Yarra Valley Dairy

70 Mc Meikans Rd, Yering

9739 1222

www.yvd.com.au

When a little stubborn, I secretly buy Yarra Valley Dairy goats cheese. A day out in the valley is not complete without a visit to the cheese shop so be sure to check it out on their website. Firstly, I’d like to commend them on their brilliant and tasteful marketing. Stunning food styling, really organic and traditional simple imagery on all their pamphlets. Second plus is the fact that they DO NOT use Animal rennet and all their products are suitable for vegetarians. My top picks:

1. Gemello
2. Black Savourine
3. Fresh Goats Pyramid

Thanks to Meredith Dairy stand at the Farmers Market at Abbotsford Convent for the education session on cheese. Here’s a summary of their range and some tasting notes:

Ashed Pyramids- goat’s milk, the traditional ash coating protects the cheese as it begins to drool upon reaching room temperature. A good starter with champagne or prosecco.

Caprini- ‘baby goat’ is encased in a white mould but with a ‘firm,dry texture’. It has a distinct wild mushroom taste to begin with and finishes with citrus undertones. Loves any floral Italian sangiovese, nebbiolo or Italian chianti.

Cargarie- A much younger cheese than the above,  yet the mould softens the interior through aging. A rich velvet smooth cheese that is very musty yet mild in flavour. Best consumed with a fruity white or pinot noir.

Chevre- Without mold, delicate and soft young goats cheese, easily suited for cooking, salads, pizza or serve simply with antipasti. Think summer whites; Anything from Semillon, Grenache to a sauvignon.

Fromage Frais/blanc- ‘Curd taken from the cheese vat within an hour of production’. The blanc is simply curd left to settle in cheese cloths. Creamy, lighter on the palate. A step up from ricotta. My personal recommendation- serve on toast with a drizzle of honey or a drizzle of olive oil and crush dried oregano. Loves any lovely young white wine.

Feta- can be a blend of sheeps/goats milk that is stored in salt. Has firm crumbly texture. Great with any Mediterranean salad or quiche. Likes a sharper white wine. I’d recommend a Riesling to balance the saltiness.

Goats brie- An ewe milk cheese ripened in white mould. The greater maturity, the greater the ooziness. Very sexy on any cheeseboard. (highly recommended for bachelors !) Loves oak matured whites/varietals. I’d serve this sexy cheese simply, with quince paste, fresh thinly sliced green apple and spiced poached figs.

Goat Blues- Earthy, mild undertones, delicately matured. Perfect with walnuts, rocket salads. A grand finale of a sticky dessert wine or botrytis is recommended.

So what do you think? Any other additions to this list?

ในปี 1995 ผมกับนามิเบียซิมบับเวเยือนของทีมชาติน้ำจืด Angling. สามีของฉันได้รับเลือกให้เป็นตัวแทนประเทศของเขาในการแข่งขันกับนามิเบียและ South Africa. แม้ว่าประเทศได้รับอิสระสำหรับห้าปีก็จะได้รับเพียงประเทศหนึ่งปีเสร็จสมบูรณ์เมื่อพื้นที่พอร์ตใต้ของ Walvis Bay ได้คนกลับประเทศโดย South Africa.

เรา flew ในเมืองหลวงวินด์ฮุกจากฮาราเร, เชื่อมโยงไปถึงหลังจากที่เที่ยวบินสองชั่วโมง. ของเราแปลกใจแรกลักษณะของวินด์ฮุก. จะพัฒนาดีเมืองสมัยใหม่และการขับรถเข้าเมืองจากสนามบินเรารู้สึกว่าเราบนถนน South Africa ของ. เมืองเงินทุนจำนวนมากในทวีปแอฟริกาจะสกปรกและคงไม่ดีกับถนนที่เต็ม potholes ที่ไม่ทำงานไฟจราจรและขาดรวมสัญญาณถนน – ไม่พูดถึงขับสาหัส, beggars หมดหวังและเด็กถนน. จนไปฉันไป Nambia แอฟริกาใต้เป็นประเทศเดียวที่มีความสะอาดและรักษาดีเมืองเป็นระเบียบและเมือง. นี้เป็นมรดกจากประเทศนามิเบียว่าที่แรกที่ถูกครอบครองนามิเบียในระหว่างสงครามโลกครั้งที่ I. บทเรียนประวัติย่อมีความเกี่ยวข้องที่จุดนี้.

ต่อปลายศตวรรษที่ 19 ตกเป็นเมืองขึ้นของเยอรมันนามิเบียทำให้ประเทศชื่อทึบแทนการ South West Africa. ทางใต้ของประเทศใกล้กับชายแดนของแอฟริกาใต้เป็นพอร์ตยุทธศาสตร์ของ Walvis Bay แล้วภายใต้การควบคุม British. ณสิ้นสงคราม South Africa บริหารประเทศตามกฎหมายจนกว่าจะสิ้นสุดของสงครามโลกครั้งเมื่อมันโดยมีด้านเดียว annexed พื้นที่ – ไม่ยอมรับต่างชาติ. ใน 1,966 สงครามกองโจรล่มจมหินออกจนสิ้นสุดในปี 1988 เมื่อแอฟริกาใต้ตกลงที่จะยกเลิกการควบคุมของประเทศ. สงครามไม่หยุดแอฟริกันใต้จากการติดตั้งโครงสร้างพื้นฐานที่ดีในนามิเบียซึ่งมีประโยชน์ประเทศมากและยังคงมีประสิทธิภาพมากในขณะที่เขียน.

คณะประมง Namibian ได้เสนอให้รองรับ counterparts ชาวประเทศซิมบับเวของพวกเขาดังนั้นหลังจากวางปิดกระเป๋าของเราที่บ้านต่างๆที่เรา climbed เป็นรถมินิบัสและไปกับทัวร์ของวินด์ฮุก. ชื่อเป็นภาษาแอฟริกาหนึ่งหมายถึง "มุมลมแรง" และก็แน่นอนอยู่ถึงชื่อวันที่. ถนนถูกรักษาเป็นอย่างดีและสะอาดและสถาปัตยกรรมได้ประทับใจ. มีบางอาคารที่ทันสมัยมากเป็น, ครอบครองโดยธุรกิจแอฟริกาใต้หลายธนาคาร. เดินไปรอบๆร้านเต็มสตรีในเราน้อยบุคคลที่มีความยินดี – ชั้นวางซ้อนกันได้กับผลิตภัณฑ์แอฟริกาใต้ปรับ. ก็สนับสนุนให้เห็นว่าทั้งสองประเทศได้คงชัดเชื่อมโยงธุรกิจของพวกเขาเพราะจึงมักจะได้ยินหนึ่งของประเทศแอฟริกาเป็นอาณานิคมร้างโดยก่อนหน้านี้หรือ rulers บริหารหลังจากอิสระ.

อิทธิพลเยอรมันได้รับการรักษาและจำนวนอาคารและโบสถ์สะท้อน perios ของอาณานิคมเยอรมัน. มีสามรอบปราสาทวินด์ฮุกซึ่งมีชื่อเสียงที่สุดของที่เรียกว่า Alte Feste. แปลนี้เป็น "Old ป้อม" และปราสาทนี้ housed กองทัพเยอรมันครอบครองเมื่อแรกเริ่มอาคารวินด์ฮุกกลับ 1,890.

เมื่อฉันถูกเติบโตในซิมบับเวเราได้ยินมากเกี่ยวกับ Namibian สงครามประกาศอิสรภาพและความจริงที่ Namibians ดำเป็นศึกกองทัพแอฟริกาใต้ขาวนั้นอาจเข้าใจจริงของฉันแรกของความขัดแย้งเกี่ยวกับเชื้อชาติ. ประเทศที่มีชื่อเสียงเป็นที่เพาะปลูกของการแพ้ยาเชื้อชาติและเราเชื่อว่าคนขาวก็มีที่อันตรายของพวกเขา. ไปของเรานามิเบียพิสูจน์ว่าไม่ถูกต้องเพียงมุมมองที่เป็น. วัฒนธรรมทั้งหมดผสมอิสระและลำบากมากให้อภัยกัน – ในความเป็นจริงเป็นผู้ที่เราสงสัยว่าในแผ่นดินที่พวกเขาต้องการที่เคยมีสงครามเกี่ยวกับ. Namibians ขาวเจอกันไม่เคยพิจารณาตัวเองแอฟริกาใต้และไม่มีผู้ใดของพวกเขาได้ต่อสู้ในสงคราม. โธ่ misconceptions ของเยาวชนและพลังของสื่อ!

เราขับไล่ลงกลางถนนในวินด์ฮุก, ชื่อแดกดัน Robert Mugabeทาง. Namibians ยืนยันนี้ขอขอบคุณชาวประเทศซิมบับเวประธานการสนับสนุนของเขาในระหว่างสงครามของประเทศอิสระ. ก่อนประธานนามิเบีย, Sam Nujoma, ยังเป็นเพื่อนบุคคลใกล้ชิดของ Mugabe's. เราฝูงอดีตบ้านประธานาธิบดีเป็นอาณานิคมปรับอาคารสไตล์สมบูรณ์ล้อมรอบด้วยรั้ว – คมชัดรวม Mugabe กลัวผู้คนของเขาเป็นเพื่อที่ดีเขาชีวิตหลังกำแพงสูงสิบฟุตและปิดถนนนอกบ้านของเขาทั้งหมดการจราจรในเวลากลางคืนระหว่างเวลา 6 น. และ 6.

