grease on the shelves</td></tr>
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A glass front also means you can see the contents which seemed like a good idea<br />
<br />
as unlike with food packaging, most beauty/bath products are so beautifully<br />
<br />
designed it’s a shame not to see them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ibIu3guelnE/UtaV4nCb1MI/AAAAAAAAAoY/u3d9lgEJc1Y/s1600/IMG_9035+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ibIu3guelnE/UtaV4nCb1MI/AAAAAAAAAoY/u3d9lgEJc1Y/s640/IMG_9035+cropped.jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful packaging it would be a shame to hide as well as some of my vintage glass and ceramic dishes and pots.</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
Anything I didn’t want on show such as extra supplies of loo roll, cotton<br />
<br />
wool etc.. could just be stashed in a box in the bottom of the cupboard. </div>
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<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Transforming the Cupboard</h3>
<br />
Here’s how Chris (the carpenter) and I transformed it.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">First it was thoroughly cleaned with sugar soap to remove grease etc..</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then Chris replaced the broken architrave moulding on the top edge.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_y0xcCUqDYI/UtaVVRN8J4I/AAAAAAAAAno/9klIIT6c51U/s1600/IMG_8562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_y0xcCUqDYI/UtaVVRN8J4I/AAAAAAAAAno/9klIIT6c51U/s640/IMG_8562.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I choose a simpler moulding to replace the existing broken one</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then Chris replaced and reconfigured the shelves, adding an extra one in the top section. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LxOsVoeB_Hk/UtaVgqQm8JI/AAAAAAAAAn4/KXSBzbaFEgc/s1600/IMG_8524+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LxOsVoeB_Hk/UtaVgqQm8JI/AAAAAAAAAn4/KXSBzbaFEgc/s640/IMG_8524+cropped.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He replaced the hinges and added locks.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The panels were removed (to be replaced with glass).</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was undercoated and stain stop paint was used where necessary.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The final top coat was Little Greene’s ‘Turquoise Blue’ for the outside and </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Farrow and Ball’s ‘Mouse’s Back’ for the inside.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Glass panes were added where there had been wooden panels.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bQ2h60yprq0/UtaVoR59hVI/AAAAAAAAAoA/r9ZzNTkkbXM/s1600/IMG_9027+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bQ2h60yprq0/UtaVoR59hVI/AAAAAAAAAoA/r9ZzNTkkbXM/s640/IMG_9027+cropped.jpg" width="342" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished cupboard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fLYLc51A--k/UtaVtsrSYrI/AAAAAAAAAoI/SZm0u90iJBs/s1600/IMG_8998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fLYLc51A--k/UtaVtsrSYrI/AAAAAAAAAoI/SZm0u90iJBs/s640/IMG_8998.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside is painted a neutral greyish brown shade as a foil for all the pretty colours of the products, plus it echoes the colour of the bathroom walls.<br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5YRbXOvmgTs/UtaVzKr3yDI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/PHxZsWEO8qY/s1600/IMG_9039+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5YRbXOvmgTs/UtaVzKr3yDI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/PHxZsWEO8qY/s640/IMG_9039+cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close up of one of the shelves</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-53452952967789005782013-12-11T07:21:00.000-08:002013-12-11T12:49:35.009-08:00Back to Black (or nearly black)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<h3>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Big and Black</span></span></h3>
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<h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px;">Blackboard paint. </span></h4>
<h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">I’m slightly obsessed with blackboard paint it’s pretty mainstream nowadays but when I first started using it about 10 years ago (I’m still in love with it 10 years later) I used to buy it in France in tiny pots. I have used it on entire walls in children’s bedrooms as well as on lots of bits of furniture big and small. </span></h4>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gv2bJJky-Cs/UqdXMFsZyVI/AAAAAAAAAaA/OqYg96hyzzU/s1600/IMG_8676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gv2bJJky-Cs/UqdXMFsZyVI/AAAAAAAAAaA/OqYg96hyzzU/s400/IMG_8676.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As I remove or add things I alter my 'In The Freezer' list. </td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px;">In every house I’ve lived in in the last 10 or so years I’ve always had at least one wall painted with blackboard paint to serve as a notice board, a place to make lists etc..etc.. It not only looks great, it’s genuinely really useful. (See the Jars and Organising blog for photos of my last London kitchen).</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In my current utility room I have a boxed in freezer and the side is painted with blackboard paint (see above) so I can list what’s in the freezer, the idea being I can see at a glance what I have without having to rummage through all the drawers.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On drawers like these where the contents don't change use a wet chalk marker</td></tr>
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I have applied the same idea of listing the contents on cupboard doors where I keep all my scraps and sewing paraphernalia and I've painted drawers and wooden file holders which house stationery supplies. As the contents change just rub out and change the list.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Small and Black</span></span></h3>
