The Good Life - Christmas Pudding - Se lancait un défi!

 A hard end to November

The Winter weather has arrived in earnest this weekend, and in the allotment the early November muddy tracks that separated the raised beds were neatly filled with crisp snow this morning. Is there anything left in the beds to eat? Yes there is. The prolific giant woody stalks of the Jerusalem artichokes have finally wilted and their great crop lies perfectly preserved in the undisturbed soil. The spinach has also survived, and to our surprise so has the late crop of lettuce. The most prominent survivors in the allotment are the leeks, Brussels sprouts, and kale, which although battered by recent winds appear to be in reasonably healthy condition.

After only fifteen minutes my hands became bitterly cold and sore. Having quickly got back on the road, I recommenced my search for the final outstanding ingredients to use in my apple and dried fruit Christmas pudding. The shredded vegetarian suet was ultimately purchased in the last of four searches of nearby supermarkets. One would have thought this product would be a well stocked item at this time of year, but sadly the homemade traditional Christmas pudding may be a thing of the past!

My recipe is a little different. It was published in Sainsburys Magazine in November 2004 and it immediately caught my attention because of the rich variety of ingredients. In a similar manner to the first time I embarked on making this recipe, I have been examining my dry stores over the last few days and established a list of the  purchases required. My ceramic pudding bowls remain unbroken and unchiped, but there was no dried apple or shredded suet to be found in the cupboards. I also noticed my ground mixed spice had disappeared! I link some of these observations to Corinne of course, who recently informed me she had cleaned the cupboards, and in doing so questioned  the need for certain items (without querying me). Having recently converted her to chutney, I have decided it is time for another challenge: Christmas pudding. After a brief description of the ingredients there was some hope at hand, but this halted following my description of suet. The initial reaction brought a quizzical look, which quickly turned to one of horror, and incredulity, peppered with French resistance; a look which I am growing accustomed to. Se lancait un défi!

The chopped dried fruit

Amidst the overnight snowfall, it has been a good seasonal adventure gathering together all the ingredients in preparation for this pudding of puddings. The next decision centers around the question of the number to be made, and how much mixture should I make? Ultimately, I decided to add to the recipe and increase the quantities, in order to make a few mini puddings. My first attempt at cooking this pudding involved a different adventure which will not be repeated. I decided to cook them all over the course of a single night as I was working for most of the day. My alarm clock was set every two hours through the night, so that the pots could be refilled with water to the required level, because of the serious risk of the water evaporating entirely and the pot burning. Adopting my experience in offshore racing, and curious ability to deal with sleep deprivation, I struggled through the night with successive steamings of the puddings, finally going to work with the usual, and expected, side effects of unpredictability, crankiness and lack of concentration coming to the fore.

Orange and lemon zest

To make two 1.2 litre puddings you shall require the following: sultanas 250g; raisins 250g; roughly chopped dates 200g; roughly chopped dried figs 200g; roughly chopped dried apricots 150g; roughly chopped dried apple 150g; warmed brandy 200ml; mixture of almonds and hazelnuts 200g; zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon; breadcrumbs 200g; plain flour 75g; ground mixed spice 1 teaspoon; shredded suet 200g; light soft brown sugar 225g; treacle 95g; and 4 lightly beaten large eggs.

Warm the brandy and pour it over the sultanas, raisins, dates, figs, apricots and apple, leaving the ingredients to soak for about a day. Having an inbuilt mechanism for changing a plan at the last minute, I also added about 150g of irresistible prunneaux d'Agen into my mixture of dried fruit. Turning the different fruit over in the bowl a sweet scent begins to emerge from the bowl, but once the warmed brandy is poured over the fruit the room quickly fills with a rich sweet aroma. French brandy might be a little expensive for this recipe, however a Spanish brandy, aged in oak sherry casks, compliments the diverse complexity of flavours in the dried fruit.

 Light brown soft sugar, eggs and treacle

Toast the almonds and hazelnuts in an oven for about 6 minutes, and after allowing them to cool before chopping. Combine them with the orange and lemon zest, breadcrumbs, flour and mixed spice, and the dreaded shredded suet. In another bowl beat together the eggs, treacle and light brown soft sugar. Spoon the egg and sugar mixture into the brandy soaked dried fruit and mix well. Then add the breadcrumb, suet and nuts etc. and gently stir combining all the ingredients well. At this point I introduced Corinne to a mysterious Irish tradition whereby everybody who stirs the pudding mixture is allowed to make one secret wish. During the Celtic tiger era this tradition may have been artificially augmented and exaggerated by greedy individuals who made many wishes, and obviously the wish does not extend to the unrealistic and fantastic, such as ridiculous desires in relation to the Irish Banks, EU and IMF bail outs. She did not grasp the concept immediately. However after a little thought she began to stir, and gave the wooden spoon a decent work out for several minutes.

