My crops and such

Ok, crops is probably a bit of an over-statement. Small backyard plot with a few plants is probably a better description, but the ol' garden is going quite well this year and since it's much too hot for this Celtic-type to even think about cooking, here are some pictures from the garden instead.

I rather like the garden at the moment. It needs to be weeded and if I were any sort of proper gardener then it would very likely need to be mulched too, but I am not a proper gardener, and am also lazy, so it is what it is. But it's lovely out there - all green and growing. There are lots of flying bugs around too - hover flies and butterflies and bees, and cute wee ladybirds quietly munching on any nasty beasts that might try and harm the 'crops'. I'm not usually one for the bugs but it feels like they are all working together out there. I hope that is the case and they're not secret invaders. Things are still growing though so I choose to believe that all is well in the green pastures* of my backyard. 

Tomatoes in the front of pic - two types (one of which is v ugly but hopefully will taste fabulous) , beans and courgettes  growing in the back. Various weeds throughout

This bad boy grew quite literally over-night. Please ignore the obvious signs of weedage.

Delicious toms in a grow-bag. Taking their sweet time about ripening, but now that there's actually some sun, we should be able to pick more than one at a time. Ripen wee tomato - c'mon! 

Courgette blossoms which were duly stuffed and fried last weekend.  A touch too cheesy for my liking - I prefer them in pasta/risotto dishes so you can actually taste the delicate flower

Pickens' from yesterday and today. I picked all the courgettes yesterday and by 3pm today, there were 2 more giant ones to pick. There's actually no room in the fridge because there are already about 5 in there from the weekend! Good job we like 'em I guess, just a shame there aren't more than 2 of us! 

* for green pastures read: weed-ridden crusty dry grass-type substance with small patches of vegetable garden throughout 

I heart pie

It may well be my obsession with all things State-side, or it may be the simple fact that I really enjoy saying the word with a 'Southern belle' style accent, but I really do love pie. I can quite happily forgo most desserts but every now and then I get a hankerin' for pie and from then on, I must have it. This is one of my favourites and thankfully, it's possibly the easiest pie ever. The filling here is a lovely summery one, but you could just as easily (and I have) substitute apples and rhubarb, or apples and blackberries, or apples and raspberries - whatever you fancy really.

Rhubarb and Raspberry Pie (adapted slightly from Annabel Langbein)

Simmer 500gm chopped rhubarb with half a cup of sugar and 1/4 water until rhubarb is soft (try not to mess with it too much at this point or the rhubarb breaks up and becomes mushy. It still tastes good, but it won't look quite as pretty). Leave to cool. Once cooled, mix through 2 tsp cornflour mixed with a wee bit of water, and fold in 200gm raspberries and a bit of lemon zest if you have it (I'd had a lot of margaritas and other cocktails the night before, so the house was sans lemon).

Meanwhile, blitz in the food processor 2 cups of plain flour, 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Add 125gm cold, diced butter and 2 lightly beaten eggs and process for around 30 seconds (it'll turn into a big gorgeous beige lump of dough). I'm sure you could do this by hand but it would take a bit of working. Divide into 2 pieces so that you have one large lump of 2/3rds of the dough, and a smaller 1/3rd lump. Put the small lump in the freezer, and the larger lump in the fridge for 30 mins.

Fill a pie tin with the dough - because it's sweet shortcrust, you don't need to faff about rolling and getting precious. I slice it into pieces about 1/2cm thick and just press/schmush it into the tin so that the sides and base are covered evenly. It's like playing with playdo - v fun! Pour in the cooled fruit mixture. Grate the remaining (now slightly frozen) wodge of dough over the top so that it's this crumbly, pastry shreds topping. If you wanted to get fancy you could probably add a sprinkling of cinnamon and demerera sugar so that it goes extra crunchy, but you don't have to.

Bake for about 40 mins at 180degC or until the topping is lightly golden and the filling is all bubbly and gorgeous. Best served warm with vanilla icecream. Will keep happily in fridge for a couple of days if it lasts that long.