Wednesday 22 June 2016

Rhubarb cordial, cheese scones and a little cake anyone?










More cordial making this week, rhubarb this time thanks to Eclectic Home and Life who mentioned that not only had she made some but that her son loves it. I'm always on the lookout for things that are a hit with boys. I used allotment rhubarb, some freshly picked and some that I think I left on a bench last time. At least, I hope it was mine. It is now anyway.

The cordial is pretty good, and it has such a gorgeous colour. I left it on the side in the kitchen for a while just to enjoy the light shining through it. Not much pink around here as you know.

Also in the kitchen, cheese and chive scones, gnocchi with a tomato broth made by the biggest boy and a Victoria sandwich with jam, cream and strawberries. Oh, and a stream of salad - lettuce, rocket, mustards, radishes and sugar snaps.

The tomatoes are growing well, despite being in the frontline of Christiano Ronaldo-inspired football antics. Is anyone else rooting for Wales and Iceland?

Down at the allotment the weeds have gone completely mad. They're definitely winning. The mice are getting most of the strawberries. I'll give them another year (strawberries, not mice), but if I don't get much of a crop I'll take them out. No point giving up a 3m square and getting nothing back. At home there is less wildlife so we're picking quite a few now.

On the kitchen windowsill there's usually a few sprigs of something or other. At the moment there are rosebuds from the big rose down at the plot. It's a bit of a thug and not the sweetest scented thing, but it flowers from June to November, giant blowsy pink roses. It's not subtle or romantic or worthy of Instagram, but it's from another time when people planted thundering great big pink roses on their allotments and wouldn't have dreamt of growing vegetables in anything other than regimented rows and for that I love it. When I drive out of town I can see the flowers from the road, although they're a long way away.

I've been enjoying the greenness of the garden on these overcast days. The sun bleaches out some of the colour at this time of year, but when the layer of cloud is thick and dark the greens deepen against one another and I can't stop watching them.

I'm feeling a little jittery about the big vote tomorrow. I've heard hardly any mention of the environment. Mostly a lot of talk appealing to people's wealth. As if this is all we care about. I don't imagine I will be the only one waking up too early on Friday to find out which way the chips have fallen.

30 comments:

  1. Did you mention cheese scones? My favourite. :-)

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  3. When we first started on the allotment we were considered to be deluded as we didn't grow our crops in straight lines and all in the same direction.

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  4. I love the way you tell tales. The mention of deep greens made me long to be near a countryside at sunset. Your gardening is always impressive and has inspired me over the years I've been visiting here. I just planted some thyme, onion chives, tomatoes, strawberries and sunflowers. We just had a heat wave last week though and they were not happy about it. I'm worried I might be doomed to have a brown thumb (and dead crops) again! Quick question: what should I "feed" the strawberries? The directions says to feed and water them daily, but I'm not sure what to give them. Thanks! Also, our our election over here has me quite nervous too. xx, Devon

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    1. Well done on the planting, I hope they survive the heat. The herbs at least should be fine. The easiest thing to feed the strawberries is probably liquid tomato feed. I'm guessing it's probably quite widely available. Once a week for feeding should be enough, the rest of the time you can just water them to keep them moist. If they're in the ground you can sprinkle around some chicken manure pellets in the spring on the surface of the soil. Your election is making me nervous too! I am trusting that human decency will prevail. CJ xx

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  5. Today you have inspired me to search for recipes for cordial making...especially strawberry-rhubarb. [a nearby tearoom has strawberry-rhubarb tea which is my favorite of their teas]. I read a front page article in the Oregonian this morning about your vote, and now join your concern since the polls have predicted a very close race in deciding the outcome. xx

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  6. Your cake and cheese scones look fabulous. Oh gosh, my hubby is drooling over your cake. I make raisin scones often here but would love to know how to make cheese scones. Mmmm. (wink) Thank you for sharing and enjoyed your beautiful post. xx

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  7. Your scones look delish.. and your cordial too.. and the CAKE.. nummers. Can you fill us in on the "Big Vote"? I don't know what you're voting about or who is running. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. Teresa, I've emailed you all you need to know about the Big Vote! CJ xx

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  8. Yes, here in Sydney, Australia, we we're supporting Wales and Iceland, too. The Icelandic commentator was delightful to listen to! He got VERY excited when they scored. I wish we had the allotment system here, I am quite envious.

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  9. Rhubarb cordial sounds divine, that is now on my list. Cheese scones another big hit, and as for the cake...What time do you want me round? I am a little apprehensive about the vote it seems to be all about migration locally.

