Living Off The Fat 'O' The Land!

Today has not been a typical July 30th.  I know this because it is my Mom's 'Happy To You'.  Amazingly she is 21 again and when the children ask her age she says 'I am as old as my tongue and a little bit older than my teeth'.  It has been a mixed day weather wise, heavy showers and warm sunshine.  My Mom was apparently born at night in a thunder storm.  We went to see her for lunch and Euan presented her with chocolates and Henry presented her with beautiful Yellow Roses.  I got her a Peg Loom and will have to help her to warp it asap.  I also collected my Aunt and her little dog, Daisy to come and have lunch.  It was a nice little get together.
               In the afternoon I finally got to work in the garden.  Weeding.  Forget everything I said in This Post when I was singing the praises of nettles.  When they are strangling my peas and beans they become the enemy!  Common all garden 'Stingers'.  Not a nice job weeding them out of the one raised bed they are determined to take over.  I donned gloves and had nasty thoughts.  I was rewarded for my nasty thoughts by pulling a large nettle and it flew out of the ground into my face, stinging me on the end of my nose and my cheek!  Youch!  War on all nettles from now on!!!  I thought there was nothing to harvest from the garden yet but I had some accidental finds.  I pulled a whole pea plant by mistake, that was disappointing.  I found the first 'runner' beans and some nice round courgettes.  Oh I nearly forgot I pulled this little potato by accident too.  Oh yes...we have rich pickings here.  The fruits of my labour.  High living indeed.
                I am trying hard to be less wasteful with food.  I have a nice little stash of eggs so I decided to make a famous Weight Watcher's Crustless Quiche (or two).  Pre Weight Watchers a Quiche had a nice crisp, buttery, pastry crust, now I am destined to be eating quiche of the 'crustless' variety for the forseable.  (Tut, 'crustless' I ask ya)!

Quiche also used to be packed with cheese if the nice full fat, cheddary kind.  Now it has 'Low Fat Cottage Cheese'.  I suppose cheese is cheese and a gal has to be grateful!  I finely chopped all of my Bountiful Harvest, adding onions and a red pepper, frying them gently in a tsp of Olive oil.  A teaspoon of Olive Oil!  I remember the good old days when Olive Oil was used in glugs too.  They I beat six eggs with 300g of Cottage Cheese and poured it into 'Victoria Sandwich' tins, with the vegetables.  Then I baked in a medium/hot oven until they looked like this.  They are good cold and keep well in the fridge for a couple of days.  Now I have no excuse, they are ready made 'Low Fat' lunches!

This photograph proves it slices like a 'Quiche'.

This photograph also proves it slices like a 'Quiche' and it gives me the chance to show you my favourite plate in the whole world.

I bought it for Euan when he was a baby.  Now he is a 'big' boy, I have inherited it.  Hoorah!

This range of 'Baby' items were sold by Sainsbury's and they were created using original designs drawn by John Lennon for his son Sean.   There is something so simple and happy about these little pictures.  Euan had several items and a cuddly elephant but somehow the plate is all we have left.  I love the birdies.

If they made 'John Lennon' wall paper I would get decorating my living room!  I could live with Happy Elephants and puzzled Birdies everywhere.  Yep, in all, today has been another day in Paradise!  xxx

Incarcerated!