 
The dreaded shredded suet

I normally let the mixture stand for a while before spooning it into the pudding bowls. When filling the pudding bowls press down firmly before covering with baking parchment, or greaseproof paper. As the pudding expands while cooking it is advisable toput a 2 or 3 centimeter pleat across the center of the sheet and repeat the process with a sheet of aluminium foil. These two covers must be secured well with string around the rim. This is not as easy as it sounds, however it ensures the boiling or simmering water will not get into the pudding bowl.

toasted almonds and hazelnuts

The bowls must be placed in a pot of boiling water reaching two thirds the way up their sides. The steaming pot should be covered well and puddings left to cook for five or six hours. It is important to remember to check the water levels occasionally, and top up with boiling water when necessary, to prevent the pot burning due to evaporation. Once removed from the water allow the puddings to cool, and thereafter check whether or not they are sufficiently cooked. To test, you can insert a skewer into a pudding and if it is cooked the skewer should come out clean.

 The Mason ceramic pudding bowls covered and tied

Before storing the puddings secure a fresh piece of baking parchment and aluminium foil on top of each bowl. When you wish to serve the pudding, it should be steamed for at least two hours. Thereafter it can be turned out and served with whatever sauce, cream, butter or custard takes your fancy. Obviously the common ingredient to all of these embellishments is brandy, and I would also recommend flaming the pudding with warmed brandy. Of course, by the time you have tasted your apple and dried fruit Christmas pudding your secret wish should have come true!

 Six hours later

Fantastic Pumpkins from Le parc de la Tete D'Or, Lyon

The Good Life - Jack Frost has arrived

 Donabate beach on Sunday afternoon

From Wednesday we have had a number of hard ground frosts coating the raised beds until the sun has reached a sufficient height in the sky to bring about a thaw. The largely clear skies are perfect for a significant drop in temperatures overnight but equally provide stunning bright sunshine during the day. The advent of the colder harsh conditions spell the end for the gentle lola rosa and gem lettuce. On Sunday morning it was possible to see the tops of these lettuce plants wilting as a result of the hard bite of these first  frosts. In contrast the hardier winter leaves such as mustard and mache should survive the chill.

 The sorrel patch (not very exciting really)

Sunday morning was quite cold and for the first time this year I began to lose a little dexterity in my hands as a result. A warm and comforting fish pie was on the menu for the evening meal and I arrived at the allotment to harvest some sorrel to accompnay the pie. The dew from the previous evening had frozen where it had gatghered and collected on the back of some of the sorrel leaves and the crisp stems broke easily as I collected the rich green leaves. This spinach like leaf can be cooked in a similar manner to spinach but must only be cooked until just wilted, because it is easily overcooked. In a similar manner to spinach, cream can be added to the wilted leaves and warmed through prior to serving. Sorrel can have a very tangy and lively flavour and the cream can moderate this for those that just cannot cope.

There is an old wives tale that says you should not harvest the kale prior to the first frost.We have a number of plants therefore that have just come into the frame to add to our weekly harvest; both the purple and green kale plants are strong and healthy at this time of year.

The kale patch

Another evening trip to the hidden orchard across sodden wet fields and deep ditches, has provided us with a fresh supply of apples to be used in our green tomato and apple chutney. The tomatoes that are still green at this stage are unlikely to ripen so it is time to use them or lose them. For this chutney you will need a large preserving pan preferably stainless steel and about 10 or 12 sterilised jam jars. The ingredients are as follows: 1 kilo of green tomatoes washed and chopped; 1 kilo of chopped or grated cooking apples; 450g of chopped onion; one or two cloves of garlic crushed and chopped; 350g of demerara sugar and 350g of white sugar; 450g sultanas; 900ml of vinegar (I use cider vinegar but you can use white wine vinegar if you wish); three teaspoons of pickling spice made up with a mixture of cloves, mace, coriander seed, yellow mustard seed and few dried chillies.

This monster mix of chutney does reduce in volume as it cooks so the contents of the preserving pan should reduce as time goes on allowing for the additional ingredients. To start the process put the pickling spices into a muslin sack or stocking and heat the vinegar gently before adding the chopped onions. Cook the onions for  about 10 minutes before adding the chopped green tomatoes and apple. Keep on cooking over a moderate heat until the apple and tomato have softened. This could take about 40 minutes (or more) and the chutney should be stirred occasionally to prevent the ingredients from sticking. Once the apple and tomato has softened you can add the sultanas and stir them in followed by the sugar. Reduce the heat until the sugar has dissolved and then raise the temperature or heat over a high flame until the chutney has attained the consistency of a thick jam. Add a little salt and freshly ground pepper to season. The chutney can then be spooned into the sterilised jars and sealed down, labeled and placed in a cool dry spot for two months or more.

