'Er-Down-Under

I'm gathering and processing crops and feeling a bit like 'Er-Down-Under, the character in Laurie Lee's book, "Cider with Rosie." For breakfast I'm eating raspberries. The canes are old, so it is not a very prolific crop.

The same cannot be said for my ruby chard. Any ideas what to do with it all?

I've made some grape juice, but it's rather sharp and cannot compare to our tasty apple.

The squash skins are being hardened off ready for winter storage.

And, hush, don't tell the squirrels, but the walnuts are ripening!

(With the dog on daylight hours squirrel patrol.)

The cold nights are bringing the courgettes to a close. In last Sunday's newspaper a feature writer on gardening was bemoaning what to do with a courgette that had become a marrow. She put it outside her gate with a 'take me' sign on it and was surprised when it had gone within the hour. She's getting paid to write! Hand the job over to me and I'll tell her what to do with a marrow!

 

The following recipe came from a Canadian friend. It states, 'one medium sized zucchini'. What measurement is that, exactly? I just cram in the veg - all the courgettes/zucchini in the photograph went into my cake.

Debbie's Zucchini Nut Loaf

8 oz self raising flour mixed with

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

half a teaspoon each of salt, baking powder, baking soda and ground nutmeg

6 oz sugar

1 unpeeled medium sized zucchini

1 egg

1 fluid oz sunflower oil

1 lemon, zest and juice

2 oz chopped walnuts

Beat together sugar, zucchini and egg, add oil and lemon.

Stir in flour and spices.

Fold in nuts.

bake in a loaf tin  for approx, 50 minutes gas mark 4.

Keep it for a day or so before eating to let the flavours develop.

                                                        'Er-Down-Under and 'Er-Up-Atop

Illustrations copyright Rosemary Murphy.