Visit to Wells Food Festival

Its been a dreary few weeks, with lots of rain.  If local Farmers and Producers can turn out, then it is only polite to make an effort and get on my bike, and go.  There is always something new and interesting to learn.  Things to be tempted by, and things to be admire but resist, and things that can give one that 'yuk' moment...with a good turn out for locals and visitors, there was a very healthy crowd.

Except from some exceptional sausages hiding in the fridge, bought from The Thoroughly Wild Meat Company...all their Salt Marsh Lamb having been sold, here is my stash from my first visit.  Later I cycled back to buy a large pot of Foxtail Rosemary...no foxes have been harmed!

Another lovely wooden board from Hamwood Crafts to join my little  presentation board bought from them previously.  This one is long enough for cakes from my longest tins and loaves from my long oval banneton.  I had to have a good search...but after explaining what I was looking for, some were found under the display...just right, not thick and heavy as for chopping up meat, and made of Olive Ash with lovely colour...

Some delicious very fatty organic free range etc bacon with proper fat which I shall use in dishes that call for pancetta..

There is always that moment that makes the day...There was a lull and this stall was quiet..as I admired and dreamt of those years when my favourite breakfast at the weekend was a serving of newly opened cornflakes packet topped with fresh gold top milk and of course the cream first!  The helpful assistant asked if she could be of any help.  I replied sadly that these days only goat's or sheep's milk  agrees with me.  She then explained that if I could tolerate goat's milk, then I could have products from Guernsey cows..and explained the science.  We do have a little standard milk when we are away from home...so you can guess what we shall have for breakfast tomorrow!  I bought a 'real glass bottle' of their milk and some sour cream...and was told that there will be milk dispensed at the farm soon....Won't it be wonderful if we are fine with this. 

A2 Dairy products suitable to us to have!

And why should I take a picture of the Pickled Egg Bar?  I had my first and last taste of one at our 'friendly' WI skittles matches recently.  As I can't make the first match of this year's league tournament, I am going to send them this picture with a message of support!  I took this one as the festival was closing down, having gone back for my plant.  I am sure they would have been nicer...but once bitten twice shy....

Scum

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Excluded by the Drawbridge

Swans are yet to

Disturb the scum

Beauty on all sides of the moat

Scum collecting and wind and current shaped

Feathers Conkers Leaves Scum

On Reflection

Short poem/musings interspersed by pictures taken on a brief visit to the Bishop's Palace, Wells on Saturday 12th October.

Pumpkin alert

So it is Pumpkin time again...any bigger and heavier and I would not have been able to carry this back from Queen Street Deli.  Similar to the one I got last year:

Marina di Chioggia Pumpkin.

This is grown by one of the Deli's customers..any surplus are brought into to sell.

Cinnamon and Mace Babka

With a clear weekend to myself, I had the space and time to concentrate on a new technique in my baking journey.  I had never tried a Babka before.  I started the dough on Saturday, and it seemed to be on a slow rise journey, and baking would be a little too late.  I chose to do all the rolling, spreading of butter and spices etc., late evening, and then a morning bake.  After an overnight cold rise in the fridge, the two loaves still needed more time at room temperature, three hours to be precise.

The recipe was altered and became an amalgamation of Martha Collinson's recipe, but not wanting to use chocolate, baking times syryup and filling from Shannon Sarna's recipe for Cinnamon Babka.  A few tweaks of course, and all along being inspired for the next batches.

I enjoyed making this...and the smell when baking was wonderful.  Brushing it with its sugar glaze was just an excuse to have a close look and smell.

As our neighbours had just come back from the holidays, I thought a little welcome back Sunday bake would be welcome...still warm, and requiring the cooling rack to taken out the cupboard, I am sure their home too would be smelling delicious.

Once back, the paper was removed...and promise, I haven't cup into it, and will wait for Mr S's homecoming this afternoon.

I just had to leave the house before I succumbed.....off to the Wells Food Festival!

Six on Saturday - 12 October 2019

Its been one of those weeks when I have been busy moving plants out of the rain!  Those small seedlings would just get washed out of their pots, so they are moved to the best light on a windowsill.  Thank goodness all the front garden is how planted up and mulched with bark....

The Propagator under whose awning the rest of us SOS gather to show and tell and ask, is waiting for us all...here are mine....

The Cyclamen hederifolium are the stars at the moment..and who needs flowers when you can have leaves like these.  Yes I know some of you will be shouting out..yes you do need flowers: flowers means seeds, seeds mean the possibility of propagation etc....  These are the leaves fully unfurled after flowering, of (1) Cyclamen hederifolium 'Lysander'! It was the leaves with its angular serrated  paler margins which were the pulling feature!

Cyclamen hederifolium Lysander

I can show cyclamen with flowers too: (2) Cyclamen hederifolium with silver arrow head shaped leaves with green margins and fine deep pink flowers:

I have a shelf where choice plants are placed on the outside of the shed...so there is every possibility of my being able to admire the blooms in a pause between heavy showers.

(3) Japanese grass Hakonechloa Macra Aureola is just coming into flower...I love cutting it and putting it in arrangements.  I have three clumps growing in pots,  I find their rounded graceful shape looks good in many spaces...I move them around....

(4)  The seasons are playing tricks again with the Rosemary in flower. Bumblebees are still visiting flowers around the garden when the rain stops.  I have been  experimenting  with using edibles from the garden and have been adding flowers to salads...just pull the flower away from the green bit and you are left with soft blue petals.  They are quite tender, sweet, and tasty for for fruit or vegetable salads.  We had a Hummingbird Hawk Moth in the garden over the last couple of days...it nectar of  choice being from the flowers of  Linaria pupurea 'Canon Went'.  That was an 'aside' maybe a (4b)

Rosemary in flower in October 

(5)  The Runner Beans gave a little spurt of growth with flowers a few weeks back, after the very first of the rain...I think we have two more pickings before it is time to chop down the runners, and store the canes until next year.

(6)  Chillies are turning red....grown outdoor in the open ground all summer from seed saved from a chilli grown four years ago in my last garden!  I am thinking of digging up a plant, potting it up, and growing it on for another year.  I managed to keep a plant going for three years doing this...it saves growing from seed each year.  Although I grew two plants this year..one plant is quite sufficient for us.