margeland.co.uk

Garden Gallery

Marge — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:05:27 +0000

Does what it says on the tin, I give you the latest garden gallery:

rain rain go away

Marge — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:08:15 +0000

As the saying goes ‘rain, rain go away, come back another day’. Why am I writing this, because I had planned on posting some garden pics last week but the weather has been so bad of late I have just not had the opportunity to go into the garden and take any snaps.

Whilst the rain is a good thing for the rhubarb (yes, I have managed to pick some large rhubarb stalks and make then into jam!) it is a pain for garden photography. After all no one wants to see pics with rain drops on the lens and gloomy grey skies.

So I took the decision to hold off on posting anything. However I do realise that there is only so long you can watch a video of Julio singing away *ahem* hence this little explanation post.

Anyhoo, come hell or high water I shall be posting some new content on the blog this – oh yes!

In the meantime Julio

Marge — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:57:48 +0000

Pesach is finally over and things are getting back to normal at Casa Marge. I do have some garden pics to post and some recipe too, but in the meantime here’s Julio!

Passover Rhapsody

Marge — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:22:45 +0000

I think the late Freddie Mercury would have approved

Wishing everyone a very Happy, Kosher Pesach from Marge Land

Apple Plum and Rhubarb Jam

Marge — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:06:57 +0000

I have been doing the Pesach cooking today and, yes I have come up with some new recipes. Now I did do one with celeriac, however it is similar to other kugel recipes so instead … here is a simply delicious apple, plum and rhubarb jam recipe for you to try.

Ingredients:

1kg apples
950g plums
50g rhubarb (about 1 large stalk, not the leaves as they are poisonous!)
25ml water
2kg granulated sugar
juice of half a lemon and some of the peel
a wooden spoon – not really an ingredient but Mother of Marge insists you use a wooden spoon not plastic or metal, so I have mentioned it here

A note about safety: remember hot jam can be very dangerous and can scald skin badly. Do not leave the jam in the middle to go answer the phone or the door, and do keep little kids and pets out of the way.

Method:

Prepare the fruit by washing it and chopping into small chunks. I kept the skin on to increase the amount of pectin in the jam. Pectin is important to make sure the jam will set.
In a big cooking pot (do not think a small diddy saucepan will do!) place the fruit in the pot along with the water. I didn’t measure it exactly I just add two cookspoons worth of water. Now this might not look much but as the fruit heats up it will give out a lot of liquid.
Heat the fruit and then allow it to simmer slowly to allow the pectin to be drawn out of the fruit. Also if you don’t simmer the fruit slowly you end with crunchy fruit bits in the jam which is not nice.
Once the fruit is nice and soft (you should see a lot of extra liquid) add all the sugar and stir it in well. Make sure all the sugar is dissolved by ‘tamping’ the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon.
Now hold your nerve and bring the mixture to the boil, and boil rapidly for 10 minutes (not necessarily on the highest heat setting, but still boiling rapidly). It is tempting to stir the mixture before this time but resist. Clearly though if you think the jam is in danger of catching on the bottom of the pan then do, carefully give it a stir.
Test the jam by spooning a little onto a saucer and seeing if it has set, ie if it drags when the saucer is tipped to the side. You might need to let the jam boil for a bit longer.
Once the jam is ready, spoon it into warmed, sterilised jam jars (do this by scrupulously washing the jars, and then whilst still wet microwaving the jars for a couple of minutes in the microwave - be careful the glass jars get hot).
Seal with a little clingfilm touching the surface of the jam, avoid any air bubbles. Now put on the jam jar lid. Allow the jam to cool … and then try not to scoff it all in one go!
Btw, I’m not sure why the pictures are in the wrong order, but that’s computers for you!

Pesach recipe alert

Marge — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:58:45 +0000

Yes, people it’s that time of year again! And here at Casa Marge there is going to be a brand new Pesach recipe going on the blog this week, defo. Why? because the beetroots in the shops were no good, so this has brought out the inventive side in me and I am going to be using celeriac to possibly make Pesach cakeles, kugels and savoury buns. I have a feeling things are going to go all Waldorf (seeing as celeriac is akin to celery).

Watch this space!

Yay gardening begins again

Marge — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:50:07 +0000

My cold has virtually gone and the sun has been out and the weather is mild … and I got to do some gardening today! I am delighted to have been able to get out in the fresh air and just potter about.

Now as Pesach is approaching I am going to hold off posting the cake recipe I was working on until mid April (it is worth the wait). Over the weekend I will post some of the garden pics I took today (oh the rhubarb!)

In the meantime have a Good Shabbos

Really not fair!

Marge — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:01:10 +0000

Just when I thought my cold had gone it goes and come back again in the form of a nasty sore throat. I sound like a cross between Bonnie Tyler and Rod Stewart… and not in a good way!

I must go back to bed now, but I will do my best to post a nice cake recipe when I am up and about again.

Yours Bleurgily ….

The Good, The Bad & the Ugly

Marge — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:49:38 +0000

The Purim story as a Western, in memory of Udi Fogel

code in by doze

Marge — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:59:01 +0000

Yeb I am poorly agaid wid a code in by doze …

In other words I know had said recently there would be more content, however I have been struck down by the dreaded lurgy and have a cold and sore throat.

Hopefully when this cold has cleared up I will have some new recipes and such like for you. Not in the mood for cooking at the moment.