Wine tasting at Three choirs Vineyard-Newent

What a perfect day to wander around a vineyard learning all about the vines and grapes, sipping delicious cold glasses of white wine and sparkling Rose.

I didn't know that a vine stays productive for about 30 years.

We had a lovely cheeseboard overlooking the vineyard in a slightly strange glorified shed.

A very pleasant couple of hours....would highly recommend it. We bought our tour and tasting through Groupon it cost £21 per couple.

Westonbirt Aboretum-the enchanted Christmas

Last night we ventured out to Westonbirt Aboretum. The trees were all lit up for Christmas. It was very pretty, there were glitterballs swirling in the branches and bubble machines. You could project your face on a trunk of another tree. The hot chocolate was delicious, especially with Amaretto in!  Bit crowded for my liking though. My pictures don't do it justice, I couldn't see the dials on my camera so took a 'movie' accidently, hence it's VERY short :) 

carrot cake recipe

This is a really easy cake to make-it's always really moist and delicious...everyone loves it.


Ingredients
4 eggs
375g cater sugar
250ml cooking oil
280g plain flour
2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
375g grated carrots
90g raisins


icing
55g butter
60g soft cheese
250g icing sugar
1tsp lemon juice


Whisk eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add oil and beat well.
Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixture. Fold in carrot.
Pour mixture into lined greased tins (20 cm) cake tins.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for about 30-40 mins.
Once cool turn out and ice.

The world's most shoplifted food

The Observer  food monthly magazine had an interesting feature today.

Who would have thought that the most shoplifted food item is......cheese! followed by fresh meat, chocolate and confectionary, luxury cooked meat and then last of all alcohol... What a bizarre world we live in, imagine stuffing a nice ripe Camembert down your trousers......

maybe not

sweet chestnuts roasting on an openfire

I did a great walk yesterday with my dad, Alfie and Wilfie the dog. Starting at Bromsberrow and walking along a few ridges of the Malvern hills. We got a bit lost along the way and ended up fighting our way out of a magnificent wood. I've never seen so many sweet chestnuts, the floor was covered in them. So I now have a nice pile of the beauties. Alfie and I are going to stoke up the chiminea tonight and roast them in foil.....can't wait

My funny fruit and veg

This is a potato disguised as a mushroom - all these little chaps bought a smile to my face

Podding beans

Alfie had a lot of fun today taking the down the bean poles then podding the beans for next years seed. They are so beautiful. I shall keep them somewhere dry then pop them into envelopes and keep them in the dark till next year.

Garden makeovers

After

before

Above:   This was a difficult garden to accomplish, we had to dig up a lot of old patio before work could begin on the beds. All the hard work paid off though and 2 years later Neil is still very happy with his vegetable plot.

Before

After

Above: This garden needed a more natural look so we laid bark paths instead of gravel-it blended in really well with the country garden. Francis is over the moon with the amount of vegetables she is getting and even though she has 3 children finds herself having to give produce away! 

Before

After

Above: Biddy's garden was the largest we've tackled-6 large raised beds. The challenge was to move all that soil down a sloping lawn. Still we did it - by the end of the weekend it was completed. Biddy adores her garden and now has some lovely chickens next to it to complete the perfect plot.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at just some of the completed gardens we have done.

Crabapple jelly recipe

I have a beautiful golden hornet crabapple tree growing on the green outside my house. I'd always wondered if it was edible. This year it is abundant with fruit. My lovely dog walking friend Richard told me about the jelly you can make from it. So I had a go and here we are, a really appley jelly - lovely with meat particularly pork.

Recipe

750g of apples, 1250ml of water, 450g sugar for every 500ml of strained crabapple liquid, 1tsp lemon juice.

Wash the apples and put them in a large pan with the water -bring to the boil then simmer for about 45 mins with the lid on.

Strain through a jelly bag - this can take a couple of hours. Put this liquid in a pan with the sugar and the lemon juice. Boil and skim off the skum for about 15 mins.

Pour into sterilised jars.

