Cherry, apricot and peach Jam

Sunday 10 July 2011

On Saturday while shopping for meat to BBQ, we happened upon cherries at €2.99kg, I bought 1kg and noted that they also had some nice ripe apricots’ I also got 500gof these. So Sunday morning was taken up with jam making.
I decided to make a spiced jam, Linda was set to work de-pitting the cherries and de-stoning the apricots. I then thought what would go well with those? I chopped half a chilli, grated some fresh ginger and some nutmeg into a mortar and crushed it all together, just then Linda came into the kitchen with the remains of the fruit, I had told her to keep whistling but she did stop every now and again! When weighed I found that I was about 200g light (this could be due to the removal of pits and stones or during the whistle stops, the jury is still out on that one). I had some nice ripe peaches, so they pealed and de-stoned made up the 1.5kg of fruit

I picked a few sprigs of Thyme and stripped the leaves.
The jars varied from herb jars from my Turkish shop, to specially bought jam jars, these where washed along with the tops in hot water and then sterilised in the oven.

I used 3:1 jam making sugar; I have used this in the past and find it delivers a good result
.

So all into a big pot and set it off slowly to boil.

Boiled up and used the saucer test so that it came to the correct thickness.

Poured into the jam jars, I find the funnel a great help (I also use it for filling home made blut and leberwurst).

Lids on and turned upside down.

And that was it, one of the jars not quite full went into Linda’s bag (we always have a bag of food stuffs after visiting each other)

Ingredients:

1kg of cherries (un-pitted weight)

Made up to 1.5kg of fruit flesh with apricots and peaches.

500g of 3:1 jam makers sugar

Half a chilli pod de-seeded chopped and pounded in a mortar, added some grated ginger and nutmeg.

That was it easy peasy!

Mamta's Chicken Curry Bengali

This is another one of mamta's great curries, I don't know but I have never made one of her dishes that did not get a big thumbs up. This is quite a quick curry that doesn't need a lot of maturing, though it may well be one that does taste better the next day we shall see as I have a portion in the frdge for tomorrow.

I did do a couple of small changes to her original recipe (I used fresh Chillies as oposed to chilli powder and I had unfortunatly picked up low fat yorghurt (and it did split) I also added a half a teaspoon of marigold stock powder to the sauce to give it a bit more depth of flavour.

http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10136

Above is Mamta's recipe from her web site below are the Photographs of my attempt at that  recipe. Linda gave it  3 or was it 4 mmmmmmmms!!!

For Quantities and method please follow directions on the link above!!!!

The chicken breasts (from my local chicken farm, free range and happy, well they used to be)

Diced the chicken and added the yoghurt, salt, sugar and tumeric.





The chicken in the marinade for a couple of hours

The potaoes scrubbed and cut into bite size pieces









Tumeric and salt turn the potato pieces in this

Fry the potatoes in a little oil until golden brown


The ingredients for the curry here I changed the ingredients a little and used a fresh red chilli pounded in a mortar

Adding the bayleaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cummin seeds to the hot oil, letting the cumin seeds splutter

Add the onions, garlic and ginger and fry until soft and golden

Next add the chicken, the marinade and 300ml water (I used a weak stock) cook until 2/3 done

adding the diced potatoes until tender and then add the tomatoes mix and turn off the heat

The finished meal served with plain basmarti jasmin rice, to drink an ice cold Aldi Rose

Mamta once again your recipes have passed the test, this was a succulent curry that was pure bliss to eat. Linda has also said that she will be making it, that is when she is finished making your apple low sugar Chutney!

Thanks you are magic

Kieler Woche 2011-Kiel Week 2011

We had a lot to do in the Kiel week, this is a week that takes place every year in the last complete week in June, it is centered around the Kiel Förder, but isn't only about sailing and water (though it does rain quite a bit , but we are now used to it). During this week we also had a bit to do with the renovation and other things around Linda's apartment.

On the Monday we had to get furniture (the minimum that we could live with as the carpet was coming on the Tuesday. So it was only a small table and 2 chairs. Another small table for the TV and that was it.

Tuesday came the carpet with carpet layers and woosh it was in, they had it done in 15 minutes.

We had a bit of shopping to do for lighting and other bits and pieces this was all fixed and fitted. This was after a lot of swearing and re-reading of instructions (they do not follow a logical system)

From then on it was each evening out to see different bands and concerts, we saw Sweet & Slade with out cookery club, this was only until the rains washed us into the cellar (cast) bar of the Opera house; Kalle knows everyone in Kiel so it is never a problem getting in anywhere.

We had a nice meeting with some of Linda’s old comrades, what a nice bunch of people, we even got invited to a wedding (party), I cannot remember for the life of me how I got home and I was not alone.

We also met up with friend for the pop meets classic, Barkley James Harvest and a classical Russian Soprano.

In between we drank wine, ate oysters and just generally had a drunken time, but that is the Kieler Woche!!!

Saturday we had arranged to have breakfast with our friends Marianne and Martin, this was to be at the See Bär, a sea water bathing platform with a restaurant, the weather was sunny (Hurray) and we met the two of them and got some nice seats, to watch the start of the "Windjammer Parade"

We didn't have the normal cold meat breakfast but did diversify quite a bit (except for Martin, he did have the normal cold cuts and cheese).



Linda had an Alsas Flämeküchen

Marianne had the Schwäbishe Wurstsalat

I had Erbseneintopf

and Martin had the normal cold cuts and cheese.

It was all very, very nice we had a couple of Hefeweizen, but I enjoyed mine very much.

The revue of the fleet started and we had the pick of the seats. The sailing ships, barges, yawls, yachts and werries came past either one at a time or in clusters, it was a very nice way to spend a Saturday summers morning.



Waiting for the start




setting the sails of the main vessel a Russian Sail training ship




An old Baltic Sailer now carrying human cargo




The started to come thick and fast now





Heading out into the Förder



And the whole fleet now underway



She couldn't take place as a courts Martial was underway, a young cadet had lost her life falling from the yards while rounding the Horn 

We next went to see Onkle Lukas, this is a fantastic kids play area, they can do anything they want, the silly adult health and safety rules do not apply. The kids under guidance, saw and hammer, they climb and build, they let there fantasies run wild. It was an eye opening experience; I think the UK could take a slice of this and exercise a bit of common sense. What these children brought to fulfillment was an eye opener and having fun at the same time, thumbs up!


They had made a sea



Nimo was there





As were a couple of very strange sea monsters



The Walrus's being manufactured



And what sais the seven seas but a pirate ship, Number was 3zähn, get it 3zähn, oh! forget it.

But I think most of the kids where turning this



Into this

The children had great fun and I didn't see one tear being shed they all mucked in and here are a few  pics to prove it!



But you could make flags and paper and papiermache figures

You could build magic forests

or just slide down a bank.

We had to be moving on, I would have loved to have stayed and played all day but time was pressing.

We next strolled along the Hindenbergdam taking in the "Folksfest" side of the Kieler Woche.



The crowds taking advantage of the nice weather



fish down a shute





Spit roast pork



or a nice piece of roast pork or Leberkäs



May be a beer at the smallest pub in town



We settled for a seafood pasta for Linda and a Brathering Brötchen for me washed down witha nice Grau Burgunder

 Evening we went to the Glow fest , this is when the hot air balloons fill up whilst still tethered and set off their burners in time to music,



Starting filling theballoons with hot air, that is why I am behind them



getting them inflated



and a few more



That about says it all



all aglow, fantastic.



 

The finish was afirework display, not as big as the Sunday evening one but very impressive all the same

The start of the show



The big bang finale



So that was Kielerwoche 2011 see you next year!!!!