Where has the Week gone?

It can't be a week since I posted, can it?

This time last week, I was eating a Mackerel bap, and cooking ribs, the Bank Holiday has confused me and I've been a day out all week.

I have been busy with bread, as well as the post on my bread blog, which you can find from the panel on the right, I did the usual order for Oats, part of which is shown, and went to the monthly Brixham Means Business meeting, useful as always.

I've been persuaded to start using Twitter, I'm not sure if I'm doing it right really, just pressing buttons, I don't seem to have upset anyone yet though.You can find me at Well Bread!

On with the rest of the blog, there were a couple of ribs left after our BBQ, and I removed the meat and cut it into small pieces.

I stir-fried it with Corn, Onion and Peas,

 
adding scrambled egg at the end, maybe not an authentic Chinese dish, but it used up all the odds and ends. 

Meanwhile, as I had a rebate from BT, (that's another story) and a few pounds spare, I brought an arbour for the garden. Of course I had to put it together myself, I'm not a huge fan of flat-packed furniture, I'm sure that people who design it never try to assemble it, as you can see the screwdriver goes on the screw, but how do you grip the thing to turn it? The holes in the apex were even worse.

I got it done though, and it's still standing 8 hours later, so there's hope.

I haven't picked any Elderflower this year, I made so much wine last year, I'm going  to leave it and make Elderberry later in the year as a winter warmer.

But I did notice that the Blackberries are starting to flower, and there seems to be an abundance.

Which doesn't mean that wine making is on hold, Yvonne found a recipe for Lemon Balm Wine, we have lots in the garden, so I started a batch. This is it with the leaves in to soak for a few days, before adding the yeast.

To make room, I bottled the Rhubarb Wine I made in March as it had  cleared in the demi-john.

I couldn't resist a sip, its a bit young but very flavoursome, a little dry, should be nice with fish. And it was only £2.50 for the rhubarb, so less than 50p a bottle all in, that's about my price range. Plus I got the rhubarb pulp for a crumble.

I'm back at work tomorrow, have a good week.

Ribs Part 2

Next job, after the ribs soaking, was to prepare the potato wedges. I like to cut mine with one of those apple corer gadgets,

and part boil for about 10 minutes.

 This helps them soak up the Balsamic vinegar that I put on them as they steam,

When that has been soaked up, you can dress them in Oil and they are ready for an hour in the oven at 200, with a turn every now and again.

Meanwhile I gave the ribs a tgood basting and put them in at 100 degrees for 4 hours. They will then need about 30 minutes under the grill, or on the BBQ if it warms up this afternoon, to finish.

As you can see, they came up a treat on the BBQ, the wedges had an hour  in the oven and they were crispy,

with a bowl of salad,

it made a good spread, very nice to eat outdoors as well,

All in all a good meal.

BUT before all that we went to Millie and Me for tea and Cakes. Yvonne had Baily's Cheesecake,

the rest of us had a Cream Tea.

Back to the diet tomorrow!!!

Yvonne's Birthday

We had a visitor this afternoon, I think she comes from the house up the road where new people have moved in. Our Lab's didn't spot him, but I think she could see them.

 

 

As it was Yvonne's birthday, (** since you asked) Naomi and Eamon came down for the weekend. They got stuck in traffic and took 7 hours to get here, so we had to go straight out for the meal that I had booked.

Starters were amazing, a sharing selection of all sorts, whitebait, scampi, calamari etc,

then mains of more local seafood,

Fish Pie

Crevettes, Mussels and Crab Claws

Prawn and Chilli Arrabiata

and finally a good sized dessert.

Mine was washed down with a glass of Bays Topsail, a delicious local brew.

I don't think I will need to eat again for a while, I feel like one of those snakes that eats a large animal and sleeps for a week or two. But it was lovely. Happy Birthday Yvonne.

As seen on trip advisor etc

A bit of trumpet blowing for Well Bread!
Various reviews from social media, looks like I'm acquiring a reputation, this for the Onion Seed Panini I do for Millie,

and these for the Mackerel Bap,

Keep them coming.

Mackerel Bap.

Following all the effort of making the rolls, I just had to go and buy one, just to see if they had come out alright. And I'm happy to say that they had, and seemed to be selling well as I had to queue up for mine.

Sophie put loads of salad and a horseradish mayo in the bap,

before adding the freshly grilled fish,

 

and the result was pretty spectacular.

I asked a few random people I saw eating them if they were any good, and got very positive answers.

Another triumph.

Ribs and Hot Pot

In addition to baking the 200 rolls for Brixfest,

http://www.brixfest.org/

I had Yvonnes birthday barbeque to organise and a meal to make for tonight.
In the end I got the ribs out of the freezer to defrost while I made the BBQ sauce and assembled the Hot Pot.

The sauce base was made from equal parts of Black Treacle, Honey  & Tomato Ketchup. On top of this I added Paprika, English Mustard and Worcester Sauce to give it a bit of a kick.

Meanwhile I chopped Onion and carrot for the hotpot,

took some left over lamb and cut into chunks,

then mixed, with added butter beans.

I made gravy with lamb stock (thanks freezer) veg boullion powder and a little cornflour,

I topped it with a big handful (or two) of the frozen potato peelings that I part cook and freeze

Then it just neeeded an hour in the oven.

Meanwhile the ribs had defrosted, I cut them into more managable pieces and rubbed the sauce in, leaving them to soak in the fridge.

Now they just need turning every now and again. A few hours in a slow oven and they can be finished on the BBQ.

Not a bad days work.

Sneaking up

Whilst lifes little problems (and some not so little) have been occupying my mind, the garden has lept on, and looking around today, I could see that the apples are starting to swell on the trees,

 

as are the cherries.

Not only that, but my redcurrant is also showing developing fruit.

it will soon be time to start thinking about Jam.

Disappointingly, my runner beans have not come up at all, so now I don't know whether to get plants or just leave it for this year. I may need the room for Tomatoes as I have had success with them, and my Potatoes will soon start to be lifted so I could put them in their place. Decisions Decisions.

Meanwhile Naomi and Eamon are coming down for the weekend, as it's Yvonne's birthday, so I have checked the barbeque and am getting the ribs out of the freezer. If you are offended by the sight of meat, don't read the next post.

Mixed Feelings

Sunday was a good day and a bad day, Good because it was sunny, Yvonne and I had a good day in Totnes at the Good Food Market and it was a bad day because Georgina has gone back to Oz for another few months.

Sharkham has never looked lovelier either, when I walked the dogs around, it was warm, but there was a cooling breeze, what a glorious day.

We spoke to George when she was in departures, and we all had a bit of a grizzle, (even me) she won't be back in Barkly until Tuesday evening our time, it's so far away she's almost on the way back.

She's well stocked with proper pommy food though, and takes all our love and good wishes with her. I'm so proud that she's grown up capable and independant, we miss her already, but we are counting down till she brightens up our lives again.