Incarcerated, behind bars, harshly judged and an unfair trial!  Poor Chicken babies!  The Big Bad Man has had another meltdown about the 'fun' these ladies have!  I do not mind the Brassica Massacre.  I don't mind them rearranging the garden borders, I don't mind them camping out on the back step, but The Big Bad Man does!   As the garden gets seasonally wetter and muddier there has been a showdown, an 'In The Sky Style O.K Corral'.  It concluded with The Big Bad Man threatening to erect a large fence!  I agreed, a truly spiffing idea!  I will concede a little and agree, I wish the children would look where they were putting their feet!  So the result is a temporary loss of freedom to my girlies, but we all know 'When the cat is away, mice will play!'
      Today the girls were most appreciative of my titivating in their coop.  They came and admired the fresh covering of wood pellets and sawdust as I was putting it in situ.  They quietly cooed and clucked at the thick layer of warm straw I placed in their nest boxes and then as everyone else was out walking, they came out on the rampage again!  He he he!!!  They ran around at their leisure scratching, pecking, marauding and pooping wherever they pleased!
      I have a cookathon on Sundays, making lunch, then a homemade soup and usually Monday's  Main Meal too.  I wanted some Parsnips from the garden for the soup and tomorrow's 'Lamb Casserole'.  I dig for the parsnips with my bare hands, which is not at all good for the manicure but is the most effective way I have found of extricating the parsnips from the soil.  I use raised beds for gardening.  The chickens treat the raised beds as an Adventure Playground with tasty benefits.  Today I really struggled to get my parsnips, I tugged, and burrowed, wiggled and pulled for about five minutes.  I had two chicken helpers, Poppy and Daisy, in front of me, scratching the soil as I burrowed.  I pulled and puffed and puffed and pulled as they watched on in bewilderment and fascination!  Then I felt a little pair of feet on my back, Rosie had jumped on my back to peer over my shoulder and get a better look.  Obviously I could not take a photograph but I really wish somebody could have.  She sat on my back encouraging me in my parsnip digging plight.  I thought of the story of 'The Enormous Turnip'.  I really appreciated the help and support of my chicken buddies.

When the first parsnip came up they were fascinated but when the second Monster parsnip was wiggled free, I could tell I had earned their admiration and respect they cooed and clucked  in awe and wonder!   When push comes to shove... I would choose my 'Loyal Feathered Buddies' over many of the Human Beans in my life.  We have a bond and I love them!  Mess and all!  I have three lovely eggs a day as a reward for my earache!
      Therefore 'What God has put together, let no man separate.'   

Green Enchilada Sauce

I am so easily lead.  I read this post Green Enchilada Sauce over at 'Sheep Spinach and Strawberries' back in March.  I had never heard of a 'Tamatillo'.  I promptly popped on Ebay and ordered some seeds.  My Dad planted the seeds and nurtured them into healthy plants.  He has had a bumper Tomatillo Harvest too and plans to make 'Salsa Verde'.  This was this mornings pickings.

This is a ripe and ready Tomatillo.  You peel back the paper lantern and inside is a tomato looking thing.  It is a bit tacky to touch.  I harvested more than I thought I would, I probably had about a Kilo.

This is what the inside looks like.  I was a bit hesitant to try one raw but I popped it in a chewed.  They are strangely pleasant.  They taste like a cross between a Tomato and a Green Pepper.

I found some dried up chillis in the greenhouse and a surprise cucumber!

I decide to make a 'Green Enchilada Sauce in the slowpot.

I put them all in the pot on 'High' with four or five chillis, four cloves of garlic, a chopped onion, salt and pepper and two tablespoons of Olive Oil.  After a couple of hours I whizzed it all together with my hand blender.

I am left with a large pot of 'Green Sauce'.  Let me tell you it is delicious.  It is very tangy.  The only key ingredient I was missing is fresh coriander and this sauce seems to be crying out for it.  I am going to freeze it in small pots and will remember to buy the coriander.
I have just had a lovely lunch of 'Cheese Enchiladas with Green Enchilada Sauce'.  (Half fat cheese, honest!)  I used Mozzarella and Cheddar.

It tasted better than it looks!

Yum!  I will definitely be growing more Tomatillos next year.

'Soft fruit' Meringues and 'Gala Pie'

The Cultivated Blackberries in my garden have grown really well this year and a ripening beautifully.  I have been picking and freezing them.  I like my cultivated variety because the blackberries are huge, fat and juicy, but the real bonus is there are no thorns on the plant!  The other morning I had a chicken by my feet doing vertical jumps, trying to peck the bag of blackberries our of my hand.  They love the soft fruit and there is enough to go round.  When the chickens keep laying such fantastic eggs I can't begrudge them some fruit.  I do object to them scratching in my vegetable beds though and shoo them off a bit over enthusiastically.

