Victorian Kitchen Garden: April

The wonderful Victorian Kitchen Garden series continues with this look at all of the hard work of early spring in April.

Victorian Kitchen Garden: Episode 4 March

Victorian Kitchen Garden:March

Great Horned Owl - The jig is up !!!

Great Horned Owl, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

The jig is up !!!

I must admit that when I took the top photo from a friend's car window I thought I was taking a picture of a real owl. It was only after I got home and saw the picture enlarged that I suspected there was a joke going on here and maybe I'm the fall guy. I have waited three days and nobody has fessed up so there is the chance that the other people on the Sunday walk with me were fooled too or were they? If it is a ruse they have played their parts very well.

There were seven people on the walk and as usually happens people walk at different speeds so we end up with several smaller groups . I was with one other member of the group out in front of the rest of the pack by several hundred feet. When the walk was over we waited for the group behind us to catch-up. When they arrived they were talking about the Owl they had seen and asking if we saw it too, we hadn't. Here's where the plot thickens, when we got in the cars to leave I think it was I who suggested to the driver of the car I was in that we drive back to see if the owl was still there. If the driver and a second friend in the car, lets just say their initials are P & G, were aware of the plastic Owl they should start playing poker now !!!!

Since Sunday G tells me the photo has been sent on to the local Audubon group for possible publication in their news letter. I have had several friends comment on the photo asking if it is real and I have either tried to convince them of the authenticity of the Owl or avoided replying to their questions. SORRY !!

I decided this morning that I don't dare let this go any further on the off chance that the photo might get published as a real sighting, so I drove back to Centerville and took the second photo below. Now like the cat I'm dieing with curiosity to know who knew what and when.

Gâteau au fromage de Montréal - Montreal Cheese Cake

Gâteau au fromage de Montréal - Montreal Cheese Cake


From Epicure Magazine October 1981

Pastry:

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 cup (4 oz.) butter
1 egg yolk

Filling:

2 1/2 pounds cream cheese
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp.vanilla extract
3/4 cup honey
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup whipping cream
toasted almond slivers and apricot preserve or honey to glaze and decorate.

To make the pastry combine the sugar, flour and lemon rind in a large bowl. With a pastry blender, two knives or food processor cut in the butter until the mixture resembles corn meal. Mix in the egg yolk with a fork. Squeeze the crumbs together into a ball.(Mixture will be crumbly.) Refrigerate for an hour or freeze for 20 minutes.

Grease the sides and bottom of a 9 inch (23cm) springform pan. Remove the sides from the pan. Spread 1/3 of the chilled pastry over the pan bottom. Use a rolling pin to flatten it to prevent puffing while baking. Place the pan bottom in a pre heated 400 degree oven and bake for 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Carefully reattach the sides to the pan. Roll the remaining pastry into 1 inch ropes. Press these on to the sides flattening and patting to form a lining about 2 inches deep. Refrigerate the pan while you make the filling.

Place the cream cheese in your mixer and beat until fluffy. Add the lemon rind and vanilla. Continue beating while adding the honey in a thin stream. Beat well. Combine the sugar, salt and flour and add to the batter a spoonful at a time while continuously beating. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time. Add the cream and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again.

Pour the mixture into the pastry lined pan and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 8 minutes then reduce the heat to 200 degrees and bake for an additional 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the cake is set. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven with the door ajar to cool for 30 minutes.

Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least an additional hour. Place the pan on a large can or firm support and remove the sides of the pan. Transfer the cake still on the pan bottom to a serving tray and refrigerate.

Before serving glaze the cake with apricot preserves or honey and decorate with toasted almond slivers. If the cake cracks in the centre or separates from the pastry at the sides the almonds will cover this up. Serve chilled.

Victorian Kitchen Garden: Episode 3 February

Unfortunately this seems to be the latest episode of the Kitchen garden series and it was posted three months ago, hopefully there are more and they will be posted in the near future. I will bring them to you here if they become available.

Victorian Kitchen Garden: Episode 2 January

It's January in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

Time lapse growing winter greens for my chickens

Time lapse growing winter greens for my chickens, originally uploaded by Campobello Island.

Growing a mixture of white clover and buckwheat under lights as a winter treat for my chickens.

Victorian Kitchen Garden: Episode 1 Introduction

Peter Thoday meets up with Harry Dodson as they both turn back the clock to recreate a typical walled Victorian kitchen garden.

Victorian Kitchen Garden: Peter Thoday

The companion series to the Victorian Kitchen is of course the Victorian Kitchen Garden the second part of this great series which I will be blogging over the next little while. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Peter Thoday gives us an insight into how the series began and the tools they used.

From Poolish to Dough Frogger

As mentioned in my previous video this is what I did with the left over polish, hope you try it if you haven't had it before you might be surprized at how good it is.

Victorian Kitchen: Supper

It's time for supper in the Victorian Kitchen.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312736841&sr=8-2

Victorian Kitchen: Picnics

The kitchen get ready a feast of a hamper for the annual picnic.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312736841&sr=8-2

Victorian Kitchen: Dinner

It's time for dinner in the Victorian Kitchen.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312736841&sr=8-2

2011 Campobello Lobster Pot Christmas Tree

MERRY CHRISTMAS Everyone.

Victorian Kitchen: Afternoon Tea

A lot of work for cook and staff but a beautiful meal.

Ruth Mott and Peter Thoday along with Harry Dodson show us how Victorian used to take afternoon tea.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_...

Victorian Kitchen: Luncheon

I think the best thing about these videos is that two of the presenters were actually in service and are talking about their own experiences. I suspect that today to find anything remotely similar you would have to get access to one of the Queens palaces.

Ruth Mott and Peter Thoday along with Harry Dodson show us what the Victorian used to eat for their lunch.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_...

Victorian Kitchen: Breakfast

I hope you enjoy this little series on Victorian life as much as I have.


Ruth Mott and Peter Thoday along with Harry Dodson show us what the Victorian used to eat for their breakfast.

A beautiful series created by Jennifer Davies. You can purchase the complete series, along with the other programmes, on amazon:http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Victorian-Garden-Series-DVD/dp/B000GW8TDW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312736841&sr=8-2

Thank you Diane Mumm

A video thank you card to Diane Mumm for the wonderful prize that she gave me for being the runner-up winner in her channel contest. For more information on the Friends for Zambia project please visit their website:

http://www.friendsforzambia.org/

Pain de Campagne in the Dutch Oven

A detailed look at my method for producing a French Country Style loaf, Pain de Campagne, using the Dutch Oven to bake it much like the No Knead Bread method with a few differences and adjustments to insure that the heavier loaf gets the same oven spring that is achieved with the no knead method.

Free on the range.

Back to bare ground here and the girls are still enjoying their little treats in the fallen leaves. Getting colder everyday though, minus 5 this morning.