Gardening and Cooking

I didn’t succeed with growing my squashes this year. They were too crowded and shaded from the sun. I usually grow one called Buttercup, a green skinned squash with bright orange sweet flesh. Delicious roasted but good in many ways.

Never mind, I have a plan for next year. I will plant them in another bed in full sun and allow them to spread and soak up the warmth.

Here’s a painting I did of a lovely selection of squashes and gourds which my daughter gave me. Painted with my favourite medium – gouache – a type of watercolour.

Gardening is always a gamble. Weather, pests, the mood of the gardener, all play their part in how successful you are. When you get it right it’s a joy and the effort is never wasted. Fresh air, exercise, a wonderful sense of working with nature. These things make it worthwhile whether you succeed in producing food or flowers or have a complete failure. Plus, if you make your own compost any failed plants will contribute to the heap for next year’s growing.

The marigolds are still lovely, opening their cheerful, golden faces whenever the sun comes out. I brought a few in to enjoy their beauty before the frosts finish them off.

Apparently you can eat the petals and some people add them to a salad. Never tried this but maybe I should. Meanwhile I shall always have them in my garden. Once you have them they drop their seeds and spring up year after year. Mine are in the veg garden around the polytunnels and growing among the beans. They attract pollinating insects which help the beans to grow their pods. I have painted them before and will do again because the colours are so beautiful and those simple daisy petals are so pleasing.

When I’ve been busy and I’m tired I like to cook one of my one-pan meals, especially with rice. I buy bags of frozen cooked rice which can be heated in the microwave. I don’t usually microwave them though. Instead I open a bag and sprinkle the rice into my one-pan meal. It’s brilliant rice. Everyone I’ve served it to says how good it is. Here’s how I do it for an easy, tasty, quick and versatile meal.

Put a little water into a frying pan which has a lid. Just enough to cook the ingredients but not to dry out. Quantities are variable so you will know from the amount you want to cook. Add half a vegetable stock cube ( I like Kallo organic for best taste) and a crushed garlic clove. Bring to boiling and add frozen peas or green beans and sweetcorn. Sprinkle the frozen rice I describe above into the pan. You can add other ingredients at this point, see below. When it comes back to full heat, turn the heat down and allow to simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. The rice will absorb the stock for a really savoury taste.

Check that it doesn’t dry out but if you find you have too much liquid just turn the heat up and leave the lid off until it reaches the consistency you want.

You can serve this with grilled bacon or smoked mackerel, for example or you can add to the pan pieces of cooked chicken or meat. Or stir in at the last minute chopped boiled egg. You can add herbs. Basil and parsley are good, so is dried dill especially with fish. Or you can jazz it up with chilli, chopped fresh or a pinch of chilli powder.

For a vegetarian meal, add to the basic rice and veg some tinned chickpeas, cooked lentils or your favourite beans. Good too with a drop of cream or creme fraiche stirred in at the last minute.

I made the Christmas cake yesterday. The kitchen was full of tantalising aromas. Orange, lemon and spices filled the air. A lot of fiddly chopping involved but once that was done it was plain sailing.

It’s tucked away now in a big storage tin until I feed it with booze before Christmas. Delicious! I will post the recipe next time. Meanwhile here’s a little poem I composed about making the cake.

Baking the Christmas Cake

Chopping, weighing, stirring.
A bit of this, a lot of that.
Keep those beaters whirring
And watch the thermostat.

While the oven's heating
The scent of cloves, the scent of spice
My happy nose are treating
And my appetite entice.

Soon it's slowly baking,
Puffing, rising, teasing.
The process of the making
Is so very, very pleasing.

Be with you again soon.