jackal10

Fruit growing in the garden We met the Mara du Bois strawberries earlier - on page 2. Here is the fruit cage. These are giant strawberries, a variety called Maxim. Just forming fruit, but look at the size of the leaves. Probably more dilute flavour though. ] Raspberries have a way to go. These are Autumn Gold, yellow late raspberries. There are also early and late red ones. Redcurrants (also white and black currant but they all look the same at this stage. mmm Summer Pudding...also jellies Pears and apples coming. Fruit set is patchy this year, This is a conference pear, and a Tydmans Early apple, but other varieties look much the same at this stage. Crystal apple and Damsons Victoria as a representative plum (also purplel and yellow ones); Greengage Gooseberry(soon, still hard); Quince (Autumn) Rhubarb. The bed was here wehn we came. Its in the wrong palce, now at the back of a flowerborder, but still productive Loganberries (also tayberries, blackberries, andlots of brambles) Some more random stuff The field next door with oil seed rape; note the typical brassica flowers Catmint (Nepeta) and Sweet Pea Jilly There are also walnut and hazelnut trees, but the squirrels get them before we do

I whizzed all the cheesecake components together, and then stirred in the flowers. I just let it cool on top of the stove. I suspect if you bake it in a waterbath it does just not souffle so doesn't rise so not sinking.

Sambocade or Elderflower Cheesecake From Forme of Cury, around 1390 by the cooks of King Richard II 179. Sambocade. Take and make a crust in a trap & take cruddes and wryng out þe wheyze and drawe hem þurgh a straynour and put hit in þe crust. Do þerto sugar the þridde part, & somdel whyte of ayren, & shake þerin blomes of elren; & bake it vp with eurose, & messe it forth. Make a tarte case (Pate Sucree: 3 Flour, 2 Butter, 1 Powdered sugar; yolk of an egg, pinch salt. Whizz together in a food processor. This has so much butter in it you don't need to butter the tin; I cheat and just press it out) Cheesecake mix: 500g/1 lb curd cheese (I used cottage chees and Mascarpone) 3 egg whites 1/3rd cup sugar 2 Tbs Rosewater (I used Belvoir Elderflower cordial to boot the elderflover flavour) Flowers from 3-4 elderflower heads Bake at 350F for an hour Imagine it with an elderflower on top. Smells delicious. Why does cheesecake always sink? If I was serving this at a dinner I would decorate it with crystallised elderflower heads (dip in egg white, then sugar and dry). Instead I'll just cut it into finger size portions tomorrow.

I used a shell from www.fourgranmere.com, and my builder built an outside shell for it. Horseradish grows like an invasive weed here. It likes it damp.

Thank you, petite tête de chou. Those sound good ideas that would suit the cucumber like taste.

Strawberry Fair pix are at http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=69016

Wrong side of the country for cheese. Cattle tend to be in the west, such as Somerset. Round here its crops and sometimes sheep. There was once apparently a Cambridge "slipcoat" soft cheese, but its not been made in living memory. The supermarket stocks a Butlers handmade Vintage Farmhouse chedder http://www.butlerscheeses.co.uk/content/2/...armhouse-Cheese that is very good.

An Aga http://www.aga-rayburn.co.uk/4.htm is a stored heat stove. There is a small constant heat source, in my case a heating oil burner (kerosene), but originally solid fuel, lots of iron and lots of insulation including insulating lids for the hot plates. The oil is the ssame as we use for the boiler for the central heating, and one of the cheaper energy fuels here. The ovens are at roughly 500F, 300F, 200F, and 75F or roasting, baking, simmering, and plate warming, but also ideal for long time low temperature cooking. Its compatratively energy efficient because of all the insulation - the surface is about at body temperature, wonderful to snuggle up to. Always on is wonderful. The ovens self clean, and its instant heat. It was originally designed to be easy to use for a blind person. Meantime the loaf is cooked. Agas make good bread because of the hot oven floor. The loaf slumped a bit, perhaps because of the delay between slashing and putting it in the oven while I took its picture. However the closeup of the grigne would indicate the texture is good.

The bread has risen nicely, after its long rest in the fridge. Scored a "J" for Jack on the top with my new Grignette (lame) that I got from http://www.scaritech.com/?lang=us. Imagine, a company devoted just to making disposable blades for scoring bread. Grigne =smile is the french name for the slashes on the top of a loaf.