ในช่วงเย็นเรามี braaivleis (คำแอฟริกาใต้สำหรับปิ้งบาร์บีคิว) ที่บ้านของผู้จัดการทีมของ Namibian. เช้านี้หลังจากอาหารเช้าใจเราฝูงเป็นเมืองชายฝั่งทะเล Swakopmund, เมืองใหญ่อันดับสองในนามิเบีย. ถนนที่เราเดินทางเอาเราผ่าน Namib ทะเลทรายและมันเป็นไดรฟ์อันงดงาม. ก็ถือเป็นทะเลทรายที่เก่าแก่ที่สุดในโลกอายุประมาณ 80 ล้านปี. ปริมาณน้ำฝนประจำปีเฉลี่ยเพียง 10 mm (0,25 นิ้ว) และมีจวนพืช no. หาดทรายจะสิ้นสุด; ขยายทองมากมายยืดทิศทางไปทางขอบฟ้า. แตกต่างระหว่างทองและท้องฟ้าสีฟ้าได้งดงาม. หยุดรถบนถนนได้ประสบการณ์เหลือเชื่อ. เราลงเฉพาะชีวิตและรถมินิบัสและถนนที่บ่งชี้เฉพาะของชาติมนุษย์ถูก. อำนาจครอบงำของธรรมชาติถูกเหลือเชื่อและเรารู้สึกเหลือเชื่อขนาดเล็กและสัพเพเหระในทะเลทรายนี้.

เนินทรายใหญ่ที่สุดในโลกอยู่ในทะเลทราย Namib. เรียกว่าเนินจำนวนเจ็ด (ฉันไม่เคยได้สามารถมองเห็นเหตุผลสำหรับชื่อโง่แต่นี้) เป็นเกือบ 390 เมตรในความสูง (ประมาณ 1,256 ฟุต). เราได้ออกจากรถมินิบัสและบางส่วนสำคัญยิ่งในหมู่พวกเรา climbed เนินทรายน้อยแต่ล้มเหลวไปด้านบน. เดินผ่านทรายได้อย่างเหลือเชื่อทำให้อ่อนเพลีย! เนินทรายจำนวนเจ็ดตั้งอยู่ในช่วงของเนินทรายทรายที่อยู่ในพื้นที่ดินเรียก Sossusvlei. Apparently มีโอกาสได้รับน้อยเมื่อปริมาณน้ำฝนในพื้นที่ได้รับเพียงพอที่จะกรอก pans vlei ด้วยน้ำและสายตานี้สร้างเป็นสวยงาม. น้ำมีสีมีสีเขียวขุ่นเนื่องจากดินเป็นดินเพื่อหนาแน่นมีฉี่กรองน้ำ no. Vlei หมายความว่ามีบางพืชแข็งแกร่งมากทั่วเนินทรายเหล่านี้และอีกสองถึงสามถิ่นฐานภาษาท้องถิ่นได้ที่ได้ปรากฏแล้วในพื้นที่. ลักษณะงดงามที่สุดของเนินทรายเหล่านี้เกือบเสร็จสมบูรณ์ขาดการพัฒนาท่องเที่ยวซึ่งหมายถึงพื้นที่ที่เป็นแท้โดยคน. สามารถเดินทางไปเนินทรายกับบุคคลทัวร์แต่มีโรงแรมไม่สะดวกและไม่มีวันหยุดอื่นๆ.

หลังจากการเดินทางอันงดงามห้าชั่วโมงเรามาถึงที่ Swakopmund. ผลกระทบต่อภาพของเมืองที่เป็นน่ากลัว. ดูเหมือนว่าจะปรากฏจากทะเลทรายเหมือนฝันและเมืองเพื่อให้ classically เสน่ห์ว่าน่าจะเป็นชิ้นเล็กๆของยุโรปโอนไปแอฟริกา. นอกจากเมืองเป็นมหาสมุทรแอตแลนติก,เพิ่มให้คนต่างด้าวประสบการณ์ surreal เกือบขับรถเข้า Swakopmund. อิทธิพลภาษาเยอรมันเป็นอย่างชัดแจ้งที่นี่และจะไม่จำกัดเฉพาะสถาปัตยกรรม. ภาษาเยอรมันเป็นภาษาพูดอย่างกว้างขวางใน Swakopmund และร้านอาหารจะเต็ม Bavarian อาหารอร่อยและเบียร์. คนที่บ้านเรียกเมืองนี้เป็นเยี่ยม, ผสม eclectic ของชาวประมง, ผู้ประกอบการ Safari, miners, คนแอฟริกาและ descendents ของถิ่นฐานเยอรมันบรรดาต้น.

เมืองมีมากแถบหนึ่งร้านอาหารและร้านและมีแม้กระทั่งคาสิโน. ในระหว่างปีของการพนันขาว South Africa กฎของชนกลุ่มน้อยถูกห้ามจึงใต้แอฟริกันมักจะฝูงเพื่อ Swakpomund ไปเพลิดเพลินติด "ของ" – Swakopmund อยู่ใกล้ Walvis Bay. นอกเหนือจากเนินทรายทรายใหญ่ Swakopmund ยังมีเนินทรายเกลือมากหลาย. บางถนนพร้อม seafront จะทำเกลือสิ่งที่ฉันพบมากยากที่จะเชื่อเพราะสีเทาที่เข้ม – เกือบเหมือนน้ำมันดิน. สามีของฉัน daredฉันลิ้มรสการเดินทางแต่ฉันไม่สามารถนำตัวเองลอง! ฉันได้เรียนรู้ว่าเมื่อถนนเปียกสามารถทรยศ.

เมืองที่พระอาทิตย์ขึ้นและพระอาทิตย์ตกที่งดงามเนื่องจากดวงอาทิตย์ตั้งหันทรายเนินทรายสีลึกของสีแดง. ไฟในอากาศดูเหมือนจะเรืองแสงสะท้อนออกจากทราย. เพราะของเย็นฉ่ำเย็นมหาสมุทรแอตแลนติก rolls หมอกเหนือเมืองในเช้าและตอนเย็นทำให้มันน่ากลัว, ลักษณะเบาหวิว. วันแรกที่เราใช้มีเราถ่ายเพื่อดูต้นไม้ที่เรียกว่า mirabilis welwitschia. แม้ว่าจะไม่เติบโตสูงกว่าสองเมตรมีระบบรากใต้ดินถึงเมตรถึงสี่. และพวกเขาดูประหนึ่งว่าพวกเขาได้ถูกโยนลงในทะเลทรายเพื่อรักษาตัวเอง – พวกเขากล่าวเท็จอย่างเศร้าโศกในทรายเกือบ recoiling จากแสงแดดรุนแรง. พืชเหล่านี้เท่านั้นที่เคยแบกสองใบเติบโตในทิศทางตรงกันข้าม. หากใบนี้ตายจึงไม่โรงงานทั้งหมด. เราไม่ได้ดูตัวอย่างเก่าแก่ที่สุดซึ่งมากกว่า 2000ปีอายุ. พืชที่เราเห็นได้เพียง 500 ปี – เพียง youngsters เปรียบเทียบ!

เช้าวันถัดไปเราไปตกปลาฉลามพร้อมหนึ่งชายหาด. ที่แปลกใจของชายหาดคือไม่ต้อนรับอย่าง. มีหินมากและหินกว่าทรายและลมเป่าจากแอตแลนติกได้หนาวเย็นฉ่ำ. ฉันรักหอยทะเลแต่มีอะไรนอกจากเศษหินบนชายหาด. แม้ว่าที่ดวงอาทิตย์ได้ส่องแสงและเราต้องการได้อย่างอบอุ่นในช่วงเช้าในเมืองที่เราพบตัวเราตัดค่าใช้จ่ายอย่างรอบคอบวันบนชายหาด. ส่วนหนึ่งของนามิเบียซึ่งเรียกว่า โครงกระดูกโคสต์ และชื่อได้ไม่มีอะไรจะทำอย่างไรกับคำอธิบายของชายหาด. วันนั้นกลับหลายร้อยปีที่ผ่านมาเมื่อ seafarers โปรตุเกสและผู้ค้าเครื่องเทศจากอินเดียตะวันออกของดัตช์บริษัท sailed ทั่ว Cape ไปอินเดีย. เรือหลายคนมาพร้อมความเศร้าโศกชายฝั่งทุจริตของโครงกระดูกโคสต์, ผู้ที่ตกเป็นเหยื่อของเหี้ยมมหาสมุทรแอตแลนติก, ชายฝั่งถูกจุ่มหินและปกติfogs และ mists. ในวันก่อนที่มนุษย์เรือขับเคลื่อนก็เป็นไปได้ที่จะได้ขึ้นฝั่งผ่านคลื่นอย่างต่อเนื่องแต่ไม่สามารถที่จะกลับออกไปสู่ทะเลยกเว้นหนึ่งสำหรับการท่องเที่ยวทางเหนือไม่กี่ร้อยไมล์ในทะเลทรายร้อนแห้งแล้ง,. ชายหลายคนตายในช่วงระยะการเดินทางนี้และ skeletons ของพวกเขาได้พบกระจายอยู่ตามแนวชายฝั่ง. Shipwrecks หลายได้พบดอน, ฝากโดยมีคลื่นแอตแลนติกฉกรรจ์และลมแรงแบบลมแรง. ผู้ชายติดบรอนซ์ฉลาม Kob และรังสี. ปลาทั้งหมดเป็นหนัก, ติดแท็กและปล่อย. Bronzies เป็นธรรมขนาดใหญ่น้ำหนักระหว่าง 80 และ 100 กิโลกรัม (ระหว่าง 175 และ £ 220). ชื่อมาจากสีของพวกเขาและพวกเขาเป็นชนิดที่น่าสนใจ.