The recent good supply of apples has resulted in numerous giant apple crumbles and apple tarts spiced alternately with cinnamon and clove being constructed over the last two weeks. For one dish I managed to get 16 decently sized apples into a deep crumble. I know I am due to make a Dorset apple pie and  Eve's pudding before long, but in the meantime apple juice in the mornings has been balanced with apple sauce in the evenings; Corinne likes black pudding with apple sauce. In the last few days while reading papers and magazines my eye has been drawn towards any old recipe or article with apples in an attempt to use them. Last night Corinne suddenly produced a bag of fresh walnuts she brought back from Franche Comté; therefore an apple and walnut salad appears to be a reasonable prospect to accompany this evening's meal. If that was not enough, I am being fed slices of peeled apple as I type, but despite this largescale consumption of apples we will eventually have to preserve some of the remaining apples, and may be required to add to our considerable stores of chutney by embarking on a production of apple chutney in the next week or two.

The Good Life - Harvest on the 9th October

Pumpkin, patisson, leeks, scallions, onions and carrots together with parsley, rosemary, lola rosa and gem lettuce and some bolets from the forest

Many of the beds have now been cleared and weeded. Harry is slaving away during the week acquiring manure and preparing the beds for next year's season. In other areas he has dug, composted and raked to perfection the new beds where onions have been sewn.

This year's crop is coming to its natural end. The cabbages, Brussels sprouts, Jerusalem artichokes and leeks are hardy enough to survive into the winter. However, as the night time temperatures drop this week to within two or three degrees of freezing point, guaranteeing a ground frost, our lettuce may not survive too much longer. Of the remaining salad leaves planted we are hopeful the mustard, rocket and mache will continue to make a contribution to our salad bowl.

The Good Life - The Gathering

 

Detail of fall gold raspberries, autumn bliss and wild strawberries

Autumn is in full flight. Our raspberry canes are laden with large ripe berries; the stems bend a little too easily under their weight in the cool wind. Elsewhere the fiery red rose hips shine like rubies, all but a few just out of reach suspended above a deep wet ditch. The hedgerows have not produced too many damsons or wild plums this year in comparison to last year and some trees have nearly no fruit. The fragile ripe elderberries have all but disappeared, driven from their web like stems by the wind in the last few days. Among the briers near the allotment the blackberries have plumped up and are bursting with flavour. In the last week we have been coming home with fingers heavily stained from the blackberry and raspberry collection, and have been picking thorns from our hands and clothing for the next few days; occupational hazards of sorts!

Jam and jelly making has almost become a daily routine. We have made blackberry jelly, hedgerow jelly and raspberry jam in recent days. The blackberry jelly is very easy to make and I believe it is far superior to blackberry jam. For every 500grams of fruit in a preserving pan I add about 150mils of water (give or take), and cook the berries until much of the juice is released. To complete the process the berries are pressed with the invaluable assistance of a potato masher. The juice and pulp should then be strained through a jelly bag or fine nylon sieve overnight. 

The next day weigh the juice and measure out an equal weight of sugar. Bring the juice to a simmer and add the sugar. Continue to stir until the sugar is dissolved and then boil rapidly until setting point is reached, then spoon into sterile jars and seal down. Some recipes recommend the use of a pound of sugar to a pint of juice, however I believe the set produced using an equal weight of juice to sugar produces a softer set. It is important to note that you should not start making a jelly with less than a kilo of fruit. The average yield of jelly from a ripe fruit or blackberry is just a little less than three 450gram jars.

In the last days of September, and early October, we have been out exploring the birch forests searching for mushrooms which have arrived following the passing of the full moon. In past years we had to examine the forest floor quite carefully and search through the undergrowth and briers to find the bolets. Last year there was a very disappointing mushroom season, but this year we have been practically falling over them. This abundance of mushrooms has changed our collection habits, and we now leave more mature examples which we would have picked in the past concentrating on picking the younger and firmer specimens. These young mushrooms are very good when added to risottos and omelets. They can also be fried in butter, salt and pepper, and frozen in portions for future use to avoid the obvious health dangers associated with gorging on wild mushroom risotto on a daily basis.

A large brown birch bolet in its natural surroundings with my No.10 opinel for scale

Corinne's bolet collection

Our biggest pumpkin matured earlier than expected sprouting legs and left the allotment of his own free will last week. We wish him well on his journey and hope he makes it through the Halloween period without coming to harm. Obviously we have increase security and issued instructions to the other inmates informing them that there is no little or no prospects for them in the current economic environment outside the allotment.

One of our other pumpkins was employed in an experiment/recipe which turned out quite well, and may be improved with further continual experimentation, tasting and testing. I decided to make a batch of creme caramels with pumpkin. The bases of 8 ramekin dishes were coated with a caramel made with 200 grams of sugar and 8 tablespoons of water. The caramel takes a little time to make and then cool in the dishes. At the same time you start the caramel steam about half a kilo of pumpkin, (skinned chopped and deseeded), for about 20 minutes. Leave the chunks of cooked pumpkin to cool for a few minutes and thereafter puree them in a food processor. The puree can then be blended with the custard mixture which is composed with 850mls of milk, 8 eggs, 4 tablespoons of sugar and two teaspoons of vanilla extract. Ladle the custard mixture into the caramel coated dishes and place them into a bain marie before cooking for about 50 minutes in the middle of an oven at 160F. The resulting flavour colour and texture of the caramels are quite surprising and very pleasant. Admittedly the flavour is quite subtle and future batches may have a little more pumpkin puree added to obtain a strong flavour and richer orange colour.

