It's stir-up Sunday

It’s Stir-up Sunday!

I only became aware of stir up Sunday sometime during the last few years. I usually made my Christmas cake whenever I found the time, and it was inevitably during the last few weeks in the run up to Christmas. I was usually found icing it late on Christmas Eve afternoon! 

I was totally oblivious to any traditions or unwritten rules relating to the custom of pudding, cake and mince meat making. Obviously, for those who make and bake to provide cakes for friends and family, they need to be a little more organised than I used to be. For years, I made one Christmas cake per annum, and it was us, for the family to enjoy on Christmas Day and during the days that followed. It was fun to purchase the ingredients and to dedicate an evening to weighing out and soaking the dry ingredients, then to mixing the vast quantities of butter and sugar, flour, fruit and spices. The annual Christmas cake bake would, and still does, fill the house with the real aroma of the festive season.  

This Sunday - the 23rd, is ‘stir-up’ Sunday, the last Sunday before advent begins. It become popular during victorian times, but it does actually serve as an useful reminder that it’s time to get busy in the kitchen and to begin the festive baking. If you’re keen to get mixing this Sunday, making your own mincemeat is a great start, and believe me, it really isn’t difficult. 

Obviously, you can pop to the shops and buy a jar of mince meat, but you won’t beat the flavour of the home made version, and it’s a lot more fun!

The advantage of starting now, is that the fruit and spices in the mince meat, cake or pudding will have time mingle and to get to know each other  in the run up to Christmas! This makes for a much richer and fuller flavour. It also means you have more time to get on with other things like school plays, concerts, carol services and shopping as the Christmas season progresses.

To make your own mince meat, mix all your favourite dried fruity flavours together for your perfect mix. Use currants, raisins, sultanas, cranberries, dates, and prunes. To make it more exotic, and less traditional try using mango and pineapple, papaya and dried apple for an alternative flavour. To about ½ kilo of dried fruit, you can add a handful of chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, then add some citrus flavours like orange and lemon juice and zest. 

To bulk up the mix, add 2 chopped apples, and then spice it up with 2 teaspoons of mixed spice and a glass of brandy, port or another favourite tipple. Sweeten with brown sugar (150-200g ish!) and add about 100g suet for a traditional mince meat. Suet is now widely available in the supermarket in both traditional and vegetarian forms, so this shouldn’t be a problem. 

The children can take over at this point, pop the kettle on and relax, make a cup of tea, and allow the children to do the stirring!! The flavours simply need to mix.

All you need to do now, is to jar this up into sterilised jars ready for the Christmas pies. If you’ve made too much, use pretty labels and ribbon and give them away to very lucky friends and family as little pre-Christmas gifts, or take it one stop further, and add flour, more spices and eggs and turn the remainder into a Christmas Pud. Job done, well done!

Little Pumpkins

Having a large family, means that I’ve had more than my fair share of babies and and all the experiences that they bring. I loved every moment of time spent with each one of them at pretty much every stage of development. The odd sleepless night comes back to haunt me every so often, but on the whole, the early years of hands on baby care and toddler activity are happy and pleasant memories indeed.

Now, with my youngest well and truly settled into secondary school, those days are almost distant memories. The baby, who can no longer be referred to as the baby of the family, gives me a stern look and a little talking to if I dare to mention ‘the baby’ words! During house moves and  bedroom makeovers during the past few years the amount of toddler clutter has gradually diminished. Bagged up and stored for a while before I eventually succumb and resort to reluctantly giving them away. 

With each bag of jigsaws and lego, Barbie dolls and Action men that left our family, went a large chunk of Fearn childhood. I’m far too sentimental, but also far too practical to keep boxes full of unused toys. We will always have the memories and hundreds of photos to bring back those happy toddler days. 

More importantly, we n0w need the space to store all the gadgets and belongings that teenagers seem to collect. The digital gadgetry, the sports equipment, the art materials, the musical instruments, the list is endless but the space is not! Family life is never dull, and is always filled with memories in the making, so different now to ten years ago, but equally as fulfilling and exciting.

 The plastic toys in blue and pink may have been replaced by monochrome and metal, the fiddly boxes filled with tiny pieces may have been replaced by substantial items, and the small costs replaced by hefty price tags, it’s a different kind of family life!

