Monday 20 September 2010

AUTUMN...Season of mellow fruitfulness....

Hi there lovely bloggers..
Bit slow at updating my blog this time, but I have been busy..honest!

I LOVE Autumn...crisp sunny mornings, the fabulous colours in the trees, evenings snuggled up under a rug reading ...... and even more the sight of all the fruit and vegetables gathered from my garden....or given by kind neighbours and friends prepared ready for freezing and bottling for the long winter months ahead.

As you will have seen from my previous posts (those that aren't too bored to read my ramblings) we do not have a large garden..or at least large parts available to sow endless rows of  fruit and veg, but we do try to do a bit..


This year our most success has been with the runner beans....which we ate as they grew..don't know about you but I don't think it's worth freezing them, although I do remember years ago helping my MIL salt the pounds of beans she used to get from her garden.  It was the topping, tailing and slicing that got a bit boring! And then you had to remember to rinse them a dozen times before you used them or...Yuk!!
Our second best crop was the tomatoes, all grown outdoors as we dont have a greenhouse and all except the black ones grown in old hoppers on the wall.  My BIL grows all the plants every year and we like to try all sorts of varieties.  As you can see above they make a lovely sight all the different colours together.  I must say my favourites are the yellow cherry ones, so sweet, I must have eaten dozens straight off the vine!




These are the last pickings...apart from the green ones which I am making into green tomato chutney.  Home made soup, Yummm!  Plenty of garlic and a  red pepper to sweeten.  Just the ticket with some home made bread!

We have also been very fortunate to be given loads of these...




And these..... now stored in my freezer ready to make chutneys pies....and of course crumbles...I can see the elastic waist skirts could be making an appearance here this winter..

We were given some of these too...such super colours..I almost don't want to use them..


Although I talk of 'chutneys' I have to confess I am but an amateur here, but with the help of this little book..



I am hoping to have a pantry full of filled jars with pretty labels and covers either to use or to give as presents this Christmas ( Oh no it's that word again), mind I could be forgiven for thinking it was nearly here as our visit to a Notcutts nursery last Sunday found us in a complete winter wonderland of trees, lights and decorations..all fully operational and taking up a good third of the indoor space..and there I thought Halloween and bonfire night came before that.....but what do I know!!

As well as pretending to be some sort of domestic goddess...which I certainly am not.....either I cook or clean.  You don't get both out of me in the same week!..  I have also been finishing the gifts for my PIF winners, the little gift for Fiona who won the 'Pass the Book' and a swap parcel.  These will all go in the post tomorrow, so as soon as I know they have been received I will reveal what I sent.

Well time for that cosy read now....and perhaps a glass of vino to round of the day.. so cheerio for now and hope you all have a fine and productive week.....or a good rest if that's what you need.

TTFN
Jenny x x

18 comments:

  1. What beautiful tomatoes!! I wish I was better at preserving our garden's bounties :)

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  2. I think your garden is definitely a success this year. The tomato's look SO good! And the soup yummy!

    I am hoping to get some of my tomato's before the first frost! ;-D

    xoxo
    Janie

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  3. Mmmm, I love a fresh picked cherry tomato! We don't have as many in our garden this year as we did last... Perhaps because we weren't home to water all of August!

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  4. Ha Ha, elasticated waistbands made an appearance many winters ago in this house, although, I've always blamed the kids.... must try those yellow tomatoes :)

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  5. Hello wondered where you were.We only grew the little yelllow toms this year and ate them like sweetsfroma bowl left on the side.
    Gillx

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  6. I am with you on the beans - I don't bother freezing then either and prefer to eat them daily during the season. Ours are pretty much finished now though. We too had tomatoes though our Tigerella (stripy ones) got some sort of blight so we didn't get too many of those but the cherry ones have been prolific. I was in M&S yesterday and they too have their Christmas stuff on display - can't bear to think of it yet!

    Jane

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  7. Lovely tomatoes - we're vowing to try growing some next year (it's the only thing husband is interested in growing), though we've very little space. Can't think of Christmas yet, i'm enjoying September too much.

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  8. Jenny
    We're emerging from winter into glorious spring in Australia. I've just had a week in the sunshine at the beach with Eliza. We did all the beachy things and loved every minute. Enjoy the mellowness of Autumn and all it's colour.

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  9. It's good to hear from you again :-)

    I too have embarked upon a little preserving. Can highly recommend Jamie Oliver's Apple Chutney recipe (although I think first time round I put in 4 oz of chillis instead of 1/4 oz hehe It was quite hot).

    Please let me know how the green toms turn out too, I need inspiration on that front!

    :-)

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  10. Great time of year for these activities. xxxx

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  11. Good luck with the preserving. what a lovely garden you have. xxx

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  12. I've never made a pot of jam or chutney in my life, but you certainly get inspisred here in blogland. Goodluck with your ventures!
    Lisa x

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  13. You have been so productive - I'm rubbish at storing tings properly and don't make proper efforts to freeze things apart from blackcurrants. When I had lots of time for jam and chutney making as a full-time mum, nobody wanted to eat them, now they might actually want to I've got no time!! I hope you achieve your goal of many pretty jars of lovely home-made things. xx

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  14. Hello nice to see you back in blogville again!
    I have that preserving book too its absolutely brilliant isn't it?
    I'm just about to look online for a nice tomato chutney recipe as everyone I know seems to think I need tomatos and gives us bags and bags of them!
    Em xxx

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  15. Yes I love this time of year too. The colors, the food hmmmm.

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  16. Hello again. Welcome back! I adore the colours of those tomatoes - how gorgeous! Is that a purply one?

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  17. Hello Jenny,
    Hope all is good with you.
    I think I might give Chutney making a go after reading this post, I have a glut of green tomatoes that would be perfect for the job..Em x

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  18. Jenny I recieved my PIF parcel from you yesterday and just wanted to say WOW!!!! and Thanks!
    I love it, I've already had to fight off my 2 older daughters and a sister for the bag!!!
    Sorry I didn't thank you yesterday but I had a lot of trouble with my internet connection.
    I'll blog about my gorgeous gifts very soon too.
    Em xxx

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Hi thanks for stopping by, but even better say hello. I love to read your comments and its also a way for me to meet you. I do read every coment but don't always have the time to find your email or web, so do pop back if you have asked a question as I will answer it here.xx