My own take on it. Home grown tomates, garlic, herbs, cooked and left overnight and then squashed! Poolis made and then 6hours later add flough to make a dough, flatten out and in fridge for the night. Next morning oven on at 200C and put finger marks into dough, sprinkle with rosemary and salt crystals. Add tomato mash and bake for 20 minutes. Voila!
Greenhouse
Tomato weight so far = 1.7kg and 2 little chillies. Lots of basil – so looking for recipes – passata seems favorite at the moment.
JAM
Excited by my latest recipe! Nectarine Jam. I got a box of nectarines from https://www.crowdfarming.com/en/private-zone/my-order/info/64a18f483bb70ac228d0e0ab?app=false
So i decided to make some jam –
10 nectrines pitted and sliced, juice of 2 lemons and 1kg jam sugar – result the “nectar of the gods”. Ps. I added a little sprig of oragnge mint!
Tomatoes are ripening and I am weighing the produce (sad I know) but now upto 1090g and largere tomatoes are yet to ripen!
JAM
I have just made some nectarine jam – at foirst it did not set properly but hopefully another blast on the heat will do the trick. It tastes rather wonderful! I. might make some lemon thin biscuits, or scones to have it on later. I will also make some more baguettes – I will just spray a little water as the last ones were tasting a bit waterery. I have just ordered olive oil from CrowdFarming – I love the fact they pront a label with JamJam on ot for the tins and whilst just over £10 ltr is expensive it seems ok for organic and kniwing all the dosh goes straight to the farmer – in this case Finca Bardomus, Fernando Agramunt. I guess I need to make some more strawberry jam – the last lot was rubbish, did not set and I used it to flavour home made yoghurt and oat cookies. I have noticed the abscence of insects whilst making jam – which is good but a little concerning.
I have also just received a box of lemons from Carmen Valasco at El Carrascal with a winter varieties called fino and primofiori. Organic which means the zest can be used. More baking stimulated, and also aioli on salads.
Neighbour cutting grass I am hemmed in but across the road 3 neighbours have let trhe vetch flower and two have let ragwort and chicory flower, it would be so nice to see wildlife return to the sterile lawns – although I accept that some birds such as green woodpeckers and corvids like the lawns! Like everything a mix and diversity is good.
Tomatoes are coming on 670g so far but this should escalate next week as the plum tomatoes and striped ones and normal ones ripen. I think/hope 10kg should be possible this year. Most mints are doing great – basil seems to be bolting a bit (hopefully as I use more with the tomatoes, it will bush out a bit). Mints are blooming and I will dry some more to make herbal teas. Flame lily continues to astound. Lime and lemon by front door looking good. New apricot tree seems to be getting established ok and the grape vine that I thought I had killed by lack of care seems to have new leaves and forgiven me after Martin moved it to make it easier to water.
NECTARINE RECIPES
COUNTRY PRESERVING
Things to make this month.
Apricot jam: Apricot chutney: Strawberry Jam: Tomato Preserve: Tomato Sauce: Spiced Cherry Tomatoes: Hungarian Pickled Peppers: Minted Apple Jelly: Piccalilli: Blueberry Jam: Raspberry Jam (frozen fruit?): Dried Herbs: Dark Spicy Mustard: Chilli Oil: Biltong. Looks like I will be busy!
Starting today with dried herbs.
COOKIE RECIPES
CIABATTA
I think I have nearly sussed out the recipe. Make the poolish 200gm each water and strong flour plus yeasdt and 7g yeast, mixc and cover overnight, then I add 200g flour and 140g water and tsp salt and I add some yeast. Mix for 1 min on minimum, then up a notch for another min and then up again for 4 mins. I then transfer to a mixing bowl and leave for an hour and a half. It should then be rather like pliable chewing gum, withwet hands fold over itself a few times and repeat this two more times at 45min intervals. Then shape the dough into 1 or2 loaves. Plenty of flough but do not squash or touch the top. Leave for 30 mins. Thn pop into oven with 210C fan assisted with a squirt of water (I pour some into a tray at base of oven. 20/25 minutes. I am getting there!
Next up I will try with dried basil?
IDEAL MEAL
I love cook books! And have over 100! After a super birthday meal with the family I was thinking about another one. Everyone gets on well. There is a super park over the road for the girls. What about I give them all £50 to bring up ingredients (thinking fish from Looe! Speciality stuff Bristol. Then everyone mucks in and makes things like Meze and Tapas – BBQ stuff too. maybe put up £??? for accomodation? Everryone has to contribute something?
BREAKFAST RECIPE
Make the day before – can be frozen?
Make a cookie – 100g each of butter, honey, wholemeal flour, oats and mixed nuts and maybe a couple of sheets of gelatin and some cinnamon (depending on time of year?). Mix and cook for 15-20 min at 180C. cool and cut into bars. Dunk into strawberry yoghurt and leave for 12-36 hours until dry. Voila!
I am also making bean sprouts and maybe some elderflower cordial if the sun comes out this afternoon.
Flame lily now by front door – I hope it likes it there? The herbs and mints mostly look good! Recipe experiments to follow! Should I dry some mint? And if so mixed or by type? I will ask Holly! Purple loosestrife to plant out today – more tomato plants to pot up.
I will make some cheese thins latter.