A DAY IN THE KITCHEN….

….and the result is a lot of goodies.

First of all I had to boil the apples I picked on the allotment – thanks to the strong wind I managed to find quite a lot. That was done yesterday and it very slowly dripped overninght. I decided to make two savoury jellies – rosemary and garlic. I use a recipe in my favourite book – The preserving book – and use whatever I think might make good jelly. Garlic is a strong favourite.

Next was the making of some soup. As I have a lot of different vegetables on the allotment I try to use them all. My friend Anita recently gave me a great recipe book (you can’t have too many!) and this is the book I use now, very often.

It might not look exciting but it is very tasty. Wilted spinach and Stilton cheese.

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Last but not least was the turn of something quite different. When we went to Brazil some years ago, our friend Lucia taught me how to make their local delicacy – cheese balls. They are very easy to make and once made, impossible to stop eating!001

One good thing about them is that they can be made and frozen; when I need to serve them, say with soup or just as nibbles with wine, I take them out and bake.

All in all, a very productive day.

RAINS STOPS PLAY…

…but work continues.

I not only love gardening and handicrafts but also cooking and baking. Today it was the turn of pie making.

I decided on cheese and onion pie, easy to make and very tasty. I have got my own version, which means I make the pastry and the filling is  not exactly as a recipe would specify. I make it up as I go but the nearest one to it is called  a traditional cheese and onion pie.

This done, there was another thing to make. A very different treat this time, a kind of cheese balls very good to serve with wine or just on their own. This is a brazillian recipe given to me by our friend Lucia. I remember making it in her house and freezing them. A huge advantage because later it is so easy just to take them out of the freezer, put on a baking tray and bake for about 25 minutes in a moderate oven.

I cannot find a link to any recipe online but instead of that I add the one I use. It is very easy and all the ingredients are available.

CHEESE BALLS (PÃO DE QUEIJO in Portuguese)

Ingredients

150 m of oil (vegetable or sunflower)

½ kg of sweet manioc flour (casava flour in any market)

300 ml of milk

1 teaspoon of salt

1 egg

½ kg of grated white cheese (such as Wensleydale or Caerphilly)

Method

Heat the milk, oil and salt until boiling. Heat the flour. Mix in the egg and then, finally, the cheese.

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