Some special toys however, never made the recycle pile and on Saturday they were washed dried and enjoyed all over again. Just in case any rumours get stated, there are no grand children, not yet,  I think they’re a long way off! Saturday was the first ‘Little Pumpkins’ cookery class, for little children under the age of six. The boxes of blocks and traditional toys that I’d managed to save were put to good use once again.The little tables and chairs were used, and I even made another batch of home made play dough, though I have to confess, I had to check the recipe!! 

The look of total enjoyment on their little faces as they mixed and folded and made their very own batch of cup cakes  with their Mum was delightful. The morning wouldn't have been complete without a play time, so as they put my home made play dough and toys to work, the Mums enjoyed a slice of freshly drizzled lemon cake and coffee (well, we had to do something whilst the cakes were baked!) Once cooled, the cakes were transformed into a flock of Towy sheep, complete with little tails! 

It was a happy morning, no squabbles, no mishaps, just baking. It’s not difficult to decorate the cup cakes and they really do look great. Perfect for a child’s party or sleepover activity, or just for fun on a wet afternoon. 

Autumn Rain

Autumn rain

Last night, we experienced the first decent rain we’ve had in months!

I say experienced, I mean heard! I was tucked up in bed as the winds picked up and eventually started hurling rain towards my bedroom window. So in reality, I did not experience the first autumn rain. The garden this morning looks soaked, which is good! There is also the evidence of that angry wind that knocked over pots and brought down the remaining fruit on our apple trees - they are now genuine wind- falls and will need collecting very soon.

The morning after the storm is always eerily sill and silent, as though nothing really happened. I love mornings like this. The morning after the party. The event has been and gone. What remains, are the memories and the evidence!

This morning, the ducks and chickens are discussing the night’s events, relieved that this time the roof remained, tightly nailed to their sheds, though the ground is more than slightly wet beneath their feet. 

It’s funny how summer can last so long, the sun remain so warm and the sky so blue. Then suddenly, as though the nature has looked at the calendar, seen the month and responded with a catch up plan - it’s now autumn, and it’s time for change. If I’m honest, I’m ready for change.

That typical British conundrum of what to wear each day - cold in the mornings, warm by elevenses, hot by lunch and  yet cool in the shade was driving me bonkers! Having worn pumps and t-shirts for months, it’s now so comforting to get out the winter wools and jumpers and to rediscover the sock drawer! The tatty old garden shoes are now put away until next spring and the wellies are finally back in use. 

Despite all this, I can guarantee that although it’s officially autumn, and there has been a definite change this week, the seasons are bound to play a trick or two, and send more blue skies and sunshine our way. One thing is for sure, that summer heat  we’ve had for so long won’t return for a fair while. Instead, we have all the winter festivities and events to keep us busy. Bonfire night is just around the corner, then plenty of winter fairs, Christmas, new year… and new beginnings all over again!

A few years back I wrote a piece called ‘My year as a child’ about how I  viewed each month of the year. It’s fun sometimes to thing back, and to remember how we used to be, used to think and how we used to see things. This is how I felt about the last four months of the year.

“September in a child's life is the new beginning. It is the start of new year. New shoes indicate the arrival of change and of new things....a new class, sometimes new friends, new books, pencils, classroom, teacher and whole load of new procedures.  September is the scary month, a month to be feared, despite the welcome return to familiar daily routines and regular playtimes with friends.

October comes and goes, the weather cools, it rains, it's a dreary month, a sad month. Everything seems to give up...the weather, the leaves on the trees and the school heating!It seems to go like this..the school heating is turned on, leaks and is repaired. Fallen leaves blow about before the rain sticks them to the floor. Teachers get exited about a nature table, acorns and cones, mushrooms and colourful leaves.

By November, it's gone dark again. Winter has returned. Parents talk about the clock going forward ....or back... everyone seems confused. What is an extra hour in bed? It's cold outside and suddenly Christmas is becoming closer :)

December is a furore of school rehearsals for the Christmas play and nativity service. Teachers say they're tired, Mum's talk about the Christmas shopping and all I can think about is Christmas morning. I promise Mum not to get up before 4 am, Mum looks towards the sky. I thought that was a good promise.

