WORK IN PROGRESS

The fine Autumn weather is holding, making up in some measure for the diabolically wet and windy August which we suffered here in the Welsh Marches. There is a chance now to put the garden to bed for the winter and we are making the most of it believe me.

Twelve years of neglect have cause what were once pretty shrubberies to evolve in to tangled, over grown weed traps, infested with the dreaded Cleavers and the invasive ground Elder. We are dealing with this problem in as sensitive a way as possible as, of course these bosky places are wonderful habitat for birds, bugs and small mammals.

It would be wonderful to be able to leave thee little wildernesses intact, unfortunately the overgrowth is causing many of the bushed to die back. Smaller flowering shrubs, beloved of bees and other insects are dying through lack of light, and so rampant Laurel, Rhododendron and Pitisphorum need to be thinned out and topped to allow light to penetrate the canopy.

We shall do this in stages to minimise the disruption and have taken care to ensure that the work is carried out at the correct time of year, in order to leave nesting birds in peace during the summer months, and create as little disturbance as possible to our resident hedgehog population in the late Autumn and winter.

Through out the village similar work is in progress and the air is filled with the fragrant scent of garden bonfires by day, and by night wood smoke from the log fires which almost everyone in the village seems to have.

With such a bumper crop of apples, puddings made with fruit are a daily treat, so here is a cheats recipe for a delicious Tarte Tatane.

I Pack of All Butter Puff Pastry

6 Sweet desert Apples...red look best.

2 oz butter

2oz granulated sugar

A few elderberries or a pinch of cinnamon.

Grease an oblong pie dish and set oven to 200C.

Peel and thinly slice the apples, then melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the apple slices.

Cook the apples until the have softened slightly then add the sugar and allow it co caramelise.

Remove the pan from the heat and tip the apples with the syrup in to the pie dish.

Cover with the ready rolled pastry and bake for 30 mins.

Remove from the oven and while the pie is still hot turn it out on to a flat plate so that is is served upside down

Serve with fresh cream, Home made vanilla custard of vanilla iced cream.

The same fruit mixture cane be topped with crumble mix to make a Toffee Apple Crumble…..children love it.