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Black Soap.</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">I always buy black soap when I see it. I <i>hoard</i> it. It looks very stylish and this particular brand smells lovely but best of all, unlike pale coloured bars of soap, it never looks dirty. </span></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Instead of traditional soap dishes I use either black slate tiles or flea market finds like this little (once silver) dish.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo;">All Black</span></span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">I absolutely love really strong dark colours in interiors. When faced with a small room the usual solution is to paint it white to make it seem bigger. </span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">In my opinion this fools nobody and painting it a dark colour makes it more <i>interesting</i>. Furthermore a really dark wall colour is a fantastic way of uniting disparate decorative elements and making your pictures, photos, plates - whatever you have on your wall really stand out and if your walls are less than perfect it’s much less noticeable with strong dark colours. </span></h4>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Start really small, the first room I painted a very, very dark grey was a loo. But by the time we left our old Blackheath house in Southeast London I’d moved onto much bigger stuff - the dining room.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was off black with monochrome prints, pictures, photos, bugs in cases etc...</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I created a ‘side board’ underneath (just seen) by placing four IKEA ‘Malm’ chests of drawers side by side painting them all the same colour as the walls and installing a single long counter top </span></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13px;"> In order to have some light reflection, I added a picture rail and brought the off white ceiling colour down to meet it.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Outdoors and Black</span></span></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly black, our very own leaf mould. Two years in the making.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">You know you’re middle aged when you are excited by leafmould. Nearly three years after moving to our Suffolk house we have our own leafmould, it’s free and it’s beautiful. </span></h4>
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Pile up deciduous leaves, leave them for a couple of years and voila ! The easiest recipe you’ll ever find. </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Leafmould covers bare winter soil, reduces the need to water, enriches the soil and remains nearly black even when dry and in the same way dark walls are a foil for pictures prints etc..leafmould is a beautiful foil for acid green spring shoots.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tony and I planting the last of the tulips mid November.</td></tr>
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Tony and I (mainly Tony) planted nearly 1000 bulbs last month. Two thirds were tulips the nearly black ‘Queen of the Night’ as well as ‘Sorbet’ and ‘Barcelona’ and one third alliums, a mix of Purple Sensation and Azureum. In the time it took me to plant 20 bulbs Tony had planted 100 which is why in the picture he’s up my end as he had done his lot and was helping me finish mine.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly black 'Queen of the Night' tulip bulbs about to be covered in soil then leafmould.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the addition of leafmould</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;">Black (nearly) in the Vegetable Garden.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Beans</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">This year we grew Blauhilde a very dark purple (about as close you’ll get to black) climbing french bean. Not only did it look wonderful in the vegetable garden the beans were as prolific as they were delicious with a really nice texture and no string. I can’t recommend it highly enough. The only thing to note is they turn an olive green when cooked.</span></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px;">Last month.Beans left to form seeds </span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">These pods were left as an experiment to produce seeds for replanting next year. However they have to be dried very carefully to be successful. We'll buy seeds too.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">This year we grew ‘Rosa de Treviso’ even now it’s still sitting in the vegetable garden quite happily and I’ll use the last of it this week in my favourite Ina Garten recipe;</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;">Conchiglie al Forno with Mushrooms and Radicchio</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">Next year I’m planning to grow Chioggia Radicchio which looks like a mini cabbage as my favourite way to eat radicchio is griddled and this type lends itself better to griddling.</span></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosa de Treviso radicchio</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Black and on me</span></span></h3>
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Bogs</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">Black boots that will never go out of style - Bogs. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">I love my Bogs, at the weekend when I’m outdoors I live in them. You're supposed to wear them on the big side to allow warm air to circulate round your feet so you only need normal socks and they’re very easy to pull on and off. They keep your feet warm and dry whatever the weather. Worth every penny.</span></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My trusty Bogs</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-10303265195391715762013-12-04T10:57:00.000-08:002013-12-04T10:57:08.937-08:00Crab Apples - Flowers, Foliage and Fruit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9OQrC0kS03Q/Up9V_g2TnFI/AAAAAAAAAV8/EMSknRqs2iI/s1600/IMG_7952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9OQrC0kS03Q/Up9V_g2TnFI/AAAAAAAAAV8/EMSknRqs2iI/s640/IMG_7952.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They look like winter cherries</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Crab apples to decorate </span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;">I absolutely love crab apple trees, so pretty and so productive, from their lovely blossom in spring right through to bright little fruit in the autumn which stay happily on the tree right into winter. Just when the garden is looking particularly stark, they provide vibrant splashes of colour and as well as being ornamental, crab apples are a food supply for birds and with a minimal amount of effort food for us too. </span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you have a few trees and can afford to, cut some branches and you’ll have an arrangement that lasts weeks and weeks.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TON9zr5d9CM/Up9XMZ4iN8I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/leGQWhfEksk/s1600/IMG_7936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TON9zr5d9CM/Up9XMZ4iN8I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/leGQWhfEksk/s640/IMG_7936.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crab apple branches with their leaves about 3 weeks ago</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Once all the leaves have come off you’ll be left with just the brightly coloured fruit and twiggy branches - very architectural, very elegant and very easy to do.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I almost prefer them leafless and the crab apples don’t drop, in fact the opposite is true, when you’re picking them for jelly you have to fight them off the tree.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three weeks later, no leaves but still looking lovely, remove the leaves as they die.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Crab apples to eat</span></span></h2>
