Every month bloggers join in with Celia to write about what’s happening in their kitchen. This is a relaxed group (no rules or schedules or invited members only) where we get the chance to peek into everyone’s kitchens to see what they’re up to. It’s bit like dropping in for a sociable chat and a cup of coffee. So, sit yourself down at the virtual kitchen table and help yourself to a biscuit.
In my kitchen this October …
… one thing leads to another. It’s a busy time on the farm as the new wheat crop is planted and Bill has spent several days rolling. As this is an incredibly boring job, a packed lunch with something a bit different from the usual sandwich and an apple makes a welcome change, so I made some gingerbread to slip in. As usual, the last bit of gingerbread lingered in the tin untouched so I used it to make a trifle together with some of the blackberries that we’d picked from the hedges and the dregs of a bottle of Blackberry Gin.
Then, as I had egg whites left over from making the custard, I made some meringues, which a couple of days later I plopped into a glass with some whipped cream, more blackberries and blackberry puree to make a Bramble Mess.
As usual, I picked far too many blackberries so used the last of them to make Bramble Cheese which is like a blackberry version of membrillo. The blackberries are cooked with a little water and sugar, then sieved and the puree cooked with more sugar until it’s thickened. Turned out from its mould, it can be cut into small squares to eat like a sweet or eaten with cheese or cold meat.
In my kitchen this October …
… the first bread made with wheat from 2013 harvest. It always takes me a few batches to adjust to fresh wheat; some years I can make loaves with 80:20 home milled wholegrain flour to commercial white flour but this year it looks more like 60:40. I need to do a bit more experimenting to make sure the loaves aren’t too heavy and dense.
In my kitchen this October …
As the seasons change, so does the equipment in my kitchen. In summer, the ice cream maker is usually hauled out of the cupboard and when the kitchen gets unbearably hot, the aga is switched off and the electric toaster and kettle are searched out, dusted down and brought into action. Back in 1999, while on holiday in Australia, we stopped for a memorable lunch in Gulgong . Memorable for the children because of the milkshakes served in ice cold metal beakers and memorable for me because I left my bag containing our passports under the table and didn’t realise until we were an hour and a half down the road. It was a long day. Back home, I found a similar milkshake maker and we spent the summer of 1999 recreating those delicious milkshakes.
Now the children are grown up, the milkshake maker has languished in the cupboard, but this year Ruth was home and has resurrected it, so that we’ve doubled the order to the milkman and drunk milkshakes all summer. My favourite? 1960s style Iced Coffee made with Camp coffee. A retro drink for a retro style milkshaker maker. Now that the apples are ripe, the juicer is in action most days and milkshakes are being replaced by apple juice or purple blackberry & apple juice, so the milkshake maker will get put away. What’s your favourite milkshake?
In my kitchen this October …
… the view from the kitchen window. Not much different to last month.
Why not share your kitchen this month? Pop over to Fig Jam & Lime Cordial to find out how to join in and to see what’s happening in Celia’s kitchen and others around the world.
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LIFE IN MUD SPATTERED BOOTS 
What fabulous taste bud tantalising flavours you have in your lovely kitchen this month!
🙂 Mandy
Hi Anne, you have blackberries galore!! Lucky you!! I love your retro milk shake maker. The kids would have been in heaven. I can only assume you got your bag back as you are not still in Australia 🙂
Glenda, Beth and I have picked over 100kg of blackberries in the last few weeks. Some nights I close my eyes and see blackberries.
Hahaha…I love your progressive dessert that just kept evolving into the next one – surely you need to put that to music somehow? I’d love some trifle please, ooh, and maybe a little bramble mess as well. 🙂 Your loaves look gorgeous, must be something else to be able to include some of your own wheat in there. And I had to laugh – you stopped for lunch in Gulgong? Pete has family there. I’m assuming (and glad) that you found your passports when you went back.. 🙂
My meal planning comes to a complete standstill when I don’t have something left over from the day before to start me off. Small world isn’t it? Someone had kindly picked up my bag and left it behind the counter. Thank goodness.
Your kitchen is always wonderful to peep into, Anne! I love the blackberry trifle and the clever graphics that link to the recipe for that wonderful looking dark gingerbread. It’s one of the best things about autumn that it’s gingerbread season. Must make some! E x
It’s funny how different things suddenly appeal come the change of season.
How brilliant is that… bread from your own wheat!
Your trifle! It looks mouth watering, yum!!
You take ‘home made bread’ to a whole new level when you’re harvesting your own wheat too! Amazing! Well done xx
Your kitchen is full of such wonderful things this month Anne! I love those blackberry puds, espec the trifle. The blackberry cheese sounds lovely (wondering if it’s too late to pick more, must to a hedge taste test!) and that bread looks amazing.
What a lovely selection of things. I’m very impressed with the bread and the variety of blackberry puddings looks great 🙂
Love this post! Milkshakes are so much fun- my favorite is probably jamocha- a little chocolate and coffee mixed together!
Although I would never turn down ANY flavor milkshake!
Love all your blackberry concoctions-the gingerbread trifle has me wanting to make some- gingerbread and then trifle!
Possibly I’d turn down strawberry, but otherwise I’m pretty happy with any milkshake too.
I rediscovered Camp coffee again recently, we love it mixed with chocolate for a mocha milkshake. Oscar and I could quite happily just drink milk and milkshakes all day every day. If Ruth happens to be at Freeport tell her to go and sit at the bar at Deans Diner and have a milkshake …. they do a nutella one which is delicious.
Maybe she could take her cousins one day.
Lovely … that trifle looks like heaven. Any chance of posting me some? 🙂
If only! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could transport things the same way as emails.
I am so impressed that you are using your own wheat to make bread Anne. It doesn’t get much better than that. Your bread look delicious. I love a cold milkshake on a hot day, your milkshake maker looks perfectly retro. My favourite flavour is caramel! Your kitchen window view looks green, shady and welcoming.
Mmmm. Must try a caramel milkshake before I put the milkshake maker away. Hadn’t thought of that.
Hi Anne, that bramble mess sounds totally yummy. Love the view from your kitchen window, as always. So green! Thank you for sharing.
G’day Never heard of Bramble Cheese Anne, so thank you for allowing me to learn something new!
Could not get my eye off your trifle and thanks for this month kitchen view!
Cheers! Joanne
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Hi Anne, your trifle looks brilliant. I’ve never been a fan of trifle but looking at your picture I just want to grab a spoon!!
I’m not a fan of trifle either – but every now and then it makes a change.
Well – I don’t think I would turn my nose up at anything produced from your October kitchen – it all looks very tempting.
Such beautiful things in your kitchen, as usual 🙂 My nana used to have a milkshake maker like yours, and it always got a workout when we went to visit!
That bread is exquisite, Anne. Lovely post.
Your kitchen sounds simply dreamy!!! Thanks for sharing… 🙂
i love the view from your kitchen!!!!!!! and oh how i wish i had a shake maker!
Anne, I like your thoughts on “recycling” bits & dabs into something new. Your blackberry creations are evidence that you’re excellent at it. My favorite milkshake is good ol’ chocolate, but I could be swayed toward your coffee shake!
Camp Coffee – there’s a flashback! Milkshakes are making a big comeback this season – there’s been lots of chatter on twitter in the past few days as we wait for a local diner to open. Milkshakes will be a specialty. I wish, I wish I lived somewhere where we could forage for berries. I suppose you wish you lived somewhere where you could pick mangoes on your neighbourhood walk! Lots of inspiration from your blog as always Anne.
You’re right of course! I’d love to wander along and pick mangoes.