In my kitchen :: vintage finds, re-claimed wood shelves and making the first spelt bread

When we first saw the house there was an old wooden bench fitted in the store room. It was covered in powder coated treasures and had a big old rusty vice attached. The wood had once been green, then rust colour and was now washed out grey but you could still see the mottled colours, like age spots on old hands. I loved it and asked the builders not to throw it away. So they carefully removed each of the planks that made up the bench. 

We stored them in the garden, protected from the rain. So many times someone would attempt to throw them away and I'd rescue them again. They couldn't hear the story that those old planks told...Maybe just to me and Ahmad...Although I think that sometimes, even he doubted whether they were worth keeping. 

The bones of the kitchen have been finished for a while and now we're trying to make it feel like ours. I finally persuaded Ahmad to fit some shelves from the re-claimed wood. 

First he gave the planks a good wash. Then he cut a piece to size and sanded all the edges and fitted a dinky little one over the old stainless steel school kitchen table, also rescued...this time by him from being dumped into a rubbish skip at school. We manage to find some old brackets here that had once held a small wash basin. They worked perfectly.

I'm so happy with it. It's the best place to keep mugs and cups and bargain charity shop vintage finds.  Like another 1950's Inger Waage Norweigan piece, this time a gorgeous lidded casserole dish (I made retro coq au vin supper just so I could use it) and my gorgeous Finnish fish pot by Kaj Franck. I've been looking for some of his dishes for ages. It cost me just £3! I've seen them on Etsy for at least £50 but don't think that I could bare to part with it. 

Then Ahmad made a double shelf. This time for high up, over the kitchen window using more old sink brackets and he placed the wooden panels, side by side. It's great for those things we don't use every day. 

At last I made the first bread this year using this recipe it's so simple that you don't even have to knead it. It's very more-ish and so easy to make, you might like to have a go too.

Simple spelt loaves

Ingredients for two small loaves:

• 500g/1lb 2oz organic spelt flour
• A tspn of sea salt
• A tbsp of dried yeast 
• 500ml/17 fluid ounces warm water
• A spoonful of runny honey
• A little olive oil

You may  like to add some seeds like here or as I did this time fresh rosemary and thyme. 

Method:

1. Oil a baking tray
2. Put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. 
3. Add all the wet ingredients and mix well. Form into a ball and divide it roughly into two.
4. Form each half into a rough loaf shape. Place on the baking tray and cover with a clean, damp tea towel and leave in a warm place until they have doubled in size. This should take about half an hour. Towards the end of this time, pre-heat the oven to 200c/400f/Gas Mark 6.
5. You may like to sprinkle a few more seeds or sprigs of herbs on top if using and brush with a little more olive oil.
6. Place into the oven and bake for about thirty minutes until golden brown and cooked through. 

...That's a bit of what's happening in my kitchen...

I wonder what's going on in yours...

dx