St Patrick's Day

The daffodils, 'St Patrick's Day', planted beneath the fruit trees, are still only in green leaf, not a flower to be seen.

Other, un-named varieties are putting on a better show.

This is the Corsican hellebore that rampages all about my garden. It provided a great many small plants for the seed swap last Saturday.

The local fields have been ploughed and the hedges trimmed. There are few signs yet of growth and colour

but in the woods the bluebell leaves are carpeting the ground with green

and wild violets are growing all over my apology for a lawn.

Crystalized flowers.

Dip the flower heads in white of egg that has been thinned with  rose water or similar, then lightly dredge with castor sugar and place on greaseproof paper to dry.

Once dry they will keep in an airtight container for months. Good for decorating cakes and trifles.
Handle with care and remember to use only edible flowers!

The rhubarb has outgrown its forcing pot and is ready to eat.

It is still too cold for me to enjoy being out in the garden for very long. My kitchen is the best place to be on a cold, spring day.

 Home made lemon curd.  

 6 oz butter, melt in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. Add

12 oz sugar, dissolve, then add

 6  lemons, juice and grated rind

 6 eggs, well beaten. Stir thoroughly until the mixture thickens. Pour into jars and cover when cold.

With lemon curd and crystalized violets the most delicious thing to make is Nigel Slater's 

Lemon Trifle

100 g sponge fingers

100 g lemon curd

3 tbsp limoncello liqueur

500 ml double cream

120 g castor sugar

100 ml lemon juice

Decorate with

250 ml cream, whipped or double

grated zest of an orange

crystalized violets. 

Break the sponge fingers in half and spread with curd. Place in dish and sprinkle with limoncello.

Pour 500 ml cream into saucepan with sugar and bring to the boil over a moderate heat. Simmer for three minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, then pour over the fingers. Cool, then refrigerate.

Whip cream until thick, smooth over trifle and decorate with orange zest and violets.