Time I posted something new after all these days of quiet!
Archway again, vertical this time
The Giant himself, an accurate representation in all his glory!
Cerne Abbas is perhaps best known for the massive naked man figure cut into a field outside the village. (About which more pictures later.) Earliest references for it come from the late 17th century, so claims that it's 1500 or 2000 years old can't be proven yet. But the village itself is beautiful and fascinating, so my next few posts will all be from it
Crocuses just emerging near our house, despite frost - I had to lie right down on the ground to get these angles
By popular request. More recipes, perhaps, to follow.Get a large pot of water boiling for the cabbage blanching.
Filling:
1 kg ground beef, pork or other meat
300 g uncooked rice (long/short grain, brown/white, as you like)
200 g raw onion, grated or machine chopped fine
4-5 med. cloves garlic, minced
c. 250 g chopped tomato, fresh or tinned, or taste equivalent in paste
salt & pepper, dry basil, & dill, & ground coriander, all to taste
300 mL boiling or hot water
Mix these all in a large bowl & set aside.
2 large cabbages
Cut out the cores from the cabbages, & put 1 of them into the blanching pot of boiling water to cover, letting it continue to boil. As the outermost leaves soften, carefully remove them & put onto a plate, continuing thus until all leaves are done. Repeat with the 2nd cabbage. De-vein the leaves of their large, thick central vein with a sharp knife, leaving some behind so as not to cut a hole through the thickness of the leaf. Save this pot of water hot to use for boiling the rolls, if you like, but you'll need to put them into the pot & THEN add the water.
Stuff each leaf with a tablespoon or so of the filling, placing it near the leaf base. Fold the base over the filling; fold in the sides; then roll it up towards the "upper" edge of the leaf.
Place the rolls into a large pot. When they're all in place, just cover with the hot cooking water, to which you may add some stock cubes, seasoning, etc. Simmer for at least 1/2 hour, then check. Serve several rolls per person in a bowl with some of the liquid too, garnished with a sprinkle of the seasonings on top if you like.
You can similarly fill bell peppers, eggplant (aubergine), tomatoes, and even blanched grape leaves! The latter version traditionally has a sauce of cold plain yoghurt with plenty of fresh minced garlic in it on top. Gemrielia (= YUM)!
More scurrying ducks, slow shutter speed & panning the camera to follow them
Lali cutting up fresh khachapuri (Georgian cheese bread) made with a mix of extra mature cheddar & a bit of stilton cheeses - yum!
Espresso, meet capuccino. Tony, meet Ruth
New job: part-time chef (among other things) at a nursing home in Sherborne). First time I've had the proper uniform!
Weeeellll, it's about time I posted some more photos before I forget HOW. Got a new part-time job which is keeping me busy - about which more later.
Tony & Lali doing what the kissing gate tells them to
Ice near Sherborne New Castle - structure and pattern everywhere one cares to look
Pond ice at home... goldfish don't mind it at all, they're safe below
Dear Me: Happy 43rd Birthday!
