Weekend...All creatures great and small and accidentally Vegan and Gluten/Dairy Free Leek and Portobello Mushroom Risotto.

Tap, tap, tap..."It sounds like someone's playing with the old typewriter on the landing upstairs," I said.  "There's nobody upstairs," he replied. 

"Mmm...Curious," we muttered in unison. Then went upstairs to investigate...There was the typewriter on the landing floor but no ghostly fingers striking the keys. The tapping sound was coming from the opposite corner, by the window. We soon spied the secret intruder. It was one of the little swifts that live in the eaves. He'd somehow flown inside and trapped himself between the window pane and some tools. Eek...it's tiny head caught between the glass and a small saw blade. His little wings drumming on the glass in an attempt to escape. Thankfully it wasn't the blade side of the saw, but still...EEK...he was so delicate. Ahmad carefully eased him out and lifted him up from the tools to fly away through the open window...safe and sound...

That may not have been the last we saw of our tiny house guest.  Later, we were driving back from a farm down a narrow hedged lane a few miles away. We'd been collecting cherries kindly given by the generous local farmer. Big dark juicy ones to make wine and all ready picked. I spied a bird in front of us...He was flying unusually low along the tunnel of the narrow lane. He turned off to the side for a second to land on a branch as if he was waiting for us. But then he took flight again. Flying low in front of the car...As if he was leading us along the road as I drove, swooping up and down in a kind of salute...Honestly cross my heart...

...I think it might have been our little swift just saying thank you...

...don't you? 

I like to think so...

This is some scrumptious comfort food that I made at the weekend...creamy and unctuous without even a hint of gluten or dairy...

Leek and Portobello mushroom risotto (accidentally vegan)

Ingredients for two large portions or four small:

• Four medium sized Portobello mushrooms
• One cup measurement of arborio (risotto rice)
• One leek
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• A pint of hot vegetable stock
• Garlic - lots, about five of six cloves
• A heavy based sauce or frying pan

Method:

1. Remove the outer skin from the leek, top and tail and then cut down the centre. Cut each half into small slices and wash thoroughly.
2. Poor a little olive oil into the pan and warm on the hob. Add the leeks and begin to sauté. 
3. Season and add the mushrooms, mix well and continue to cook. 
4. Peel and crush the garlic and add. Mixing again. Mixing well so that all the flavours amalgomate. Add the seasoning and the cup of rice.
5. Allow the rice to cook a little combining all the ingredients. 
6. Add the vegetable stock little buy little stirring. Continue to do this until the vegetables are tender and the rice has absorbed all the stock, is tender but still has a little bit to it.

Serve while still nice and warm. This accidentally vegan supper is comforting and delicious served just as it comes. But you may like to add a nob of butter or grating of parmesan if you like dairy. 

nb arborio is naturally gluten free but if you have an allergy remember to check that the rice is produced in an environment where products containing gluten may be...

joining Karen for weekends

Unpacking a Berlin Wall of books and Making Fire Cider in cider country...

Where did May run away to? Somewhere in the middle of the month it just scampered off...

We've done lots. We've painted and we've planted and sanded and cleaned, unpacked some of the Berlin Wall of boxes that we'd stacked in Hannah's bedroom and installed the contents (mostly books) in their rightful place. We've forged new friendships, celebrated, and even stayed away for one night. The days are long and light and we can get so much done, but sometimes we want to runaway...Just for a little bit. Not too far, or we'll never get things finished. 

It's amazing if we follow our instinct and answer when we're called, that stepping out of the door for a mini adventure, finding felled trees that look like old ladies bones or restoring fallen nests in a  cider orchard; that when we come back home to the mundane jobs, everything looks a whole lot easier than it did half an hour before...

With all those cider apples and the best local organic raw cider vinegar complete with 'the mother,' I couldn't resist making up a batch of fire cider ready for next autumn...

Fire Cider

Ingredients:

Here's a basic list but you may like to add other extra ingredient like, fresh orange juice or spices like, star anise, cinnamon or black pepper corns; or fresh aromatic herbs like rosemary and thyme :-

• Raw organic cider vinegar I can find locally produced here
• Raw organic honey
• Garlic
• Onion
• Horse radish root
• Ginger root
• Turmeric root. I didn't have any fresh root and so used ground turmeric. It's not as a good as the fresh root as the turmeric is cooked before grinding, but it's the next best thing
• Jalapeno chilli
• Organic lemons

You can find the quantities that you need here. Basically you just pour the cider vinegar into a clean vessel, chop up all the vegetables and add them to the bottle, along with the honey and lemon juice. Seal and then leave in a cool dark place for it to brew. This takes about four to six weeks. If you are using a jar with a metal lid you need to line it with baking parchment so prevent the vinegar from spoiling it.

Once brewed, strain off the vegetables. Then take a small glass of the tonic every day to boost your immune system and ward off evil germs... 

Like old friends it felt good to see all those books in line and have a bottle of something wholesome brewing in the cupboard ready for chilly winter days...