shoestring cottage: October 2015

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Even The Weeds Look Good

I had to pick some buttercups - remember shining them under your friends' chins when you were little, to check whether or not they liked butter?

Even at my most garden-smug though I can't see the beauty in oxalis flowers

but the erigeron (which is now counted as a noxious pest) and the forget me nots looked passable. (Note to self, rip out erigerons next weekend before they take over the entire garden.)

In the cracks in the footpath things were looking beguiling, though no plan was involved. Wild violets and escaped succulents were all over the place.

At the risk of sounding boastful and therefore tempting fate, things are looking so good in the garden and so abundant, that all the vases are brimming with flowers at Shoestring Cottage and even the weeds looked attractive last weekend. (Some of them, not the onion weed or the oxalis flowers, that would be stretching things too far.)

All the garden creatures were going about their business with renewed purpose and urgency. The brick where the thrush likes to crack open snails was littered with snail shell fragments and when I went for a walk around the wetlands I was confused to hear a quiet rustling which wasn’t caused by my footfalls. Eventually I fathomed out (after a kindly explanation from number three daughter) that it was the skinks (lizards) basking in the sunshine among the dried leaves and dashing away when they heard approaching humans. It was hard to spot them because they were so fleet and stealthy but the occasional flash of dark skin as they took cover was a give away.

I have been poking around in the pot where the gloriosa lily has been growing for the last two years but there is no sign of its emergence and I hope it hasn’t turned up its toes (or tubers) and given up on life. Anxiously I enquired of My Dear Mama (who had forgotten where hers was planted, so was no help whatsoever) and The Duchess of Ringloes (whose gloriosa hasn’t chosen to emerge as yet, either) and I am hoping that it is just the late spring which is causing the delay. I am trying very hard not to poke about in the pot too much in case I destroy the shoot as it emerges but it is hard to hold back.

Leaving things to the birds has been my downfall in the hosta department because rather than having lush looking leaves shooting forth there is a rather lacy and holey effect after the attentions of the snails and slugs. Slug bait may have to be resorted to, though I try to use it as little as possible. Every year I seem to be just a bit too late with the slug bait because of soft hearted tendencies or a desire to believe that for some reason the slugs will hold off with their attacks.

The community garden is looking very lush and verdant too, the scarecrow looks prosperous and pleased with himself though rather raffish and devil-may-care

and kindly people brought along their citrus fruit to give to others, which is such a good idea because often when driving around I see trees laden with citrus which falls to the ground and goes to waste. Much more sensible and satisfying to let anybody use it who feels able to.

It’s easy to let a long weekend get away from you and so I finally got around to making up the piece of tapestry which has been stretching back into shape for quite a long time now. It came out very well and was worth the effort though you can't really see the colours here in the strong sunshine

These kind of boring tasks (like mending and repairing clothes) can drag on and on until they seem hardly worth doing so a stern talking to oneself is sometimes needed. Next I need to complete the tulip needlepoint, which has its backing fabric and braid trim all ready and waiting but no need to toil on less than exciting tasks for the whole weekend. I did get a lot of stitching done and so can’t complain too much. I took an old red jacket and started decorating it with bits and pieces from my chaotic sewing room and so far it is looking okay

but I always seem to start these things in the wrong season - this will probably be completed by February at the current rate of progress, no good at all in our climate.

Wishing you happy stitching or gardening or whatever it is which warms the cockles of your heart, and long may the pansies continue to bloom!

Monday, October 12, 2015

The Sap Is Rising and Spring Has Sprung

Word is that our spring has been a good two weeks later than usual this year but now that it has finally arrived it is proceeding with a hiss and a roar. All the plants and animals in the garden are going bonkers and can't be contained, we humans are just helpless bystanders as they proliferate and prosper. In the undergrowth there is a thicket of seedling natives coming up and needing to be mercilessly held in check if we aren't to see the garden become an overgrown wilderness

Even the camellias have thrown up seedlings all over the place and it will be interesting to see if they come true to type or if there might be some hybrids amongst them.

Even indoors in the overwintered geraniums there are seedlings coming up. You can hardly see it in this photo, but at the base of the geranium there are a couple of wildlings which have germinated and enjoyed the warm indoor conditions.