As the air temperatures drop the tomatoes have stopped their ripening process yielding a few kilos of green tomatoes. This is a glut with a Celtic tiger dimension for us because we are compelled to live within our Irish shoe box for a little while longer. The tomatoes may ripen indoors in time, but to avoid any waste a nearby unused orchard has been plundered for apples to be used in the production of a green tomato chutney. The kitchen area and dining table are quite cluttered at the moment, which calls upon my, ever decreasing, powers of diplomacy. Negotiations are proving difficult and lengthy at the minute because the French have no traditional use or desire for chutney. Quel dommage!

Nature's organic geometry - our fennel has gone to seed!

The Good Life - Wood Hedgehog and Penny Bun Cep

Once again prior to departing the little village of Courviere, in Franche Comté, we decided to take a look at the cattle in the pasture and go for a walk in the woods. The walnut collection program was somewhat miserable, and after targeting a number of places we had collected them in previous years, the collection barely covered the bottom of the basket. Corinne described the experience in French as follows: "nous avous fait choux blanc". The vast majority of the walnuts are still contained within their fleshy skin. The occasional rain and drop in temperatures will cause this skin to break down over the next week or so, and la récolte des noix can begin in earnest.  For the moment we consoled ourselves with a trip to the woods.

Some locations were better guarded than others

The forest is at 850 meters above sea level and largely made up of sapins, or coniferous, with only a few deciduous trees to be found. Over the previous few days there had been light showers, and the forest air and floor was mild and damp. Walking among the neat rows of tall sapins we could see many different varieties of mushrooms; all of different shapes, colours and sizes. In some parts of the forest small mushrooms could be seen growing just about everywhere, in others brigthly coloured mushrooms stood out in an unnatural and eerie way on the forest floor

Amanita Muscaria is extremely toxic and often found growing in similar conditions to boletus edulis

At different levels in the forest, along the slopes, different conditions appear to pervade, and therefore certain types of mushrooms or fungi can be found depending on light, ground conditions, terrain and moisture. The verdant mossy floor of the forest produce some remarkable mushrooms, and the first clearly identifiable mushroom we happened upon was the wood hedgehog, hedgehog fungus or pied de mouton, known officially as Hydnum repandum. The growing pattern was typical of this type of mushroom, growing in small patches not distant from each other. They were quite young and consequently in very good condition. One notable characteristic of the wood hedgehog is that they are resistant to various larvae, and other infestations which plague other edible mushrooms.

The wood hedgehog or pied de mouton among the moss and pine needles on the forest floor

The wood hedgehog is reasonably rare in Ireland and England, but appears to be less rare in France due to its proliferation in markets. The season for this mushroom is from late september to late autumn, or until the first frosts. The cap is quite distinctive because of its irregular shape; it is not flat but as a somewhat undulating, folded appearance to its surface. It is normally found measuring 5 to 15 cms. However, it may be found incorporating one or more caps of its neighbouring mushrooms, because it can often be found growing in compact groups. The colouring of the cap varies over the entirety of the surface, with a mixed colouring of white and downy hue, to a yellow ochre. Underneath the cap can be found white or cream coloured spines where the white coloured spores are released from.

Along the perimeter of the forest we found a number of the much sought after boletus edulis. It is more popularly known as, depending on where you may find them, penny bun cep, cep du Bordeaux, bouchon de champagne, and porcini. This is probably one of the most identifiable mushrooms, however you have to be quite alert to spot them when young, because their bulbous foot is often buried in a thick layer of moss leaving only the small brown cap visible. These mushrooms can grow to be quite sizeable with the cap measuring up to 30 cms in diameter, and weighing in excess of a kilo. Unfortunately, the boletus family of mushrooms can be full of parasites, and are often found in a partially eaten state. Slugs devour them!

A young penny bun cep or boletus edulis growing in moss

We cooked our perfect little ceps à la creme upon our return home. This is a simple recipe, and one which I believe captures their rich characteristics of their flavour very well. We brushed clean our four penny bun ceps and sliced them thinly. Selecting two shallots, they were also sliced thinly, and fried in butter. Once the shallots had softened, the sliced ceps were added to the pan. The pan was covered for a few minutes to allow the ceps and shallots to soften and cook, and thereafter the pan was taken off the heat to add approximately 20 cl of full cream. Once replaced on the heat the contents of the pan were allowed to simmer for a further 5 to 10 minutes to reduce, and salt and a little freshly ground pepper were added to season.

Our wood hedgehog or pied de mouton ready to be cleaned on a board

For the wood hedgehog, we decided to preserve them in vinegar. The mushrooms must be fresh, of good quality, and preferably young, to make this process worthwhile. Any damage or undesirable parts should be pared away, and the pine needles and soil brushed away.  Many of our mushrooms were small enough not to be sliced, but of the larger ones were cut in half. The cooking process will cause the mushrooms to shrink to nearly half their original size, so if in doubt do not cut them.

