Frost and Fire

We had the first hard frost last week. The few flowers still clinging on were huddled against the cold but everything looked beautiful with their sparkling edges.

The winter lettuces and salad leaves will be fine in the greenhouse. It’s not heated but offers just enough protection from the biting wind and scorching frost. The sprouts haven’t grown as well as I’d hoped but there may be a few tiny buttons for my festive flan on Christmas day. The frost is supposed to improve the taste and doesn’t harm them. The leeks and parsnips are at their best now and I have some small but tender and tasty celeriacs in the polytunnel.

Meanwhile indoors, time for cosy kitchen jobs. I’ve been making mince pies. Naturally, they have to be “tested”. What could be nicer on a cold day than a freshly-baked mince pie, still warm from the oven? Preferably with a glass of sherry.

I admit that I do find it tiring these days so I enlisted help from my husband. I made the pastry and he filled them with my home-made mincemeat while I cut out the tops.

I do have strategies though to simplify the job. I always make my pastry using sunflower oil and mix it in the food processor. It only takes seconds to do and the pastry is light and tasty. When I make mincemeat I make a lot. The brandy in it and sugar preserve it for well over a year and means I save time on alternate years. I have three baking tins so I can put plenty of mince pies into the oven at once, then freeze them to enjoy later over Christmas.

My pastry recipe is one cup of plain flour, one third of a cup of sunflower oil and a quarter cup of cold water. This makes enough for a 22cm ( 8 inch ) flan case. Increase these, keeping to the same proportions, for more pastry. My food processor takes two cups of flour, two third cups of oil and two quarter cups of water at a time. It takes a few seconds to mix until a lump forms. It’s easy to repeat this once the pastry is removed if more is needed.

When I serve them I dust them generously with icing sugar. A sweet little extra hit of pleasure.

Late November so the weather is beginning to bite. Snowing, as I write. We lit the logstove last night because the house felt so cold. We’re trying not to use it too often because the thinking now is that they’re not good for the environment, but we rely solely on electricity so we need a back-up in case there’s a power cut. That was the reason we had it installed years ago but it is a real pleasure on freezing nights. The gentle crackling of the logs and the licking flames give a wonderful feeling of home comfort and security.

Here’s a little tip which I have mentioned before but is worth repeating. If you have a logstove don’t buy cleaning products for the glass door. No need for scrubbing with expensive chemicals. All you need to do is to wet a cloth or kitchen paper, dip it into the wood ash and rub over the inside of the glass door. Rinse with another damp cloth and rub dry to shine. Works like magic. We’ve had ours for 12 years and the glass is crystal clear.

That’s all for this week. Stay warm, happy and healthy. With you again soon with more Christmas ideas.