Culinary disaster
We’d had a bag of lamb knocking about for so long in the freezer that I finally decided to cook it. It was a bit of a sacrifice as the bag had been useful. It was the perfect side prop to stop more precious things dropping out. “What cut of lamb is it?” I had no idea, even when I examined the four long lengths. “Why don’t we give it The Beastley Treatment? It always seems to work with elderly frozen meat.” So I did. The slow cooker bubbled away and it smelt delicious for hours. Therein lies the rub. I...
read moreThe Pickled Walnuts project: stage two. Plus original recipes for spiced pickling vinegar
Good pickled walnuts are a wonderful accompaniment to strong cheese or cold meat. They are an English tradition. Often they are made with malt vinegar and can be very challenging to eat. This year I was determined to try to make the ultimate pickled walnut. Part one of the challenge can be perused here. After the two week saline soak (changing the solution after one week) I rinsed the walnuts and moved them down to the greenhouse to dry. This can take from 3-5 days. They turn a greyish black quite quickly. Not knowing how black the walnuts...
read moreDyson repair service review: Thumbs up
A couple of weeks ago our trusty old Dyson cut out. It felt very hot so we let it rest for a couple of hours while I searched the Internet for a replacement vacuum cleaner. I’m lucky as I visit new houses every week and have road tested hundreds. I’ve been impressed by the Seebo. So selected a vacuum cum carpet cleaner that seemed to be just the ticket. The only problem was the price really cut into the pot of gold that we are saving for our oil tank refill. When Danny tried the Dyson again it purred into life and continued for a...
read moreCrisp fried or baked cheese recipe
“Even though we’d been vegetarians for years we sometimes had a yearning for bacon.” Teresa was running a vegetarian restaurant at the time. “What did you do?” I imagined Teresa hot footing down to the local town wearing a large brimmed hat and scoring a wad of bacon from a backstreet butcher. “We fried cheese.” Her face softened with the memory. “How on earth do you fry cheese?” “It’s easy. Grab a non stick frying pan. Heat it to a medium temperature and cut your cheese fine....
read moreUpdate on the Indian Runner Ducks. Happy on the hill.
“They have settled in so well. I expected a few problems but they are getting on fine.” S poured the tea as the ducks toured the garden in a neat crocodile line outside. “In fact, Eric(a) loves hanging out with the grown up boys. And she’s extremely bossy with the older female ducks.” Eric had always hung back and given Freddie and Tipex first dibs on everything. I was delighted that she was finally putting her flat, webbed foot firmly down. “Look, they are coming up to the wood. I love seeing them waddle...
read moreOven roasted cheese toasties recipe
“August has been terrible, this year. It seems to have rained every day.” My prospective client stared out of the window into the greyish, damp gloom. I’ve only had outside work for the last few weeks. I know the Met Office site better than our redundant garden table, where we used to eat our supper most summer evenings years ago. This morning I rambled through the blog archives. August was cold and wet last year and 2006 had its low points too. When summer weather turns chilly, an indulgent treat can lift the spirits in just...
read moreSexing the bantam eggs. An old wives’ tale?
I stood in the bay window in Emma’s kitchen watching the bantams sunbathe like languid couples on a Greek island. I’d noticed that her bantams pairs tended to stick together whereas the Buff Orpingtons didn’t. In fact they couldn’t. There was just one Buff Orpington cockerel with a handful of pretty, plump wives. “You couldn’t have six husbands and wives as the cockerels would fight. One always has to be the master of the flock. With the bantams it’s a bit different. They tend to stick to their breeds...
read moreLeftovers: Summer Shepherd’s Pie recipe
“Do you like carrots in your shepherd’s pie?” “Yes please!” Danny looked suspicious, “What else are you going to add?” I was planning to cook a traditional British Shepherd’s Pie with the leftovers from a shoulder of lamb. He visibly relaxed. But when I went to the fridge that evening the shelves were bare. For weeks Danny had been stockpiling carrots, buying every bag that he found on the Tesco condemned food counter. At one stage the fridge was bursting with them and I’d considered making...
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