Boiled Beef is delicious, and an alternative way fo cooking tougher cuts, like brisket and silverside. Carrots are traditionsl, as are dumplings. I knew I should have taken a picture. In France there is Pot a feu, much the same. The long slow cooking lets the collagen dissolve. Put the piece of beef in cold wate with some carrots, an onion, and aromatics - maybe a bay leef and some peppercorns. You can brine it first, but then it becomes salt beef. Bring to the boil, skim, and let it just simmer for at least 5 hours but as long as possible. If not too salt the broth is good as well. For Dumplings 4 oz/100g plain general purpose flour 2oz suet pinch salt, pepper 1 tsp baking powder 1 Tbs chpped parsley I like a chopped onion, softened in a little butter An egg Mix to a dough, divide into small balls, boil in the broth.

I think the Aga is late 1940 vintage. I bought it reconditioned second hand, they are better and cheaper than the modern equivalents. Apparently it was originally in a nunnery. Its been converted from solid fuel to oil. It gets serviced twice a year. Not a major problem, as there is not much to go wrong with them, and they are solidly built out of tons of cast iron. Main thing is to brush out soot from the internal flues, and check the burner. An Aga engineer comes and does it, and it takes about an hour. We don't find the heat a problem, The kitchen is light and airy, with lots of windows and big sliding glass doors that can be opened to the outside. If the weatgher gets over about 90F, we might turn it off for a week - I have gas rings and an electric oven/microwave as well, but if the weather is that hot we don't each much hot food.

Yes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_University There are 31 colleges, which are independent organisations, loosly bound together. I guess the easiest way is to think of the colleges as sort of extended fraternity or soriety houses, except they are bigger, typically a few hunderd students, and besides accomodationa and food also provide small group tuition. They are mixed rather than specialising in any particular subject, although you might choose one particular college to study under a certain person. If you are an undergraduate, or even a graduate student, you go to lectures etc in the University Department, but the college appoints a Tutor to look after your welfare, and a Director of Studies to advise you on your work. Under the Director of Studies are Supervisors, typically research students, but may also be faculty members, who the student will meet weekly in small groups, one on one or one on two , and right essays or old exam questions for. The University, which has faculties, and in turn departments provide the bulk lectures, laboratories, research facilities, examinations aand all the rest. I'm a member both of the Computer Laboratory http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/ , the Centre for Entrpreneurial Learning http://www.entrepreneurs.jims.cam.ac.uk/ in the University, and I'm a Bye-fellow of Emmanuel College http://www.emma.cam.ac.uk/ . I lecture and examine for the Computer Laboratory, and for the Judge Institute (University). There are many, many clubs and societies, both at the University level and at colelge level for almost anything you can think of, especially sport, music and drama. An important part of the Cambridge eduction is mixing with your fellow students, and following your interest. Of foodie interest, there are dining societies, University Food and Wine societies, and a competitive wine tasting team. In College there is the Real Ice Cream Society. http://www.srcf.ucam.org/erics/ or whatever takes the student mind at the moment

Most smokers, like Webers, are designed for cooking briskets, ribs, chicken and the like, so hot smoke. This was cold smoking, under 90F. Althugh I guess there is no reason why you couldn't try a cool fire like smoldering sawdust in Weber

Good morning. It a cool grey day today. Outside the window rabbits are playing. There is a patch that was an old well where the grass doesn't grow as well that they seem to prefer. Mrs Pheasant came to call. She is down to three chicks, but they seem sturdy (one chick is behind the water bowl - an old morter - but the neighberhood robin is looking askance. When ts cold and wet the mother cannot brood a large number of chicks, so some get left out in the cold and get ill. Off to the supermarket for the weekly shopping. Its so much easier to go early before the hordes arrive. No pix - one supermarlet is much like another anywhere in the world. If you want to see pix, they are in my Xmas blog. Its not changed significantly. The supermarket is about 5 miles from here. On the way is Hacker's Fruit farm, that grows the best soft fruit for miles around, maybe because its next to and downwind of the local crematorium. Delightful family, being there forever. Smallscale, a smallholding really. Ducks, chickens, bantams, dogs and even a peacock run around the yard They raise bantums, and one clutch had just hatched this morning

Sorrel schav is for borscht like soup (comes out grey green), or for omlettes. Horseradish sauce chrain is for gefillte fish and for beef. The very young leaves, when they are still fern-like make nice salads. The roots tend to get dug up for Pesach, which keeps it in check. Some make horseradish flavoured mashed potato, but I can't see the point - it dilutes the flavour too much, and I suspect they make it by just reaching for the jar of horseradish sauce. However freshly made horseradish sauce (grate horseradish outside), with a little vinegar, sugar, salt is a relevation Salad burnet I agree is over-rated. I don't know why people make such a fuss about it. Its not even vey decorative. Mine is not prolific enough to do anything sensible with, except put the occaisonal cucumber flavoured sprig in Pimms.