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I had never made crab apple jelly before or any kind of jelly come to that but with the right equipment it was really, really easy.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I think the only crucial piece of equipment, that you may not already own, is a jam straining kit. My jam straining kit (by Tala) cost less then £5 and consisted of a chrome wire stand and a washable, reusable nylon straining bag. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The bag looked small but once the fruit was cooked and a bit collapsed it held a suprising amount. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Everything else like measuring jugs, wooden spoons, large saucepan etc...you probably already have.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I did buy a maslin pan partly too, because I’m a sucker for kitchen equipment but also because I’m planning to bombard everyone with membrillo, medlar and crabapple jelly for Christmas and forever more, but if you don’t overfill a regular large saucepan I don’t think it’s that necessary.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the maslin pan stalks and all. About 1/3 were bigger so I cut them up.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Crab apple jelly recipe</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2 kg crab apples</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">500g caster sugar ( approximately but use the 7/10 ratio rule)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1/2 lemon, juiced</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Wash the apples, removing any obviously rotten bits it’s fine to leave stalks but not twigs! Put in a saucepan, fill with water to just cover the apples. I used some small sour apples too, so cut them up to the size of the crab apples</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Bring to the boil and simmer until the fruit is soft (about 30 minutes).</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Pour the pulp into a jelly bag or several layers of muslin and let drip into a pan. Do NOT squeeze the bag or it will make the juice cloudy. </span>Lots of recipes specify overnight but my bag seemed to stop dripping after a few hours.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Measure the juice, and add sugar in the ratio of 10 parts juice to 7 of sugar. Add some lemon juice, then bring to the boil, if necessary stir to dissolve the sugar.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Keep at a rolling boil for 40 minutes, skimming off the froth. To test the set, chill a dessertspoon in the refrigerator.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When the jelly is at setting point, it will solidify on the back of the spoon. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Pour into warm, sterilised preserving jars ( smaller ones are better) and tightly seal while still slightly warm. Store in a cool dark place.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I read that smaller jars are better because if you repeatedly put spoons etc into the jar it can cause it to liquefy.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Finished jelly. These pretty jars came from Heals and they're the perfect size.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Crab apples in the garden</span></h2>
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I now have five crab apple trees in my garden.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Two were there when we bought the house (no idea what varieties) and I planted three more (two John Downie and a Red Sentinel) this year. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I’ve been so delighted with them I’ll plant more when I can think of a suitable place. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Equally ornamental without their leaves</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-74532126748424338002013-11-27T09:14:00.000-08:002013-11-27T09:14:12.973-08:00Snappy Dresser <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cAwmzs2ILpg/UpYQBScceLI/AAAAAAAAASI/BLzFyIcg7mc/s1600/IMG_7735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cAwmzs2ILpg/UpYQBScceLI/AAAAAAAAASI/BLzFyIcg7mc/s400/IMG_7735.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On display; cups and platter by Anthropologie, pumpkin soup tureen by my mother</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">
The Idea</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">I once saw the comedian Jack Dee being very funny about growing up with a Grandmother who’s mantra was “Don’t <i>buy</i> it I’ll <i>make</i> it.”</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Lovely when it’s a cake but as Jack explained not so great when it’s a Superman costume and the homemade version is knitted.</span></span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">My children claim I am the same. I am endlessly outraged by the price of things and always trying to make them instead, sometimes successfully but quite often by the time I’ve bought all the necessary equipment it turns out pricier than if I’d just bought it ready made...</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">HOWEVER when it comes to renovating and up-cycling old furniture instead of buying it new or already renovated it’s almost always really worth it.</span></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My finished, big, fat, fake dresser.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Where to begin</span></h3>
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Auctions, car boot sales and junk shops are a brilliant source of really, really cheap and solidly built furniture that with a bit of time and attention can be transformed into something fantastic. Even if you employ someone to do it all for you, with bigger pieces particularly, you’ll still end up paying less and have something customised to your taste and space.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The dresser in my kitchen is a case in point.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I had seen a really beautiful one in an antique shop in Cornwall. It was perfect, except the price - it was eye wateringly expensive. Since selling an organ to finance it was not a convenient option I decided to make my own.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The previous owner of our house had left behind a big quite unattractive orangey pine side board with drawers. The drawers were very difficult to get in and out, the inside had only one big shelf and no base BUT it was really solid and the perfect size.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s the kind of sideboard I have seen sell at auction from anything between £30-£120.</span></div>