On of the goldfish looks as though it is about to have many goldfish babies (I don't know how many more will be able to populate the pond before saturation point is reached)

and the starlings are raising another brood in their favourite flat topped bird house. (They still resolutely refuse to have anything to do with the pointy topped bird houses and I fear those will just be ornamental from now on, maybe I will paint them or cover them in mosaics though that obviously won't tempt these discerning birds.)

Even the prunings from the garden have yielded flowers for indoors but there isn't really much reason to pick flowers because it's tempting to drift outside and admire things there instead, always planning how to improve things of course.

One thing which has been a disappointment though is the way the more showy clematis have refused to prosper and the common varieties have put on a better show, which is so often the case. It might have been better just to go with the "common or garden" instead of being swept away with admiration for the deep purple and cerise ones which are so beguiling in a garden centre always, but which seem to sulk and fail to thrive when put into a real patch of earth rather than being pampered in a nursery.

And of course there has been the perennial problem of what to do with the bulbs once they have flowered. It's so tempting to cut off all the scruffy looking foliage so you don't have to watch it die back and look scruffy, but you remember that the nutrients need to feed back into the bulb so there will be a good show next year ... what to do, what to do?

There has been plenty going on inside this week as well. The Lucy Boston obsession has taken me over, especially as I compare each week with my dear mama what new blocks she has completed. I have to admit to being very undisciplined and making multitudes of the inside part of the block, and not completing any. Must try harder and actually finish some blocks so I can make out that mine are more striking and attractive.

Mr Shoestring has been in disgrace because he carelessly threw Number One Son's favourite sweater into the washing machine and turned it into a tortured, felted article which would barely fit a teddy bear. I didn't like to exclaim with glee and say that it would come in very handy for the quilt with woolen swallows I am making so I kept quiet and commiserated, and even Number One Son was very accepting and not too cross with Mr Shoestring, so it was a good result all round really.

And best of all to be outside

but even when indoors lots to look at, plan and think about. Hope you are doing plenty of whatever warms the cockles of your heart.

Monday, October 5, 2015

Tarnished Frocks and Divas, a Visit to The Centre Of The Universe, and The Bridges of Matamata-Piako County

It must have been a little while since I last wrote, but I have a good excuse. I have been away to the biennial Tarnished Frocks and Divas event in Tauranga with the lovely Wynn and friends, which was a wonderful girls' weekend away and a chance to talk ourselves to a standstill. I am ashamed to admit that I made it no further than Paeroa before becoming distracted and making my way, as if in a trance, into Junk and Disorderly where I bought this article which is perfect in every way - it has flowers, it has a bird, it is twinkly and has a touch of gold and some pink. What could be better?

In the summer time it will be just the thing for serving cool refreshing beverages. (If summer time ever arrives of course, but we must travel in hope.) And it looks so happy with the old cannisters in the kitchen too.

The weekend after Tarnished Frocks and Divas Mr Shoestring and I went to visit The Duke and Duchess of Ringloes in Napier (The Centre Of The Universe) but along the way we had to call into every op shop we could locate. It would be rude not too after all, and a terrible wasted opportunity. I do believe that op shops out of big towns have a few more genuine "old school" treasures on offer and I was very happy to find silk stockings with seams. They are bound to be fragile after such a long time waiting to be worn but still will be just the thing for next year's art deco weekend even if they don't have a long life.

The 1950s hat has a good wool felt base and I'm hoping that once I remove the plaited overlay I will be able to do something more 1930s-ish with it. (What usually happens is that I lose my nerve though, or inspiration deserts me, so really must try harder this time.)

We had a wonderful visit with the Duke and Duchess and they had cleverly found a deco book a bach for us all to stay in, complete with art deco kitchen, bathroom and decor. We were as happy as kings and had a great time talking (over each other most of the time in our determination to speak before forgetting what we were wanting to say), eating out and relaxing,

When Madame La Poste was last visiting Shoestring Cottage last she cast her eye over my shadow box (which only has a few treasures in it, sad to relate) and pronounced that it would benefit from having some old cotton reels displayed within it. I wailed tragically, "But I don't have any!" so while we were in Napier I made a beeline for some in Decorum, and now the shadow box has the beginnings of a new collection.