Christmas is great but it's always a long time coming. I can't understand how it takes so long to get to Christmas Day, but Mum tells her friends that every year seems to go faster! I’m Puzzled, how can a year go faster”

So there you have it! Try it for yourself, what do the months of the year mean to you? 

Nuts about Nuts!

Nuts About Nuts

One thing is for sure, I’m never the first to spot a good harvest of hazelnuts in the hedges.  As I walk along the country lanes looking and checking for blackberries, damsons, rose-hips and mushrooms, I’ll also be checking amongst the hazel branches for this years crop of nuts.  This year has been a good one for the hazel family and the branches are dotted with little clusters of potential Ferrero Rocher! 

Long before I notice the nutty little gems, unfortunately the local squirrels (all of them) are already well on the case!  For me, the equivalent of a nut alarm is discovering mounds of already cracked, opened and eaten shells along the lanes beneath overhanging branches.  This little scenario can happen anytime from mid August onwards, long before the nuts have fully matured and developed a good, deep nutty flavour.  There is no solution, other than to pick early and enjoy them as they are, on the green side!  The advantage of early picking, other than beating the squirrel at his or her own game, is the much softer shell.  These can almost be cracked by a good and firm set of teeth, though if you’ve any expensive crowns, bridges or dentures I still recommend a nut cracker! 

Hazelnuts are by far the most common wild nut, although there are a few others.  The hazelnut (corylus avellana) grows wild on poorer land and hillsides, however they are often found in hedgerows alongside birch, beech, oak, dogwoods and hawthorn.  Although we find plenty of wild hazelnuts in Carmarthenshire, the larger cobnut is only really commonly found in Kent. 

A Kentish cobnut is a type of hazelnut. Most of the hazelnuts grown in Britain are of the named variety Kentish Cob, which was introduced in the early 19th century.

Unlike most nuts, Hazelnuts, cobnuts and filberts are marketed fresh, not dried like walnuts and almonds. Consequently, they can usually only be bought when in season, which is from about the middle of August through to October, but stored nuts can keep until Christmas. The filbert by the way, is another type of hazelnut grown in the UK, chosen mainly for commercial cultivation.

Once you’ve had enough of cracking wild nuts with your teeth and eating a sort of raw nut, you can progress to drying them! To do this you need to shell the nuts and place them on a baking tray.  Bake or dry in the oven at 180˚C for about 10 minutes.  This should be enough to deepen the flavour of the nut. Allow them to cool and then season with a sprinkling of salt, and enjoy.

Nature has a wonderful timing, the glut of garden vegetables has definitely been and gone, and what remains are now starting to look rather sad for themselves.  In their stead came the blackberries, and now that they are almost finished, they are replaced by wonderful hazelnuts.  When you are out and about, you will notice the amazing crop of sloes, perfect for making a boozy Christmas tipple. Take an extra bag for all these extra goodies you’re bound to find. 

HAZELNUTS - The Facts

• The hazelnut is the single-seeded fruit of the hazel tree, which grows to a height of 7 m. Hazelnuts are shell fruit (nut types) & the nut ripens from mid-August.

• The edible kernel within consists of delicious-tasting hard flesh enclosed in a brownish seat coat. 

• The hazelnut kernel is surrounded by a brown seed coat, which contains antioxidants which protect the oil-rich seed from atmospheric oxygen, preventing it from becoming rancid.

• To harvest them, sheets of cloth are laid beneath the trees and the branches of the trees are then shaken. The nuts are subsequently dried in a well-ventilated place. 

• Cobnuts were popular with mariners, as they kept fresh for months; the Victorians were devoted to them and bred many new kinds.

• In 1913, plantations extended to over 7,000 acres, most of the orchards or “plats” being in Kent. 

• Fortunately cobnuts are NOT prone to pests and diseases, and there is rarely any commercial need for crop protectants or fertilisers; many growers use none at all.

Are hazelnuts good for you??

Kernels contain:

12%-17% protein by weight

10%-15% by weight of fibre

They are rich in vitamin E and calcium containing about 21mg and 141mg per 100g kernel (dry weight)

They are high in vitamin B1 (o.4mg) and B6 (o.55mg) again, by dry weight

Mushrooms

Mushrooms

If there was ever a good reason to get up early on a cool, late summer morning, it’s to walk the dewy fields in search of wild field mushrooms. 

