Bottles, Beans and Bounty

The weather this week has been very mixed but it stayed fine on Sunday for a farm walk at Dolphenby farm at Edenhall near Penrith. Here they have a milking parlour that takes 80 cows. The cows are a cross between Friesian and Jersey so they vary in colour but all seem to have the classic big eyes of the Jersey breed.

Cows gathering to be milked

The milking process

The farm is part of the Edenhall estate.The house was demolished in 1934 and these gateposts are all that remain of it's former glory. Their style in intriguing. 

Musgrave family coat of arms?

I found this pretty broken blue bird's egg in the flower border.

Dainty bird's egg

The bronze fennel in the Artful Garden looks very dramatic.

Bronze fennel with dragonfly

Tansy is bright yellow with very tight pompom flowerheads.

Vibrant tansy

Yellow pompoms

This lovage I found in the Physic Garden near Corbridge in Northumberland.

Lovage seed heads

The vibrant red of the cuckoo pint found in the verge.

Red for danger

The peacock butterflies and bees were going frantic for this plant.

Beautiful peacock butterfly

Wonderful wing patterns

These wooden sculptures that were also in the Physic Garden are great fun.

Dragon

Wood man

This pretty penstemon is in the Artful Garden.

Purple bonnets

This pretty blue harebell is along the lonning from my house.

Dainty blue fairy bonnets

This is a selection of the wild flowers that I have grown. The colours are stunning.

Vibrant

When digging a border in the orchard in the Artful Garden I dug up two old bottles. The inscription on the clear bottle is' Glassons Penrith Breweries' and on the green bottle 'H. W. Bartley, Penrith.' 

Drink and be merry

Crazy Maisie has seen been reading Glamour magazine. I am not sure if this is where she got her gold hair extensions of not.

Golden goddess?

The Bottle Boys had a trip to the Barbers shop. They decided to be more adventurous with their mustaches and this is the result.

Mustache styles, Walrus, Stud and Banker

I found this pretty china jam pot at a car boot sale. I will use it for my homemade jams.

A lovely pattern  

This is one of my most popular recipes and is an excellent way of using an overload of runner beans.

Runner Bean Pickle

Runner Bean Pickle - Makes 2 x 450 kg jars

Recipe taken from 'Preserves' by Pam Corbin ISBN 978074759532810987, published in 2008 (part of the River Cottage Handbook series.)

1 kg of young runner beans
Salt
300 ml cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
100 ml water
300 g  granulated sugar
1 teasp ground allspice
1 teasp coarsely ground black pepper
6 juniper berries

Trim the ends off the runner beans. If the beans are young they should be no need to string them. Cut the beans into short lengths (remember they will need to fit onto a serving spoon)

Put the vinegar,water, sugar, all spice, ground pepper and juniper berries into a saucepan over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil for a couple of minutes.
Also put the beans into a steamer and steam for about 5 minutes (do not over cook.)
When cooked add the runner beans to the spiced vinegar mixture and simmer for 4 - 5 minutes. Strain the vinegar mixture into a smaller saucepan. Pack the beans into warm sterilised jars pushing the beans down into the jar.

Return the spiced vinegar to the boil then pour it over the tightly packed beans. Cap immediately with a vinegar- proof lid.

Store in a cool dark space and leave for several weeks until the pickle matures. Use within 12 months.