Of course a road trip isn't complete unless one can add a priceless work of art or two to one's ever-expanding collection and I couldn't go past these magnificent landscapes

This one is an original but I was mortified when Mr Shoestring pointed out the last painting I bought featured a bridge as well and that I was on my way to a new collection.

Of course they had to be hung together, which necessitated some reshuffling of the paintings on the walls and Mr Shoestring (possibly losing interest in the project) proclaimed that the bridges of Matamata-Piako somehow doesn't have the same ring as The Bridges of Madison County, but I think that was a little mean spirited of him. (He didn't miss out entirely on our road trip, having made a beeline for this little knife to add to his collection of kitchen wares. And I bought him the most beautiful silk scarf too.)

I brought home a few more pretty old lace hankies as well, I want to put them all onto a muslin curtain one fine day and probably have enough now - just a question of time and putting in a bit of effort, sadly.

This weekend we finally managed to get back to Shoestring for the annual Cruise In. I don't know whether I have seen so many vintage cars with matching caravans before, these two little babies particularly tickled my fancy. I was fantasising about having my very own little teardrop caravan but as Mr Shoestring rightly pointed out, where would I take it? I want to be always at Shoestring so probably not a practical plan. Also Figgy may not be up to towing anything much larger than a rubbish bin. They were very lovely though.

In the garden I have been very taken with the acid colours of this geranium/pansy combo, so much in the spirit of spring.

but a lot of other things were looking a bit sad, having been buffeted by howling gales and torrential rain. At least there are signs of the season in the offing, lots of lilies are through the earth and the climbing rose is promising a great season.

As Mrs Peaceable and I enjoyed a coffee and put right most of the troubles of the world I knew good things were just around the corner for us.

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Welcome to shoestring cottage

Shoestring Cottage –
Where “frugal” is not a rude word

Use It Up, Wear It
Out, Make It Do Or Do Without!

Mr Shoestring and I spend our
working weeks in Auckland, but
our free time is spent at Shoestring Cottage. Because we are as poor as church mice things
have to be done on the sniff of an oily rag, but we try to make a virtue out of
necessity and since buying Shoestring Cottage in December 2010 we have made all
our improvements and renovations as cheaply as possible including installing a
discarded kitchen, using windows and doors given to us by relatives, and using
fixtures and fittings donated by friends or bought from second hand and charity
stores. Our furniture is cast
offs or second hand and we have learnt to relish the challenges this creates.

We are devotees of the art deco period, including the time after the great financial crash of 1929 when
Western world was plunged into the great depression and there was a “make do
and mend” approach to day to day living and things were recycled and repaired of
necessity. We attend Art Deco Weekend
every February in Napier and also the winter weekends in July.

This blog is about our
cottage and our doings there, including gardening, renovating, crafty crafts and trawling op
shops for treasures. Also there are some
recipes and some tales about our “real” lives during art deco events.

Favourite Recipes

Summer Fruits Pudding

1 1/4 cups flour

120 g salted butter, melted

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 tblspns sugar extra (raw, brown or coffee sugar is nice)

4 cups seasonal fruits, sliced (or four cans various colourful fruits including cherries, apricots, peaches for colour)

Blend the flour and sugar together. Add the melted butter and eggs. Put the mixture into a greased, loose bottomed 24cm round cake tin. (One of those clippy ones which can be undone after cooking.)

Drain the canned fruits or if using, slice the seasonal stone fruits. Arrange the fruit on top of the cake mixture, making a pretty pattern and putting small things such as cherries or berries on last. Press down slightly. Sprinkle with the extra sugar and bake at 180 degrees for one hour. Serve warm with whipped cream for winter time, cool in summer time.

