FANTASTIC FORAGE AND FREEBY DAY IN MONTBRUN DES CORBIERES

It was a busy day in the Hay household yesterday.Lots of cooking, preparing, and foraging.

The day started with our first melon being ready...whoo hoo...

 

 

we are having much more success than last year. Last year our  first plants were not growing so well and I caused much hilarity at the"jardiniere" by saying I was having a problem with my melons. Seems we were watering them too much. We then discovered that we should not have planted them in the plot next to the butternut squash...something to do with the same insects that fertilize....as a result they all tasted a little unusual. However it made fantastic melon sorbet....a unique flavour!!!!

 

We picked also several kilos of tomatoes which I have made tomato and basil sauce to freeze..using our own garlic and basil....great for pastas and lasagnesWhilst these were cooking I prepared a three course lunch for our Dutch neighbours who are in the village on holiday. We look after their garden when they are not here in the winter.They also let us have their crop of olives and apples as they are never here when they are ready...so its nice to return a favour.

 



 

 

We decided to walk off our long lunch with a trek through the vineyards......it was lucky I  always take a plastic bag on these outings(you never know what you might find)) as there were lots of blackberries ready...

 

So.....we made some blackberry cordial.

 

RECIPE FOR BLACKBERRY CORDIAL

 

Put blackberries in a pan and just cover with water.

Cook till soft....about 20- 30 mins.

Strain the juice into a bowl and add 400g of sugar per litre of liquid.

Stir well to dissolve and then when cool decant into a bottle.

SIMPLE

 

Don't forget to keep the blackberries from this.... I added some apple and made a crumble for the freezer.

 

My french neighbour was off on her jollies to Spain and was happy to take some of our cherry tomatoes for their aperos...in return she gave me a cutting of a Laurier Rose. I do love this system of exchange of goods!!

 

 

IT'S LAVENDER TIME IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

 

 

As we do not have a garden to grow these fantastic plants we rely on doing exchanges with our English neighbours Delia and Andy. We supply tomatoes,courgettes and peppers from our garden and in return we have large bunches of lavender. (As well as dozens of jam jars and several other favours!!!!)

 

I love cleaning the house with lavender water, use lavender oil in the bath and make lavender bags to hanging around the house.

 

Last year I made over 40 of these bags (by hand) as gifts for the ladies at my step-daughters wedding.

 

 

This year I want to try making my own oil. I  found a good recipe for lavender biscuits which I think would be really nice with our home grown rasps and strawbs.

some of the lavender hearts from last year...the one of the right was made by my friends daughter Becky. She was inspired when she came to visit  and decided to have a go herself. I have to say she did a lot more sewing on herws that I did on mine. Well done Becky x

So the end of a busy day........I am headed for a long bath...followed by watching 2 episodes of Game of Thones which had been waiting patiently for me!!!!