New endeavours in the kitchen

When I started this blog, I never envisaged writing about what I did in the kitchen. However, I love cooking, including experimenting with dishes, and growing organic lends itself to being creative with the produce.

Not that I would describe what I’ve been up to over the last few evenings as creative. It has certainly been satisfying, though.

On Tuesday, I realised the runner beans were getting big and if not picked soon would become inedible. I’d already had to abandon one plateful of them on Sunday because of this. So, I looked in my bible, ‘Organic Vegetable & Fruit Growing & Preserving Month by Month’ by Alan and Jackie Gear for ideas on preserving them.

Thus, I had my first attempt at blanching. Two minutes in boiling water is what the book recommended, followed by cooling off in cold water. The upshot was that the beans looked and felt exactly the same as beforehand.

Again, this evening, I saw that more beans needed picking and this time I decided to try blanching them using the steam method. Three minutes was recommended. But there seems to be a discrepancy in the timings as this time they were fully cooked (and delicious). So, what I haven’t already eaten I am going to have for lunch tomorrow. Looks like more experimenting is needed here to get blanching right!

On the other hand, whilst making a curry last night, I realised I had run out of coriander powder – how come? I thought I had two jars of it. But never mind.

A few weeks ago I bought a pestle and mortar off Ebay for just such an occasion. I also had a number of coriander seeds from last year. So, I ground them up and hey presto I now had just what I needed for the curry.

All in all, I am finding this start of autumn very fulfilling. As I’d hoped, my garden is starting to delivered the goods and I am busy in my kitchen 🙂

©Helen Butt, September 2013

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