From caterpillers to chicken soup

November Roses in my Puglia Garden

It seems that the long dry summer of 2011 may finally be over with the rains arriving earlier this week, very much needed and much later than usual. The garden is definitely benefiting from the rain, cabbages (those that haven't been decimated by caterpillers that is) and cauli plants seem to have doubled in size overnight, peas and broad beans shooting up and the strawberry plants look a lot happier too. Tons of lettuces too, although lunches the last couple of days have been home-made soups. Celery and Potato and Chicken and Thyme (recipes below).

But still I woke up this morning to blue skies, few light clouds and the sun shining. Great for us as that means we will have solar hot water. Installing solar panels for hot water (and with the excess heating the swimming pool) has turned out to be a great investment. Even through the winter, at least here in Puglia, hot water is readily available most of the time. Although I did notice earlier this month that, even though we were still having sunny days, the solar hot water was, well it was just not hot. OH was persuaded to climb up and clean the panels which he did somewhat reluctantly. Just as well as he discovered that the insulation around the pipe that carries the hot water from the panels to the storage tank had perished. Without the real heat of the summer sun the hot water from the panels was cooling down before it got into the tank. Now repaired we have oodles of free hot water again. Utility prices in Puglia are very very expensive and having solar water makes a huge difference to us.

I've just finished reading Netherland by Joseph O'Neill. Not my normal reading, probably a book left by a visitor last summer. I'm always grateful when visitors leave books behind, it's a great source of new reading material and often an introduction to authors who I have not read before, as in this case. At first I didn't think I was going to enjoy it but I got drawn into Hans' story and could relate to him and his travels from the Netherlands to UK, New York and constant travel between New York and London whilst navigating a difficult marriage. I've never been interested in cricket but even the lengthy descriptions of cricket matches and the game didn't put me off, and the descriptions of New York life post 9/11 are very evocative.

From my own days of being a workaholic (oh how I have changed!)  I could relate to the following :

"There was another silence. I felt, above all, tired. Tiredness: if there was a constant symptom of the disease in our lives at this time, it was tiredness. At work we were unflagging; at home the smallest gesture of liveliness was beyond us. Mornings we awoke into a malign weariness that seemed only to have refreshed itself ovenight. Evenings, after Jake had been put to bed, we quietly ate watercress and translucent noodles that neither of us could find the strength to remove from their cartons; took turns to doze in the bathtub; and failed to stay awake for the duration of a TV show. Rachel was tired and I was tired."

So a complete change of pace but I did enjoy it. Definitely worth a read.

Right I'm off to pick caterpillars off the cabbages now and then to make a batch of ginger biscuits as yesterdays efforts have magically disappeared overnight, a presto!


Celery and Potato Soup with Cheese (from New Covent Garden Book of Soups)
Preparation and Cooking Time : 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves : 6

50g (2oz) butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large leafy head of celery, finely chopped
450g (1lb) potatoes, peeled and sliced
725ml (1.25 pint) light chicken stock
150ml (.25 pint) double cream
salt and freshly ground pepper

To Garnish:
50g (20z) mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, celery and potatoes and cook gently, covered, for 10 minutes, without colouring. Add the stock and season well. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 30 minutes  until the vegetables are tender. Cook a little and then process half the soup finely and half the soup coarsely in a food processor. Return the soup to the pan, stir in the cream and taste for seasoning. Reheat gently and serve piping hot sprinkled with grated cheese.

(I omitted the cheese garnish and don't feel the soup lost anything for the omission)

Chicken and Thyme
Preparation and Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Serves : 6
(this is my adaptation from a number of different recipes - perfect for using up left over chicken after a roast)

Splash of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
Cooked chicken meat, as much as you like
Dried or fresh thyme to taste
25g (1 oz) plain flour
570ml (1 pint) chicken stock made from the chicken carcass
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons soya sauce
150ml (0.25 pint) single cream
salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the chopped onion in a little olive oil until softened but not coloured. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, soya sauce, thyme, grated rind and juice of the lemon. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Process the soup in a food processor. Return the soup to the pan, add the cooked chicken meat and stir in the cream. Season to taste.