random cakes and jobs

Oh I had every intention of writing beautiful individual posts for each one of these lovely items 

 ................. but I just am not going to be able so here in a brief but enthusiastic manner

Made Crab apple chutney- the tree was laden 

Spiced Pear cake

Made with my own Pears

Picking flowers
there were still quite a few blossoms in the garden in late Sept

Roses, Michelmas daisies, Japanese anemone's, lady's mantle
I missed picking flowers from my garden so so much while I was in NY

There are many jobs that need doing around the house

 getting the goose neck gate hung

organising winter fuel

Tying up the wisteria.......
3 years and am hoping, fingers crossed that next year it will flower!

oh and last week I was in Hong Kong

x

Tim Ryan

Irish designer Tim Ryan's latest collection is his best yet 

ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING

Currently stocked in Browns London

This collection should take him on to new and dizzying heights

If buyers don't sit up and take notice ............. well I believe they will

Such a talent 

Congratulations Tim

images by Felipe Pagani

Apple & Apple Mint Jelly

This is not a typo

As

Apple & Apple Mint Jelly

is a mint jelly made with Apples, 

for their natural pectin and flavour 

and using Apple Mint 

(sometimes called wooly mint)

Apple mint is, 

in my opinion, by the far the most superior of mints

The flavour is flatter than regular mint

Oh and don't tell me you use spearmint to cook with?

everything ends up tasting like chewing gum!

No, Apple mint is what you need

Fantastic chopped with a little ginger and sprinkled over a fruit salad

Adds the perfect flavour to cous cous

and Lamb...... 

well of course with Lamb it is king.

As we have had a couple of mornings of frost recently here in Ireland 

I decided it was time to stock up on my mint fix for winter

And as my garden has been untended for a year

and the mint has gone a little wild

(taken over)

I made mint oil, by blanching about 

4 cups of mint leaves

chopping finely

and covering with good olive oil in a sealed and sterilised jar

I also did the same but covered the mint with vinegar

for a more traditional mint sauce 

and then decided to raise the bar, go all out and make a mint jelly

This was my first attempt at a jelly

(I mean a real jelly made with natural pectin not a chivers pack)

RECIPE

APPLE & APPLE MINT JELLY

4lbs Cooking Apples (or granny Smith )

4 cups water

2 cups vinegar

2 cups Apple Mint leaves whole

2 cups Apple Mint Leaves finely chopped

5 cups sugar (approx)

METHOD

Roughly chop the apples and add to large pan 

keep all of the core and seeds as these have the most pectin in them

add 2 cups whole mint leaves

bring to boil and boil for 20 mins

add vinegar

boil 5 more mins

Strain Apple pulp 

in a jelly bag if you have it

otherwise use an old pillow case

you should have 4-5 cups of clear amber coloured juice

Add this to clean pan and add 7/8 cup of sugar to every cup of juice

so for 5 cups of juice you will add approx 4 1/2 cups sugar

bring to the boil

add finely chopped mint

boil for 30 mins- 1 hour 

this will depend on how much pectin was released 

and how strong your mixture is

You want to reach the setting stage

You can test it using the cold saucer method 

or with a candy thermometer

you should get 4 x 8ozs jars of jelly

The frost is coming

The last 2 mornings we have had a thick frost on the ground

they say this winter is going to be a deep freeze

My back yard at 7am

BREAD

Who can deny there is something about making your own bread

Something primal

a deep sense of... I am in control of my life....

In order to make bread you need
 1 main ingredient

time

yes I know there are quick recipes

and you can knock out a loaf of brown soda bread pretty sharpish

but for a yeasted loaf you need to be in the moment

while the physical acts of kneading, proofing, rising,

may actually take 20 mins of work

the timing and co-ordinating means you must be able to pay attention

The act of making bread was something I really missed while living in NYC

as I never seemed to have the expanse of unfilled hours it takes
to occupy yourself with yeast and dough

So it is with GREAT pleasure that I return to the pasttime

I am a huge fan of the

No knead method of bread making

But the above baguettes were made using the Poolish method

from this Bread book

Bread is food for my soul

photograph by HELEN JAMES