rain, rain go away, come back when I'm not on holiday.....

I'm back in Portugal for a short visit, I was rather hoping for some sun so I could get on with some work on the farm. But as most of the work I wanted to do is weather dependent I have had to abondon my plans for the time being and let the farm get on with what it does best, being organic and making it's own way. 

There are several downed trees, including a magnificent cork oak, a mud slide and two wall collapses.

The vegetable garden, however is quite productive. Before I left in December I planted broad beans, onions and garlic, which are all doing very well. The food left over from last years various plantings is also still doing well, purple sprouting broccoli, carrots, parsnips, leeks, cabbages, asparagus and celery continue to be eaten. 

I shall plant some more carrots and parsnips, but not sure how they will fare without watering later on. which currently seems ironic considering it hasn't really stopped raining here for months.

So, am inventing indoor activities which have so far included clearing the freezers of fruit and turning it into chutney

Plum chutney

750g of plums, halved and stoned

250ml vinegar

400g sugar

2 tsp of dry chilli flakes

1 tsp cinnamon

30g fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tsp salt

usual procedure, bung it all together, cook till you have a set and pour into sterilised jars and seal. Its yummy, even the next day

and cherry chutney

2 1/2 lb cherries

128g diced onion

360ml vinegar

2 tbsp minced ginger

250g sugar

1/4 tsp mustard seed

1/4 tsp celery seed

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp of dried chilli flakes

1 tsp salt

directions as above

Cooking endless cakes and puddings

sticky toffee pudding

175g dates, but I used figs, cos I didn't have any dates

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

300ml boiling water

50g unsalted butter, softened

80g golden caster sugar

80g dark muscovado sugar

2 eggs, beaten

175g flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of ground cloves

75g walnuts

For the sauce:

115g unsalted butter

75g golden caster sugar

40g dark muscovado sugar

140ml double cream

Pre-heat the oven to 180C or put loads of wood in the wood burner, in my case. Butter a baking dish approximately 24cm x 24cm.

Make the sauce by putting all the ingredients into a pan with a pinch of salt and heating slowly until the butter has melted, then turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Boil for about 4 minutes, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour half the sauce into the base of the dish and then put it in the freezer while you make the rest of the pudding.

Put the dates/figs and bicarbonate of soda in a heatproof dish and cover with the boiling water. Leave to soften while you prepare the rest of the pudding.

Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy, and then beat in the eggs, a little at a time. Stir in the flour, baking powder, cloves and a pinch of salt until well combined, and then add the dates and their soaking water, and the walnuts, and mix well.

Take the dish out of the freezer and pour the batter on top of the toffee sauce. Put into the oven for 30 minutes, until firm to the touch, and then take out of the oven.

Heat the grill to medium, and poke a few small holes evenly over the surface with a skewer or fork, and then pour over the rest of the sauce. Put briefly under the grill, keeping an eye on it as it can easily burn. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Is sticky toffee pudding the perfect marriage of stodge and sweetness, or does the name promise more than the dish delivers? What do you like to add to yours – and do you like it with custard, ice cream, or (shock horror), a dollop of yoghurt?

hot cross buns

and curries, with food from the freezers

potato and spinach curry

800g potatoes

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 fresh (or frozen in my case) long red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground cumin

2 x can toms, or loads of frozen ones

150g spinach

90g yogurt

2 tbs freshly chopped coriander

cook the potatoes until nearly done and dice them up. cook onion in a bit of oil, then add garlic and spices, stir in the tomatoes and cook for 15 mins. then add the potatoes for another 5 mins. Add the spinach. Thats it, serve with yogurt and another curry.....

Dahl

250g red lentils

400ml coconut milk

a handful of curry leaves

2 medium chopped tomatoes

1 tsp turmeric

2-3 long pointy green chillies , sliced

2 tsp black mustard seeds

2 onions, one finely chopped, one sliced

Put the lentils, coconut milk, the chopped onion, tomatoes, chillies and turmeric in a pan with 300ml water, season and simmer for 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender.

Fry the sliced onion in 4 tbsp oil until crisp, add the curry leaves (or coriander) and mustard seeds and sizzle together. Dish up