Here is another tasty recipe including eggs.  It is great served hot or cold, it would be good for picnics with what is left of the UK Summer weather.

I have Linked this to Lavender and Loveage 'Herbs on Saturday' follow the link for your chance to win a copy of 'The Cooks Herb Garden'

Gala Pie
Ingredients
500g of shortcrust pastry to line a 2lb loaf tin
400g of sausage meat
150g of diced Pork loin (I used loin steaks and snipped them up)
150g of bacon, I used lardons.
1 onion very finely diced
2 tablespoons of Freshly chopped sage
4 large hard boiled Eggs Peeled (or six smaller ones)
Pepper to taste
Egg Yolk to glaze the pastry

Method
Line the loaf tin with shortcrust pastry, roll out a pastry lid for the pie and reserve...
Mix the sausage, pork and bacon together with the onion and sage.  Add pepper to your own taste.
Spoon half of the meat mixture into the pastry case.
Place the hard boiled eggs into the mixture.
Cover the eggs with the remaining half of the meat.
Place on the pastry lid.
Brush with Egg yolk to glaze.
Put in a hot oven for 25 - 30 minutes.
Cover with foil and cook in a medium oven for an hour.
Brush again with the egg yolk glaze and cook on high for a further 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

With some spare egg whites I whizzed up some meringues.  I don't have an electric whisk so Euan and I took turns until our muscles ached, but the reward was worth it.

Meringue, with Creme Fraiche and fresh berries (Blackberries and Raspberries) Delicious.

We love our chickens!

Edit:   If you do happen to find yourself with a glut of Blackberries this year (and I strongly suggest you do!)
'A Trifle Rushed' has a Fantastic Use for Them, Here:

Chalky's Chipples - 'Inthesky' Style

Over at 'Chalky's World' she wrote a post about 'Chipples' an old Regional Salad Onion Dish her Grandmother used to make.  I thought it looked like a delicious recipe and in true 'Inthesky' style adapted it, as I did not have a full bunch of Spring Onions.  My Great Great Grandfather was a Market Gardener and my Grandmother told me she used to tie little bunches of onions for her Grandfather, to go to market in the 'Vale of Evesham'.
My Version of 'Chipples' included finely sliced Celery, Radish, peeled and diced Cucumber and sliced Spring Onion.  The dressing is a tablespoon of Cream, 2 tablespoons of Vinegar and a teaspoon of Sugar.  I seasoned mine with Salt, Black Pepper and Paprika pepper.
Link to Chalky's World and her chat about 'Chipples'.
My version of 'Chipples' became part of the baked potato eating ceremony with my parents.

Medha here is; A Potato baked in it's skin ( Jacket) in a hot oven until it is soft.  It takes about an hour.  You must prick it all over with a fork before you bake it, or it will burst in the oven and make a mess.  These can be eaten simply or with all sorts of fillings.

Sour Cream and Freshly Chopped Chives.

The first of the Courgettes, gently fried in butter.

Some freshly boiled Beetroot.

"Living off the fat of the land"

One Potato, two potato, three potato, four!

They have arrived!  The spuds are here.  I dug two baskets of these beauties out with my bare hands last week.  I invited my parents to lunch, for a Baked Potato ceremony.  This variety of spud is rather aptly called 'Red Rooster'.   I took some camping, wrapped them in foil and cooked them on the campfire.  I even packed butter and salt.  With sausages they were delicious, mind you everything tastes delicious when your camping, it sure does make you hungry.  My friend is coming to lunch today, for a 'Jacket Potato'.  She is a gardener too and we often exchange produce or plants, so I look forward to her visits.  Her husband's marmalade is usually exchanged for a jar of my Raspberry Jam.
I am going to make a Potato Curry again 'Medha style'.  I loved each one of 'Mimi's Mommy's'  potato recipes.

Mimi's Mommy - Authentic Indian recipes with the Versatile Potato

My attempts at Medha's recipes

I love the humble spud!  Do you have any favourite potato recipes?