Thanks. Moreton's book is wonderful. My friend Henrietta Green, author of the Food Lovers Guide http://www.foodloversbritain.com/ says she met him, and his bacon was indeed excellent. The exams are for the University, not college. I'm sure Mr Winner is above any reccomendation from me.. Don't really have a local. The most famous pub in Cambridge is the Eagle, apparently the real place where Crick and Watson discovered the secret of life. http://www.worldstudysolutions.com/locatio.../EagleHome.html Click on history to see the bar ceiling from WWII, where the US air crews wrote the names of those who did not come back in candle soot... oops...I was trying to turn the skin from the bacon into the definitive porky scratchings. Unfortunately I forgot them, and they burnt. Fortunately it was only half of the skin... A disadvantge of the Aga is that you can't smell things burning in the oven, as the oven is vented to the flue. The working end of the kitchen

Too kind...its fairly plain food, and my preentation leaves a lot to be desired... I'm sure Carbonara will feature soon, as will a Cobb salad, but maybe not in this blog timeframe. The smoked eggs idea came from Keith Erlandson "Home Smoking and Curing". The eggs were seasoned with salt and pepper before smoking. I guess they are similar to tea-smoke eggs, but less sharp - I find tea smoked food quite acrid from the smoldering sugar. Slbunge: The sawdust is quite ordinary, except that its hardwood and with no or very little MDF. Its straight out of the dust collector at a local joinery shop. I think its mostly from the planer/thicknesser, and they have been processing mostly cherry and oak. Its just put in a heap about 3 inches wide by 2 inches thick all around the edge of the oven floor and lit at one end. Once its got going is just smolders all the way round. No flame to speak of. These two days took about a pail of sawdust. I didn't add any. I thought I might have needed to relight it, but it sorted its self out. I'd guess it would work in any fireproof box like a large BBQ, especially one with a seperate firebox, where the draft can be controlled. Today's been busy. To London early. The coffee stall at the station (http://www.amtcoffee.co.uk/ has saved my life (or should that be bacon?) on several occaisions. Quite a decent 4 shot expresso. The corporate breakfast turned out to be miniature hot dogs and flabby bacon rolls, in strange soft fine grained sweet glazed rolls, almost like baked Bao, or bridge rolls. Gave my talk, and then back in time for lunch in College (tomato and red pepper soup, boiled beef with parsley dumplings, cheese - Sage Derby). Prof Laurie Hall tells me he has got his new hot air oven working, so he can watch bread actually baking inside his NMR machine and see how the structure changes. He is also looking at how an egg cooks. ( http://www.hslmc.cam.ac.uk/index_hires.htm follow posters and food), . Then teaching for four hours, and home for supper. Sausages, new potatoes, cabbage...and bacon. Still got exam marking to do, but that might have to wait until tomorrow. Also tomorrow bake off the bread, and other prep for the picnic, and maybe get out in the garden. Any requests? I'm going to slump in front of the TV, maybe with a glass of scotch. The last, alas, of the 1972 cask strength Strathisla, in a Gordon and McPhail bottling, I think...

Took the eggs and bacon out of the smoker, as I'm not sure what time I'll be back tonight. The bacon has had 36 hours of smoke, and I'm sure that will be OK. The eggs had 12 hours in the smoke, and the one I sampled was surprisingly good. Call it breakfast. They are now all resting in baggies in the fridge. I'm now off to Lodon, no doubt trailing a faint redolance or cherrywood smoke...

