HARVEST FESTIVAL

So the recipe I’m telling you about doesn’t contain pink celery but couldn't stop myself from sharing its beauty with you! Isn’t nature just wonderful! 

Now onto the recipe which is what it’s all about and and this is probably a perfect light meal to enjoy during the current heatwave assailing everyone. 

So I’d been out for the day … the temptation was  to go the beans on toast/jacket potato route but I gently forced myself to get to work on a simple couscous salad with halloumi. Not from highfalutin places like the Good food guide … just sent in an email from the Co op of all places. 

 

Salty cheese drenched in oil from a jar of sun dried tomatoes melts in the oven in foil while you season the grains with home grown parsley and oregano. It says to griddle the courgettes but I just stuck them on a tray with the halloumi, added peas and chopped  sun dried tomatoes and bob’s your uncle! ( not said that for ages!! ). I opted out of the lemon juice and could have done with a handful more of the herbs but it was totally delicious and pretty healthy too! 

Think it even justified  the bananas and ice cream and toffee sauce I fancied after I missed out on dessert when I went out for dinner the night before ! Sadly my photos aren’t aesthetically pleasing but I can assure it tastes a lot better than it looks! 

Not sure if the link will take you to the website but if not just write it into your search bar and it seems to appear that way with no problem.

https://search.app/qGGBt59kfzNUGjPA8

'DILL'ICIOUS!

 

There’s nothing more satisfying on a grey rainy day than boiling up a sweet and salty vinegary solution to pickle your home grown mini cucumbers! Adding strands of feathery dill straight from the pot outside just adds to the  contentment level even more! Time well spent when there’s not enough sunshine to enable us to enjoy the outdoors!

Can't find a link to the Tom Shingler recipe from Delicious magazine that I used  so here are the instructions instead.   Put 100mls of water, 300mls of cider vinegar, 60g caster sugar and a tablespoon of salt in a pan.  Bring to a simmer and stir till the sugar is dissolved.  Then add some dill and cool before pouring over your cucumbers.  This made three large jars.  I also added some garlic and black pepper.  He recommends fennel and mustard seeds too.

FRUITS OF OUR LABOUR

Well we haven't really seen summer properly yet.... as someone said to me recently it's playing hide and seek!  Unfortunately its shyness is causing havoc at the allotment with so much refusing to grow at normal speed and a dearth of pollinators to assist the process.

However there are successes.  We have crunchy sugar snaps, huge heads of broccoli hidden amongst the greenery and reliable new potatoes as well as kale and a handful of vibrant cherry tomatoes and we seem to have cornered the market in turnips this year!  Oh and I did have a proud Mummy moment when we harvested some gorgeous caulis before they 'blew'.  Maybe things aren't as bad as I think!

Particularly pleasing and unexpected have been the early currants.  Black and red beads dangled from branches to tempt us into the fruit cages encouraging me to make the BBC Good Food magazine's raspberry and redcurrant cobbler, which we enjoyed doused with single cream.  There wasn't a lot left before I remembered to take a picture so think my effort was appreciated!  A perfect taste of summer despite the cool temperatures!

Someone at the allotment said we are all on a bit of a subsistence diet at the moment ... surviving on just what is growing currently.   Well after our delicious feast  I'd say we are pretty happy with that!

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/raspberry-redcurrant-cobbler

 

 

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