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Apologies for the awful photo, but here you can see the old sideboard with new top to half way through.</div>
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Making the top part</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">In this instance, because I was already in the middle of an entire house renovation overseen by my architect sister-in-law, she did me a proper CAD drawing for the joiner based on a photo of the Cornish dresser I loved.</span></div>
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However this isn’t always necessary, lots of times I’ve done a scale drawing myself by hand, simply by measuring from a picture of something I'm inspired by or want to copy to get the <i>proportions</i> correct and then adjusted heights widths etc accordingly to fit my space.<br />
Alternatively you can skip the drawing stage altogether by giving a good carpenter or joiner, you trust, an image to copy.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ih-qzjnLfk/UpX0tCFLwpI/AAAAAAAAAQU/rX0J7e0pi8c/s1600/IMG_8470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ih-qzjnLfk/UpX0tCFLwpI/AAAAAAAAAQU/rX0J7e0pi8c/s640/IMG_8470.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"> Raising up the bottom shelf meant things weren't hidden when the door was shut<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Remodelling the bottom part</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The carpenter put in a base in the old sideboard so things weren’t sitting directly on the floor, took out the single, full depth shelf and replaced it with two. Because the cupboard was so deep these shelves were shallower than the bottom shelf and although this meant there was slightly less shelf space, but you could see everything properly.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: large;">The Drawers</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">The carpenter fixed the runners and drawers so the drawers didn’t tip as they slid out and divided up the inside of the drawers to my specification: </span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">One for cutlery</span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Tp5Pdv8U94/UpYZznWFJKI/AAAAAAAAATE/SZipwc0Ce2M/s1600/IMG_0885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Tp5Pdv8U94/UpYZznWFJKI/AAAAAAAAATE/SZipwc0Ce2M/s640/IMG_0885.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The drawers are lined with wallpaper samples.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One for papers; post, menus, seed catalogues, colour charts etc..</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bt_PN4V9vhU/UpYbPBlgzPI/AAAAAAAAATY/fWF2Ob05Iys/s1600/IMG_0866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bt_PN4V9vhU/UpYbPBlgzPI/AAAAAAAAATY/fWF2Ob05Iys/s640/IMG_0866.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a drawer for papers stops them accumulating on kitchen surfaces</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One for everything else, first aid, foreign change purses, marker pens, tape measures, torches, batteries, kitchen light bulbs, napkins etc..etc..</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sOIfqXaLM9g/UpYbqj39FnI/AAAAAAAAATg/5VqM37LDYd8/s1600/IMG_0862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sOIfqXaLM9g/UpYbqj39FnI/AAAAAAAAATg/5VqM37LDYd8/s640/IMG_0862.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small compartments stop it getting too messy</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Background detail - tongue and groove</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xzhS37vlCLE/UpYcEgPLb7I/AAAAAAAAATw/GkCZkgJbQoY/s1600/IMG_7901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xzhS37vlCLE/UpYcEgPLb7I/AAAAAAAAATw/GkCZkgJbQoY/s640/IMG_7901.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm happy to display ANYTHING<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Cost ?</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">My fake antique dresser cost about a fifth of the dresser in Cornwall. Seriously. </span></h3>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-9710334829201272582013-11-19T08:02:00.000-08:002013-11-19T09:01:28.397-08:00The Mighty Beetroot <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W6NaLMzrz4o/UoPQHVO_48I/AAAAAAAAAMU/EUQaL9HIAkw/s1600/IMG_7276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W6NaLMzrz4o/UoPQHVO_48I/AAAAAAAAAMU/EUQaL9HIAkw/s640/IMG_7276.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo;">These pink and white striped Chioggia are as pretty as they are delicious.</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px;">Anthony and my Vegetable Garden.</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px;">I am new to proper vegetable growing, up until three years ago my only outside space was a tiny, very shady London garden. I managed to grow runner beans in a flower bed between the Hellebores and Dicentra, a few (mostly green) tomatoes and radishes in pots on my terrace, lots of herbs, but nothing much else. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I was restricted by lack of space, time and sun but most importantly lack of knowledge and experience. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This year we replaced our (new to us) but very old, rotten and falling down greenhouse with a new one and added cold frames and turned a big muddy expanse outside the kitchen window into a proper vegetable garden with raised beds and gravel paths. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">However, the reason I have a flourishing vegetable garden is not because I now have space, sun and paid help but because of Next-Door-Anthony. I Lord it around with a trug and trowel, waggling seed packets of things I want to grow and sometimes even a hose, but the success of every single vegetable we’ve grown is entirely down to him. I don’t think there is one thing I have learnt about vegetables since last March, when we started, that hasn’t been spoon fed to me by Anthony. He is not a gardener by trade, he’s a builder but he is the most green fingered person I have ever met, has been growing vegetables for 40 odd years and shares my fervent interest in cooking, eating and growing them. In the same way most people discuss politics or religion we discuss the merits of various beans, tomatoes and beetroot. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_vCkJOiJBZc/Uot90o5g2qI/AAAAAAAAAO4/s9vZh6yvkhM/s1600/IMG_7358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_vCkJOiJBZc/Uot90o5g2qI/AAAAAAAAAO4/s9vZh6yvkhM/s640/IMG_7358.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo;">A trug full of Chioggia.</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo; font-size: 16px;">This year's beetroot varieties: </span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo; font-size: 16px;">Bull's Blood, Chioggia, Golden Burpee</span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I absolutely love Beetroot, but I think it’s a bit like the Royal family, it divides opinion - you either love it or don’t see the point.