Root Vegetable Soup
What else would you do on a cool May bank holiday weekend except make soup? This roasted root vegetable soup from Complete Comfort Food looked interesting. Lots of vegetables to be prepared: butternut squash, onions, leeks, turnip (swede), parsnip (yes, I hate them but surely one parsnip would be overwhelmed by the other ingredients) and carrots. Prep work done and bay leaves, rosemary and thyme interspersed, I popped the vegetables into the oven to roast. I had to leave the house for a few minutes and when I re-entered, the aroma of rosemary rose to greet me. Mmmm!
When softened, I simmered the vegetables in stock and then liquidised them. The soup was a little too thick. We ate it with a dollop of creme fraiche sprinkled with cayenne pepper. A little bland, I thought, but the spouse and younger offspring were very pleased.
Pea, Ham and Cheese Muffins
This recipe is in the Norfolk's Own Cookbook and I've been itching to make these muffins for weeks. What could you possibly object to in muffins that contain Boursin cheese and chopped ham and are sprinkled with grated cheese? Well, I don't really like peas but I'm ready to endure them from time to time.
Apart from the cheese, there was no fat in the batter. The consistency was light. The spouse and the two offspring were very impressed but I expected more from the Boursin cheese. Disappointed but not crossing them off my "bake again" list.
No Peaches, But Plenty of Herbs
The garden was in need of attention. There were weeds to be evacuated, herbs to be replaced and sweetpeas to be planted. The spouse and I took full advantage of the long weekend to review the garden. We don't have much growing space out the front or in the back. The front is exposed to the wind since a line of protective evergreens were cut down several years ago, so the soil tends to dry out.
I wanted to try transferring a rose in the back garden into a pot and to replace a moribund sage. The sweetpea king wanted to revert to the teepee climbing frame he first set up two years ago. Off we went to garden centre with a short list and returned with more items than intended.
We managed to get some work done yesterday afternoon (Sunday 1st May) before the rain and this morning before the hailstones. So, in the picture to the left you can see my new sage, parsley and mint. The chives, fennel, lovage and sorrel have been around for some time. And my bee box is still there.
I don't have much luck with parsley. The slugs tend to get to it before I do. I don't like to use poison pellets and the death by beer method produces bodies to be disposed of. Yuck. I've tried coffee without success. Other ways of killing slugs are too unpalatable to mention so you'll have to look them up yourself on slugfence.com. Those of you with strong stomachs can even find videos on Youtube. I can't look.
That's it for now.
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| Chopped vegetables coated in oil and ready for roasting |
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| Roasted vegetable soup with creme fraiche and cayenne |
Pea, Ham and Cheese Muffins
This recipe is in the Norfolk's Own Cookbook and I've been itching to make these muffins for weeks. What could you possibly object to in muffins that contain Boursin cheese and chopped ham and are sprinkled with grated cheese? Well, I don't really like peas but I'm ready to endure them from time to time.
 |
| Pea, ham and cheese muffins |
No Peaches, But Plenty of Herbs
The garden was in need of attention. There were weeds to be evacuated, herbs to be replaced and sweetpeas to be planted. The spouse and I took full advantage of the long weekend to review the garden. We don't have much growing space out the front or in the back. The front is exposed to the wind since a line of protective evergreens were cut down several years ago, so the soil tends to dry out.
I wanted to try transferring a rose in the back garden into a pot and to replace a moribund sage. The sweetpea king wanted to revert to the teepee climbing frame he first set up two years ago. Off we went to garden centre with a short list and returned with more items than intended.
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| Happy with my herbs |
I don't have much luck with parsley. The slugs tend to get to it before I do. I don't like to use poison pellets and the death by beer method produces bodies to be disposed of. Yuck. I've tried coffee without success. Other ways of killing slugs are too unpalatable to mention so you'll have to look them up yourself on slugfence.com. Those of you with strong stomachs can even find videos on Youtube. I can't look.
That's it for now.
Minnie
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