In my kitchen :: lots of old favourites and up-cycling another little wooden cupboard...

In case you were wondering...

• sunset through the kitchen window
• a batch of chocolate macaroons cooling
• making chicken marinade ready for oven baking
• broth bubbling on the hob
• garden herbs and homemade spelt bread
• baked squash with tangy soft cheese and salad leaves that are still going strong in the veg patch
• porridge...the vehicle for lots of yummy berries and creamy yoghurt or fruit puree with maybe a trickle of fudgy maple syrup or earthy honey (or maybe all four...)
• baked Mediterranean vegetables to serve with pan-fried fish
• seasonal vegetable soup
• persian horesht with rice and yoghurt
• gorgeous old Peugeot shopping bike...an auction win spied through the kitchen window
• wine and pickles the scent in the kitchen fluctuates between a winery and a pickle factory...Currently Ahmad's cherry wine made from local big black Morello cherries...I may not be a fan of the aroma but love the gentle rhythmic plopping sounds as the little air bubbles rise up and explode...Until they get too violent and are banished to the shower. 
• scrumptious rhubarb slowly cooked with honey ready for a flapjack crumble topping...
• lemon drizzle cake, birthday request and lemon poppy seed muffins
• food and garden gifts from a kind neighbour
• sewing. Lots of curtain making, mostly by hand...almost zen like therapy as I work the thread...flowing from right to left like a tiny stream trickling through the woven fabric
• another little up-cycling project 

Up-cycling a small wooden cupboard

This one was a small cupboard that I bought for £8 at a local car-boot sale. It isn't very old. but well made and sturdy. The drawer was constructed with dove tail corners and it run smoothly. The little doors open easily but close just as well, and hang perfectly when closed...See, I'm learning from past mistakes to check things closely before I buy them. As you can see it had been stained dark brown to look like old oak and had antiqued metal handle and fastener. Not my favourite look unless original but I soon freshened it up with a bit of paint. Here's how:

1. Remove any handles using a screwdriver
2. Wash the cupboard inside and out with warm soapy water
3. Rinse and wipe to remove any excess water then leave to dry
4. At this point had the cupboard been highly varnished I would have given it a good sanding with fine sandpaper to help the paint adhere but as the finish was matt, this wasn't necessary.
5. Paint with undercoat or any left over emulsion paint. At the moment we always have a big cheap tub of white emulsion on the go for ceilings and new plaster so I used some of that.
6. Leave to dry.
7. Then the fun bit...the actual painting. A small project like this is perfect for using up any leftover paint or sample match pots. I had four small sample pots of F & B estate emulsion paint. It's has a lovely chalky matt texture and ca been diluted with water if you want a more transparent coating.  With a brush small enough to dip into the pot I used No 270 Calluna for the outside and NO 47 Green Smoke (the same little mini match pot left over from this project) for the inside of the both cupboard and drawer. I love the contrast when it's opened up. 
8. Paint a second coat once the first is completely dry.
9. When completed put the handles back on...unless like me you decide to use something different. I'm looking for something simple.  

We now have a cute little cupboard to hoard all the coffee we stock up with on trips to Ikea...(I know...but we love it...)

...Just need to find some nice simple handles now...any ideas...
dx

One Day a Week Vegan :: sunshine soup

The patchwork quilt March weather where one minute the sun is shining and the next rain or even hailstone clouds stain the sky dark grey, makes me want warm, comforting, substantial food. This wholesome seasonal root vegetable soup is a change from the usual pumpkin, or carrot and coriander. Spiked with ground spices that add extra earthy flavour and chilli for a warming hit; with the addition of dried split peas and pearl barley that make it nuttily hearty to keep you going on early spring days like today.  

Ingredients for four good sized bowlfulls:

• About a pound of organic carrots
• One medium sized red onion
• Two or three cloves of garlic
• Sea salt and black pepper
• A little ground cumin and turmeric...partly for the lovely earthy flavour but mostly because it looks like bottled sunshine in the jar.
• A good pinch of chilli flakes
• One or two bay leaves
• Two sticks of celery
• A small piece of swede (optional)
• Vegetable stock or hot water (there's a good recipe here)
• A handful of dried split peas
• A handful of pearl barley
• Olive oil or alternative

Method:

1. Peel and finely chop the onions, pour a little olive oil into a heavy based saucepan and cook until soft.
2. Meanwhile, wash and peel all the other vegetables. Cut the celery sticks lengthwise and then chop very finely. Grate or finely chop the carrots and dice the swede. 
3. Once the onions are cooked add peel and crush the garlic and add to the pan and cook for a few minutes being careful not to burn. Add the ground spices and cook for a further few minutes.
4. Add the salt and pepper and mix well and then add all the other vegetables. Stir well to combine all the flavours and cook for a couple of minutes until they begin to soften.
5. Wash and add the barley and the split peas again stirring to absorb all the flavours. 
6. Add a litre of hot stock or water bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and leave to cook until the lentils and barley are cooked.
7. Remove the bay leaf.
8. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. 

You could blend this soup if you like a really creamy consistency but I like to leave the grated carrots to meld into the soup leaving the lentils and barley for a little chewy  texture. This is a new favourite. Delicious with my home made spelt bread substituting the honey with a little maple syrup or brown sugar on vegan days.

...it's a shame I forgot to take a photo before it all got guzzled up...I'll add one next time I make it. Oh and I'll share the recipe for my new favourite barley risotto too.


This is just part of a vegan day menu...you can find some more recipes for complete vegan days on the following links:

• One day a week vegan :: Japanese Sober Noodle Salad
• One day a week vegan :: Comfort food 1 - Nostalgia
• One day a week vegan :: 'Detox'
• One day a week vegan :: Fresh
• One day a week vegan :: Butternut squash and Tai style curry 
• One day a week vegan :: Baba Ganoush

Crossing borders...The workhouse Presteigne, Pumpkin Soup weather and Yarn.

 

We're a pipsqueak (I know that's not the right word, but I like it) from the border between England and Wales.  All we have to do is drive a few miles and we're abroad...Twenty minutes, and we're in the Welsh town of Presteigne. We explore it on a grey November(whoops) October day...a lovely colourful little town. 

We find carpets, rugs, The workhouse and shetland yarn...Yay, at last I can make this coveted sweater.  

Creamy Pumpkin soup

Ingredients:

• one medium sized butternut squash
• one medium sized onion
• a little ground turmeric root (optional). Other spices would work too like ground coriander and cumin and a little chilli for a more spicy North African flavoured soup 
• a thumb sized piece of ginger
• one clove of garlic
• a can of coconut milk
• a little olive oil 
• sea salt and crushed black pepper

Method:

1. Peel and slice the onion finely and caramelise in a little olive oil.
2. Prepare the squash by peeling, de-seeding and chopping into small chunks. The smaller the pieces the quicker the soup will cook.
3. When the onions are caramelised add the garlic clove after peeling and crushing or finely chopping. Cook for a couple of minutes being careful not to burn. Do the same with the peeled and grated ginger 
4. Add the turmeric or any other spices if using...this adds a deep earthy taste, bright colour and is very good for you. Stir well.
5. Add the pumpkin, mix well and sauté for a few minutes.
6. Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the pumpkin is tender. 
7. Blend with a hand blender for a smooth creamy soup.
8. Adjust the seasoning and serve. 

This is a lovely comforting creamy autumnal soup. I hope that you have a toasty cosy autumn weekend.

debx