At the beginning of August, when the morning sun warmed the air and made alfresco breakfasts a frequent luxury, getting up to make a mug of coffee, and take a stroll around the garden was a joy.  Now, despite the sun still shining through the window, it’s a cool sun, and getting out of bed is not quite as easy!  By mid morning, however, things have improved; the morning mist has lifted, and there continues to be just a little warmth to ease the weeding shift.

It’s years since I last saw a decent crop of field mushrooms so I was thrilled to answer the phone this week, to be told by our friendly neighbour that he’d spotted a load of mushrooms in one of his fields.  Strangely enough, they weren’t doted around all the fields - just here and there, along very definite routes and circles.  The little white buttons appeared overnight, and revealed themselves amidst the long green grass.  Some managed to hide until they were a good 15cm across, open and past their prime; they were best left.

Walking through the crisp morning air, sun shining, across the dewy field, in wellies with bucket in hand, looking for the little beauties was fun and exciting.  I couldn't resist the odd photo, to prove their existence despite the bucket full of evidence in my hand!  Thoughts of bacon sizzling, a freshly cracked egg and mushrooms, went through my head.  Beef and mushroom stew cooked with Guinness, creamy garlic mushrooms on a thick wedge of toast….. I love mushrooms!

By the time you read this, the bounty will be gone, from this field at least, I’m sorry.  There will however, be plenty more, somewhere.  But make sure that before you pick and indulge, KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS. 

Many, even experts, have been sick and seriously ill having eaten poisonous mushrooms.  The Field Mushroom is fairly easy to spot, as is the Horse Mushroom, but don’t confuse them with the Yellow Stainer, which will give you a very unpleasant few hours, though thankfully you would recover. 

Be very careful about picking immature mushrooms as the distinguishing marks may not have developed fully, making it possible to confuse varieties.  If you’re not experienced in foraging for mushrooms, or lack confidence in recognising the edible from the poisonous, buy yourself a good book, and go foraging with someone in the know. Please don’t take any risks.

This week’s recipe makes the most of this sudden abundance of the field mushrooms, but obviously you can buy some at the supermarket to make a lovely wholesome soup, perfect for these cooler, end of summer temperatures

 Mushroom Facts

All mushrooms are fungi, but not all fungi are mushrooms!  For those fungi that produce them, the mushroom plays a similar role to a flower or a fruit in plants.  Some part of each mature mushroom produces microscopic spores that are similar to pollen or seeds.  The rest of the fungal organism typically lives in the soil, wood, or some other material and is composed of thread-like strands known as mycelium.  The expanding growth of the mycelium often results in circles of mushrooms or “fairy rings”  An individual mycelium can grow very large, with at least one well-documented case covering more than 1,500 acres!

More Interesting Facts about Mushrooms!

• Regular consumption of oyster mushrooms has been shown to reduce cholesterol.
• Mushrooms are a low-calorie food eaten cooked, raw or as a garnish to a meal. There are 27 calories in a typical serving of fresh mushrooms

• People who collect mushrooms for consumption are known as mycophagists, and the act of collecting them for such is known as mushroom hunting, or simply "mushrooming".
• China is the world's largest edible mushroom producer. It produces about half of all cultivated mushrooms

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 600 g mixed mushrooms

• olive oil

• 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

• 2 sticks celery, trimmed and finely sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

• a few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped, stalks finely chopped

• a few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked

• 1.5 litres organic chicken or vegetable stock

• salt & freshly ground black pepper

• 75 ml single cream

Method

• Slice the mushrooms finely. 
• Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat add a little olive oil, and add the onion, celery, garlic, thyme leaves and mushrooms, place a lid on top and sweat gently until softened. 
• Remove about 4 tablespoons of the mushrooms out of the pan and put to one side.
• Pour the stock into the pan and bring to the boil. 
• Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Blitz with a hand-held blender until smooth. 
• Pour in the cream, bring just back to the boil, then turn off the heat. 

To serve, spoon the soup into deep, individual bowls, garnish with the chopped parsley and remaining mushrooms, and serve with crusty white bread.