Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel;
to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.
By Keats
I am so excited, watching the seasons change is like watched Nature in her boudoir as she shimmies from one outfit to the other.
The early mornings are getting decidedly nippy now - when I take Sparrowmaticus for a run in the park before I leave for work - the air has got that strange crisp smell and feel about it that makes you want to go home and bake bread and invite friends around to eat the fresh bread and home made soup. I found myself thinking about making some preserves - I did try once but fluffled it completely - a gorgeous pot got tossed into the rubbish because of the flop. Much to Mark's hilarity and my own blushes. Did it occur to me to SOAK the dried apricots before trying to make jam? No. Yes, I am a townie. And sometimes, even for all my level headedness in the kitchen, I can do the stupidist things.
Also thinking of taking up knitting. Again. I was incredibly good at it when I was little. I had this gorgeous fluffy bright orange teddy whom I loved loved loved and I used to knit little outfits for it - he owned a pair of dungarees, trousers, a white woolen shirt and for those cold winter days, he had a blue coat that looked like mine. Of course, I stopped knitting when I went to high school out of sheer rebellion - the home economics teacher was an insane highly strung mare with bright red hair and a hook nose with the most insanely trilling voice - maybe two girls out of our class chose to continue the subject. If only I had the inclination to stick it out I am pretty sure I would have become a pattern maker or maybe a chef...isn't it strange how teachers can mess you up?
Anyway, I digress - yes, so this feeling of autumn has hit me and all I want to do is make preserves, bake bread, make fresh homemade soups, knit and have friends around. So many things to do, so little time!
And in honour of the wanting to do it all, here is my favourite recipe from St Delia's website for making some gorgeous foccacia breads:
Mini Focaccia Bread with Red Onion, Olive and Rosemary Topping
Focaccia is an Italian flat bread made with olive oil. The flavour of the oil is important, so it's advisable to use a good, strong, fruity virgin olive oil for this.
Makes enough for 4 mini focaccia
Ingredients
12 oz (350 g) plain white flour, plus a little extra for dusting
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the topping:
2 small red onions, halved and then sliced into ¼ inch (5 mm) wedges
For the topping:
2 small red onions, halved and then sliced into ¼ inch (5 mm) wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
Begin by sifting the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle in the yeast and mix that in. Next pour in 7½ fl oz (210 ml) warm water along with 1½ tablespoons of olive oil and mix everything to a dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean (if necessary you can add a few more drops of water). Now turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes (alternatively you can use an electric mixer with a dough hook and process for 5 minutes).
Begin by sifting the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle in the yeast and mix that in. Next pour in 7½ fl oz (210 ml) warm water along with 1½ tablespoons of olive oil and mix everything to a dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean (if necessary you can add a few more drops of water). Now turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes (alternatively you can use an electric mixer with a dough hook and process for 5 minutes).
When the dough feels very bouncy and elastic, return it to the bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size (about 1½ hours or more depending on the heat in the kitchen: if there's no suitable warm place you can sit the bowl over a saucepan of warm water – but not over direct heat). After that, turn the dough out on to the work surface and punch the air out by kneading it again for 2-3 minutes. Now it's ready for topping.
Take two thirds of the olives and push them evenly into the dough, then divide the dough into four and place the sections on an oiled baking sheet, then use your hands to pat out each piece into a sort of oblong, rounded at the ends and measuring 4 x 3 inches (10 x 7.5 cm). Next, sprinkle a quarter of the remaining olives and a quarter of the rosemary and onions on to each piece. Finally, sprinkle the surface with sea salt and drizzle the olive oil all over each focaccia.
Take two thirds of the olives and push them evenly into the dough, then divide the dough into four and place the sections on an oiled baking sheet, then use your hands to pat out each piece into a sort of oblong, rounded at the ends and measuring 4 x 3 inches (10 x 7.5 cm). Next, sprinkle a quarter of the remaining olives and a quarter of the rosemary and onions on to each piece. Finally, sprinkle the surface with sea salt and drizzle the olive oil all over each focaccia.
Cover with a damp tea cloth and leave the dough to puff up again for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C). When the 30 minutes are up, bake the breads in the oven for about 15 minutes or until they are golden round the edges and look well cooked in the centre. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm.
