Istanbul Weekend

I was lucky enough to spend the weekend in Istanbul to celebrate my birthday (if it is worth celebrating these days). We had a wonderful few days although sightseeing in 90 degrees of humid heat is a bit challenging to say the least. Will add more tomorrow but saw some fabulous mosaics and the Aya Sophia church. Highlights included sitting in the main square after midnight watching a fushion of traditional eastern and western music complete with a whirling dirvish.

Quick & Easy Jam (promise)

I never seem to have much luck with jam made the traditional way on the stove with a preserving pan, it always seems to end in tears and a blackened pot. I went on a foraging course at Ballymaloe with Darina Allen and she explained that making just one or two jars was much easier than trying to fill your pantry with rows of preserves for a long winter ahead. You can also take advantage of reduced fruit at the supermarket and just use a couple of punnets.

So for foolproof strawberry jam I use 800 g (two punnets) or strawberries which had been sitting in the fridge for too long and looked a bit manky and 800 g of jam sugar (with pectin). I use a large stoneware pudding basin which is microwave safe, you need plenty of room as the jam rises when it boils more than you would think.  So slice up the strawberries and cook on high for 7 minutes then mash up with a potato masher. Stir in the sugar until it disolves and then cook on high for 15 minutes. You can add a very small amount of butter with the sugar if you like to prevent the scum forming.  Then remove and pot.  The mixture needs to boil for at least 4 minutes to activate the pectin but these timings seem to work well - don't be tempted to peak or you will interrupt the boiling.  Also boiling sugar is VERY HOT. Make sure your bowl is big enough to avoid your microwave turning into a sticky mess as you don't want this boiling over.

I've now got 3 jars of strawberry and 8 of blackcurrant as well as some redcurrant jelly from a few potterings around the kitchen. I used Delia's recipe for redcurrant jelly which just involves the above recipe but you strain it all through a nylon sieve before potting up. If you are very patient and don't rub the fruit through the sieve the jelly is clearer but it does seem a waste not to extract every last drop.

For the blackcurrants I use half jam sugar and half plain granulated. Now roll on the plums and blackberries which are looking wonderful this year despite the wasps and hornets.

Dodo's are not Extinct

Hooray I've finally finished my Dodo mosaic. You know how it is, a couple of days of intensive mosaicing and then several months of deliberation on how the tackle the background. So when people say how long did that take you, the truthful answer is nearly a year although all in all about four days work. Very pleased with him and good to find a use for the terracotta feather tiles I made some years ago. I have just spent a couple of days down with Oliver Budd making a mad hare, here's hoping it doesn't take another year to finish!

He is quite large being 3 ft x 2 ft ish in size and I have used a mixture of Vitmos, Smalti and handmade tiles. He is sitting on a board of MDF and I'm having a wide black frame made for him. I was hoping he would look like an illustration from a book.

I will post a picture of the hare in progress, I've just worked out how to do some leaves I was dithering over so onwards and upwards.

Leeds Castle Homes & Gardens Fair

Sorry for radio silence, I have been busy getting ready for the Homes & Gardens fair at Leeds Castle this weekend and have been making candles and planting up tureens etc in readiness. The weather looks great and there will be loads of stall holders and plant nurseries there as well as yours truly.

We also have another project on the go in the kitchen garden, making some raised beds with crates used to import oranges from Uruguay. I thought I was buying old orchard crates but never mind. Will post some pics over the weekend.

Belmont Park - Kitchen Garden

day was the morning after the night before and have survived the Garden Soc. supper last night. Despite the grotty weather I met up with some friends at Belmont House & Gardens near Faversham today for their spring fair. They have the most amazing walled kitchen garden which was completely renovated a few years ago and gives me lots of inspiration. The gardens have far reaching views across the Kent countryside and you can see nothing but trees and fields which is quite something. I'm very jealous of the greenhouses which are huge. I bet they don't have a bindweed infestation either.

Kitchen Garden

Greenhouse Staging

       

Trained Vine in the Greenhouse                    Apple: Lord Lambourne

Garden Society Supper - Anyone for Fish Pie

Its the village garden society supper tomorrow night and I've been spending the day cooking up a storm. Fish pie for 20 anyone? I have also made chocolate mousse for 15 which I have put marinated strawberries in (used Pimms if you must know). My fish pie receipe is quite famous (modest moi?) so here it is.

Fish Pie
I wont give you amounts. I've just made one for 20 people but add and subtract depending on the size of your dish and hungry mouths to feed.

2.5kgs mixed fish - I used sea trout, cod, smoke haddock (undyed) and prawns. poach in full fat milk seasoned with a bouquet garni and some dill stalks. Strain the milk keeping for the sauce. For the sauce I melted 4oz butter and added flour to make a roux then made a thick sauce with the poaching milk. season to taste, add chopped dill, cream fraiche (I used 1pt) and mix with the fish. Half fill an oven proof dish. I use one of those lovely large IKEA metal roasting tins with handles. Make the topping with mashed potatoes mixed with leeks sweated in yet more butter. finish with a grating of parmesan. Phew, mashing 5kgs of potatoes take quite some doing.

Chocolate Mousse
Whats not to like. I put some diced strawberries in the base of terracotta pots (collected from the yummy raspberry creme brulees in Tescos) and added pimms and a little sugar. The chocolate (Menier 70% cheapest on offer I could find) all 600 grammes was melted in the microwave and 12 egg yolks wisked in (thanks to the girls). I then whisked in 1 pint of double cream and folded in the beaten egg whites before pouring over the strawberries using a jam funnel for neatness. Topped off with a whole strawberry