To begin the preserving process, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Place the cleaned mushrooms in the boiling salted water and leave to cook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, bring some white wine vinegar to the boil. The vinegar should be diluted with water by one third to reduce its intensity, and there should be enough liquid boiled to cover the mushrooms in the preserving jars. The preserving jars and lids should be clean and sterile. The preserved mushrooms benefit from adding herbs and garlic. You can add a combination of yellow mustard seed, pepper corns, bay leaves, and basil if you choose. Due to a combination of lack of resources and a lack of time, we opted for the simple combination of a slice or two of a garlic clove and a bay leaf. Once the mushrooms have been boiled for five minutes, they should be strained and placed in their jars, and thereafter the boiling vinegar mixture can be poured over them, and the lids put in place. This process should preserve the mushrooms for six months.

The mushrooms preserved in their jars

It is imperative to always positively identify a wild mushroom before you eat it. If there is any doubt about the identification of a mushroom it should not be picked or placed in your basket, because the toxins may contaminate other mushrooms you may have picked. Get a good book or find a good guide.

Sailing from Palermo to Palma - 3

A computer generated chart with weather overlay for 0000 hours Sunday 12th September

As we came on deck to commence our watch at 0000 hours on Sunday 12th September the lume of the lighthouse set up on Isola Del Toro was still visible behind us. The sky had cleared as the Sardinian coastline, and illumination from that landmass had slowly vanished behind us. The moon had set early in the previous evening intensifying the darkness. Gazing into the dark firmament above, our star identification was somewhat lacking, given the multitude of stars to chose from; However, Venus shone brightly directly above our position, and the clearly visible milky way stretched forward towards the western horizon.

The lively chatter during the watches made the time pass very quickly and enjoyably. As Fenix was under mainsail, genoa, but principally powered by her engine, and steered by autopilot (the eight crew member always known as George), there was little to do apart from chat, do a token bit of sail trimming when required, and plan lunch and dinner for the day ahead.

The next watch from 8 a.m. to 12 midday was just as easy going because the wind continued to moderate. Once breakfast had been dispensed with, time was allocated for the raw recruits to partake in knot school. Before long all concerned were coping with the bowline, sheet bend (and variations thereof), clove hitch and reef knot. There was a clear blue sky above, but we were nicely shaded by the sails, and the line of the horizon was unbroken; nothing in the way of shipping was sighted. Approaching midday we saw a sea turtle paddling in the water. The turtle casually turned and looked at Fenix. It then wheeled itself around as if to give chase. There was an anxious moment, or two, as we thought it would get fouled in our fishing lines. Unfortunately it did so for a few seconds running out over 50 meters of line and thankfully got free. We continued to spot sea turtles along our route during the day and current reported sightings stand at five in an otherwise empty sea. One short of a dinner service!

While preparing lunch, I overheard Steve and Moritz discussing some distant cloud formation which had appeared on the horizon off the Starboard bow. Steve inquired what Moritz’s view was of this isolated strange cloud formation. It could only be one of two things; incoming weather, or land. On the basis that the cloud formation was too small for weather, Steve quickly concluded that it must be cloud associated with land. Minorca was the only potential candidate. Luckily enough, where there is land there is also a headland. Applying the headland rule, Steve suggested to Moritz he should select the wine for lunch to ward off all evil spirits, keep the gods happy, and ensure a safe arrival in Palma. The Sicilian chardonnay produced by Planeta was released from the fridge, and immediately deposited on the table.

Melanzane Pizza

Lunch was served in the main saloon and consisted of a platter of cold meats and salamis, cheese board and three pizzas. We had bought part cooked pizza bases in Palermo, and there was considerable debate what the formulation of the three pizzas would be. Normally I would not be a fan of a pre prepared dough or base but theses were very good. I adore anchovies, and there are few places better than Palermo to source them. However, I was not convinced everybody would share my opinion. The tomato sauce to be used was the left over of the tomato and vegetable sauce, which had matured overnight. To secure some consensus and allow a certain amount of token democracy enter the galley, I asked Moritz to nominate his skipper’s pizza of choice. I decided to keep everybody else happy with two renowned crowd pleasers. Moritz chose the unique prosciutto and pomodorini pizza. This pizza is cooked without mozzarella, and was finished with a mixture of grated pecorino sardi, parmesan, and garnished with three handfuls of rocket. The second was a melanzane with mozzarella, garnished with the same mixture of grated cheese and freshly chopped parsley. The third was a cinque fromaggi consisting of a mature goats cheese, mozzarella, and an Italian blue cheese (the name of which sadly escapes me now). Once removed from the oven this pizza was also garnished with the grated pecorino sardi, parmesan and freshly chopped parsley.