Excellent Lentil Salad

One large tin puy lentils

1 red onion, chopped

1 cup cranberries (or raisins/sultanas/currants)

1/3 cup capers (or 1/2 cup if you love them as much as I do)

Vinaigrette dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 tbspn maple syrup

1tbsp mustard powder

2 tspn salt

2 tspn pepper

1 tspn ground cumin

1/2 tspn ground cumin

1/2 tspn turmeric

1/2 tspn coriander, ground

1/2 tspn cardamon, ground

1/4 tspn cayenner pepper

1/4 tspn cloves, ground

1/4 tspn grated nutmeg

1/4 tspn cinnamon

To Suit You as Extras:

Baby spinach leaves

Almonds or other nuts

Feta

Fresh coriander, basil or parsley

Bean sprouts

Drain your lentils, rinse and dry. Put them in your serving bowl and add the onion and all the other "large" ingredients. Make sure the onion is very finely chopped so it doesn't overpower the flavour of the other ingredients.

Mix up your vinaigrette, pour it over and stir to combine. Leave for a little while for the flavour to permeate. This salad tastes even better the next day and it is delicious with the addition of feta, coriander and other herbs.

Israeli Couscous Salad

(Israeli is the large ball type couscous, not the small couscous which looks like it has been milled or ground)

1 cup Israeli couscous

1 cup toasted seeds or nuts (sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds are good)

1 handful of chopped coriander, parsley, or a mix

sea salt, black pepper

2 cups vegetable stock

1.5 cups dried cranberries

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

Zest of one lemon and its juice

Optional Extras

Crumbled feta, baby greens, chopped cherry tomatoes, basil

Use a heavy bottomed large saucepan and heat 1 tlspn of olive oil. Add your couscous and stir until it is lightly browned. This takes a few minutes.) Stir in the vegetable stock, cover your pan with a close fitting lid, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Drain in a colander but don't rinse it. Leave it to cool and then stir in the rest of the oil and the rest of the ingredients.

Spinach, Pea and Blue Cheese Soup

1 tblspn butter

1 large white onion, chopped

6 cups chicken stock

packet baby spinach leaves

500g frozen peas

1 wedge blue cheese, crumbled up finely or chopped

salt, black pepper

sour cream and mint for garnish

Melt the butter, add the onion and saute until the onion is soft. Add the stock, spinach and peas, bring to the boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Use a stick blender to puree then return to the pan and reheat. Turn the heat off, then add the cheese. Check seasoning and add pepper if necessary, but it should be quite salty because of the blue cheese. Ladle servings into bowls, add a bit of sour cream to each and put a piece of mint on top of each bowl.

Kumara, Spinach and Coconut Soup

1 tblspn rice ban oil (or another oil with no flavour, not olive)

1 large red onion, chopped,

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 tblspn crushed root ginger

1.5 tspn chilli paste

2 medium orange kumara, peeled and chopped finely

4 cups vegetable stock

1 cup coconut crean

1 bag baby spinach leaves, stalks removed

salt and black pepper

coconut cream to garnish

Heat the oil, add the onions, ginger, chilli and saute for 5 mins. (Stir to prevent sticking and burning.) Add kumara and stock. Cover and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Use a stick mixer to puree, then return to the pan and reheat. Add the coconut milk and prepared spinach, but just simmer until the spinach has softened and the soup is warmed through. Add pepper and salt to taste at this stage. Pour into warmed soup bowls and add a little coconut milk to the top of each, swirl.

Summertime Fruit Cake

Whatever is in season is good - especially if you have a glut

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cups sugar

120g butter, melted

2 eggs

about 4 cups sliced fruit (I used nectarines peaches apricots and berries for colour)

2tblspns sugar

Mix the flour and sugar together, then add the melted butter and beaten eggs. Pour this mixture into a loose bottomed, greased 23cm cake tin.

Slice up the fruit into reasonably even sized slivers, leave the skin on and then arrange the fruit over the top of the cake mixture. Put berry fruits randomly over the surface last if you are using them. Press down the fruits a bit. Sprinkle with the last bit of sugar and bake at 180 degrees C for an hour, or until the base feels set and the fruits look pretty and glazed slightly. Serve with yoghurt or cream if desired, or just unaccompanied.

