Bryher strawberry and white peach smoothie....(serves 2)

 Today's been the first day I've really felt the sun stinging my skin. The layers are off, visitors are having picnics on the beach and getting up at 5am is less of a chore and more the best part of the day. 

We've been to the Abbey Gardens and lay in the sunshine the sun on our toes. This little man came along to say hello...

Our garden may not have such exotic visitors but it is in full bloom....

And even the seagulls are out sunbathing and not harassing my chickens!

The best part of the sunshine is that island fruit and vegetables are starting to blossom. Last week saw the first fat, ripe strawberries on the stall. Picked and eaten on the same day. Now they are an everyday staple in the house. But they are best of all at breakfast. If I have a few left over we make them in to a smoothie with the amazing white fleshed peaches Bryher Shop have in at the moment....

Bryher strawberry and white peach smoothie (serves 2)

150g strawberries (hulled)

4 small white fleshed peaches (peeled)

200ml almond milk

Put all three ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 

The smell of fudge is dancing around the kitchen. There's a huge black cloud hanging over the town about to spit out fat snowflakes. I say spit but that makes it sound unwelcome. It's not. I've been waiting for the snow all week.

Today is the first day of Christmas. The day I make fudge for Christmas presents.

The flat is decorated now. All the presents are wrapped (apart from the fudge)....and I'm not sure what else I'm meant to be doing except enjoying myself. I've managed to cram in four parties this weekend....if the snow allows....

So until those begin I'll sit back and enjoy the snow.......

Chocolate Coin Spice Hot Chocolate......(makes one mug)

Place three large chocolate coins in a mug. Measure out a mug of milk and place in a saucepan with a clove. Bring to the boil (but don't let it boil.)

Fish out the clove and pour over the coins. Stir until all the chocolate is melted. Top with mini marshmallows and a pinch of ground cinnamon.

Raspberry Berr"a"y....

The allotment's looking very green. There's nothing wrong with that it's just that I would like to see a bit of colour.

When the rainbow chard flourishes, I expect to see indigo and violet patches...

Occasionally I get a flash of ruby among a patch of sea sick looking strawberries but as quick as I see it it's gone. In my mouth. At the weekend we cleared another massive patch and I hope I can plant a lot more strawberries and raspberries so next year some fruit with make it home. Luckily I bought two punnets of raspberries at St Ives yesterday. Tonight we're off to the north coast for a barbecue and I'll be taking a big glass bottle of raspberry cordial to wash the pork chops down...

Raspberry Cordial (makes 4 small glasses)

200g raspberries

125g caster sugar

one and a half pints boiling water

In a heavy based pan put the fruit and sugar. Put it over a low heat. Leave for 15 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.

Take off the heat and mash with a potato masher.

Strain through a sieve.

Discard the pulpy seeds. Add the water and stir through.

Pour into a jug and chill.

Serve chilled.

Berry good...

I'm driving along on the back roads on the Roseland. I've been picking up vegetable plugs for my overgrown allotment.



I've bough tiny little frisee lettuces, borage plants, mint chocolate leaves and rows of sweet peas to greet me as I open the gate. And as I drive I realise I haven't seen a soul. The road is normally like a nightclub on a Saturday night...people constantly having to move and dip out of each others way.

It's a Bank Holiday weekend and there's no one on the roads. In fact it's spooky. It's starting to feel a bit like the whole of Cornwall has evacuated and I'm the only one left. Suddenly I stop in the middle of the road. There's a lone peach balloon with a pink ribbon dancing the breeze. Slowly I start up again and the balloon chases me down the road.

I spot a farm shop and Radio 1 is blaring from one of the barns so I know I can't be the only one left. Normality returns as a sulky teenager (who's obviously been forced into working on a Saturday) glares at me as she takes my money for a punnet of strawberries and flounces back to the barn. Once I get home I dip into my bag to find the strawberries have been squashed by a bottle of cloudy lemonade....After a 15 minute sulk reminesicent of thefarm shop teenager I made this....

Strawberry Fizz.........(serves 1)

4 strawberries

200ml cloudy lemonade

Put the strawberries in a mini chopper and whizz until liquid. Spoon into a fancy glass and pour the lemonade over the top. I was pretending I was in Sex and the City and put a ridiculous strawberry on the side. It cheered me up.

World Pilot Gig Championships....

Nine hundred heartbeats. The sound of water against the boat and then "Go". A thunder of oars dipping into the sea as rowers race towards the island....

This year I didn't row. But after watching the action from the quay I decided to get back in the boat....

After four painful races crews lined up in the harbour to watch the final...

This year Falmouth won the ladies race and Par the men's. There was much celebrating...

** By the way, these photos are Gavin Saunders from here....

After a weekend of pimms, wine and crab cakes I needed something cool and relaxing. The opposite of the mahem of gig weekend.....

Mint tea.....(serves 1)

20 mint leaves

1/2 pint water

Bruise the leaves.

Put in a teapot and pour the hot water over the top.

Leave for five minutes.

Pour into a pretty cup.

Tea=Happiness

I'm a bit baked out after the last couple of days. I had planned to come home after work and bake some bread but I looked at the perfectly fine loaf of bread already in the bread bin and decided to have a cup of tea instead.

Photo Credit: David McNeil

I'm off to Wales tomorrow (hopefully, if the DVLA ever accepts my money for car tax!) so hopefully I'll get the chance to buy some great stuff to come home with. There's an amzing deli in Pontyprydd and I'll probably come home with all kinds of finds. It does an amazing gorgonzola and marscapone dip there. Rumour has it that there's an Italian in Pontyprydd who asked them to buy it in for him...now everyone wants it. My marvellous soon to be married friends always bring me a tub when they come to visit and we dip carrots and beans in it (and when they've gone I just use my finger).



I'll blog my finds when I get back on Sunday but for now I'll stick with my cup of tea...if only I had something baked to eat with it....

Dodgy tummy

I thought nothing would feed my hangover cravings after 5 glasses of wine last night.

Turns out several cups of tea and 4 jammy dodgers do after all.

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