The "book club"

Following lunch the entire crew returned to their favoured pursuits for the day. The ladies opted for the book club reading and giggling at “A year in the merde” by Stephen Clarke and other good reads. Fishing was also actively pursued. Everybody employed their own favoured method or technique to land the catch of the day. Unfortunately, there was to be no giant fish landed, or any fish for that matter. Tuna fishing bans have been discussed for the last few years to be put in place in the Mediterranean because stocks were so low. Whether they were implemented properly, or observed, is unclear and a matter for ongoing debate. Such a ban could damage the economies of small communities, but the price to pay is clearly extinction of the blue fin tuna. Having spent Easter in Palermo this year, and admittedly it was a little early for the arrival of the tuna, the indications were that there would be very few tuna seen during the coming season. The days of the mattanza are long gone, and in this era of modernity large factory ships employ helicopters to spot the big schools of tuna. The consequences of this assault on the blue fin tuna mean the schools are taken in their entirety; nothing is allowed to escape. The swordfish or spada does not share the same value at the market place, but its destiny must also be in question.

A deadline of had been set for 1800 hours, before a fine cut of roast beef was placed in the oven. Between 1800 hours and 2000 hours the deck entertainment continued. It was our last evening at sea. The sun set was quite spectacular as we sailed westward. Slowly the sun descended to the unusually clear and crisp line of the horizon, leaving graduated layers of orange, red, pink and blue above it, and the growing crescent of the bright moon with Jupiter close by. To our great amazement, not long after sunset Steve had sighted the island of Mallorca. The gods of the headland had to be appeased, traditional obligations invoked, and once again Moritz was called upon to select a bottle of wine. A Beronia Crianza 2005, an excellent Rioja, appeared to accompany dinner.

Being Sunday, some attempt was made to produce a traditional English repast. With the ingredients selected from the markets in Palermo certain departures from the traditional menu were made. Served up with the roast beef were roast red and while onions, roast potatoes, griddled courgettes, and boiled fagiolini and borlotti beans lightly pan fried in butter with garlic and parsley. We only ran out of gas once!

A computer generated chart with weather overlay for 0130 hours Monday 13th September

The deities of the headlands had seen to favour our passage after our initial beating on Friday. Our final forecast prediction had 20 to 25 knot winds descending from the Gulf du Lyon, which threatened to upset the final hours of passage. The expected time of arrival of the wind coincided with our landfall at Punta Salinas. As the afternoon had worn on, high altitude cloud resembling horses’ tails had appeared and we believed it was only a matter of time before the wind would arrive. This was not to be the case. We continued unmolested on a calm sea to Punta Salinas, and the short distance to Cabo Blanco. The bright constellation of Orion slowly rose sideways over the dark cavernous eastern horizon behind us. Our progress was only momentarily impeded when we thought we saw emerging before us in the dark water a net and floats stretching out across our path, but Fenix was not to be snagged so close to her final destination.

The cathedral, a distinctive landmark on the skyline of Palma da Mallorca

We entered the Bay of Palma as the sun rose and docked a little after 7.30 a.m. Despite their size and weight the sails were quickly folded and bagged before we disappeared into the town of Palma for further exploration, and a gin and tonic. Corinne just about managed to control her patience as I brought her on a personal tour of my favourite patisseries and art deco buildings around the town.

The past few days were a fantastic experience and adventure, sailing with great friends. The trip commenced with a dinner with Alexej Paladino and the crew in Arenello, near Palermo, at Casa Tonnara Vincenzo Florio, where we ate a magnificent array of dishes including ricci, caponata, and spada tagliata. We ended the adventure with a meal in Cellar sa Premsa, in Palma da Mallorca, feasting on their local dishes of frito mariniera, sobrasada, calamarines frigit, caracoles and merluza, accompanied by their unlabeled and unpretentious house red wine. We are off now to gather walnuts in Franche Comte!

A detail from the Art Deco inspired dental Clinic building in Palma da Mallorca

Sailing from Palermo to Palma - 2

Departing the Bay of Palermo

The arrival of September is almost akin to a gate closing in the Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas; the weather becomes unpredictable and storms become more frequent, and increasingly violent. At this time of year, examination of the forecasts and route planning are key to a safe passage. We delayed our departure a little longer, to let some wind blow through. Mid Friday morning, I decided to set myself my first test of seamanship; making a batch of crème caramels in the galley. While it was easy to begin with, obviously fishing a bain marie from a hot oven in a lively sea has its interesting points.

Just after midday we motored out of the Bay of Palermo, and were not surprised when we passed Capo Gallo to find winds which were not favourable to our intended course. This was in fact expected, and forecasted, and we beat our way out to the island of Ustica accompanied by a pod of small eager dolphins. We tacked just to the south of Ustica just before 1800 hours.