Red Onion Soup

200g good red wine (not El Plonko please)

2 bay leaves

2 whole cloves

4 sprigs thyme

1 tblspn butter

2 tblspns olive oil

8 red onions sliced thinly (use food processor if you can)

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 tspn salt (use smoked salt if you prefer)

1 tblspn tomato puree

2 tblspns good balsamic vinegar

1 litre beef or chicken stock

Pour the wine into a large pot with the bay leaves, cloves and thyme. Boil until it reduces by half, strain and reserve the liquid. Use the same pot, heat the butter and the oil and put in the onions and garlic. Add the salt, stir all up and lower the heat to the lowest setting. Cover the pot, leave to cook very gently for 30 minutes. Check from time to time and if it is sticking, stir and add a little water. (If the seal is good on the lid it shouldn't stick because of the liquid in the onions.)

When the onions are tender add tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, reduced wine and stock. Cook gently for another 30 minutes.

Serve your soup with toasted croutons topped with Parmesan cheese finished under the grill - delish!

The colour is very rich and autumnal, the flavour is deep and slightly sweet because of the addition of the balsamic vinegar.

French Onion Soup

1 tblspn butter

1 tblspn oil (mild flavoured)

4 brown onions, very finely sliced (I use a food processor to save tears)

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 clove crushed garlic - or more if you prefer

Good dash vermouth or dry white wine (optional)

1 litre beef stock

salt and pepper

8 rounds French stick

100g grated cheese (strongly flavoured)

Melt the butter and oil in a heavy pan. Add the onions, cover and cook very gently until they are soft. Stir from time to time. (This should take about 15 minutes.) Uncover the pan, raise the heat slightly and add the sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are a nice even brown (about 15 minutes longer). Stir in the garlic and wine (or if you are not using wine, a dash of the beef stock). Scrape the pan to loosen the caramelized juices. Pour in the rest of the stock, season with salt and lots of pepper. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

Dry the bread slices in the oven until they are slightly brown. Ladle the hot soup into a serving dish or four bowls. Float the bread on top and cover thickly with cheese. Slide under the grill until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Serve and use all the French phrases you can think of, pretending you are in a little cafe in Paris at 3am. Put on your striped T-shirt and your red beret. Become silly and wait to be told to quieten down.

Popeye's Pie

At the moment we have masses of spinach and silver beet in the garden to use up, and this is a good way of chomping our way through it. Lots of people dislike using filo pastry because they feel it is too "fiddly" and fragile, but in this recipe it is simple to use. If you have your own chickens, spring is a great time to make this recipe and use a few eggs.

8 - 12 spinach leaves (or more if you are determined!)

1 medium onion

250g feta cheese

125g strong cheddar cheese

pepper

5 eggs

6 sheets filo pastry

60g butter

Wash spinach well, pat dry, chop fairly finely. Finely chop onion, add to the spinach. Add crumbled feta, grated cheddar, pepper to taste.

Take a sheet of pastry and fold to fit the greased baking dish you're using. Bush with melted butter. Place another sheet of pastry on top, again brush with melted butter. Repeat with a third sheet of pastry.

Spread the spinach and cheese mixture on top of the pastry. Beat egg until frothy and pour it over the spinach. Cover with remaining sheets of pastry, brushing melted butter between each layer and on top of the final sheet. Cut into squares. Bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot, with a green or Greek salad to accompany.

Rendang (Indonesian dry beef curry)

A hearty winter time curry

Serves 6

1.5kg chuck steak (or blade steak)

2 onions, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

400ml coconut milk

2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

4 teaspoons dried chilli flakes

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 stem lemon grass, crushed

2 teaspoons brown sugar

Trim meat of fat, cut into 3cm cubes.

Place onion and garlic in food processor, process until smooth.

Place coconut milk in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook 15 minutes or until the milk is reduced to half and oil has separated out. Do not let the milk brown.

Add coriander, fennel, cumin and cloves. Stir for minute. Add meat, cook for 2 minutes or until it changes colour. Add onion mixture, chilli, lemon juice, lemon grass and sugar. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 2 hours or until liquid reduced and mixture has thickened. Stir often to prevent sticking.

Uncover and continue cooking until the oil from the coconut milk begins to emerge again. Let the curry develop flavour and colour. Make sure it does not stick. When it is brown and dry it is ready.

Slice some extra onions and fry until crispy, along with some almonds. Sprinkle these on top to serve.