เช้าวันถัดไปเรา piled กลับสู่รถมินิบัสและฝูงกลับภายในประเทศเพื่อสถานที่จัดแข่งขันตกปลานานาชาติ, เขื่อน Hardap. เขื่อนคือที่ใหญ่ที่สุดในนามิเบียกับ 865 เมตร (2,838 ฟุตกำแพงเขื่อน) และบริเวณพื้นผิวมากกว่า 25 กิโลเมตร (สิบตารางไมล์) – เมื่อมันเต็ม. ปีที่เราไปมีฝนแล้งอันยิ่งใหญ่ในภาคใต้แอฟริกาและเขื่อนมีเพียง 25 เปอร์เซ็นต์เต็ม. น้ำยังน่ากลัวมากที่สุดถั่วสีเขียว. ฉันไม่สามารถเชื่อว่าคนตกปลาได้ว่ายน้ำและ waterskiing และน้ำแต่ Hardap เขื่อนเป็นรีสอร์ทที่เป็นที่นิยมและไม่มีคนประจักษ์ในใจสีน้ำ.

Hardap เขื่อนตั้งอยู่ในพื้นที่กึ่งทะเลทรายในนามิเบียจึงมีค่อนข้างมากพืชแข็งแกร่งในภูมิภาคได้แก่ succulents และ aloes.ชีวิตนกรอบเขื่อนได้อุดมสมบูรณ์และหลากหลาย. เราอาศัยใน chalets หลายกับการเข้าถึงสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกของเช่นร้านอาหารและสระว่ายน้ำ (เต็มน้ำสะอาดดี). เรามีในเดือนพฤศจิกายนซึ่งเป็นฤดูร้อนกลาง. อากาศเป็นปกติของพื้นที่ทะเลทรายใดอุณหภูมิเวลาวันถึง 45 องศาเซลเซียส (113 องศาฟาเรนไฮต์) และเนื่องจากเราจนถึงดอนลมเพียงมาตอนกลางคืนเมื่ออุณหภูมิ plummeted ใกล้ศูนย์.

เราใช้สี่วันที่ Hardap เขื่อน. ฉันไม่ใช่เฉพาะสมาชิกประมงของทีมงานเพื่อให้ฉันอยู่ด้วยชีวิตชีวา (และสะอาดมากสระว่ายน้ำ) และไปในไดรฟ์เกมน้อย. แม้ว่าภูมิภาคนี้เป็นกึ่งทะเลทรายมีความหลากหลายของสัตว์ป่ารวมถึง ostriches, zebras, warthog, kudu, สะมั่งอาฟริกาและ oryx. นอกจากนี้ยังมีประชากรขนาดเล็กของแรดดำ. Anglers ใช้ตกปลาวันสำหรับเหน็บและมันก็ยาก. แรกจุดตกปลามาให้พื้นเป็น baited เพื่อดึงดูดเหน็บและเก็บพวกเขาจนกระทั่งชาวประมงได้พร้อม. เราจะเตรียมเหยื่อคืนก่อนใน chalets เรา.

นี้คือการทำงานที่ซับซ้อน – โจ๊กแข็ง (อาหารเหลว) ก็จะเตรียมจากอาหารข้าวโพดและเครื่องปรุงต่างๆแล้วเพิ่ม. สม่ำเสมอมีความสำคัญมากเนื่องจากตอนเช้าไปให้อาหารนั้นอยู่ในบริษัทให้ลูกยากกว่าขอที่ถูกโยนออกจากธนาคารในน้ำ. Angler ต้องระมัดระวังว่าเหยื่อไม่โกรธระหว่างหล่อหรือสลายเมื่อมันตีน้ำ. ทีมงานชาวประเทศซิมบับเวต่อสู้กับเทคนิคที่สมบูรณ์แบบของพวกเขาในระหว่างวันที่ปฏิบัติแต่พวกเขาต้องการปรับปรุงโดยวันที่สองของนานาชาติ. คันเป็นแนวนอนแล้วสมดุลในการสนับสนุนในขณะที่ชาวประมง rushes กลับไปที่ถังเหยื่อของเขาเพื่อเตรียมคันอื่น. ติดเมื่อปลาได้หนักและวางจำหน่ายแล้ว. มันเป็นมากทำให้เหน็ดเหนื่อยวิ่งระหว่างน้ำและธนาคารทุกวันในความร้อน searing.

ตอนเย็นของเราหลังจากที่เราต้องการเตรียมให้อาหารได้ดีสนุก.ทีม Namibian สอนเราเกมที่เรียกว่า Spread Virus. Zimbabweans ได้ค้นพบเพียงแต่เหล้ามีอำนาจเรียก sambuca และเรา intrigued. ไม่ใช่เพียงแค่ความสามารถของเครื่องดื่มนี้จะเป็นสีที่แตกต่างกัน. ฉันคิดว่า (และยังคิดว่า) มันลิ้มรสขยะแขยงจริงๆ. เพื่อหลีกเลี่ยงการดื่มเป็นหนึ่งได้สำเร็จในเกม. ผู้เล่นแต่ละนิ้วชี้จุ่มใน sambuca และเปลวไฟผ่านจากนิ้วหนึ่งที่จะเล่นต่อไปจนกว่าจะมีคนหยุดเปลวไฟหรือไป out. เป็นริบเล่นได้ทำกับเครื่องดื่มวัดปริมาณเล็กน้อยของ sambuca แล้วเกมจะเริ่มต้นอีกครั้ง. มีงานประจำที่เข้มงวดตามหากต้องการหลีกเลี่ยงการดื่ม sambuca ของ. เปียกนิ้วในของเหลวที่ใช้เปลวไฟที่ผ่านไปยังเล่นต่อไปและดับเปลวไฟโดยปิดนิ้วในฝ่ามือหรือวางลงในปาก. หัส Great ได้เกิดจากผู้เล่นที่ได้ทำให้มึนเมาพยายามไฟลุกโชติช่วงเมื่อนิ้วมีอยู่ในปากหรือพยายามดับนิ้วในแก้วเหล้า. ลุกไหม้ปกคลุมบ่อยครั้งตารางที่กลางคืนและเราจริงจัดการผ่านเปลวไฟระหว่างแปดของเรา 17 รอบก่อนที่จะถูกยกเลิกในที่สุด. มันเอาหลายวันเพื่อให้สีเข้มของ sambuca ปิดมือเปื้อนของเรา.

ซิมบับเวไม่ชนะการแข่งขันซึ่งไม่แปลกใจมากพิจารณาไม่มีทีมงานได้ fished เคยสำหรับเหน็บก่อน. เราฝูงกลับไปที่วินด์ฮุก, ดำขำ, ผ่อนคลายและร่าเริง.วันนี้เรา boarded เครื่องบินแอร์นามิเบียและหัวหน้ากลับไปชีวิตของเราในซิมบับเว. หนึ่งใน hostesses อากาศเป็นอย่างน่าสีทองและนางเปล่งปลั่งเอาไปเลี้ยงน้อยของเรา. ครึ่งทางผ่านเที่ยวบินสามีของฉันจึงผ่านบาร์และมีบริการเครื่องดื่มของเธอขณะที่เธอนั่งกับเรา. เธอ finalist ในการประกวดนางสาวงามนามิเบียซึ่งเธอก็ชนะ. เธอก็ยังแสดงประเทศในการประกวดนางสาวงามจักรวาลซึ่งเธอยังได้รับรางวัล!

มีมากกว่าไปนามิเบียกว่าที่เราเห็นในการเดินทาง. ตำนาน Okavango Swamps ในทางเหนือของชายแดนกับ แองโกลา ที่มีชื่อเสียงของโลกสำหรับพืชและสัตว์ของพวกเขา. ปิดโดย Caprivi Strip เป็นฉนวนแคบที่ demarcated โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งเพื่อให้การเข้าถึง colonisers เยอรมันในแม่น้ำซัมเบซิแม่น้ำเป็น. พื้นที่เหล่านี้มีชื่อเสียงในหลากหลายงดงามของสัตว์ป่าแอฟริกาและดึงดูดนักท่องเที่ยวจากทั่วโลก. มีน้อยกว่า 450 ชนิดสัตว์ที่แตกต่างกันเป็น. เมืองพอร์ตของWalvis Bay เต็มข้อมูลประวัติศาสตร์อันยิ่งใหญ่และการอ้างอิงจะทำอย่างไรกับประวัติศาสตร์นอกรีตแต่มัน. ฉันเชื่อว่าประมงเป็นวิเศษมี. อื่นๆตามแนวชายฝั่งของฝูงผนึกอยู่. กับประชากรของ 1,8 ล้านใน 825,000 กิโลเมตรมัน (330,000 ไมล์) พื้นผิว Nambia แน่นอนต้องสะท้อนหนึ่งของโลกอย่างหนาแน่นตัวเลขประชากร.