Lighthouse marking the western point of the Bay of Palermo at Capo Gallo

Our new course would keep our track a good safe distance seaward of the north west of coast of Sicily, and was sufficiently far enough north for us to take early advantage of the expected lift in the wind. By sunset, thunder clouds had begun to develop and roll in towards the Sicilian coast. Heavy gusts of wind preceded the cloud systems, however we avoided much of the rain which was destined for the shore. The wind increased continually through the night, and coupled with the sea state, the conditions provided a challenging environment for preparing food and indeed eating it. Needless to say there were a few casualties, who found life difficult, but a small few did enjoy the lasagne which was hastily portioned out into bowls and passed around on deck.

Approaching Ustica on port tack

There was only a few percent of the moon visible and this thin crescent set early in evening. Without the normal illumination from the moon the night was very dark and sinister. The night was made even darker by the low dense cloud cover, but gradually the clouds began to light up. At the helm, as the wind passed your face, you could feel the rapid changes in temperature giving some indicqtion the air was highly charged. From midnight to 4 a.m. the sky was continually alight with flashes of lightning, as the thunder clouds all around Fenix released their charge, sometimes with extremely dramatic effects. A phenomenon which never ceases to amaze me, and this night was no exception, is that you go an entire day and not see a ship. However, in stark contrast at night you may sight many ships and vessels, as you monitor the horizon, and closely follow their respective courses.

The next 12 hours on Saturday 11th proved to be slightly windier than forecast, and we made good progress towards Sardinia, the eastern coast of which we finally sighted at about 1 p.m. Lunch was a minimalist affair in the circumstances, and wedges of monreale bread filled with salami, cheese and tomato were well received by those that wished to partake in that feast on deck. Some did not.

Fenix beating into the setting sun as the wind moderated

By 1600 hours spirits on board began to improve because the wind had moderated, and begun to move into the north as it was forecasted to do. We had intended to pass close enough to Sardinia to update our weather forecast, and our course closed in upon the Isola Dei Cavoli, and the Golfo Di Cagliari. The news was good and we continued our way along the southern Sardininan coast parting with it just after midnight.

All hands were on deck for dinner at 1900 hours, which commenced with a large platter of prosciutto, brescaola, capocollo, and various salamis, served with olive oil and bread. Technically, because we had passed a headland, and not wanting to offend the sea gods and the deity of the headland (a close and revered relation), we opened a bottle of wine to procure further good fortune and ward off evil spirits. A Sicilian chardonnay produced by Planeta was sourced from the chiller for this purpose.

A more leisurely approach towards the south western tip of Sardinia

The main course was an epicurean affair, preparations for which had commenced two hours earlier with the production of the tomato and vegetable sauce. Four onions and three cloves of garlic were cooked in olive oil salt and pepper. To this was added a thinly sliced red pepper, pomodorini, about seven salad chopped tomatoes, a thinly sliced bulb of fennel, a tin of tomatoes and half a tin of tomato concentrate. This melange was cooked for an hour, and then blended and left to stand. At the same time the onions were being chopped, two bulbous Sicilian aubergines were thickly sliced and sprinkled with salt. After an hour they were washed and patted dry, and placed into a hot oven with olive oil and seal salt. The accompanying sauce and side dishes prepared, attention was turned to the fresh ravioli filled with ricotta, speck and radiccio. Dinning was al fresco, and all the crew were served with a bowl of ravioli, topped with tomato and vegetable sauce, roasted aubergine, and grated pecorino and parsley to garnish. All bowls were returned to the galley both empty and spotlessly clean as we advanced towards Cabo Spartivento and Cabo Teulada, and a glorious sunset. Only 275 nautical miles remained to Cabo Blanco on the south eastern corner of Mallorca.

A computer generated chart with overlay for Saturday 12th September at midnight

Sailing from Palermo to Palma - 1

 A computer generated map with weather overlay for Friday 10th September 8 a.m.

Travelling from Trapani to Palermo is always interesting. Your path weaves through the rolling hills of north western Sicily, and through time, passing ancient Greek settlements of Erice and Segesta. From Winter through to the start of Summer the countryside is a rich verdant green with brightly coloured wild flowers in the pasture. In September the landscape is of a different hue. The heat of the Summer has parched the earth and scorched any life out of the grass. The arable crops have been harvested. The typical hilltop farmhouses blend into this earthy landscape. Many fields are bare from the harvest, and some have been ploughed revealing the rich dark earth. The only green foliage visible in some of the fields are vines, olive trees, and narrow cultivated channels of green randomly dotted with bright yellow melons, and bloated pumpkins, which ripen in the sun and devour every drop of rain and moisture that penetrate into the soil.

A selection of tomatoes from the market

Prickly pears

Having arrived in Palermo on Wednesday, we spent most of a rainy Thursday afternoon wandering around Palermo purchasing the food for the passage. There were no artichokes in the market this time. The stall that normally sold them in the Spring was selling romanesco and fresh green olives. With the change in the seasons came a change in the produce available; stalls were now largely selling courgettes, peppers, melons, tomatoes, pumpkins and beans. Seasonal fruit such as various varieties of plums, grapes and peaches were in abundance. The provisioning also included a visit to Giglo, our favourite producer of fresh pasta in Palermo. A stop there resulted in numerous purchases of ravioli; melanzane, radiccio and speck, and pesto basilico.