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  10. Don't give up on the strawberries yet. Two years ago mice cached about three-quarters of my crop (they 'picked' the unripe fruit and made neat piles in the strawberry bed - interesting behaviour!) and my plan then was to grow just the ever-bearing variety, which crop over three months rather than three weeks. Although I now have two new ever-bearing strawberry beds consisting of about 36 plants (from an initial investment of three plants) I didn't get round to digging up Cambridge Favourite or the unnamed strawberries that originally came from my childhood garden and I'm so glad as last year I had a very good year and this year has been the best ever. Yes, I'm sure the weather has played its part (no late frosts and lots of rain) but the moral of my tale is that on the plot every year is different and a disastrous crop is often followed by excellence. I still haven't made elderflower cordial and time is running out. My usual foraging place is best reached by off-road bike and I haven't cycled since my accident four weeks ago but I gave my shoulder a work out in the swimming pool yesterday and hope to be back on my bike before the end of the week. I am worried about the referendum today and for the sake of the environment (not to mention a myriad of other positives offered by being a member of the EU) I am hoping and believing the vote goes well.

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  11. You are making my hungry. Gnocchi are one of my all time favourite foods. I rarely make them from scratch, there is just too many of us and it takes forever. Next time I drive through your part of the world, I shall stop and ring the bell for a selection of amazing refreshments. Rhubarb cordial, never thought of it but am obsessed with making some now. x

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  12. Is there anything more comforting than a fresh from the oven homemade scone? Good to hear your boy is rolling his sleeves up in the kitchen. The one here (bit bigger than yours) seems to be embracing all things culinary (yep, even the washing up). Every knock at the door lately has been the delivery of yet another recipe book. Might go and browse a few to stop worrying about what's going on inside polling stations up and down the nation.

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  13. Yes please to the cordial, scones and cake! I'd forgotten that I'd made rhubarb cordial last year... It was good!

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  14. That all looks, and sounds, rather delicious. I agree with your last paragraph.
    Flighty xx

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  15. Oo! I love cheese scones and yours look delicious and so impressed at biggest boy making dinner. Our strawberries seem to be being munched by woodlice! I don't think the strawberry harvest is going to be very good this year; not enough sun and far too much rain means some are rotting before they even ripen. I agree about the Brexit debate. Ethical issues seem to be way down the list of considerations.

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  16. Looks like good food coming out of your kitchen! I'll have to look at the rhubarb cordial recipe. I only have one plant and have just been using it for muffins. The scones look buttery and delicious!

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  17. Y U M - all looks delicious. I've been trying to pick out strawberries before the slugs get st them! I think we have a super-race of slug here... Share your concerns over the referendum. Have been alarmed and troubled by the campaigning. Hope common sense prevails and we remain. Have had a few 'interesting' discussions round here! Enjoy all that lovely food ���� Sam x

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    1. Can you tell I typed this on my phone..?! Clumsy fingers:-)

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  18. Delicious! Can I have a bit of everything please? I expect not as I imagine it is all gone by now!

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  19. it all sounds quite delicious. i'm feeling rather underachieving at this stage of gardening...although i did make a fabulous [if i do say so myself] rhubarb-custard tart with my little rhubarb haul. it was my first year picking it...so i've got great expectations of cordial and possibly wine next year.

    i do love a good trollopy rose.

    your referendum is nerve-wracking beyond belief....as is the US presidential campaign which has been a three-ring circus of shock and disgust to me. i'm clinging to the shreds of human decency to see us through.

    our prime minister has excellent hair. which really is all that can be said about him. which gives one pause considering the state of the rest of the world.

    xoxo

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  20. it's wonderful to see and read about your summer colours and flavours. are they fingerprints in the cake? :-)

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    1. It wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility, but no, they're from where candles were put, it was a birthday cake for the littlest boy, he always chooses an ordinary sponge cake, I think it's the jam in the middle that sways it for him. CJ xx

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  21. Your rhubarb cordial looks so pretty; such a heavenly colour. You also make me want to rush off and bake some cheese and chive scones - Yum. I hope you manage to rescue a few strawberries from the clutches of the wee beasties. xx

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  22. Everything looks delicious- the cheese scones look particularly yummy. Your rhubarb cordial inspired me to pull some rhubarb and make a rhubarb and strawberry crisp, which turned out far better than I had hoped and drew a lot of enthusiasm! I always enjoy your writing and your inclusion of bird watching and glimpses of your life with your boys. I just came back from a couple of weeks in the UK, we spent some time in Suffolk at Woodbridge and Sutton Hoo- which was wonderful. I also enjoyed watching Springwatch.

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  23. I am wondering how you feel about the vote now that it is allover and you are now going to be on your own. Your Independence Day as I am hearing it called over here. Love your thoughts about the garden, the cordial sounds delicious.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  24. Those homemade treats looks wonderful and the colour of the rhubarb cordial is so pretty. I too have concerns about the environment with the way the vote has gone. Those who care are going to have to work so hard to stop them being watered down, it's a depressing day. Sarah x

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  25. You're right about being up early this morning. I was awake at four. I decided to try and go back to sleep without checking the news as I knew I wouldn't get back to sleep otherwise. My hubby got up anyway after having a dream that he was counting the votes!
    It's only 7.30pm and I feel exhausted by today's political events. The rhubarb cordial looks brill, could you let me know which recipe you used? I have some rhubarb gin on the go in the cellar, I may have to go and see if it's ready for bottling now xx

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  26. cake, scones and cordial. oh my. xxx

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