Latest News

  • Let’s Celebrate Mid Summer

    Sitting here, I’m feeling just a little bit guilty. It’s been such a nice summer and I’ve made the most of it by sitting out, sometimes with a cold drink,  to enjoy the late afternoon sun. On very hot days, I sometimes sit beneath the oak, in a little dappled shade, but tonight I have […]

  • Super Simple Summer Quiche

        Hi there, Happy Hump Day (that’s midweek for those of you who don’t know!) it’s downhill to the weekend from here!  It’s defo time I shared a recipe here.  So here’s my favourite go-to simple summer quiche This version ( I have many ;)) uses our delicious British asparagus to kick-start the Summer.  I […]

  • Gardening for Beginners

      Gardening for Beginners: How to get your garden in tip-top shape for the UK garden season   The time of the year has come when life blooms and buds blow in the oncoming Spring breezes. The earth takes a breath and exhales with a puff of fluorescent flowering.    And with that tide of […]

  • Portugese Custard Tarts, why not?

    This week I made Portuguese Custard tarts. They’re not something I bake frequently. I’ve no idea why, as they were absolutely delicious, just as always. I guess they are a bit more of a fiddle than many of my favourite recipes, but they really are worth the bother. I used shop bought pastry, but if […]

  • Home-made Presents from the Kitchen!

      At Christmas, more that at any other time of the year, it’s useful to get hints and tips on how to make things easier in and around the kitchen. Of course, these ideas can be applied to any time of year, but with extra guests and visitors turning up out of the blue at […]

  • A Healthy Winter Warmer

      After weeks of what can only be described as incessant and torrential rainfall, we had a drier colder week.  At last!  Okay, it didn’t last long and another storm in on the way, but at least we got a short break from the dampness that has virtually become the norm.     Crisp, beautiful […]

  • Garden Recovery

      It’s that time of year again, the time when the garden is looking just a little bit jaded. The vigorous growth of early summer is past, and the pace has begun to slow.  Post-holiday garden recovery mode is now complete, the grass has all been cut, and our few hedges have been trimmed, though […]

  • Leeks by Torchlight!

      The vegetable garden is now virtually empty, so the pantry or store cupboard is regularly raided, and baking cakes and breads have become the norm at The Pumpkin Patch.  Before Christmas, gingerbread cookies and shortbread were a hit, easy to make, easily made into all sorts of seasonal shapes & virtually impossible to get […]

  • New Year’s ‘Lunch’ resolution

      Just a week into 2015 and no doubt that despite our best efforts and intentions, some of our new year’s resolutions have already been forgotten about. Making serious changes to our lives can be difficult, it really does take effort.  Many of us will have decided to make food related changes. Some will wish […]