It's been a while. Holidays! I am taking a little break too.. That's why you are not hearing much from me right now.
After Ireland we've been taking it easy with light food (salads, mini BBQs, etc). We have been pretty lazy too. Just as it should be during the holidays ;-). On top of that, it was around 30+ degrees here last week for most of the week and that seriously stops me wanting to cook anything that takes a lot of time and/or effort.
We have however been harvesting quite a few nice things from the garden. Nearly all the broadbeans, from half of which I made a broadbean, pea, herb & bacon risotto. 
Golden & red beetroots, which I sliced very thinly for a salad with smoked mackerel and herbs from the garden. The first blackberries - just ate them as they are :-)! The first carrots: super flavour - very strong! More rhubarb, which I put in freezer for strawberry, rhubarb & ginger jam - to be made after we've been holiday with the four of us.
Talking about jam, the past two Saturdays we've visited our local market to buy serious amounts of fruit...! We tend to put the fruit in the freezer before making jam as the structure of the fruit breaks down in the process with a better jam as a result.
Only the raspberry jam I made straight away. Made it a lime & rose raspberry jam this time. Yummmm!! Might have to make another load at the end of August as it's flying out of the pots...
From the rest of the fruit I think I'll make the following jams:
- strawberry & redcurrant
- strawberry, rhubarb & ginger
- plum & redcurrant
- apricot
And perhaps some plum chutney too.
I don't know about you but I don't like strawberry jam just on its own as I find it too sweet so I always add a zing factor like redcurrants or rhubarb & fresh ginger to give it a more refreshing flavour.
Also, our neighbours across the road have an apple tree which is absolutely laden with fruit this year but they don't know what to do with it... So I have offered to make a load of spicy apple chutney (my favourite chutney!) from a Darina Allen recipe which I have adapted over the years.
Good thing we've kept every single jar that was emptied in this house over the past year or so...!
Soooo.....more to come on the jam & chutney front after the holidays.
I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday so far and that you are making the most of all the beautiful seasonal food around.
We're off to France in a couple of days (at last!!!!). I am sure there'll be some foodie news during or after that trip :-)!
Love,
X Bee
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