Back at last

It takes a lot to keep me out of the garden but a nasty abscess on a tooth, a pile of medications and then the inevitable extraction, kept me in the house for a week.  I only ventured down to the patch for a bit of a potter about last weekend.  It felt good to be outside at last but I was pleased we were well ahead with the autumn clear up.  My energy levels have suffered.

Still, there was hope alive in the greenhouse with the remaining two cucumber plants still producing cucumbers and new flowers.  This is amazing for the end of October.  The basil is looking a little pale and stressed (a bit like me) but is still in leaf and parsley was a cheery sight.  I had previously sowed some winter lettuce and they are up and about and getting on with things.

The gold, deep purple and white pansies I bought as plugs in September were ready to be potted up and I managed half an hour to sort them out.  They are producing lovely flowers and the colour combination is uplifting.

Doc turned the compost and we topped it off with the spent courgette plants, thanking them for their hard work.  We griddled the last of the courgettes on Sunday which was a bit sad but we try to look forward to next year’s crop.  Doc treated several of the now vacant raised beds with some of his crumbly, mature compost which he sieves to a fine finish.  It is all the richer for the chicken manure we add to it.  The remaining bins are doing well and feel warm to the touch which is a good sign.

Doc started a major overhaul of the bonfire site at the bottom of the garden.  Over the last 8 years, the ash has raised it up to quite a mound so he dug it out, sieved the ash with soil and created a new heap to use on the flower beds.  We will soon have a level bonfire site again.

The garlic, shallots and onion sets are all up and about so we took the fleece off.  It really does keep out the mice and birds so the sets can root.  The leeks and parsnips are ready to start harvesting and we still have spinach and chard, purple sprouting broccoli and lettuces.  But the most surprising latecomers are the everlasting strawberries which are truly everlasting.  They are still providing us with enough fruit to chop and add to the porridge.  ‘Flamenco’ can be described as a Good Doer.

I dared to bend down and pick a few windfall apples and headed back to the kitchen to be creative with them.  I made a lovely apple pudding cake with them and it felt good to be doing something.  There is nothing as satisfying as the warmth of the Aga and the smell of baking.  It was good therapy.

This recipe is not mine, it is from Mary Berry.  She is the Queen of baking as far as I am concerned and this recipe is easy and reliable.

Wonderful Apple Cake (serves 6)

225 g (8 ozs) self-raising flour
1 level tsp baking powder
225 g (8 ozs) caster sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp almond extract
150 g butter (5 ozs) butter, melted
350 g (12 ozs) peeled, cored and thickly sliced
25 g (1 oz) flaked almonds

Method

Lightly grease a deep 20 cm (8 inch) cake tin.  Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, almond extract and melted butter into a mixing bowl and beat for 1 minute.
Spread half this mixture into the base of the tin and pile the apples on top, mostly towards the centre.  Using 2 dessert spoons, spoon the rest of the cake mixture over the apples.  This is awkward but you need to make sure the mixture covers as much of the apple as possible.  Sprinkle with the almonds.

Using the Aga:  Position the grid shelf on the floor of the Roasting Oven and the cold Plain Shelf on the second set of runners.  Bake the cake for 20 minutes until pale golden brown.  Transfer the cold Plain Shelf (which is now very hot!) to the middle of the simmering oven and place the cake on it.  Continue baking the cake for a further 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle, comes out clean.  Alternatively, if you have a Baking Oven in your Aga, bake the cake on the lowest set of runners for about 1 ¼ hours until a skewer comes out clean.  If the top browns too quickly, place the cold Plain Shelf above the cake.

Using conventional cooking: Bake in a pre-heated oven 160 C, 325 F or Gas mark 3 for 1 ½ hours or until a skewer comes out clean.

You can freeze this cake but you will want to eat it there and then, just as it comes out of the oven.  Make sure you have cream or custard ready and waiting.

Autumn is really here when I make this cake and we love it.  Thank you, Mary.
(Recipe taken from Mary Berry’s New Aga Cookbook, Headline Book Publishing)