It was lovely and plump and full of bubbles...and was easy to shape and bake around breakfast time. From 500g of my Shipton Mill Flour Ciabatta Flour..three loaves: two for the freezer and one for now.
Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Sourdough September ...Sourdough ciabatta
I have read in several places about Sourdough September...my effort baked today is Sourdough ciabatta, the recipe is on page 136 of How to Make Sourdough by Emmanuel Hadjiandreou. By the time it came to the last fold, and rest...I needed my rest, so the dough went out to the conservatory for the night.
It was lovely and plump and full of bubbles...and was easy to shape and bake around breakfast time. From 500g of my Shipton Mill Flour Ciabatta Flour..three loaves: two for the freezer and one for now.
It was lovely and plump and full of bubbles...and was easy to shape and bake around breakfast time. From 500g of my Shipton Mill Flour Ciabatta Flour..three loaves: two for the freezer and one for now.
Saturday, 17 September 2016
Pseudowintera Colorata Red Leopard
Pocket money this week spent on Pseudowintera colorata Red Leopard, an unusual New Zealand Plant...but still love Hebes...must go out and take some cutting of these.
I think I am passing into a Shrub phase...this one will be in a pot for a couple of years, close to the house, where I can admire its fascinating leaves. I think it will look very good against some greyish hebes, cuttings now taken and potted up.
Quite an interesting plant, not just a pretty face:
I think I am passing into a Shrub phase...this one will be in a pot for a couple of years, close to the house, where I can admire its fascinating leaves. I think it will look very good against some greyish hebes, cuttings now taken and potted up.
Quite an interesting plant, not just a pretty face:
Horopito contains a substance called sesquiterpene dialdehyde polygodiali, otherwise known as polygodial that has a number of biological properties including antifungal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic and insecticide effects. Polygodial has been tested as a very effective inhibitor of Candida albicans. Horopito was used traditionally by Maori for a variety of medicinal purposes including treatment of: fungal skin infection, stomach pain, diarrhoea and as an analgesic. Early European settlers to New Zealand also used horopito for medicinal purposes.
Horopito leaves are used in cooking in a variety of ways. Horopito is now being used as a seasoning in modern New Zealand cuisine. Typically the leaves are dried and then ground to form a powder. The powder may be used wherever black pepper is used and applied directly to meats, mixed with oils, used to make condiments (e.g. with mustard), in vinegars, biscuits and even ice-cream.
Sunday, 11 September 2016
Autumn Show
This is the first time I have not entered anything into Kenilworth Horticultural Club's Autumn Show. Its not that I have not got anything worth while from the garden...but I have a lot on my plate at the moment, as well as being the Show Secretary, and for the first time lead judge on the Home Produce Section.
This year I was joined in the judging by my friend Diane Pearce. She had put a lot of work into her preparations and had found a very good guide. It was great fun, and thank goodness we finished with the chutneys and pickles...our tongues were tingling! A really great batch of bakes and preserves, and a great deal of effort on the part of the contestants. After the great sugar rush, it was time for me to write out all the certificates and cards! Andrew Caine was our judge on the Plants, flowers, and vegetables sections. Our deputy Mayor Kate Dickson gave out all the cups, cards and certificates, and it was great that both long standing members and recent joiners were successful.
After an interlude with refreshments the owner of our local nursery Hintons: Sarah Ridgeway gave an interesting questions and answers talk, and had taken one of my favourite shurbs...so I was not allowed to answer when she called out if anyone knew its name! It was Ugni Molinae Flambeau, which is currently growing in a lovely pot. Sarah took the opportunity to describe a couple of other lovely shrubs......and give a plug for the Heritage Open Day taking place at the Walled Garden on her nursery. Of the two other shrubs rather interesting and new to me, brought by Sarah, to show and tell...I now am the proud owner of 'Red Leopard'.
On Friday we popped into the nursery to collect the leaflet on the heritage open days, and also had a stroll round, of course I admired one the shrubs Sarah had brought, and also admired the Loroptealum Chinese Fire Dancer which I had added to my list following the visit to Peter and Margaret Green's garden in Hunningham. Sarah and her workers propagate and grow many of their shrubs, and there are quite a few there now which are in superb condition.
Saturday saw a very rainy start to the day, but with Mr S going out today, it had to be raincoats and sheer will for our visit. I had not even thought to take my camera. Please visit the walled garden at Hintons. We bought some lovely vegetables from the garden, and were impressed by the work done to recover the abandoned walled garden in just a few years.
My pocket money for the week went on this fabulous plant: Pseudowintera colorata Red Leopard, which I picked up on Saturday. Another lovely well grown young shrub which will be spending the next two years or so in a pot...until it finds its final resting place. This is a such an interesting plant. The Mountain Horopito originates from New Zealand, an ancient plant, and I am looking forward to the flowers which come directly off older stems. The underside of the leaves has an attractive greyish bloom too.
What a show for the Autumn, and this will continue all through the year...no bare bones here!