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My daughter Mary recently asked “Why would I eat something that tastes like dirt with sugar?” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But that’s exactly why I find it delicious - its earthy sweetness. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Beetroot, as well as being incredibly pretty, both in the vegetable garden and on your plate, is also very forgiving. I don’t know if this is normal (never having grown it before), but I have beetroot that has sat quietly in the ground since August without swelling to some fantastic and inedible size, all that seems to have happened is it’s stayed fresh and perky, ready to be picked whenever I have a fancy for it.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One last reason to love beetroot is you really can eat all of it. I treat the leaves exactly like spinach, raw or wilted - either way they’re great.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo; font-size: 16px;">Below are 3 easy recipes</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The first is from one of my very favourite restaurants, Morito in Exmouth Market (the cafe style establishment and little sibling to the wonderful Moro restaurant next door).</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Occasionally when I’ve eaten there I’ve seen Samantha or Samuel Clark (the head chefs and owners of both) working in the open kitchen and I feel genuinely star struck. I honestly don’t think I’d care if I saw George Clooney or Lady Gaga - but those two? I’m weak with admiration...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo; font-size: 16px;">Beetroot Borani </span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">Serves 6-8 as a first course</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px;">Ingredients</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">500g of Beetroot</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">400g Full-fat Greek yoghurt</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px;">3 tblsp Olive oil</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo; font-size: 14px;">1 Clove of crushed garlic</span></div>
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Small bunch of dill</div>
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1/2 packet of Feta cheese</div>
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A handful of shelled pistachios (optional)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ytgiymOl-2k/UoPQO5_4VuI/AAAAAAAAAMc/D-fXJaNHoSU/s1600/IMG_7970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ytgiymOl-2k/UoPQO5_4VuI/AAAAAAAAAMc/D-fXJaNHoSU/s640/IMG_7970.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scrubbed and ready to roast</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QrHvkACoR7o/UoPRBqf5DJI/AAAAAAAAANE/ZlRrqRr0PN0/s1600/IMG_7996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QrHvkACoR7o/UoPRBqf5DJI/AAAAAAAAANE/ZlRrqRr0PN0/s640/IMG_7996.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasted beetroot. These took about 50 minutes at 190c</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Method</span></div>
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Boil or roast the beetroots whole till easily pierced with a skewer.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Remove the </span>skin and cut into rough chunks.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Grind in a blender with the olive oil, yoghurt, garlic and seasoning.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Spoon into a dish and scatter dill fronds, pistachios and crumbled feta on top.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Serve with flat bread or crudites</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CM8cGCgJt_Q/UoPRPQdVRRI/AAAAAAAAANU/F-4VN7ttR4I/s1600/IMG_8066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CM8cGCgJt_Q/UoPRPQdVRRI/AAAAAAAAANU/F-4VN7ttR4I/s640/IMG_8066.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tastes as good as it looks and SO EASY</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Morito serve theirs with walnuts not pistachios, but I prefer the taste and look of pistachios. If you decide to halve the quantities don’t be tempted to use the whole clove of garlic, it’s too much.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Beetroot and Pomegranate Salad with Pomegranate Molasses.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">Pomegranate molasses has a sour almost citrus flavour and is lovely with the sweetness of the roasted beetroot.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gFp3U1UYz6s/UoPR3W3jkrI/AAAAAAAAANo/EEhRymQ97Yk/s1600/IMG_8082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gFp3U1UYz6s/UoPR3W3jkrI/AAAAAAAAANo/EEhRymQ97Yk/s640/IMG_8082.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used half Chioggia and half Bull's Blood in my salad.</td></tr>
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<h4>
Ingredients</h4>
300g Beetroot </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A handful of Pomegranate seeds </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1 tblsp Pomegranate molasses</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2 tblsp Extra virgin olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2 tblsp Lemon juice</span></div>
<div style="color: #383838; font: 14.0px Menlo; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 24.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A handful of Mint and Coriander leaves chopped.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Method</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Roast the beetroot until easily pierced with a skewer, peel and cut into large dice.</span></div>
<div style="color: #383838; font: 14.0px Menlo; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 24.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Whisk together the Pomegranate molasses and lemon juice then add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Stir through the beetroot with the pomegranate seeds, mint and coriander. </span></div>
<div style="color: #383838; font: 14.0px Menlo; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 24.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sprinkle extra pomegranate seeds, mint and coriander on top.</span><br />
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Particularly good with chargrilled lamb or smoked fish.<br />
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<div style="color: #383838; font: 14.0px Menlo; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 24.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;">
<h3>
Beetroot and Quince Soup with Horseradish Creme Fraiche</h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #383838; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_vCkJOiJBZc/Uot90o5g2qI/AAAAAAAAAO0/45-jqn0IMi4/s1600/IMG_7358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCR_c-TGmr4/UoPQXaWKM5I/AAAAAAAAAMk/_zFRB9vz0e8/s1600/IMG_7967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCR_c-TGmr4/UoPQXaWKM5I/AAAAAAAAAMk/_zFRB9vz0e8/s640/IMG_7967.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the colours. I have A LOT of quinces....<br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span></div>