Broccoli Stir Fry

Humble ingredients but a delicious result.

Serves 3 - 4

1 medium brown onion, peeled and cut into thin strips

1 1/2 cups mung bean sprouts

2 tblspns peanut oil

1/2 tspn salt

1/3 cup hot water

1 desertspoon soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tspn cornflour

1tblspn cold water

Wash broccoli and cut stalks into slanting slices. Divide the head into florets. Get all ingredients ready and to hand before starting cooking. Mix cornflour with cold water.

Heat a wok, add the oil and then toss in onion and stirfry for a minute. Add broccoli and salt, continue to stir fry for about three minutes. Add 1/4 cup of hot water with soy sauce and sugar, cover and steam veges for a couple of minutes. Stir and add 2 more tablespoons of water if it looks a bit dry. Cover and steam a minute longer until broccoli is crisp but tender.

Throw in the sprouts, stir, reduce heat and make a hollow in the middle of the veges. Toss in the cornflour mixture, stir it in the base of the hollow then mix it through the vegetables. Serve straight away.

Pork With Broccoli And Almonds

Serves 4

250g thinly sliced pork schnitzel

1tblspn soy sauce

3 medium onions, peeled

300g broccoli

2tblspn soy sauce

1tblspn dry sherry

1tblspn brown sugar

peanut oil for frying

1tspn cornflour

salt

Cut pork into thin strips and mix with 1tblspn soy sauce.

Cut onions into crescent slices.

Wash and cut broccoli heads into florets, stalks into match sticks. Drop broccoli into pot of boiling water and cook 2 minutes, drain, cool in cold water, drain again.

Mix 2 tblspns soy sauce with sherry, cornflour and sugar.

Heat wok, add oil, stir fry onions until light golden brown Do not let them darken and become crunchy. Remove onions.

Fry pork in batches, cooking until just done. Remove from wok. Return onions to the wok, add broccoli and pinch of salt. Stir fry until broccoli is to your taste, stir in pork, add sherry/cornflour/sugar mixture. Cook a few minutes longer, stirring. Serve with hot boiled rice.

Fran's Fabulous Apple Cake

Fran has been a dear friend for more years than I can remember - but it must be 30 at least. This apple cake recipe she shared with me decades ago has always been a trusty standby and has never failed me yet. Thanks so much Fran!

2 cooking apples

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tspn baking soda

1/2 tspn salt

1 tspn cinnamon

1/2 tspn nutmeg

1/2 tspn allspice

125g butter

1 egg

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts

icing sugar

Peel, core and dice the apples. Measure to get 1 1/2 cups. Turn into a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar.

Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

Melt the butter and beat the egg.

Chop the walnuts.

Blend the melted butter and beaten egg into the apple and sugar.

Add the dry ingredients, stirring until just mixed. Add the raisins and walnuts. Stir until just mixed.

Turn into a well buttered tin. (A ring tin is good.)

Bake at 180 degrees C for 50 - 60 minutes.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before taking from the tin.

Cool completely.

Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

If preferred this cake can be served warm as a pudding with yoghurt or cream.

Artichoke Dip

This dip is probably the most fattening and calorie laden food known to humankind - but delicious nevertheless. Thanks very much to Marie for sharing it with our craft group last December.

1 tin artichoke hearts
1 cup green olives
4 cloves garlic
3/4 cup mayonnaise (use best quality)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Chop artichokes and garlic then mix all ingredients together

Bake at 180 degrees C for 25 minutes

Serve hot with ciabatta or French baguette

Fresh Berry Icecream
This icecream can be whizzed up in moments and is deliciously cooling in summer time.

1 cup frozen berries
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup of cream
(Vary quantities according to taste)

Blend the berries in the food processor until the consistency of coarse sugar. While blending pour in cream and add caster sugar. This will only take seconds.

Serve with a little grated chocolate on top if desired, or with a few fresh berries on the side. Yoghurt can be substituted as a healthier option to cream if desired.

Dead Easy Carrot Salad
In case you thought we live on icecream and artichoke dip at Shoestring Cottage, here is a very delicious, simple and useful carrot salad.