5am. Grey dawn. I have a breakfast meeting in London, 2 hours travel away, and I need to catch up with my correspondence and post before I leave. Breakfast meetings are uncivilised. More coffee (Java and Mysore blend). Thank you for excellent Bacon suggestions. I can see we will eat well... Last night we made a Salad Lynonnaise, courtesy of Mrbigjas's suggestion. Thank you! Warning: Food Porn ahead. Fried pieces of bacon and sausage, plain boiled potatoes, then fried garlic croutons in the bacon fat. Assemble with salad leaves from the garden, and a poached egg (or two in my case). The eggs are from our neighbors. Drizzle with vinagrette, made with white balsamic and olive oil. The olive oil is brought back in bulk by our neighbors from Provence. Green and fruity. The plastic 5 litre jerrycan has a web site on it http://www.chez.com/huiledoliveenprovence/ Tonights wine is a 2004 Ch. Morgues du Gres Rose. I do think these southern French Costieres de Nimes and surrounding areas have greatly improved recently. Pretty wine, pretty bottle, also with a web site http://www.mourguesdugres.fr/ Finished the bread. After 4 hourly turns, shaped and put into a banneton (wicker basket) to prove slowly, retarded in the fridge. It will happily sit there until needed when we bake tomorrow. The porous basket and cloth allow a slight skin to form, improving the crust. The coil basket will leave a nice impression on the bread. The Baneton is from http://www.brotformen.de/. For this bread, one of the keys is to get the hydration right, hence the calculations. Bread is very sensitive to small variations in hydration. Its a brown bread, and brown flour adsorbs more water, but is also more tolerant. You won't get a high rise or very open texture since the bran in the bread pucntures the gas cells. Apart from that another key is gentle handling, since you don't want to knock out all the gas that you have carefully built up. Also temperature during fermentation (85F) is important for sourdough. When baking good bottom heat is also important, but more of that tomorrow. Took the prawns and the cheese out of the smoker after about 5 hours. Prawns promise well, The stilton was a little warm, but should be interesting after it has cooled in the fridge and set up and the smoke flavour permeated. I like the bacon bread ideas. I should have kept some dough back - I make a great bacon and cheese bread, with chunks of bacon and cheese in the bread. Bacon and smoked stilton bread, maybe? I used Farenheight for the benefit of our US readers. Noramlly I use and work in centigrade. I used metric weight measures because they are much easier to do the calculations in. Digital scales and digital thermometers can make even lazy cooks like me accurate, and are the single biggest impovement to my cooking yet. The oven is built around a shell from http://www.fourgrandmere.com

Many thanks for all the suggestions. Brilliant. Keepp them coming. Some like Rumaki I've never heard of or tasted... Bit busy here and some unexpected guests for supper. Made the Slad Lyonnaise, which was lovely and went down well. Pix when I get time. Friday is also busy. I have a breakfast meeting in London - I'm keynote speaker at a conference on "Risk and Reward in Semiciductor startups", then back to Cambridge and students/teaching for 4 hours. I'll post when I can...

OK. The salmon is declared smoked. It now needs to rest for a day or two in a ziplock baggie in the fridge to for the smoke flavour to permeate through. The bit I tried (I thought the end needed trimming) was very good indeed, promising well... The bacon needs another day in the smoke, but I couldn't resist cutting a slice or two to try with my supper... Meantime the next load goes into the kiln; the bacon back again, Stilton, eggs and prawns... Next I gave the bread its first turn, folding it like making flaky pastry. See how nice the dough is, despite not being kneaded. Now a problem. More feedback please folks. BTW I see lots of reader, but few posters... I'm about to have all this good and very flavoursome bacon. What should I do with it? I could freeze most of it in chunks, but that seems to defeat the purpose a bit. Bacon and egg, of course, Quiche Lorraine, but what else? Bacon and beans, or heavy stews seem more like winter dishes than summer ones. What else can I make (not Bacon Ice cream or the like, please). All you Bacon lovers out theres, what is your favourite summer Bacon dish?

Many thanks. I'm not sure how practical some of those would be in a punt on the river...no side table, or cutlery or plates for example.

Note there is no need to knead; time and water develop the gluten. In half an hour I'll add the salt; but even this pause is a refinement, then fold it every hour for the next four hours or so.

Starter is looking good. Calculations for the loaf. Want a big loaf, say 2Kg flour 1.5Kg wholemeal 250g Spelt 250g Rye (for flavour) 600g starter (30%; about half flour, half water: 300g flour) So total flour content is 2300g Want about 72% hydration hence 72*2300/100 or about 1700cl water 2% salt or 46g. Pinch Vitamic C Total dough weight about 4Kg, about 3Kg baked

I'm more impressed you can grow things so well in soil that color! Unless the photos aren't representing it well. Do you use a single patch for your garden every year, or do you move it around a bit? ← Its a heavy alkaline clay. We manure it well, but the main problem is that its either very wet soggy and jelly like, too wet to cultivate or even walk on, or dry baked hard and cracked. There are only about two weeks in the year when its reasonable to dig.. The vegetable plots stay where they are, but what is grown in each varies. I try to run a four year roatation: Potatoes; leeks then beans, peas, etc; brassicas, roots. Pigeons are a great menace, and devastate the crops if they can. This one is different. It arrived about a week ago and is very friendly to people, hanging around the kitchen door for food. Its got rings on its legs but its not let us come close enough to read the mimbers, and we wonder if its a racing pigeon that has got lost, Smoking fine, at 87F. I think I'll leave the salmon another hour or so, then its had 24 hours. The bacon has another day. Picture of condensate dripping off the iron door.