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Serves 4</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #383838; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"></table>
</span>500g Beetroot peeled and sliced<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #383838; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"></table>
</span>50g Quince peeled and sliced<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #383838; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"></table>
</span>2 Medium onions sliced<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #383838; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"></table>
</span>3 Tblsp Olive oil<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #383838; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"></table>
</span>1 Red chilli deseeded and finely sliced<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #383838; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"></table>
</span>2 Bay leaves<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #383838; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"></table>
</span>750ml Chicken or vegetable stock<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #383838; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"></table>
</span>Salt and freshly ground pepper<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #383838; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-size: 14px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kj_8S9JqnS0/UouC88pnr7I/AAAAAAAAAPM/SuC7e9NjD18/s1600/IMG_7988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kj_8S9JqnS0/UouC88pnr7I/AAAAAAAAAPM/SuC7e9NjD18/s640/IMG_7988.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Peeled Chioggia. The stripes disappear when cooked.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Method</span><br />
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Soften the onion and chilli in the olive oil until translucent.</div>
<div style="color: #383838; font: 14.0px Menlo; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 24.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Add the beetroot, quince, bay leaf and stock and simmer until very soft.</span><br />
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Remove the bay leaf, liquidize and adjust the seasoning.</div>
<div style="color: #383838; font: 14.0px Menlo; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 24.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Strain the soup by pouring into your biggest sieve and stirring with a spoon until you’re left with about 1/4 of the pulp in the sieve which you discard.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Keep the (now thinner) soup below. This sounds like a big hassle but it’s easy and quick and improves the texture of the finished soup which is fairly grainy due to the addition of the quince.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Re heat and serve with a dollop of</span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Horseradish Creme Fraiche</span></h4>
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<div style="color: #383838; font: 14.0px Menlo; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 24.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Mix together:</span></div>
<div style="color: #383838; font: 14.0px Menlo; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 24.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">4 tblsp Creme fraiche</span></div>
<div style="color: #383838; font: 14.0px Menlo; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 24.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2 tsp freshly grated horseradish</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Salt and freshly ground pepper</span></div>
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The heat of the horseradish and lactic acidity/sourness of the creme fraiche balances out the sweetness of the soup. If you can’t get fresh horseradish try a squeeze of wasabi paste instead.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qLLl-jtwwmo/Uot9MxPkEHI/AAAAAAAAAOo/9Hhlbh1AD5M/s1600/IMG_8143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qLLl-jtwwmo/Uot9MxPkEHI/AAAAAAAAAOo/9Hhlbh1AD5M/s640/IMG_8143.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #383838; font-family: Menlo;">The finished soup is a delicate pink</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-26145602486255028752013-11-11T07:34:00.000-08:002017-05-05T09:28:48.749-07:00Jars and Organising<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lHcUV4nICcQ/UoDu1sl02vI/AAAAAAAAAKs/FmyImxLOQ9k/s1600/sarahs+fave+jars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lHcUV4nICcQ/UoDu1sl02vI/AAAAAAAAAKs/FmyImxLOQ9k/s640/sarahs+fave+jars.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My regimented jars of all the things that were once languishing in the bottom of 'The Drawer ' (everyone has one)...</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A Place for Everything.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The phrase "A place for everything and everything has its place."</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While being super annoying does really help when you're trying to be slightly less chaotic. </span>I have the misfortune to be a neat-freak trapped in the body of an untidy person. My family are just really untidy, all of them. </div>
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It’s a constant and mostly losing battle to try and keep some order in our house.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I also have a brain like a sieve so when I came up with the idea of painting a giant blackboard on our kitchen chimney breast to to note down all the essentials I was likely to forget (like my name), I needed to find a way of not constantly losing the chalk. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mdfetvv110s/UoDu98WwDgI/AAAAAAAAAK0/GaxCEgR4G4g/s1600/straight+on++jars+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mdfetvv110s/UoDu98WwDgI/AAAAAAAAAK0/GaxCEgR4G4g/s640/straight+on++jars+copy.jpg" width="411" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wall painted with blackboard paint is nicer than an actual blackboard as it has some texture. </td></tr>