นามิเบียได้รับการเรียกว่า "พระเจ้าที่ดินทำในอารมณ์", การอ้างอิงที่ไม่ซ้ำกันและมักจะภูมิศาสตร์โหด. มันและแน่นอนภูมิอากาศและภูมิทัศน์จะประทับใจสิ้นเชิงและข่มขู่. แต่วิเศษ, ทัศนคติเป็นมิตรของผู้คนเป็นน่าเป็นภูมิ. ก็รีเฟรชเพื่อดูว่าประเทศ ravaged ครั้งโดยสงครามกลางเมืองหินสามารถสิบห้าปีหลังจากสิ้นสุดของความขัดแย้งที่จะจัดขึ้นเป็นตัวอย่างจ้าของประชาธิปไตยแอฟริกา. เศร้ามีประเทศน้อยมากในทวีปเหลือเชื่อที่ที่สามารถวางอ้างถึงคำนี้. ซึ่งเป็นเหตุผลที่นามิเบียเป็นสถานที่พิเศษมาก.

Earlier in the fall I picked up several pounds of quince at a local farm. Since then I’ve made several quince crumbles and have been scouring cookbooks for other recipes. Many looked promising but I couldn’t settle on how to use the last few quince.

Last week while poking around Value Village, one of my favorite haunts, I stumbled on a copy of Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess. She’s one of my favorite cookbook authors, so I bought it on the spot. I really love her voice. When I read I can distinctly hear the same cadence and phrasing used by my mother, aunts, grandmother and other English women I know, plus I love how enthusiastic she is about making food that is unabashedly delicious and always slightly decadent. She’s someone who clearly loves to tinker in the kitchen and bring friends and family together for a great meal. Her cookbooks are the kind that you can curl up with and read like a good novel. Every recipe has a story.

Reading through How to be a Domestic Goddess, I found a few quince recipes:  quince brandy, quince glaze, quincemeat, and an intriguing concoction called Paradise Chutney.  I settled on Paradise Chutney because it means we can enjoy the quince for months to come, and it’s also versatile. It will be wonderful on sandwiches, or alongside meats, curries, and cheeses.

Of course, I couldn’t resist a bit of my own tinkering. Instead of Nigella’s apples, I used pears, as that was what I had on hand. I sampled a bit of the chutney before canning it and it was a nice balance of sweet (pears) and tart (cranberries), with the ambrosial floral notes of the quince. In a month or so, I’ll pop open a jar and give it a real try.

Paradise Chutney (adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess)

1 lb quince, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
3 1/4 c water
1 lb pears (about 2 1/2 pears), peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
6 oz fresh cranberries
5 oz dried cranberries
2 1/4 c sugar
4 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, slightly crumbled
1 T English mustard powder
juice and zest of 1 orange
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 c cider vinegar
4 or 5 1-pint jars

Save the quince peelings and cores; place saucepan with water and boil for about 15 minutes, or until you have 1 1/c of liquid remaining. Strain and reserve liquid. Put all other ingredients, along with quince cooking liquid, into a large pot and let the sugar dissolve slowly over low heat. Then bring to the boil and cook for about 1 hour or until everything has cooked down and thickened. When it’s ready, most of the chutney will be soft and fairly pulpy; the quince will be visible. Ladle into sterilized jars and process. (This recipe yielded 5 pints for me.)

Last weekend I picked up two new lip balms at Sephora. One, I had some previous experience with; the other, I had been lusting after but was a little freaked out by the $22 price tag (I’ve never spent more than $10 on lip balm ). So how did they compare?

Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment ($22.50)

I’d read many excellent reviews of this tinted lip balm (er, excuse me, treatment) and finally I decided I had to give it a try. This stuff is awesome – it gives lips a natural-but-better flushed look, some shine, and it moisturizes to boot. Plus, it has SPF 15, and I can use all the SPF I can get, even on my lips. Or should I say especially on my lips – last summer I got a hell of a sunburn when going on a 12 o’clock boat ride with no sunscreen (I know, genius!) and the next day my bottom lip was swollen to Angelina Jolie-like proportions. This may look hot on her, but on me, it looked ridiculous. Especially since only my bottom lip got swollen.
Anyway, the moral of the story is: lip SPF = not so pointless after all.

Korres Lip Butter in Quince ($9.00)

Like I said before, this wasn’t the first Korres Lip Butter I’ve tried – I owned one before that didn’t have any tint. I loved it, and this one is no disappointment. It’s *so* moisturizing, and same as the Sugar Rosé, it adds a little flush to your lips, although this one is more pink. Sadly though, the tint & moisture don’t last as long as they do with SRTLT. After about 3 hours they start to wear off, whereas the Sugar Rosé lasts around 5-6 hours.

Overall: 4/5 for the Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment (would be 5/5 if it didn’t cost so much!) and 4/5 for the Korres Lip Butter (would be 5/5 if it lasted longer.)

On a random note…
This is what I woke up to yesterday: I love the snow. It’s the only thing that makes the cold seem not-so-bad. Plus, yesterday it meant I got the day off work!

Korres Lip Butter ($9) is a velvety-smooth tinted balm that drenches lips in hydration and a dose of sheer color. It’s formulated with shea butter, which makes lips extra-soft. Bonus: sheer, shiny color that looks natural and pretty.  It’s perfect for this time of year, when plummeting temps make lips chapped, cracked, painful, and downright gross-looking.

Bonus: dab it on the apples of cheeks for a dewy cheek stain!

Available in 7 shades, but my fave is pomegranate (above), with quince coming in a close second.

If $9 is too pricey for a lip balm, consider its dual functions (balm, gloss, cheek stain), and know that this little pot will last forever, even with frequent reapplication (which is inevitable, cause it feels so good!).

Like buttah.

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I headed out early Saturday morning, across the causeway through the cold tule fog, to the Davis Farmers’ Market. It certainly was dreary out  but, I was feeling great and  in a holiday shopping mood. The market was already a buzz with lots of shoppers when I arrived. I chose Davis because I can’t think of another market in my area that has the variety they have; great fruit and produce, fresh seafood and meats, baked items, dried fruits, honey,  herbs, plants and flowers, just to name a few. Then, there are the crafts. Everything from ceramics, clothing, dolls, fabric arts, jewelry and metal works to woodwork and candles. And, finally there are the Socio-Political Community Groups. Don’t be put off by this title. There are some wonderful groups representing some very worthy and important causes. Grant High School’s Eat From The Garden Salsa was one  of these groups. I’ll tell you about them a little later. If all of that isn’t enough to peak your interest here’s something that might.  They have a service, at the market,  they call “Gift Basket Central”. This great idea lets you shop the market for the items you want, then you take them to the Gift Basket Central tent, located in the middle of the market by the deck under the big Oak tree, where they wrap them for free. Now that’s service.

I have been shopping for holiday gifts from Good Humus for as long as I can remember. I love their beautiful handmade wreaths and the lavender wands. They also make some of the best homemade jams, jellies and syrups. Try the Nectarine Ginger Jam. It’s great brushed on grilled chicken or spooned onto hot buttery biscuits. They also have some very nice herbal teas as well as a variety of dried fruits and herbs.

This is where I get my quince fix. Last year I bought a jar of quince conserve to try and I loved it. So ,I was hopeful that they would have some again this year. Guess what. They did. They also had quince jelly as well as other varieties of jams and jellies. They are also have a new label and name, D Madison & Daughters. Very nice.  Check out their fabric arts too. They’re beautifully crafted.

The first one is Grant High School\’s Eat From The Garden project. This is a terrific program that is teaching students how to create healthy, sustainable communities. The salsa themed baskets come three sizes and range in price from $18 to $32. They also sell individual jars of salsa in Traditional and Spicy Peach flavors. I bought the Traditional Salsa. Had some on Sunday and it’s yummy. Down the way a bit was another nice product being offered for a worthy cause. The children from Pioneer Elementary School in Davis made some delightful rosemary wreaths and are selling them for $5.

“Everyone did a great job, especially Linda. Thank You.” -Dawn; Venue- Temple Solel

“Whatever I requested last minute I was accommodated.” -Michelle; Venue- Weston Hills Country Club

“Event was beyond what I could have imagined & Linda was outstanding!” -Lori; Venue- Beth Am

Amanda was a wonderful help-honest and dependable! Miguel-transportation director was a gem! Thanks so much for everything to all ME staff!” -McGraw-Hill School Education Group; Venue- Westin Diplomat

Tonight I’m watching the first snow of the year flutter in damp fat flakes past  the street lamp outside my front window.  Oh, hey, look!  It’s snowing on the blog here too.  Fun, huh?   Winter is finally at our doorstep.   Seasonal local eating will become a bit of a challenge over the next five months.  But that’s where the beauty of putting up jars of this and that and stockpiling root vegetables and winter squash comes in.  

One bunch of jars I put up in my cupboard earlier this autumn was of beautiful golden Quince Jam.  This project, my first time working with quince, was a very special one for me.   Just as with the Pickled Pears last year, mastering quince jam was something I wanted to do for my grandmother.  The mere mention of quince brings this amazing sparkle to my 90 year old grandmother’s eyes.   She remembers eating it as a child when aged quince trees were still commonly found in the backyards of most farmhouses.

Quince trees are no longer all that common, at least not where I live.  In fact, I had never laid eyes on a quince until last autumn when I saw some while working at Longwood Gardens.   At that time, I wasn’t smart enough to realize I had the perfect opportunity right before me to make a very special gift for my grandmother.  Of course,  this autumn, when the quince ripened and became fragrant (though they stay rock hard even when ripe) in October, I made sure to grab a bag and go harvest a bunch from that very same tree.

