Saturday 20 July 2013

Citrus Fruit Harvest....... Making Marmalade

 
 
My house currently smells all citrusy!  Delightful.....
 
This morning in the rain I went out and picked some of the fruit that was ready.  Since it was a rainy day I couldn't really paint and certainly not garden.
 

 
 
I don't think it really gets much better than fresh fruit covered in raindrops.
 
 

 
My tiny cumquats weighed in at 200 grams! Not much to work with at all.
 

 


 
The limes weighed in at 1.2kg - so that was a little better going.
 
 

 
 
This is the most limes I have ever harvested - two is the biggest crop before this year!
 

 
 




I've finished up with six bottles of lime marmalade and 1 1/2 bottles of cumquat marmalade.



 
I also made two bottles of lemon butter and used one whole lemon!  I've got a bag full of them still to go - so had better come up with some ideas so they don't go to waste - like last years harvest did!  Maybe some lemon delicious pudding will be the order of the day.
 

 
Still to pick is the orange tree - yum - I love making orange marmalade. I think there might even be a orange and almond cake in there somewhere too.   Hopefully now to just get the time to enjoy some more kitchen fun.
 
I love getting to fiddle with baking and cooking when I get the time.  I loved today being able to use my lovely big boiler that belonged to Nana - beautiful Bakelite handles and knob - and of course the juicing with a lovely old depression glass juicer.  I will admit though that the cutting of the fruit was much more up to date - my wonderful new food processor!!

Wednesday 17 July 2013

A corner of my home....

 
 
Just a little corner of my home today......
 
 


 
 
The roses have been pruned and this is what was left....
 
 




Another garden job finished and now to wait for the Spring to come.  I love being able to bring blooms inside and enjoy them in my home.  How much fun to play with displays too especially with a new to me vase!!!

Tuesday 2 July 2013

Pumpkin Soup...

 
I love beautiful winter foods.  Comforting, nourishing...

 
I particularly love Pumpkin Soup.  I had never really made it before a couple of years ago.  My Mother's recipe seemed tedious with all the cutting of of the pumpkin.
 

 
Then I found the Donna Hay recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Soup.  It is so easy - pop the pumpkin in the oven to roast and you are more than half way there.
 
One word - yum!
 
Donna Hay Roasted Pumpkin Soup
 

Ingredients

1 x 2kg butternut pumpkin
1 onion
Olive oil for drizzling
sea salt
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup cream
1 tbs honey
sour cream to serve
 
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius. Cut pumpkin in half lengthways. Scoop out seeds. Place pumpkin {cut side up} & onion on baking tray. Drizzle with oil and salt & bake for 1 hour, or until golden and roasted through.
 
Once pumpkin has cooled slightly, scoop pumpkin into a saucepan. Scoop onion into saucepan.
 
Add stock to saucepan. Add cream and honey. Puree with a stick blender. Turn on a medium heat. Heat through. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
 


 
I make it for the Bakery along with a Beef and Vegetable soup - full of beautiful vegetables and pearl barley and split peas. 
 
Beautiful comforting, deliciously warming, winter foods.
 
What do you love to eat in Winter?