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Chalk boxes aren’t very pretty and they’re small so easy to misplace. </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So I put shelves on the blackboard for my chalk jar and having had a great success in NOT LOSING THE CHALK because it was in big jar on it’s own special shelf, I added the other essentials we seemed to spend approximately 20% of our lives looking for:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Rubbers and sharpeners</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Pens that work</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">crayons</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sometimes these kind of ideas look cute in a photo shoot but don’t really work in a real home, but this really is a great solution to The Great Stationery Hunt. Everyone can see where to find it and occasionally they’ll even put it back and when you find yourself looking longingly at a packet of penguin shaped rubbers, or a Homer Simpson pencil sharpener (we have both) you have the perfect excuse to buy them - they’ll look great in The Jar.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sLDk26g9eI8/UoDvUmqb_4I/AAAAAAAAALE/I13E65pcnaE/s1600/IMG_2033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sLDk26g9eI8/UoDvUmqb_4I/AAAAAAAAALE/I13E65pcnaE/s640/IMG_2033.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central control. A calendar (out of shot) hangs between the two shelves with all play dates, outings, deadlines etc.. noted on it and everyone can leave messages on the blackboard, usually it's 'buy peanut butter.'</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the unlikely event that you don’t recognize them, these are Burken jars from IKEA</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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The lovely photos were taken by my friend Sarah</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.sarahgarrod.co.uk/">www.sarahgarrod.co.uk</a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-34608700301177458892013-11-05T07:44:00.000-08:002013-11-05T08:08:46.406-08:00<br />
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Adieu to the tomatoes</span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WRxPucGWzh4/UnjGg6r0KCI/AAAAAAAAAKE/IwWukqaMweI/s1600/photo-26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WRxPucGWzh4/UnjGg6r0KCI/AAAAAAAAAKE/IwWukqaMweI/s320/photo-26.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the beginning... Every variety was grown from seed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only three weeks ago this was what my tomato crop looked like. In the trug are Tigerella, Black Russian, Brandywine, Sungold, Suncherry, and Black Cherry.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Summer is really over.</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;">I know this not because the clocks have gone back and my calendar says so, but because my seemingly endless supply of beautiful ripe tomatoes is limping towards it’s inevitable end. The cucumber plants we were growing in the greenhouse have already met their maker. The vines, despite looking almost entirely dead for several weeks, valiantly continued to produce increasingly misshapen (but still delicious) little fruit until the weekend before last when we finally had to admit defeat, dig them up and put them on the compost heap. The rest of the tomato plants will be following soon (some have already gone). What fruit still remain on the outside vines are struggling to ripen, though amazingly, the smaller ones in the greenhouse are still turning red.</span></div>
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This week in the greenhouse. Small Tigerella tomatoes are still ripening. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't think these Brandywine will ripen.<br />
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Now I have so few tomatoes left I have come over all reverent towards them. Below are two ways to make the most of the last few in a delicious and slightly more autumnal way.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">The World's Greatest Sandwich.</span><br />
Not pretty, but utterly delicious. If I had one tomato left in the world this is how I'd use it. The sandwich only requires a smear (literally), but that smear of acidic tomato cuts through the fattiness of the ham and is essential. The ham is horribly expensive but a little goes a long way and the pig's acorn diet gives it a completely unique, nutty, sweet flavour.<br />
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<h3>
The Catalan.</h3>
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Dark rye sourdough bread, an acidic tomato, a clove of garlic, your best olive oil<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i>, </i></span></span>jamón Ibérico de bellota.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wS5IbbbM70I/UnjAS88-vOI/AAAAAAAAAIU/QYyX1PMpuKc/s1600/IMG_7789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wS5IbbbM70I/UnjAS88-vOI/AAAAAAAAAIU/QYyX1PMpuKc/s640/IMG_7789.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rub the bread with the garlic, then smoosh on (this is a technical term) the juice and seeds of the tomato and discard the skin.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drizzle olive oil on both pieces of bread, lay the ham in a single layer, top with your other piece of bread. Perfection. </td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Pickled Tomato Confit</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">At this time of year a fresh tomato salad feels wrong, but a pickled salad almost like a confit with a woody herb like rosemary seems suitably seasonal. The vinegar turns the onion a beautiful magenta so it looks lovely too. Serve on it's own, smeared on toast, with cheese - it's particularly good with a chalky goat's cheese, great in a steak baguette too.</span></span></div>
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1kg of small tomatoes </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2 tblsp demerera sugar</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2 tblsp red wine vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">4 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary</span></div>
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Cut your tomatoes in half if they're cherry sized and into 4 if they're any bigger and scoop out the seeds.</div>
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Lay them skin side down on an oiled baking tray (use half the oil), season and roast at a very low temperature 110c for 2-3 hours until soft.<br />
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Turn them over halfway through to allow any juices to drain away. Allow to cool.</div>
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Finely slice the red onions and soften in the remaining olive oil with a pinch of salt and the rosemary.<br />
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Once softened add the sugar and vinegar and simmer until reduced and syrupy.<br />
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Allow to cool slightly and gently stir through the tomatoes.<br />