Now, a quick technical discussion on quince might be helpful.    There are actually two different main categories of quince out there: the kind grown for its fruit crop (Cydonia oblonga) and the kind grown for its breathtaking flowers in the very early spring (Chaenomeles speciosa).   The flowers of the former one are so-so and the fruit of the latter is, well, so-so, as I discovered.  Don’t get me wrong, I’d pick the Chaenomeles (flowering quince) over the Cydonia any day because the fruit is still very tasty, just more of a pain to work with since it’s much smaller and not as prolific as the quince bred for eating.  With the flowering quince, you get both a beautiful ornamental plant and a delicious edible harvest.   For this recipe, I used the Chaenomeles, but most quince recipes are calling for the Cydonia so be aware of that if the recipe you are using calls for a certain number of quince…Cydonia fruit is much larger than Chaenomeles fruit.

Back to the fun stuff.  This jam is really unique and I now understand why my grandmother giggles at the memory of it.  The quince has an unmistakable texture – a crunch even after extensive stewing – and a very bright tingly flavor that is unlike any other fruit I’ve tasted.   By the way, you really shouldn’t eat quince raw.  You might break a tooth for starters and the flavor of a raw quince is apparently very astringent.  I absolutely fell in love with having this jam over a warm slice of multi-grain toast.  Unlike most jams, this one isn’t overly sweet and that, coupled with the chunky texture, makes it feel like something of substance rather than just another sugary breakfast spread. 

I really can’t wait to give a large jar of Quince Jam to my grandmother for Christmas later this month and watch the sparkle spring up in her eyes.  We’ll have thick slices of toast and jam together and laugh at all the grandkids running around with their freshly unwrapped toys.  What food gifts are you giving for the holidays this year? 

Quince Jam
Adapted from Simply Recipes

10-12 quince* 
3 1/2 cups water
2 T. lemon juice
zest of one lemon 
3 1/2 cups sugar

*The quince I use are from the “flowering quince” tree (Chaenomeles speciosa) and are about the size of a small lemon (minus the pointy ends).  The quince you might buy in a supermarket or farmers market are often from the “fruiting quince” tree (Cydonia oblonga) so they are larger, nearly the size of apples.  If you are making jam with the latter variety, use only about 4 fruits or enough to make 4 cups of grated quince.

Prepare the quince by washing and cutting in half.  Remove core, seeds, and any blemished bits.  Rinse and do not peel.  Use a large chopping knife to mince up the quince into small bits or use a food processor if you have one.  You should end up with about 4 packed cups of minced quince.

(Place two small ceramic plates in the freezer if you are new to jam making and want help determining if it’s cooked long enough to set up.)

Put water in a large heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the grated quince, lemon juice and lemon zest. Reduce heat and simmer until the quince is soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the sugar, stir well, and bring to a boil again. Keep stirring until all of the sugar is dissolved. Lower the heat to medium high. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until quince jam turns pink and thickens to desired consistency, about 30-50 minutes.   If using the cold plate method, remove one plate from the freezer and dab a little hot jam onto it.  Wait a few seconds and then run your finger through it.  If the streak your finger makes stays put, your jam is ready.  If it merges back together, you need to cook for a few more minutes and then test again with the second cold plate.   If you like a less chunky jam, use a potato masher to smooth out the texture a bit.

Place a sterilized jar into a small bowl so you don’t have to handle the hot glass and to catch any major spills.  Ladle jam into sterilized jars. Before applying the lids, sterilize them by placing in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Use tongs to remove each lid from the water as you need it.  Be sure to wipe the rims of the jars very clean before applying the lids and screwing on tight.  Turn jars upside down and cover with a dish towel.  After a bit, you should start hearing the lids pop, indicating they’ve sealed.  When jars are cool, turn upright and test the lids by pressing on them.  If they don’t have any “give”, they are sealed.  If they spring back, they haven’t sealed and you’ll need to store the jar in the fridge. 

(makes about 3 half pints)

One of my all-time favourite desserts is Clafoutis.  You can take any fruit, add some booze, top with batter, and it will inevitably turn into a delicious dessert that doesn’t leave you feeling weighed down.  It’s the perfect dessert for a dinner party because it can be assembled ahead of time, and then popped in the oven while you’re having dinner.

Traditional clafoutis is often made with plums, cherries, pears, berries, or apples.  I usually make apple clafoutis, but was inspired by my favourite fruit: quince.  Quince are fruits that look like apples, but taste more floral.  Lucky for me, my dear friend Louise (of the gorgeous food blog Pâté chinois et Cie) has a quince tree in her backyard!  Inspiration indeed!

And quince is one of my favourite fruits – like a flower-perfumed apple, I thought that because of its similarities to apple it could work well in a Clafoutis.  And indeed it did.

Quince Clafoutis

Adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Boozy-Fruit:

• 3 c. quince, sliced (I didn’t peel the quince for extra fibre) – you can substitute 3 c. of any fruit
• 1/3 c. sugar
• ¼c. liqueur (I often use calvados or cointreau)

Batter:

• Juice drained from quince, plus skim milk to make 1/4 c. liquid
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• pinch salt
• 2/3 c. flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Mix “boozy-fruit” ingredients together, and let stand for 30 minutes.  Drain the liquid from the “boozy-fruit” mixture, and use in batter.

Combine batter ingredients in a blender, and blend for 1 minute.  (This also can be done by hand, if you don’t have a blender).

Grease an 8×8″ baking dish.  Place “boozy-fruit” into dish, and top with batter.  Bake at 350° F for 1 hour.  Remove from oven, dust with icing sugar, and serve.  Delicious topped with maple syrup, or served with vanilla ice cream.

One of my colleague asked me if I can share some resources on patterns. That got me thinking what to share! Then in casual talk I just shared him some links. But then there was nothing about MVC or MVP or MVVM or any UX patterns. I thought that should be more organized. So here it is. There are

• Design Patterns
• Architectural Patterns
• UX Patterns

Design Patterns

Design patterns as we know of from the Gang of Four are pretty old [very relevant too] and every now and them evolved versions of these basic design patterns have emerged.

The extended list is available in Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_pattern_(computer_science) 

Also check out the best resource on web on Design patterns with examples and explanation at http://www.dofactory.com/Patterns/Patterns.aspx

Architectural Patterns

Then there are Architectural Design Patterns also detailed in Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architectural_pattern_(computer_science) which offer well-established solutions to architectural problems in software engineering. I would like to add MVP and MVVM to the list. Easy to understand explanation of MVC, MVP and MVVM can be found at http://nirajrules.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/mvc-vs-mvp-vs-mvvm/

UX Patterns

Apart from the Design/Architectural patterns, there is a User experience patterns. Infragistics has nicely put a list of 91 UX patterns that are clubbed by user tasks, tag relations, and by wireframe. Find all of them at  Quince http://quince.infragistics.com/

There are some coding patterns blog by GABE MOOTHART. May be he can come up with proper list/table of contents for all the patterns he is talking about.

If I have missed out comment.. I will update the post!

1780 West 3rd Avenue
Vancouver, BC,
V6J 1K4

T: 604 731 4645
www.quince.ca

Brief Description: Quince is a one-stop food shop. You can purchase pre-packaged frozen food, imported grocery items or freshly baked bread from their store front, enjoy a wholesome and delicious lunch or breakfast in the small deli, or partake in a cooking class.

By now, dear reader, you may be a little over my fascination with Quince. After reading my blog entries you may be disappointed when you finally visit Quince to find that the store is not in fact lined with gold. However, I offer up no apologizes that I am, yet again, writing another review of Quince – I just cannot help myself.

I decided to give my usual food accomplice, B, a day off and instead invited my sister to Quince for an hour of hot chocolate and madeleines. It was definitely something more for the ladies. We made our way there on Saturday afternoon with the thoughts of smooth, creamy hot chocolate and fluffy madeleines running through our heads. And we did not leave disappointed.

Similar to our preview of the French Bistro cooking class, this was more of a demonstration than a hands-on cooking class. Perched on the edge of our seats we watched intently as Chef Andrea showed us how to make genuine hot chocolate from scratch. I am a firm believer in using the best ingredients that you can to cook with as even the simplest dish can be transformed just by using high quality ingredients. It would seem that Chef Andrea shares the same idea and began the recipe by melting dark couverture chocolate (more buttery than run-of-the-mill chocolate) into some cream, cocoa and honey. She then whisked this mixture into some warm milk and topped it with whipped cream and grated chocolate. The result was a silky smooth hot chocolate that had me licking my lips and contemplating pilfering another cup from some of the children in our group. Honestly, this hot chocolate rates as one of the best hot chocolates that I have ever had. The only other real contender was a hot chocolate that I had years ago in Germany that I still vividly remember. Drool…

We sat there quaffing our hot chocolates and prepared ourselves for the next part of the demonstration: the madeleines. For those who don’t know, madeleines originated in France and are small, fluffy sponge cakes shaped into delicate shell-like shapes. They are quintessentially feminine and are the perfect delicacy for an afternoon tea.

The recipe contains only a few ingredients however, it is the process of aerating the eggs and folding in the flour just so that makes this recipe a little tricky. Too little aeration and too much folding will guarantee that your madeleines will fall flat. And that is exactly what you don’t want.

We were served pre-made madeleines and warm ones straight from the oven and, like most baked goods, the ones served warm were more superior (although the others were still fantastic). We were given three of these lovely delights to munch before the class came to an end.

