So wonderful to have teenage grandchildren visit for dinner tonight. Now they have their drivers' licences they often drop in, which is just fantastic. Pictured is a little pre dinner snack for them - still warm mini loaves of bread, served with freshly made pesto, Ajvar, labna (yoghurt cheese) and kasoundi. To follow were chicken … Continue reading A little pre dinner snack

Part of a little afternoon tea for visiting friends and family last weekend - lemon meringue tarts, small gooseberry pies, plum jam tarts and a large pumpkin fruit cake. I love these old fashioned favourites. Come to think of it, the Anzac biscuit barrel is obviously getting low. That will never do, best get baking!

Once upon a not so long ago, I overestimated the amount of tomato passata style sauce I would need for pizzas (by about 10 litres). I bottled and preserved it and have gradually been converting it to relish by adding vinegar, sugar, spices, onions and salt. I used half fresh tomatoes and half of the … Continue reading Tomato Relish time – using an accidental abundance of passata

When a friend comes for dinner (a friend who had picked you half a bucket of blackberries the day before), it's the least I can do to make them a blackberry tart for dessert. Here is the recipe. Blackberry Tart For the filling 600g fresh or frozen blackberries ½ cup sugar (or to taste) 4 … Continue reading Blackberry Tart – recipe

For the Custard Club's morning tea yesterday. Chocolate cupcakes filled with rich chocolate custard, topped with whipped cream and strawberry.

Each morning first chore of the day is to go over to feed the chickens, ducks and Cilla the pig of course. On the way back, half an hour's weeding in the vegetable garden, always time well spent as I can also harvest any produce to use in each day's cooking. Today it was celery … Continue reading Garden harvest buns

When a friend gives you about 700g fresh picked blackberries (yesterday) what do you do? This person was coming for dinner the next day, so I made him a blackberry mousse cake for dessert - very filling, no more than one piece per person so there's still lots to share with anyone who drops in … Continue reading Blackberries – plus recipe for Blackberry Mousse Cake

I've put no posts up for a while, due to a little op on the eye. Although reading was a bit of an issue for a few days, there's no need nor time to be idle. A gift of red plums were swiftly bottled. I mistook the variety, not realising that they were large cherry … Continue reading Cherry plums and cherries – and recipe for cherry teacake slice

Here are the recipes as promised from the ABC cooking talkback this morning - cumquat cordial and marmalade and spiced cherries for using unripe cherries: Cumquat Cordial Recipe from “A Year on the Farm” (ABC Books/HarperCollins Publishers) This cordial has wonderful colour and flavor.  Serve one part cordial syrup with 4 parts chilled water or … Continue reading ABC RADIO HOBART talkback recipes – cumquat cordial and marmalade, and spiced cherries

From this evening's discussion on ABC Sydney Evenings, with Lisa Pelligrino: Peaches or nectarines can be used instead of the apricots. Apricot Chutney Recipe from "A Year in a Bottle" by ABC Books 1.5 kg apricots (weight with stones removed) chopped 500g onions, peeled and chopped 500ml white or cider vinegar 750g sugar 1 teaspoon … Continue reading Apricot Chutney and Berry Jam