Wittering

I've done some more background work on Contraband (as was - I'm still calling it that for the moment, but I think that will change as it gets longer. So much for keeping it under 3K!) As my rather gruesome request in an earlier post showed I'm going into more detail for this - it's coming along tickety-boo.

I'm working this Saturday, so I thought that on my way home I would stop off at Kedleston Hall, a National Trust property. Well, I'm not that interested in the house to be honest. I'm looking forward to walking through the grounds which are, apparently, very nice. I will try and remember to take my camera so that I can capture the pastoral bliss. (I only hope that the weather doesn't follow its recent pattern of lashing it down at every opportunity!)

Broad beans in the allotment are growing at a mutant rate, but the runner beans got too much sun a couple of weeks ago and all but two got scorched leaves. I've got two sturdy pumpkin plants almost ready to go in and the potatoes are chitting in a mutant fashion, reminding me that although they are not earlies, neither are they that late! Ooops. My garlic is also doing well and I will have it mainly to myself as my housemate can only eat it if she doesn't smell it cooking - she used to be green in the face allergic, so this is an improvement. (She doesn't like the sun either, but we didn't mention that when we visited the Transylvanian Alps - just in case!)

I shall make bread this weekend, I think. I made some lovely sun-dried tomato bread to go with my spaghetti sauce while I was on holiday and it reminded me how much I love fresh, home-made bread. I went to Asda on Sunday and asked the baker for some fresh yeast and she gave me about 100g, so much baking will ensue. I didn't make any bread over the bank holiday, but I did cook the salmon dish my housemate likes. All you need are:
salmon steaks
5 slices of pancetta per steak
enough Roquefort to put a thick slice on top of each.

Lay out the pancetta, overlapping the long edges slightly. Place salmon steak on top, put roquefort on top of salmon. Wrap pancetta round the whole thing. Lightly oil a baking dish and cook for 20 minutes at 175 degrees celsius. (If you have a psychotic oven, put tin foil over the dish for the first 15 minutes, then take off to let the pancetta crisp up.)

Complement with salad & a balsamic vinegar dressing/ steamed veg.

Lovely! nom nom nom. (Unfortunately there are no pictures of this culinary delight because, unlike my friend Steve, I don't photograph my successes.) (Although I did take a picture of a particularly lovely baby bear pumpkin that I grew last year - right before I stuck it into a pot of soup - so I suppose I can't say anything!)