I had a lot of fun attending this short afternoon escape. For $15 we were able to enjoy a decadent hot chocolate and numerous freshly-baked madeleines whilst also getting to learn how to recreate them at home. The recipe handouts are extremely helpful and I will certainly be trying to make these at home (particularly the hot chocolate). If you are planning on catching up with your girlfriends for an afternoon coffee, perhaps consider this as an alternative. Now, please excuse me whilst I lose myself in a day-dream about that hot chocolate…

The fruit lady at Moseley Farmers’ Market still had some quince left. They had a little fuzz of mould growing on them and the bletting had given them a strong, sickly sweet aroma. The excellent River Cottage preserves handbook has a guide to making quince cheese, what the Spanish call membrillo, so I thought I’d give it a go in time for Xmas.

The recipe couldn’t be simpler – take your quince (I had about 1kg), wash and chop them roughly, no need to peel or deseed. Add just enough water to cover, bring to boil and simmer until they start to fall apart. Then leave them to cool for a couple of hours. Strain them and rub them through a sieve – this bit is fairly hard work, a mouli would probably be easier. Then weigh the sieved pulp and add the same amount of granulated white sugar. Bring to the boil, stir to melt all the sugar and then simmer for an hour until the cheese goes dark brown and becomes thick. Then add to jars (or shallow trays) – I used Kilner jars. Leave for at least a month for the flavour to mature. Serve with lots of cheese!

maji quin roza

Hot (The Cotton Club’s Piano Affair) – Majick Village – 1995

Wires – Quince – 2009

Rozlyne Clarke – Dancin is like Making Love – 1991

TG09: Old World France meets New World America.

A moderate case of PTD (post-turkey depression) affected the host after having cogitated then gestated the menu and its formulations for the better part of 3 weeks, but the dinner was not  offered without gustatory success. No breakage, pretty girls and a weekend of early morning grazing on tryptophan & cheese scraps with fingers by the twilight of the Frigidaire brought savory solace, albeit cold and perishable.

Exemplary guests provided long sought company, anecdotes and booze.

Preamble: My Mt. Pleasant dry cured sausage, turkey pâté en croûte with currants,  Chris Bradley’s blood pudding and a salt cod brandade in the style of Nîmes. Pickled purple cauliflower accoutrement and mulled cider to warsh it all down, adulterated with some trickle of George Dickel’s whisky for some social lubricant. The pâté en croûte was not as successful at the pâté pantin poultry edition in terms of pastry crust which was far too wet.  Escoffier’s measurements called for far too much water (2dl water for 25ogr flour), though such proportions were respected on account of the esteemed author’s reputation.  The same pâte á foncer proportions were used in the coq en pâte prototype  with diastrously wet results but technique and choice of fats may have been the culprit.  Whatever the case, notes were taken the recipe has been adjusted for future endeavors.  The  cooked pastry tasted good but was not as flaky as it could/should have been but was removed from the over for fear of overcooking the forcemeat.  The forcemeat  however–turkey, pork, chicken livers, cooked gizzards and hearts marinated in gin and augmented with currants was satisfying. Aspic was of the proper consistency, though perhaps a bit too sweet as a result of the crappy sweet wine used.  Patience and the fundamental practice  of  waiting for the pâté to cool before applying the aspic was not respected causing the aspic to run through a seam that did not have time to seal upon cooling.

Turkey trimmings in a savory pastry sarcophagus.

Variations of tubesteak.

Pickled Purple Caulimonster.

1st plated course: An almost ethereal turkey consommé with a few cauliflower-mornay agnolotti and florets of different cauliflower varieties (white, yellow and romanesco) clearly visible at the bottom.  The stock was made from chicken legs, 1/2 a turkey neck and turkey drumstick bones, the meat of the chicken legs being used for the clarifying raft, and that of the turkey for the pâté.  The other half of the turkey neck was caramelized with mirepoix and tomato purée, covered with the cold stock and clarified with a raft of ground chicken leg meat, vegetables, egg whites, salt and vinegar.   The cauliflower florets and agnolotti were blanched in advance then heated in extra stock upon serving.

Shots of Armagnac all around.

The bird: Heartier traditional sustenance manifested itself in 2 preparations of an Amish heritage turkey, a descendant of the original birds the Hittite pilgrim brought over with Columbus on the Mayflower .

Start cold turkey.

The breasts were brined on the bone and then roasted on a bed of vegetable and pear trimmings with slices of Bosc pears shingled under the skin, essentially basted with pearoultry juices.  The rest of a bothersome extra bottle of orgeat syrup replaced the sugar component of the brine (pears and almond blossom seemed compatible) and was injected into the breasts.  The shingled pears were apparent under the skin but pictures were blurry.  The ambitious vision was to reproduce a crude feather of sorts under each breast.

The legs for their part were transformed into ballotines.

Double barreled poultry.

The legs were skinned in a manner to provide the largest canvass and the meat broken down into major muscle components and any tendons removed. A forcemeat was fabricated from scraps and the remaining meat from the pâté marinade. Pistachios, dried cranberries, diced fatback and the larger turkey leg muscles were rolled into cylinders, wrapped in the skin, tied with string and poached in turkey stock with a calf’s foot until an internal temperature of 150F was attained. The poaching liquid cooked into a rich braising liquid with a tender garnish of standard mirepoix, leftover cranberries, sliced gizzards and fluted mushrooms for showmanship shits & grins. The flavor was nothing short of remarkable. Well seasoned, moist, delicious and classically refined. Nitrite was added to the forcemeat so as to ensure an appealing rosy hue rather than the drab autumnal brown.

Winner: Turkey legs in a supporting roll.

Another round of Armagnac.

Nods to the fall harvest: A gratin dauphinois. Scalloped russet potatoes with a middle layer of caramelized onion deglazed with white wine vinegar and anchovies (inspired by the Swedish Jansson’s Temptation) bound by mace and nutmeg infused cream which helped to permeate the saltiness of the filling throughout the dish.  Fresh cranberry sauce with orange zest, cloves and some more currants.  Brussels sprouts off the stalk with rutabaga, turnips, rainbow carrots, parsnips and pearl onions glazed in veal suet, finished with toasted almonds.

My rye bread was turned into stuffing with pomegranate seeds, celery root, celery stalks and their leaves. Could have benefited from further toasting of the bread.  Vehicles for sopping up the juices were sweet potato biscuits (courtesy of Mr. Bradley) and my pan coudoun: bread rolls with a segment of cooked quince inside.  The leavened biscuits were made from roasted sweet potato, lard, butter, buttermilk, flour and 2 sieved hard boiled egg yolks to absorb any excess moisture from the sweet potato.

Lou Pan Coudoun (the quince bread in Provençal dialect) was hearth bread dough with a wedge of cooked quince (oven cooked in a light syrup until tender and red) inside, then baked.  Traditional recipes called for a whole raw quince, peeled, halved, cored put back together with honey and butter inside and baked in a dense bread for 40 minutes or so which is supposed to cook the quince.  The safer M.O. was to use cooked quince and work backwards to less cooked quince.   The cooked quince were extremely soft, like firm apple sauce and not at all unpleasant.  Delectable, actually, though a little fleur de sel on the bread before baking would have balanced the sweet/salty.

Your quince charming.

Yep, more Armagnac.

Cheese: courtesy of Mr. Bradley’s affinage program.  Clockwise from center: Livarot, France;Nettle Meadow Kunik, NY; Gorwydd Caerphilly, Wales; Twig Farm Square Cheese, VT; Tarantaise, VT; Mondegueiro, Portugal; Rogue River Blue, OR.

Cheese course, of course.

Dessert: A honeycrsip apple tart with a nappage of my qunce jelly perfumed with rosemary and cinnamon.   Standard pâte sablée with 1/2 lard 1/2 butter for the fat proportion and a whisper of orange zest and ground cinnamon.

In lieu of a flower.

Ef’n Jelly. Disclosure: after countless attempts in making pectin-free apple/quince jelly, pectin was called in from the cupboard in desperation. The cursory theory appeared simple.  Cook quince scraps (cores & peelings) in water with rosemary and cinnamon,  add 55% sugar by weight, chill and glaze apple tart. Quince are heavy in natural pectin and based on numerous recipes, none such additive would be needed.  In practice the results were anything but jolly jelly.  Reduction made a remarkably tight and sticky syrup better destined for pest control than desert.  Cooking new scraps in the previously attained liquid boosted the quince flavor but did not make jelly.  Powdered pectin was considered and obtained, but in what quantity?  The properties of quince and pectin were researched and Eureka!, the gosh darn good jelly scholars at University of Minnesota, oh yah, had the explanation

A certain amount of acidity (below pH 3.5) is necessary for jelly to form. If the fruit juice is not sufficiently acidic, a gel will not form. If too much acid is present, the jelly will lose liquid or weep. Acidity can apparently be tested.  To form a gel, fruit juice should be as tart as a mixture of 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of water. If the fruit juice is not this tart, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for each cup of fruit juice.

What’s more, the kind folks up there provided a simple test for determining whether the jelly juice base has sufficient pectin to gel, which begs the question: “why jelly and not gelly?”  A tsp of the juice is mixed with rubbing alcohol and if the junk gets hard, you’re on.  If it stays limp and juicy, there is a powder for that.  Don’t drink the rubbing alcohol-quince juice mixture, unless you are a hopeless alcoholic.