Tewkesbury Abbey- My latest soap stockist

My latest stockist is Tewkesbury Abbey. It's got a fantastic shop filled with lots of gifts. Next time you are passing it's worth popping in -The Abbey isn't bad either!!

Christmas soap range

This is my Christmas soap range this year.

All my handmade soap is made from Cocoa butter or Shea butter, making it rich and creamy. 

These soaps include 6 flavours: 

Apple Crumble, Raspberry Pavlova, Strawberries and Cream, Cucumber and poppy seed, Very berry cheesecake and Fruit salad.

Prices:

Hearts on a string ................................. £2.50 

Star on a string........................................£2.50

A tower of 3 snowflake blocks..............£2.50

Flowerpot hamper..................................£8.50

Soap dish.................................................£6.50

+ postage

To place an order or ask any questions please call Jane on 01242 663837 

Mobile 07774232462

Or email me:  Jane@easypeasyveg.net

Armona inspired Clams with white wine and garlic

• 2 slices parma ham
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 garlic gloves , smashed
• 1/3 cup parsley 
• 1/2 spoon hot pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 lbs  clams 

Directions:

1. Cut prosciutto into strips. In a large frypan, heat oil over medium heat; fry prosciutto until crisp, about 2 minutes.
   
   
2. Remove to paper towel to drain.
   
   
3. To the pan, add garlic, half of the parsley and the hot pepper flakes; fry for 1 minute. Add wine; bring to boil over medium high heat, add clams, cover and steam until clams open, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.
   
   
4. Sprinkle with prosciutto and remaining parsley.
   
   
5. Ladle clams into small bowls and offer plenty of crusty bread to soak up the delicious broth.
   
   
   We have just come back from an amazing holiday on the island of Armona in Portugal. We found a new pastime on the beach-clam hunting!
   
   
   You get a container of seawater (to place your clams in) and dig with your hands just where the sea meets the shore and hey presto there are hundreds of them. You need to keep them in salt water for a while then change that water frequently with fresh water to let them dispel the sand from the shell.
   
   
   
   
   
   Absolutely yummy and free!

Sandra Lewis- My guest vegetable gardener this week

This is the last in my mini series this summer.

Sandra Lewis -Yoga teacher

In her 2nd year of vegetable gardening.

Best bits

Runner beans, Beetroot, Carrots and Potatoes

Worst bits

"Parsnips didn't germinate" says Sandra"and the leeks suffered from leek moth, I chopped them off and they came again, this time I covered them in fleece".

Things you'd do differently next year

"I'd germinate the parsnips indoors by putting the seed in with soil and popping in a margarine tub, then plant out when ready"

Sandra added" I grow my own because I want to eat organic veg, using no chemicals. I also get an organic veg box delivered too, we eat a lot of vegetables!"

My third guest vegetable gardener-Alan Gill

This is the third in my mini series featuring other vegetable gardeners.

Alan Gill- Retired GCHQ Linguist

Over 50 years vegetable gardening experience.

Best bits

Potatoes and runner beans.

Worst bits

"The peas have been a real disaster this year "Said Alan "I think the mice may have eaten them even though I soaked them in parafin before sowing". 

"The carrots have been very terrible, stumpy and short".

"Our strawberries are usually fantastic, we have them in a fruit cage and normally get a bumper crop to make jams etc, but again these have been pretty bad this year, I think it must be down to the weather"

"Also the lettuce, we've thrown most of it away!".

Things you'd do differently next year

"I'd put fleece over the leeks early on as the mites were out in force!".

Alan adds" I love gardening, its very satisfying to harvest your own food. The food is always so much tastier than shop bought vegetables. We freeze a lot of our produce and make soups and jams.

Next time I will be talking to Sandra Lewis

Really simple mushroom soup

Sorry there is no picture with this one-you'll just have to imagine what it looks like!


You'll need:


Glug of olive oil
250g of chopped mushrooms-I used Oyster but anything will do.
1 sliced onion
2 garlic cloves
600ml of chicken stock (I've just discovered Knorr stockpots-they are well worth the extra money)
200ml of milk


In a large pan fry the onions then once soft add the mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes then add the garlic, again cook for a few minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the chicken stock bring to the boil then simmer for about 15 minutes. Blend then add the milk. This will make about 2 bowls. 