The bow of an old Palmeritan fishing boat going through a lengthy restoration project

The current plan is to leave 9 a.m. on Friday morning. This should be late enough to delay our progress and avoid a possible encounter with a forecasted mistral wind running down the west coast of Sardinia and into the Strait of Sicily. Our aim is to sail in a direction which should allow us close in upon the Sardinian coast, and gradually the wind is forecasted to shift to a more northerly direction making our passage a little easier. In closing the Sardinian coast we can also potentially pick up a detailed forecast for the remainder of the passage, but the forecasts we currently have to hand all suggest the wind should continue to moderate requiring us to possibly motor for the final approach to Palma. Fishing lines and rods are currently being prepared for action.

 Fenix in the port of Palermo

The Good Life - Mini Harvest 4th September

We are going away on vacation this week and consequently we have not taken too much from the plot today. The sun finally came out on Saturday evening allowing me to take a few photographs. The rain showers during the early part of the weekand on Saturday were much needed and the plot looks great in the evening sunshine. We had a few quite visits to the plot during the week taking a few items for the pot. On Saturday we dug up a few of the remaining potatoes, and also should have displayed one of our giant parsnips in the harvest shot, but it was not possible because the sun had almost set before Corinne had excavated it from the bed. The fresh growth of raspberries continues and we have a tart but tasty feast every time we arrive at the allotment.

Sensational sunset over Malahide estuary during the week

The recent rainfall has reinvigorated the unwanted weeds and we spent a number of hours digging these guys out of the beds. Weeding also provides a good opportunity to tidy up and clear some of the beds. The majority of the peas and runner beans have been cleared and these beds will be prepared and manured in the coming weeks. Elsewhere winter cabbage and purple sprouting broccoli have been newly planted and winter leeks will also require some space to be planted.  Among the more mature cabbage and Brussels sprouts radiant green caterpillars, ospring of the small cabbage white butterfly, have appeared. We spent a good half hour hunting for these caterpillars which can not only munch their way  through the entire foliage, but into the heart of the plant as well.

 A view through the allotment, the dwarf yellow beans, purple kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, corn, and Jerusalem artichokes.

During the week I also made my rose hip and apple jelly. I had gathered only half a kilo of rose hips and decided to use a recipe that maximised the flavour of the rose hips. Apple jelly on its own is not one of my favourite preserves. It can be a little lack lustre and the flavour is not strong enough in itself to provide interest, but combined with mint or thyme it produces a great flavoured and richly coloured jelly for cooking or serving with meat.e

My jar of rose hip and apple jelly

For my jelly I used a half kilo of rose hips and an equal measure of cooking apples freshly pilfered from a nearby orchard. Given the quantities used, the yield will be quite low. Normally to make process really worthwhile it would be advisable to use a minimum of 2 kilos of fruit. The rose hips take up to an hour to render down and so it is advisable to cook both fruits separately. To prepare the rose hips cut off the flower end and the stalk and put the hips in a stainless pot with 300 ml of water. Simmer gently to render down and add more water when necessary to prevent the pot drying and burning. The apples must be washed and quartered. There is no need to peel and core them. Thereafter they can be put in a pot with 300 ml of water and simmered until they are soft. Both fruits should be sieved or strained separately through a muslin bag and nylon sieve overnight to obtain the juice.

I was disappointed with the quantity of juice from the apples and gave the apple pulp a second boiling with 150 ml of water. This boosted the quantity of apple juice somewhat, but it is not a process that should be employed with the rose hips. To make the jelly I add the same weight of sugar to weight of jelly. Some techniques call for a pound of sugar to a pint of juice but this can produce over sweetened and stiff jellies. To begin the process, heat the sugar in the oven set to 100 C with the clean jars, which should be sterilised in advane of potting the jelly.

Heat the combined apple and rose hip juice in a preserving pan, and once the juice is warmed through add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Then boil the liquid rapidly. After about 7 or 8 minutes begin testing for setting point. Setting point can be identified by dropping a little of the boiling liquid onto a cold saucer. If the liquid cools forming a wrinkled skin, or offers a little resistance, when you draw your finger though it, you can be satisfied setting point has been reached. The boiling liquid should then be poured off into sterile jars and sealed down to be left overnight to cool. This is a soft set jelly and can take 24 hours to set. The end result tasted very good when I was testing for setting point. It was not too sweet and produced a deep golden honey hued colour. A real benefit from this jelly is the fact the rose hips are extremely rich in vitamin C and this should ward off any Winter colds.

Corinne working in the plot attaching the last of this year's peas to their canes

We shall be away for nearly two weeks and will be looking forward to tasting upon our return freshly ripened tomatoes, cabbages, the lolla rossa lettuce, and the last of the corn. A few of the artichokes have begun to produce their fleshy flowers again, and the Jerusalem artichoke crop will also be almost ready. Hopefully the weeds, butterflies, blight and butterflies will stay away!