The proper Ph matrix for apple/quince jelly has not yet been figured out despite 11 prototypes and a mathematically derived 11% lemon juice formula.  Quince scraps and apples were cooked in water with varying proportions of acidulated water ranging from 6.7%-11% lemon juice based on the U of M’s recommendations of 1tsp of lemon juice for 3tbsp of water for proper gelling Ph.  However, weight is a more disciplined unit of measure than volume, even if the weight and volume of both lemon juice and water are the same.  55% sugar was added to the strained liquid, cooked for 20-30 minutes each time and nothing happened. Many recipes, both French and American called for a range of a whole lemon’s worth of juice, half and none at all, despite the science that mandates a fruit juice can not gel without the 3.5Ph.  So 1% powdered pectin was grudgingly added and the damned stuff set.

Eat it, William Tell.

Coffee, cigarettes, more Armagnac and a joint or two rounded out a superlative meal helping to easy digestion and induce well deserved sleep.  Enthusiastic thanks to all the guests for allowing the host the pleasure of hosting.

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http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-9415173-quince.php

yellow quince in autumn sun

quince,yellow,fruit,golden,agriculture,food,fresh,garden,green,tree,leaf,nature,ripe,organic,dieting food,fruit tree

Today did not start out well. I was having the WEIRDEST dream ever, and must have turned my alarm off during said dream, because when I actually woke up and figured out where I was, it was 6:15 am, and I had to be out the door in 15 min! ACK!

I threw on some clothes, washed up, and put some food in containers and was out the door. I even made it to class on time, but had to wait until after class to dig into breakfast. Boy was I hungry!

In the thermos I had yogurt, the last of the quince, and pomegranate arils. The other container was just some Kashi Honey Almond Flax cereal to combine with said yogurt & fruit.

Yogurt close up!

It was horrendous weather all day. It just rained, and rained, and rained. Good thing I had my new fancy boots – they kept my feet dry and warm! But to warm the rest of me up, I had to hit up the Sbucks.

Do I even have to say what’s in there?

My last volunteer shift at Agora later, and I was on my way home. First thing on my mind when I walked in the door? What’s for lunch?

I made a grilled ham & cheese sandwich with baby spinach and red pepper jelly. Too bad my cheese didn’t want to melt.

I also heated up a bowl of broccoli soup my sister had made on the weekend.

Topped with a little more cheddar. What’s better than broccoli & cheddar?!

Rainy day food, for sure!

With a Werther’s Original candy for dessert

I spent the afternoon at home, expecting an important phone call. Of course, my mom then ended up on the phone all afternoon, and we don’t have call waiting, so I figured they called and got a busy signal. But, low and behold, and 5 pm I received my call. Looks like I’ll be working with a dietitian on a project at Children’s Hospital. Alas, it is only volunteer, but still – it’s all about boosting that resume, right?

Dinner was served way too early for my hunger, so I only had a bit.

Meatloaf, green peas, and apple/craisin/pecan salad. There were baked potatoes as well, but I wasn’t feeling it. And wouldn’t you know it, all my close ups turned out poorly. So this is all you get!

I made a quick trip up to the store to get a couple things (I was all out of good peanut butter), then had a sweat session with the dvd’s. Then it was time for me to satisfy my baking desires!

I had a hankering for muffins. I thought oatmeal and apple should be involved. I searched out some recipes, decided on this one as my inspiration, concocted a variation in my head, then assembled the required ingredients.

Some mixing, grating, scooping, and baking later, and I was presented with this:

Apple Carrot Raisin Oatmeal Muffins

makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (would have used whole wheat, but we had none)
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 small apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins

Method

1. Combine dry ingredients (oats through salt) in a large bowl.
2. Combine wet ingredients (milk through vanilla) in medium bowl.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry, then add carrot, apple, and raisins.
4. Mix until just combined – don’t over mix! (you know how muffins go).
5. Divide equally between 12 greased or lined muffin cups.
6. Bake at 375 F for 20 min, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

These turned out really well. I was a little worried that my wet to dry ratio would be off, but it was perfect. They are hearty, moist, slightly sweet, with a nice balance of spices. Both of my parents tried them out, and gave them the thumbs up. I think they would be a great breakfast muffin, pairing nicely with your favourite nut butter.

Obviously, I had one as my evening snack, with a another cup of chamomile tea.

I still have another project on the stove, but it’s totally time for bed, so I guess I’m calling it done. I’m sure you’ll get to see it tomorrow. Night!

1780 West 3rd Avenue
Vancouver, BC,
V6J 1K4

T: 604 731 4645
www.quince.ca

Brief Description: Quince is a one-stop food shop. You can purchase pre-packaged frozen food, imported grocery items or freshly baked bread from their store front, enjoy a wholesome and delicious lunch or breakfast in the small deli, or partake in a cooking class.

My Quince love affair continues…Part 3

Quince was celebrating its 4th anniversary on Saturday and to celebrate they were holding a day of events for their customers. These events included previews of their cooking classes and a Black Box competition (think Iron Chef). I desperately wanted to do the Black Box competition but we already had plans for the evening and so, instead, I signed B and I up for the free preview of the French Bistro cooking class and I was delighted when he was eager to go. After so many visits to Quince, I was finally admitted access to where the magic happens – the kitchen! Admittedly, I was a little excited about getting into a proper chef’s kitchen – it certainly has been awhile. My first impressions were of awe. Everything was so organized and tidy. That gives me reassurance that my affair will not be fleeting!

We joined a small group of other interested foodies and gathered around a cook station and watched whilst Chef (and Quince Owner) Andrea gave us a quick ½ hour demonstration on how to cook duck confit with lentils and a side of salad with raspberry vinaigrette. Whilst we absorbed everything that she was teaching us we were given freshly made potato chips that were drizzled with white truffle oil (they were out-of-this-world!) and delicious fresh baguette slices to snack on. It was hard to concentrate with all of the action that my taste buds were getting!

Throughout the demonstration Andrea explained everything that she was doing and also threw in a few helpful tips along the way. Two tips that I took away with me was inserting a knife into a piece of cooking meat to determine how cooked it was. Let the knife sit in the meat for 2 to 3 seconds and then test the temperature of the blade on your wrist (if it’s hot, your meat is cooked). The other was using stock to cook lentils. This might be obvious to some people but it totally went over my head and so for the longest time I’ve been eating awfully bland lentils and have been left puzzled over how restaurants got theirs so full of flavour. Duh!

Once the cooking part of the demonstration was complete, the eating part of the demonstration commenced. We were all treated to a small plate of duck confit and lentils with a glass of full-bodied red that was chosen perfectly to compliment the dish. If you have read my blog before you’d know that I’ve never really had much of an appreciation for duck…that is until I had this duck confit! It was incredible! Hats off to Chef Andrea for a wonderful introduction to French Bistro cooking.

My new goal for 2010 is to sign up for some cooking classes. I’ve been wanting to do it for some time now but this has really given me the kick in the pants to save the money to do them. I had so much fun!!

I just returned from long weekend at home (Latvia), spent couple of days in Riga with my brother and friends and then couple days at my parents place. It was packed agenda with lots of eating, drinking and of course catching up with family and friends, I even managed to squeeze in 2 doctor appointments (sorry NHS, the service is better and prices are cheaper).
I can now rest assured that all things are still in order in my little homeland. “Dizkibele” (aka the great depression Latvian style) is still in full swing. Government is still cutting the pensions and increasing the taxes (shouldn’t it be the other way around?!). I also found out that all my (few) previous girlfriends officially are now happily married and with kids (hmm). I learnt that our national fish ‘negis’ is called ‘lamprey’ and our national fruit ‘cidonija’ is called ‘quince’ in English, have you ever tried either of these? My girlfriend tried both, she’s brave.
But be vary of drinking too much home made horseradish vodka, it can provoke excess of brotherly love (see the pic above).

Biking Corvallis country roads

A year ago at this time I was driving around the West trying to figure out where my life was headed. I was looking at graduate schools, applying to jobs, and shopping for mountain towns while visiting family and friends. Along the way I ended up in Corvallis, Oregon, where I reconnected with another Davidson alumnus named Laura McCandlish.  Laura and I were acquainted at college, but really we were more friends-of-friends to each other. Regardless, she opened the door to her charming house and welcomed me in with open arms.

We discovered we had loads to talk about. Laura had recently moved from Baltimore with her husband, who had gotten a job as a professor at Oregon State University.  Having worked as a reporter at The Baltimore Sun and graduated from Columbia University’s School of Journalism, Laura was forging a way for herself as a freelance journalist out West. She had tons of energy and counsel to share about journalism, J-school, and writing. She was, in fact, the primary motivator behind my decision to start a blog, insisting it was key to have a strip of internet real-estate with my name on it where I could house my clips and exercise my writing muscles.

Among other things we had in common, we both loved cooking and food. Laura’s done a great job writing about such topics on her blog, and elsewhere–such as NPR! Learn about cooking with a most mysterious fruit by reading her recent piece, “Demystifying the Quince.”

A year ago I left Laura’s house inspired. She was so enthusiastic and bursting with ideas. Instead of feeling the aimlessness that characterized most of my road trip, or feeling discouraged that I wasn’t working on anything, I picked up on her energy and left excited about writing and learning, hoping to follow her example of productivity and creativity.

Okay, so my fantabulous bagel melt for lunch wasn’t quite enough food to keep me going through a 4 hour lecture, and the commute home from school (and really, I knew that would be the case). Good thing I’d packed up a mighty fine snack for the afternoon.

Yogurt & granola mess, featuring quince! Remember those beauties I bought earlier this week? Well, I cooked them up with some water and agave nectar into a sort of compote/paste/jam thing.

