Recipe Exchange

Well, I must admit that I never imagined it all coming down to this!!

However, I will tell you that making life easier is really what it's all about just now and I have found several things that I would like to share with you ...

First of all, here's a photo of me wearing a mutant leek that we bought after the Oban Horticultural show - it was delicious!  We've eaten the rest and the last onion is going to be used in tonight's chicken:

Gordon Ramsay's Mediterranean Salmon Fillet looks pretty, tastes great and is easy to prepare (ahead of time - yay!)  http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5934/mediterranean-salmon-fillet

I will just say that 800 gms is enough for 4 not 6 people.

I have been successfully experimenting with all-day roasting of beef and recommend it highly.  I have tried a 3 lb, 4 lb and lastly a 7 3/4 lb roast and it worked each time.  After doing the s & p and light coating of olive oil, sear the roast; then put it on a bed of pecans (seriously - delicious mushed up then strained in the gravy); then allow a minimum of 8 hours at the temperature that you would like it to end up inside.  We generally like medium rare - around 145°C. So, set the oven at 145°C and use a meat thermometer to check. Try not to peek during roasting. Don't forget to let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Himself is carving the left over cold beef from the 7 3/4 pounder and it was cooked the same all the way through medium (150°C this time) *mouth waters at the memory*

I also served day-before-mashed potatoes - I couldn't believe it myself: FABULOUS! http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/day-before-mashed-potatoes/detail.aspx

Talking about beef.  Beef cuts are called differently here in the UK:

This is what the NA cow looks like:

Go figure. I used the silverside cut which seems to be round elsewhere.

Himself went out on his Triumph Thunderbird for a wee ride the other day and came home with a mutton roast from Barbreck Farms near Ardfern. Mutton, what?  No problem with a slow oven: 150°C and 40 minutes per pound (garlic and rosemary slitted in, glass of red wine sloshed over, cover and uncover for last 1/2 hour).  Done and wonderful.

I'm just going to go and have my leftovers right now for lunch ...

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Well worth getting a cuppa and watching this (15 mins).

Joan Collins to the rescue

Brutally honest actress spells out how to put Britain back on its feet

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2028698/Joan-Collins-UK-riots-Brutally-honest-actress-spells-Britain-feet.html#ixzz1VlGu6d7O


Awesome.

And the Winner is ...

So all the work in the garden has finally paid off! Apparently, the judges came back to the garden after we had cleaned up the debris from the May gale/hurricane/Force 13 winds. (They came the day after the gale and it most definitely was not a pretty sight!)

The annual Oban Horticultural Society Show is always good fun and I am amazed at the results of the local gardeners.  This is the award winning Best in Show 2011 -  Lavatera:

The hall was full of displays:

Our favourite is the vegetable section:

The grouping in the middle got second prize, "Me tatties and carrots let me doone." Our friend was disappointed but he had done well at another show yesterday.  He is the fisherman that we see quite regularly in front of the house checking his creels for langoustine. He's taller and larger than Our Winner. Here he is buying some flowers at the end of the show: 

This year we REALLY ENJOYED the prize giving:

And the paparazzi (The Oban Times) appeared:

BTW: Luckily, the cup has yet to be engraved and Himself was able to make the double 't' correction.

Back on Track

What a busy time!

However, here I am back at NBH ... we got back a week ago yesterday and then life happened: my brother and his wife came by and then a stepson appeared - all good and great fun all round.

Our sailing trip was low key and laid back.

We set out to go 'in the direction of the winds'. And we really wanted to do just that.  We were prepared to go north up the Sound of Mull or go south and down towards the Island of Jura.

We set of from our berth in a brisk breeze, just enough to get the sails up and enjoy the ride.  After an hour - just by the Lismore lighthouse the wind changed ... no big deal and the winch man organized the sails accordingly ... "Wait a minute," says the helmswoman. "The wind has changed." And the winchman dutifully winched. "Wait a minute," says the helsmwoman.  "The wind has changed." And, yet again, the winchman winched and tweaked the sails ... then the helmswoman said ... well, you get the idea. It was very messy and it was also getting silly.

So, we started up the engine and got ourselves (south - a decision simply had to be made) into Loch Spelve (Mull) for the night.

We then motored and sailed to West Loch Tarbert, Island of Jura to our favourite anchorage.  After several attempts in howling 20+ knot winds we abandoned our usual anchorage and went further into the loch for protection.  There we stayed for a day and two nights - no question of getting off the boat in 25+ knot winds.  We played Scrabble:

Never mind who won ...

We then motored to the lovely island of Gigha, where the young were swimming and enjoying the warm sunny summer day, and the next day we continued and motored on to Tayvallich (on the mainland). Note: we motored - not a breath of wind.

We were really lucky, as we know one person in Tayvallich and he was there with his wife. He is a 4th generation local and full of the history and folklore of the village and the area.  We had a wonderful walk and enjoyed the afternoon together.

This is the view from their garden:

We then headed home, via Loch Spelve again to join in on a Clyde Cruising Club muster.  Here are some shots that I took along the way:

The VIC 32 is a coal fired steam 'Clyde Puffer.' She was built in 1943 and is now well into retirement having been lovingly refurbished by her current owners, and is gently steaming around the west coast on private charters.

She's not quite so romantic from behind ... *cough ... sputter*

We had visitors in Loch Spelve:

Himself suggested that we take a walk and try and find an old cemetery:

The bracken was really high:

And now we are reclaiming the garden and other domestic things ...