This year I was joined in the judging by my friend Diane Pearce. She had put a lot of work into her preparations and had found a very good guide. It was great fun, and thank goodness we finished with the chutneys and pickles...our tongues were tingling! A really great batch of bakes and preserves, and a great deal of effort on the part of the contestants. After the great sugar rush, it was time for me to write out all the certificates and cards! Andrew Caine was our judge on the Plants, flowers, and vegetables sections. Our deputy Mayor Kate Dickson gave out all the cups, cards and certificates, and it was great that both long standing members and recent joiners were successful.
After an interlude with refreshments the owner of our local nursery Hintons: Sarah Ridgeway gave an interesting questions and answers talk, and had taken one of my favourite shurbs...so I was not allowed to answer when she called out if anyone knew its name! It was Ugni Molinae Flambeau, which is currently growing in a lovely pot. Sarah took the opportunity to describe a couple of other lovely shrubs......and give a plug for the Heritage Open Day taking place at the Walled Garden on her nursery. Of the two other shrubs rather interesting and new to me, brought by Sarah, to show and tell...I now am the proud owner of 'Red Leopard'.
On Friday we popped into the nursery to collect the leaflet on the heritage open days, and also had a stroll round, of course I admired one the shrubs Sarah had brought, and also admired the Loroptealum Chinese Fire Dancer which I had added to my list following the visit to Peter and Margaret Green's garden in Hunningham. Sarah and her workers propagate and grow many of their shrubs, and there are quite a few there now which are in superb condition.
Saturday saw a very rainy start to the day, but with Mr S going out today, it had to be raincoats and sheer will for our visit. I had not even thought to take my camera. Please visit the walled garden at Hintons. We bought some lovely vegetables from the garden, and were impressed by the work done to recover the abandoned walled garden in just a few years.
My pocket money for the week went on this fabulous plant: Pseudowintera colorata Red Leopard, which I picked up on Saturday. Another lovely well grown young shrub which will be spending the next two years or so in a pot...until it finds its final resting place. This is a such an interesting plant. The Mountain Horopito originates from New Zealand, an ancient plant, and I am looking forward to the flowers which come directly off older stems. The underside of the leaves has an attractive greyish bloom too.
What a show for the Autumn, and this will continue all through the year...no bare bones here!
Peperechas - a sweet bun with red topping from El Salvador
After our Summer Break our moderators on the Facebook page have set us a lovely welcome back bake. It was Sonya's turn and she chose Peperechas which is given on page 142 of Jane Mason's The Book of Buns.
I wonder whether Kelloggs was inspired by these when they came up with Pop Tarts. Peperechas is the slang word...the same as tart is the slang word for .....!
Jane Mason is a well traveled writer and has been inspired to bring us recipes from around the World, currently living in Central America. Baking through the bun recipes is a bit like baking around the world in 50 bun recipes.
This might not have been a recipe I would have tried, as it does look rather sugar laden, but being in the group really does make one try! I didn't have any mozzarella in the fridge, so I used some soft goat's cheese. I then used my little bottles of food dye to come up with the right shade of dark red plum coloured sugar to match the jam. The jam I used was from a recent batch of plum, which included lime and a little rum! The recipe is very easy to follow, and I went and cut 16 buns out of my flat slab of layered dough cheese and jam and coverings, just because I had made the first cut down the middle rather than one third...but for us 1/16 was just fine...
So this Friday Bun day I invited Liz, a well traveled friend to come and enjoy tea and buns in the conservatory! Sadly Liz has yet to go to El Savador so for her too this was the first taste of Peperechas. They are delicious.
Having baked this sweet sandwiched bun, I feel inspired to devise a savoury version....I am sure they already exist, but it will be fun making up a more savoury dough, and finding interesting fillings: maybe cheese, smoked salmon and herbs?
I wonder whether Kelloggs was inspired by these when they came up with Pop Tarts. Peperechas is the slang word...the same as tart is the slang word for .....!
Jane Mason is a well traveled writer and has been inspired to bring us recipes from around the World, currently living in Central America. Baking through the bun recipes is a bit like baking around the world in 50 bun recipes.
This might not have been a recipe I would have tried, as it does look rather sugar laden, but being in the group really does make one try! I didn't have any mozzarella in the fridge, so I used some soft goat's cheese. I then used my little bottles of food dye to come up with the right shade of dark red plum coloured sugar to match the jam. The jam I used was from a recent batch of plum, which included lime and a little rum! The recipe is very easy to follow, and I went and cut 16 buns out of my flat slab of layered dough cheese and jam and coverings, just because I had made the first cut down the middle rather than one third...but for us 1/16 was just fine...
So this Friday Bun day I invited Liz, a well traveled friend to come and enjoy tea and buns in the conservatory! Sadly Liz has yet to go to El Savador so for her too this was the first taste of Peperechas. They are delicious.
Having baked this sweet sandwiched bun, I feel inspired to devise a savoury version....I am sure they already exist, but it will be fun making up a more savoury dough, and finding interesting fillings: maybe cheese, smoked salmon and herbs?
Tuesday, 6 September 2016
In a Vase
Autumn pickings....the Hydrangea Vanille Fraise now turning pink, a red Mustead Wood rose, and a few little extras. I missed in a vase on Monday, though made this arrangement and photographed it outside on Sunday morning!
A nice purple salvia, name lost....
A nice purple salvia, name lost....
Astrantia with its lovely pincushion blooms.
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