They turn a very pretty rose colour, and keep that lovely floral aroma. I decide they would make a good yogurt topping along with some pomegranate arils.

I really like the quince, but man, they are a pain to work with. They are SO HARD to cut and core, and they oxidize (turn brown) so fast! Plus they take quite awhile to cook. So while I’m not against them, I’d have to be in the mood for some hard work if I were to buy them again.

Class today was…trying. I was not impressed with my group. We have a big paper that’s due at the end of the term, which we only get to start on now (not our choice, it’s how the course is). It involves us going into some schools to interview them about their food system there. So we only have 2 weeks left of classes, which means these visits need to happen ASAP. And not everyone in our group has even contacted their schools yet to go in there. Not to mention some of my group members haven’t read the outline for the paper, and had no input into our group discussions. It’s like pulling teeth, I tell you! ARGH. I was so close to walking out of there. I would much rather write this paper on my own, because I bet I could bust it out in a weekend, and get a decent mark. Alas, that is not an option. Le sigh.

Getting home from school took FOREVER tonight as well. And it was pouring rain, so my feet ended up soaked through my runners This, coupled with my trying class, did not make for a happy camper

What did make for a happy camper was the garlic bread I found when I got home. If there is one thing I could probably gorge myself on, it would be garlic bread. Is that weird?

Obviously, I had some with dinner.

As well as leftover shepherd’s pie, ketchup included.

And some salad leftover from my parents’ dinner earlier that I only half ate – it wasn’t doing it for me.

You know I totally went back for seconds on that garlic bread though

That plate looks like a crap ton of food, but it’s actually not a proper sized dinner plate, so it’s not as much as you think. I’m just saying.

My mom must have known I’d had a crappy day, and that my tootsies were soaked from the rain, because she said we’re going down to the mall this weekend in search of good boots – early Christmas present. Hurray!

I chillaxed on the couch, watched some Survivor and CSI, and drank some tea – Silk Road Lychee Fruit Double Happiness Tea.

I’m going to be sad when all my Silk Road teas are gone. I guess that just means I’ll need to head on over to Victoria for a visit!

Time to get some shut eye. Only one more day of early mornings this week, and I’m determined to not be late. Night!

Too bad I didn’t have any pineapple to eat!

I don’t know if anyone else has heard this weather term – I think it’s a west coast thing. But this monsoon we’re having is what we like to call a Pineapple Express. Warm, moist air comes up the coast, usually from Hawaii, resulting in warmer than normal temperatures, and torrential downpour. I tried to get some photos of just how wet it is out there, but none of them do it justice

Ah, the wet west coast. I know some people find all the grey skies and rain depressing, but I grew up here. I find the rain so soothing. Plus it’s a good excuse to stay indoors and eat things like soup and stew

Fortunately, I managed to not drown while outside today, so I’m able to bring you my day’s worth of eats. I know you are excited.

On the unfortunate front, I had another middle of the night (3:30 am) random wake up, resulting in a sleepy Marianne who was running behind, trying to get out the door. You know what that means.

Good ol’ cereal for breakfast. I went with Kashi Honey Almond Flax cereal with a smattering of pomegranate arils.

A glass of juice – cranberry.

All on my mom’s Christmas Kitty quilted tablecloth.

I also had to pack a bit of a lunch – my Mondays have officially gotten busier, so no time to eat at home.

There was some leftover apricot bbq chicken from dinner last night, so I made myself a sandwich on Silver Hills bread, with chicken, avocado, and Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus.

Class was class, then I was off to my volunteer shift at Sprouts. Per usual Monday tradition, I nabbed a tasty baked good. And boy, did I pick a good one today!

This is a Qunioa Blondie. It is completely gluten free, which made many of our customers happy, as often we don’t have any gluten free baked goods. It had all sorts of good stuff in it like honey, cinnamon, chocolate chips, and raisins.

Let me tell you, this was insanely delicious. To all my fellow UBC’ers – get to Sprouts and buy one. They are moist, flavourful, and decadent. I’m tempted to go back and pay retail for one tomorrow!

I also purchased a new fruit to try out while I was there.

Any clue what these are?

Guesses?

Come on….you know you want to.

They are quince!

And no, it’s not moldy. They have this weird furry coating on them, but it just brushes off. They have the most fragrant smell. A great addition to your fruit bowl, if only for the smell! I’m not 100% sure what I’m going to do with them. My understanding is they really need to be cooked to be enjoyed, so perhaps I’ll make a little quince paste/jelly? Suggestions?

After I gobbled up that blondie, and got changed, I was out the door on my way to my newest volunteer position (do you think I have enough of those yet?) – working at the Diabetic Clinic at my local hospital. It wasn’t overly thrilling, but I didn’t expect them to give me any amazing projects on my first shift. I spent alot of time stuffing envelopes to go out to patients to attend workshops, putting together new files, and stamping envelopes. They are checking into some confidentiality issues, and hopefully I’ll get to do some more work with actual patient files (hello, experience to help out in clinical settings!)

I found my way home, and decided I was done with going outside in this rain and wind. Therefore, I passed on going to cardio kickboxing with my sister (at least the gym is open again). Instead I had my ass kicked by Jillian and her No More Trouble Zones. I even had to open the window to let in some fresh, cool air since I was sweating up a storm.

A shower later, and it was dinner time. Mom cooked up some hot Italian sausages.

Let’s be honest – there is no way to photograph a sausage without it looking a little phallic.

There was also roasted red potatoes, which I enjoyed with some sweet chili sauce.

And steamed broccoli & cauliflower, kicked up a notch with some parmesan.

There was alot of spicy going on in this meal.

I did a little prepping for my presentation tomorrow (I’m so over these presentations), watched a little TV (Battle Of The Blades! The best of both my favourite ice sports!), and played with the cats. Then it was time to snack.

Another score from Sprouts! This yogurt had just reached its expiry date, so we couldn’t sell it, but since it had never been opened, there was no point in throwing it out. They offered it to me, and of course I said yes. I’ve never tried this brand – Avalon Organic Yogurt.

This one is a little different from most yogurts out there, because it is fortified with Vitamin D. Usually only fluid milk gets fortified, not milk products. Plus they have added inulin, a prebiotic to work in conjunction with the probiotics in the yogurt.

It has 2% milk fat, hence the trace amounts of trans fats (naturally occurring, not the same as the ones from hydrogenated oils). What you can’t quite see in the picture is the Vitamin D amount – 35% of your daily value. Awesome for a yogurt!

So what did I do with my yogurt? Made a yogurt mess!

I topped my yogurt with peanut butter, apricot jam, Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Granola, and some shredded coconut.

And because it was rainy and cold, I ended up with a giant mug of Ecuadorian hot chocolate. I added a splash of coconut extract for fun.

If you got through that marathon post, props to you! If you aren’t completely spent, head on over to Miss Gliding Calm’s blog to check out Earrings of the Blogworld  Yours truly is modelling her ear bling for all to see. Night!

Hubby is the god of preserving – I’m rubbish. This may be due to my lack of perseverance. If it doesn’t work first time I resign myself to the fact I can’t do it and pass the reins over to Hubby.

In terms of preserve making, here in the UK, jam uses the whole fruit whereas jelly is clear and bright and is made using the juice extracted from the fruit. Hubby decided rub in how good he is at this jam making malarkey by making both a successful jam and jelly. One using quinces and the other using blush gooseberries.

Quinces look a bit like ugly, overgrown yellow pears and in the UK can be very hard to get hold of unless you have a friend with a quince tree. A few veg box schemes were also selling them too. Hubby has a friend who offered us some of his quinces. Only after he had made a cracking batch of quince jelly did he announce that his friend has chopped down the said quince tree. The romantic ideas of making refined quince jelly for all the impressed relatives for Christmas was dashed.

Now for the science bit – when quince is boiled it turns red (leading me to be boring and wonder if it was a pH indicator *yawn*). Be warned this stains the cloth you use to strain the juice with. Strangely this stain is intensified with heat and stain remover. The resulting jelly has a distinctive floral taste, unlike anything I was expecting and goes very well with cheese.

The blush gooseberries had been hibernating in our freezer ever since we picked them at a PYO back in June. They are slightly sweeter than green gooseberries…still won’t make me like them. However Hubby did manage to transform them, along with some elderflower cordial, into a beautiful jam.

Both recipes are inspired by Preserves – River Cottage Handbook.

Quince Jelly
makes 5-6 225g jars

1.5kg quinces
Granulated sugar
100ml cider vinegar

1) Roughly chop the quinces, discarding any bad parts. Don’t peel or core them. Put in a deep saucepan, just about cover with water then bring to the boil. Simmer gently, covered for 45 min. Tip the contents of the pan into a jelly bag or piece of muslin (in our case a clean tea towel!) suspended over the bowl and leave to drip for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

2) Measure the strained juice. For every 600ml, weigh out 450g sugar. Return the juice to the cleaned out pan with the vinegar. Heat to boiling point then add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 10-12 min or until setting point is reached. Remove from heat and skim off any scum.

3) Pour into sterilised jars.

Gooseberry & Elderflower jam
makes 5-6 340g jars

1 kg gooseberries
2 tbsp elderflower cordial
1kg granulated sugar

1) Top and tail gooseberries and place in pan with 500ml of water and the cordial. Cook gently until the berries are soft, but hold their shape.

2) Add the sugar. Stir carefully so not to break down the berries until the sugar has dissolved then bring to a full rolling boil for 9-10 until jam reaches setting point. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 min then pot and seal.