My guest vegetable gardener this week is Joan Cluer

Joan is my second gardener to be featured on my mini series which follows other vegetable gardeners and their experiences this season. 

Joan Cluer

Occupation - Retired secretary

Joan has over 60 years of vegetable gardening experience.

Best bits

"Well my most successful crop this year has to be the Kestral potatoes. They are enormous and scrape really well" said Joan. "The beans are fantastic, also the beetroot has been superb. The tomatoes are doing really well too!"

Worst bits

"No disasters this year, bit of black fly but very happy with it all"

Things you would do differently next year

"I'll be growing less potatoes, there are far too many for one person. I'd like to grow more broad beans and carrots. Onions and parsnips would be nice too, and I'd like to get a little green house".

Joan adds- " I love to potter around in the garden, a bit of weeding, it's very satisfying. I love making casseroles and freeze my beans so that I can use them all year round".

Next week Alan Gill-retired linguist.

If you would like to feature as a guest gardener, please let me know.

Rid flies from your kitchen

This is a great tip from my mum.I know this looks a bit weird but it works. Fill a see through plastic bag with water and hang from the ceiling. The flies think its a big eye of a predator and very soon scarper. I tried it out on a sceptical friend the other day and it worked-she now has them hanging in her kitchen and her umbrella in the garden!

My guest vegetable gardener this week-Biddy Wells

This week I'm starting a short series on guest vegetable gardeners.

My first guest is new to vegetable growing, I asked her about the highs and lows of her first summer.

Biddy Wells- Actor and drama tutor

Best bits

'the best part is feeding my friends, and being proud to have grown it all myself" says Biddy. "Wondering what to cook up for dinner and wandering down to the veg  beds and knocking up something from whatever is available- broad bean and courgette rissotto, leek and potato soup, a bowl of strawberries for pudding."

Worst bits

"all my peas were  full of tiny maggots, I didn't manage to eat any of them"

Things you would do differently next year

"I'd plant less broccoli- I had so much of it I couldn't eat it quickly enough, a lot of it bolted and ended up on the compost heap"

Things you would do more of

"I loved planting seedlings and plug plants-it gave me an instant veg plot, they were very successful"

Next week Joan Cluer

A vegetable gardener for over 60 years

Look what I cooked up on an Aga!

Until yesterday I'd not so much as boiled a kettle on an Aga.

So when I offered to knock up a Risotto for my lovely friend with a stiff neck I was a little apprehensive but once in my stride it was a dream, in fact I want one!

We picked a couple of courgettes and about 20 broad beans (then podded) and 1 onion.

I started off by making 750ml of vegetable stock.

I then sliced the courgettes and onion and fried in a large heavy pan until just coloured, I then added a couple of chopped garlic cloves (sadly not home grown-maybe next year) and stirred.

Then I added about half a packet of abborio rice. After a few seconds I added a good cupful of white wine, once fully absorbed I added hot vegetable stock-1 ladle at a time-stirring often.

Once all the stock has been used (this should take about 20 mins-don't rush this bit as all the rice needs to absorb the liquid slowly ).It is almost ready.

Lastly I added some strips of smoked salmon, chopped parsley and grated parmesan.

If I say so myself-it was bloody good!

Apricot Jam recipe

My fab friend Biddy has an apricot tree absolutely laden with apricots and luckily for me she doesn't like them! So I went and picked a huge bowl of them and made apricot jam. This is a nice easy jam to make. 


Wash the fruit, halve and stone. 
Use 1.250kg of sugar to 1,500kg of fruit. And 3 tbsp of lemon juice.


Place the fruit and a third of the sugar in a large pan and bring to the boil. When the fruit is soft add the rest of the sugar and the lemon juice.


Boil then simmer. When the jam has reached setting point pour into sterilised jars. I do mine by putting them in the oven for 10 mins. Seal the lids and leave to cool.


Eat with fresh croissants!