Category Archives: Growing Food
06 Oct, 2011
Unexpected pleasures are so sweet, don’t you find? The glorious sunshine and unusual warmth of the past days have brought delight – just as we started to get entrenched in the routine of Autumn. And the garden of our new home boasts trees laden with an extraordinary crop of apples and the hedges are richly dotted with blackberries. These must be celebrated!
So, directly home from school, books and bags are cast aside and we make right for a lovely spot in the garden for a cool drink and a rest.
But little boys don’t really rest for long, do they? Our boy is lucky as he has quite a few little friends who live in the village. So after school, the garden is often buzzing with several little boys running around, building dens, climbing…. And feeling hungry – always hungry!
I’ve been reading a charming little book. It’s called ON A Stick! and it’s written by Matt Armendariz. Matt is the creator of the wonderful blog Matt Bites – do you know it? Well the book is just about what you would expect from the title – a series of quirky, delicious recipes and ideas – all of food on a stick.
Now I have yet to find a child who doesn’t adore food on sticks! Even healthy skewers of fruit and veggies. As long as you can trust little boys with sharp sticks (you can’t!) So with vigilance, I presented a garden snack inspired by Matt’s book. This isn’t actually his recipe, in fact it isn’t really a recipe at all. I simply assembled some berries and apple slices (from the garden), along with some little pieces of cake on wooden bamboo sticks.
The cake is a buttermilk and almond cake but I haven’t perfected the recipe yet. When I do, I’ll be happy to share it if you would like. Just let me know.
A quick chat, then back to running around!
A change of weather is forecast – back to the typical offerings of the season. Despite a little sadness to say goodbye to the bright warm days, I feel quite excited about the prospect of Autumn. It’s such a beautiful time of year – the splendid colours, the brisk walks, and of course, the delicious warming foods that nourish body and soul. More soon.
Px
in Apples, Autumn, Baking, Cake, Family, Growing Food, Picnics, School, berries, garden, sunshine | Comments (13)
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22 Mar, 2011
Glorious food, wonderful company, the breathtakingly beautiful Cotswold countryside and the ultra chic ambience that is Daylesford Organic? Yes it’s the perfect recipe for an amazing day out for a group of food writers, photographers and bloggers. I was lucky enough to join in on this recent lovely day, and came home brimming with inspiration and a sense of well being. Organised by the delightful and charming Silvana de Soissons (publisher of The Foodie Bugle), our day included an extensive tour of the farm shop, cafe, cookery school and gardens as well as cakes, pastries,and a superb lunch. Here are a few snaps I made on the day, I hope it gives you a flavour of the place. May I suggest that you visit The Foodie Bugle to read more about our day, as Silvana has written a wonderful account here.
Our day began with coffee and cakes in the cafe. This was tricky as I desperately wanted to be greedy and taste all the cakes but was too busy meeting and catching up with the rest of the gang. And it was lovely to chat with Rosie and Camilla from Daylesford. (Thanks again for looking after us so well.) Richard Smith, the farm manager chatted to us about the farming methods they are using at Daylesford, the seed stock and dairy breeds, all incredibly interesting. I’ll just have to go back soon to get some cakes!
Lunch was in the glasshouse overlooking the Chelsea award winning herb gardens. Bathed in early Spring sunshine, the setting is impeccable. But look at this magnificent spread of hams, salads, tarts. Delicicious eh? I keep thinking about those sausage rolls and I am going to try to make some as similar as possible later this week. I’ll post my recipe when I get it right!
The spa and garden shop are equally stylish. Calm, muted colours and a simple, natural mood. Lovely.
So there you have it. If you get a chance to visit the Cotswolds – and I really recommend that you do – don’t miss a stop at Daylesford. I’m sure most visitors to Extra-Relish love gorgeous food like I do, so I know you’ll enjoy it.
Daylesford Organic, Gloucestershire. www.daylesfordorganic.com
I am so excited about Spring. I’ve been out and about with my camera, and feeling much inspiration to cook, so lots of photographs and recipes coming soon. Px
in Colours, Daylesford organic, Growing Food, Photography, flowers, food, food writing, friends, garden, harmony | Comments (14)
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11 Oct, 2010
So often, I hear people say how they love Autumn – that it’s their favourite season. Do you have a favourite season? I don’t think I can choose, but I do know that I love Autumn. It seems to turn up – all of a sudden – with that chill in the wind, the scent of woodsmoke, and a heady flourish of vibrant autumnal colour. It’s just so beautiful, isn’t it?
Another aspect of this time of year is the frisson of excitement I get about all the lovely seasonal events to come – harvest festivals, halloween and bonfire night, Thanksgiving for north Americans (I love this wonderful holiday) and then just around the corner…wait, that’s far enough for now. So here we are, enjoying a gorgeous October in rural England. I like to start each day with a walk around the village and in the countryside. It gives me a chance to collect my thoughts, nurture creativity, make plans.
At the edge of the village live these glorious ginger pigs. The couple who run the farm both have ginger hair, as do their three beautiful little girls. This always makes me smile. Past the piggies lies a bridle path with views over the surrounding countryside, replete with berries, pods, and golden leaves.
This is a really simple soup but so comforting and nourishing. The sage leaves – fried crispy in butter – add a truly delicious fragrance and depth to the dish. I love sage, and to me, it seems a little under appreciated. It’s very easy to grow too, which is good as you don’t need much and it’s handy if you can just pick a few leaves as you need them rather than buying a big bunch from the shop each time.
This is a good recipe if you have children who are fussy about vegetables. The soup is very acceptable but not always the sage leaves. I know about fussy eaters!
I’ll leave with a picture of one of the windows in our village church, made splendid for the Harvest Festival. I cannot do it justice – every window, shelf, and table in the church is laden with magnificent displays. Much to be thankful for.
Thanks for visiting, and please do drop me a comment if you wish. It’s great to hear what you think. And I love to visit other blogs so let me know about yours too. P.
in Autumn, Colours, Festival, Growing Food, Photography, Uncategorized, carrot soup, carrots, seasons, warming soup | Comments (10)
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