It is, I have to say, lashing it down outside. Storm Christoph has landed and drenching every last inch of ground and filling all the rivers to bursting point. If there is a let up some point today, I'll take my camera and see what I can see. But until then, baking (recipe to follow), blogging and housework are the order of the day.
The morning I took these photos could not have been further from today's monsoon-like behaviour. It was such a crisp and icy day. The air was so cold I could feel it's cutting presence on my face as I walked through the garden.
One of the first tasks of my morning (after grabbing the mug of tea made for me) is to walk around the garden with my camera. This particular morning in stark contrast to the soft and billowing snow of last week, was filled with sharp and glittery ice crystals. Everything twinkled and shimmered.
The cold frames had the most beautiful 'William Morris-esque' swirls and feathering which, I am sure, if you sat and stared closely you would spy flowers, fairies and magical creatures hidden in the patterning.
There is an old Victorian lamp in the centre of the garden which has been given modern LED lighting but retains it's charm and when the snow was still about, I called it the '
Narnia Lamp-post'. The ice highlighted the beautiful fleur-de-lys inspired decoration. So much more aesthetically pleasing than modern street lighting.
There are still a few overwintering vegetables waiting to be harvested. The red cabbage was so frozen I could have snapped a leaf in half - apart from the fact the ice crystals were so dense and hard, I found it difficult to grasp.
The wonderful slightly earthy warmth in the heated half of the glasshouse was almost too much of a contrast to the crystal clear air. I soon removed a layer or two of clothing, before starting work in the green scented space - delicious.
Once I'd got some early sowing done, I returned back out to barrow about one tonne of wood chip (I jest not - once again I did not need all my warm clothing on!)
One of my final jobs for the day was to pick produce for the cafe (the building in the photo) so soup could be made for the weekend's covid secure takeaways.
It could be said it was a good day.
And the recipe to follow?
Well, this is a bonus 52 New Recipe Challenge (coz I had the 'I need to bake' itch and fancied trying something new).
Sticky Gingerbread
Easy to make, filled the house with the most delicious scent of cake and ginger BUT unless you like your gingerbread mild with hardly a hint of spice - follow the recipe.
However, if you like your cake to have a bit of flavour - really amp up the spice quantities. The cake is succulent and tasty but hardly worth mentioning the 'ginger' word in the title.
So...
Was it well received? It is cake - need I actually ask that? Most of it was eaten before it had fully cooled down.... sigh.
Would I make it again? yes, however I will certainly give it a decent amount of flavour - gingerbread cake needs to taste, well, gingery!
I love the photos of the frosty garden especially the lamp post and the cabbage. It would be lovely to know what you planted as I need to get cracking but am never sure how early some things can be started off. I love gingerbread cake and always use a recipe I had from mum. It’s very gingery, we always add extra, and if I wrap it in grease proof paper and leave it a couple of days it goes really sticky and gooey. I sometimes make a gingery buttery cream to top it with 😃
ReplyDeleteThanks Carol, I was sowing a few broadbeans, chillies and sweet peas, there is not much you can do this time of the year unless you can keep them gently warm. I am going to be sowing most veg at a 10 dayish interval to start then maintain a rolling crop for harvesting rather than a single glut at the end of summer
DeleteI think the first thing we will start with will be leeks ... it will be the first time from seed so it will be interesting to see how we get on 😃
DeleteThe garden looks amazing. I will visit when the weather is better and visitors are allowed! Love the lamp post. x
ReplyDeleteI would love you to visit - as soon as the gates are allowed to be opened I will let you know x
DeleteThe garden looks wonderful. I have a very good ginger cake recipe but when I was first given it to make for somebody I was a bit worried as it used root ginger. I made one for us first to try it out and it was delicious so thats the one I stick to now.
ReplyDeletethank you 😊
DeleteI like using root ginger - it does give such a lovely punchy taste, I do have a lovely recipe which I will return to and will stick with too.
I add ground black pepper to my ginger cake which peps it up. Arilx
ReplyDeleteWith my usual recipe, it has a pinch of black pepper too, this version was just too mild, I am going to return to my original recipe - lesson learnt!
DeleteThe garden in waiting....
ReplyDeleteI'd like it to wait a little longer so I can get to know it better and sort out the issues of neglect from the previous gardeners before everything wakes up and gets going!
DeleteLOVE those photos of the garden, especially the raised beds & the icy windows are marvelous & remind of that beautiful damask that was so popular for tablecloths when I was little (a long time ago). I've a nice ginger cake recipe that uses honey rather than golden syrup, so if you'd like to try that I'll send a copy via email. Thanks for sharing the garden, take care, stay safe, warm & dry. Hugs from down under.
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan, I do have a reliable recipe for a very dark and delicious ginger cake that uses treacle, this one was just an exercise as part of the need to bake and to do for my 52 new recipes, lesson learnt - I shall return to my original recipe 😄
DeleteYour weather couldn't be more different from ours. I love anything gingery, so thank you for the recipe. I agree with Carol - details please of what you're doing in the veg garden! x
ReplyDeleteThis time of the year is a bit quiet on the sowing front but I was sowing a few broadbeans, chillies and sweet peas, starting a roll out of veg and salad so preventing a glut later one 😊
DeleteThank you. :-)
DeleteThe frost on the windows-how beautiful! I had a baking day on Monday, but seeing your ginger bread makes me want a big slice with a cup of strong coffee.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I hate the cold I have to admit that frost,those small white ice crystals, transform leaves ,branches and the most mundane things into sparkling works of art. It only needs a little bit of imagination to see the Narnia Light post lighting the way for travellers arriving through the wardrobe. keep well Amanda x
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of the frost on the window, the gates, the lamppost and the cabbage are so beautiful I am hard pressed to choose a favourite. So I'll stick to the gingerbread instead!!!😊💓xx
ReplyDeletePS I think the William Morris window is best with the lamppost a close second. xx
Love gingerbread! Going to make this!
ReplyDeleteJulie xxxxxx
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