Coarsely grate a few carrots and put in a pretty serving dish. Take a handful of black mustard seeds and put them in a small pot with a lid, heat with the lid on while rotating the pot on the heat to prevent burning. When the seeds have finished "popping" pour them into the grated carrot and stir through. Put some freshly grated black pepper, salt and plenty of balsamic vinegar on the salad and stir that through also. Looks pretty with sprinkles of freshly chopped parsley on top as a garnish too.

Kumara Salad

For those of you who don't live in New Zealand, kumara is a type of sweet potato much enjoyed here. I think most families have their own favourite recipes which are always requested at family get togethers and this is one of ours. Our number two daughter has asked me to put it on the blog for easy reference.

1kg kumara, peeled

1 orange, segmented

2 rashers bacon, diced and cooked until crisp

1 red pepper, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

2 stalks celery, finely diced

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade

1tsp curry powder (or more to taste)

Cook kumara until tender; boil, steam or microwave Drain i thoroughly. Dice the cooked kumara, and combine with all other ingredients apart from the parsley, mayonnaise and curry. Mix these 3 ingredients together and pour them over the salad. Lightly mix all to incorporate.

Serves 8 - 10

If you like, sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.

Sinfully Rich Chocolate Mousse
200g plain good quality dark chocolate

4 large egg yolks

4 tblspn strong black coffee

2 tblspn dark rum, cointreau, orange essence or what you prefer to flavour your mousse

4 large egg whites

pinch salt

3 tblspn castor sugar

250ml cream

small amount extra chocolate to decorate

Break the chocolate up into squares and put into a large bowl over a pot of simmering water.

In another bowl whisk the egg yolks, coffee and rum together. Once the chocolate has melted stir it until it is smooth, and quickly whisk in the beaten egg yolk mixture until thick and blended together.

In a clean bowl whisk whites and salt until stiff. Whisk in sugar. Stir a few tablespoons of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture, then carefully fold in the remainder. Use a large metal spoon; don't beat or stir or air will be lost.

Whip the cream until thick and fold it in.

Turn the mousse into 8 individual serving dishes. (Pretty unmatched old crystal glasses are pretty but then there may be a disagreement as to who has the largest serving.)

Chill for several hours before serving.

When serving, sprinkle a little shaved chocolate over each one.

Cheese, Mushroom and Ham Turnovers

250ml milk

1tbsp each butter and flour, mixed to a paste - and a little extra flour for dusting

140g mushrooms, cut into quarters

1tbspn olive oil

140g ham, sliced small

85g cheese (leftovers, use what you have), cut into small pieces

1tbspn mixed chopped herbs - sage, parsley, chives, tarragon

500g puff pastry

1 beaten egg

1. Make a white sauce as the base for the turnover filling. Bring the milk to simmering point, add the butter and flour paste. Whisk the past into the milk and allow it to boil for 4 minutes, whisking all the time to stop "catching". Now you will have a thick white sauce. Cool it while you fry the mushrooms in the oil until golden, then leave them to cool down.

2. Put the ham, cheese and mushrooms into a bowl. Gradually add the white sauce until everything is well coated. Add the herbs.

3. Roll the pastry onto a floured surface until it is nice and thin. Cut out four rounds, using a saucer to shape the pastry. Brush the edges of each circle with the beaten egg. Spoon the mixture onto one side of each circle, then fold over and seal the edges. (If you like, you can now freeze the turnovers for a month if you need to.) Brush the turnover with the egg, chill for 30 minutes.

4. Heat your oven to 180C. Put the turnovers on your baking tray and cook for 35 minutes or until puffed and golden. Leave them to cool a little, but eat warm.

Onion and Cheese Tart

Pastry

250g plain flour - and a little bit more for rolling

125g butter cut into cubes

1/2 tspn salt

Filling

2 onions, sliced thinly into circles

1 tblspn oil

2 eggs

280ml cream

250g cheese leftovers - especially strong cheeses such as cheddar and blues

1. Put butter, salt and flour into food processor - pulse till the mixture is fine crumbs. Put in 4 tbspn cold water, pulse until you have a dough. Turn out onto a floured bench, shape into ball. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Heat oven to 200C while pastry is chilling.