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Admire the colours. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pickled tomato confit.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-24825567621715225802013-10-30T05:45:00.000-07:002013-11-05T08:09:25.141-08:00Blackberries.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many bushes on our route</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have a bit of an obsession with blackberry picking partly because it seems the most quintessentially Autumnal activity but also because it’s free food, which is always a good thing right ? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">At this time of year I’m like a drill sergeant, every time we go on a walk everyone has to carry a bag, basket or bowl and no one is allowed back in the house without a decent amount of ‘booty’.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This will do. Dorothy (my youngest daughter) will be allowed back in the house.. </td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Once back in the house I lay them out on parchment lined baking trays for a couple of hours so any wildlife has a chance to escape and then freeze them. Freezing on trays before transferring them into bags is important otherwise you end up with a boulder’o blackberries which you have to chisel bits off. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, by dribs and drabs I accumulate quite a decent stash of blackberries over a few weeks and as they have such a distinctive, almost perfumed flavour you often only need a handful to transform a pie or crumble etc.. into something much more delicious. They go a long way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The recipe below is about as easy as a recipe gets and is super quick.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Blackberry and Meringue Parfait</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">300g blackberries</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">500ml double cream</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">150g meringues roughly broken up</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Grated zest of 1 lemon</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 tblsp caster sugar</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Put the blackberries in a small saucepan with a tablespoon of water, the sugar and grated zest of the lemon and cook over a low heat until the blackberries are collapsing. Roughly mash with a fork but don’t over do it, you still want lumps. Put aside to cool.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile whip the cream into soft peaks and then mix in the crumbled meringue, then very gently fold in the cooled blackberry mixture. Do not over mix, you’re aiming for a marbled effect, not a pink slush.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It should look something like this...</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tip the mixture into a deep sided cake tin lined with cling film or baking parchment and freeze. The shape is up to you, I used a round cake tin measuring 18cm across by 7 cm deep. Freeze until solid.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving, otherwise you won't be able to cut it. The slices will be messy.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Hot Blackberry Sauce </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">200g blackberries</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not really a sauce at all, just hot sweet blackberries as a contrast to the cold parfait.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This isn’t really worth making in advance as it takes about 5 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While the parfait is unthawing, tip everything into a small saucepan and heat over a low heat until the blackberries start to collapse and give off some juice. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Check for sweetness, as it depends on how sweet your blackberries were in the first place you may need to add more sugar.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3118338987241349687.post-54410487548142717032013-10-24T12:21:00.000-07:002013-10-27T05:05:56.034-07:00Memory Tree<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I once read that the architect John Pawson likes his houses so minimal and clutter free, he doesn’t even allow family photos, his wife has to keep them in a drawer. This is very much not my style. We seem to never stop accumulating ‘stuff’ most of it is tat but some things look cool and have meaning and those are the things I want to keep, at least for a little while. I think this is even more the case with children. The problem is how to display all the pictures, postcards, trinkets and photos. I’m a huge fan of pin boards (the bigger the better) but wanted to do something less workaday for my youngest daughter Dorothy’s bedroom. I originally got the idea of painting a big tree on a wall from a coffee shop in Spitalfields in London. Theirs was dark brown, much more stylized than ours and didn’t have the hooks and clips but it was a big tree painted on a wall nonetheless. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R3BB5cdyg6I/UmlhDL8ZLFI/AAAAAAAAAEU/jk7SivTb4BU/s1600/IMG_7149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R3BB5cdyg6I/UmlhDL8ZLFI/AAAAAAAAAEU/jk7SivTb4BU/s640/IMG_7149.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo;">My two eldest daughters helped, Edith (not in the photos) and Mary. It was great fun to do and only took about 5 hours.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0fw57S5CcQ/UmliMJuXQ_I/AAAAAAAAAEs/KBo2ly0GA6I/s1600/IMG_7157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0fw57S5CcQ/UmliMJuXQ_I/AAAAAAAAAEs/KBo2ly0GA6I/s640/IMG_7157.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Here’s how we did it.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">First Edith sketched out the main trunk and branches of the tree directly onto the wall using a really soft pencil (5B) which made it easy to rub out any mistakes.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Next Mary and I took over, we drew in all the smaller branches and twigs.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e9vpMQmxTT4/UmljTk3neMI/AAAAAAAAAFI/Lb51XNs9n88/s1600/photo4.5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e9vpMQmxTT4/UmljTk3neMI/AAAAAAAAAFI/Lb51XNs9n88/s200/photo4.5.png" width="149" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Once that was done I placed post it notes where I thought we’d probably want to hang things. The post it notes helped to get the spacing of the cup hooks right.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I indicated where a cup hook was going with a circle.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We painted the tree in using artists' brushes and emulsion paint (Farrow and Ball Old White). To minimise smudging we started with the twigs and worked inwards.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Menlo;">Because my walls are soft and nothing we were hanging from the hooks was going to be heavy we just screwed the cup hooks directly into the wall and added small bulldog clips where necessary.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Job done!</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782815410509312088noreply@blogger.com6