2. Roll the pastry out on a floured surface till large enough to line a 23cm loose bottomed flan tin. Line it with the pastry, leaving excess pastry overhanging. Line with baking paper and bake blind. Bake for 15 minutes on a baking sheet, take out the paper and the weight you use to bake blind. Bake for 10 minutes longer until the pastry is golden.

3. While the pastry is cooking, fry the onions in the oil for 10 minutes until golden brown. Beat the eggs and the cream together, add salt and pepper to taste. Crumble up the hard eheeses and chop the creamy cheeses into small bits. Put the cheese in the pastry case, then add onions. Pour in the egg mixture. Turn the oven down to 160C and bake 40 minutes or until the tart is set and lightly golden.

Pea and Haloumi Fritters

250g frozen peas

125g ml milk

2 free range eggs

30g cornflour

100g plain flour

1/2 tspn baking powder

2500g haloumi cheese, chopped into cubes

1tbspn mint - and extra to serve

Oil for frying

1. Boil the peas for 2 minutes and drain. Puree them in a food processor or use a stick mixer, until smooth.

2. Whisk the milk, eggs, flours, baking powder and pureed peas in a bowl. Fold in the remaining peas, mint, haloumi cheese, salt and pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add tablespoons of the mixture to the pan in batches. Press each fritter to flatten a little. Fry for 3 minutes or until browned on each side. Drain on paper towels and serve with mint, some lemon wedges and roasted tomatoes.

Post Overindulgence Soup

1 litre container Campbell's vegetable stock

2 carrots

4 spring onions

6 mushrooms

1C frozen peas and corn

2cm fresh ginger

1 sachet of miso concentrate

2 tblspns soy sauce

rice wine vinegar

chilli paste to taste

handful fresh coriander

Tip the vegetable stock into a large pot and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, chop the carrots into matchsticks. Toss in the carrots, peas and corn and simmer a couple of minutes. Add the mushrooms and spring onion. Coarsely grate the ginger and add that, along with the sachet of miso concentrate, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Put in some chilli to taste if you like your soup hot and spicy. Boil for 5 minutes, serve up in a pretty bowl and float the chopped coriander leaves on the top.

Miso can be found in the "International" section of supermarkets and is inexpensive.

Pan Bagna

1 French stick

1/2 cup olive oil for vinaigrette

2tbspn wine vinegar

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 large tomatoes

1/2 red onion

1 red pepper

20 black olives, stoned

5 anchovies

Slice the French stick in half lengthwise, but do not cut right through. It will be "hinged". Shake the oil, vinegar and garlic together and drizzle over the inside of the bread. slice the tomatoes, olives and red pepper and finely chop the olives and anchovies. Spread all these over one half of the bread. Close the bread, wrap in clingfilm and weigh down with a heavy pot or similar heavy object for a couple of hours.

Delicious Feijoa Sorbet
2C feijoa flesh

2tbspn lemon juice

3/4 C sugar

2 egg whites

1C cream

Mash up the sugar with the feijoas and lemon juice. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff. Whip the cream until it is thick. Fold the beaten whites into the mashed up feijoa and fold in cream.

Freeze until it is firm.

Half an hour before serving time, take it out of the freezer so that it can soften. Cut it into wedge shapes.

Serves 4

Blackberry Liqueur
3C 80 proof vodka

3C white sugar

3C ripe blackberries

1C water

Shake the water, vodka and sugar together to dissolve the sugar.

Carefully mix together with the blackberries so that the blackberries aren't damaged.

Leave to infuse for 12 days, or until the berries lose most of their colour.

Pour the mixture through a fine strainer (a sieve lined with muslin is good), and throw the berries away.

Pour into pretty bottles, label and add gift tags.

Quince Vodka
Wash 1kg of quinces to remove any fluff on the skin, then grate the skin and flesh. Throw away any pips you find. Alternating layers of grated quince with 150g golden caster sugar, fill a large jar. If you like you can add a cinnamon stick or split vanilla pod then top up with about 1.5 litres of vodka. Shake the jar every day for a week to dissolve the sugar. After that, shake once a week for about eight weeks. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or a coarse sieve lined with muslin, funnel into bottles and seal and label them.