I've been lucky in the past two autumns to be able to pick lots and lots of blackberries.  
Their natural accompaniment is apples, as in apple and blackberry pie, apple and blackberry crumble which we could eat for ever.  
However, I've just found another recipe using blackberries*, which look interesting.


BLACKBERRY PUDDING
25g caster sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
450g blackberries, washed
8 thin-cut slices of day-old, quality white bread
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
grated zest of 1 large lemon
300ml milk
142ml pot double cream
2 large eggs, beaten well
25g demerara sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4.
2. Mix caster sugar with 1 tsp of cinnamon and sprinkle half of this mixture into the base of a deep 1.5 litre ovenproof dish.
3. Speread bread on one side with butter and cut each slice into two triangles, leaving crusts on.
4. Arrange half the bread in overlapping slices over the blckberries and press down to squash the fruit slightly.
5. Add remaining blackberries then sprinkle the rest of the sugar/cinnamon mixture, along with the lemon zest, over the top.
6. Add remaining layer of bread and press down.
7. use a fork to lightly whisk together the milk, cream and beaten eggs, then carefully pour the mixture evenly over the bread.
8. Mix remaining cinnamon with demerara sugar and scatter over the top.
9. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden and crisp and the fruit is bubbling.
10. Serve with fresh pouring cream.

this can be made in advance and kept covered in the fridge.  sprinkle demerara topping on just before cooking.  could also use raspberries instead of the blackberries.  could substitute candied peel for the cinnamon.

* many thanks for Waitrose

Today it's Sunday so I thought it would be a nice change to make a pudding.

Found some rhubarb in the freezer and also some raspberries.  This seemed like a good combination.  However, when thawed, the 'squashed raspberries' turned out to be 'beetroot soup', so that was a lucky escape!  

Then saw half a pineapple in the fridge and wondered if rhubarb and pineapple would make a good combination.  Somehow I wasn't too sure, so looked it up on the 'net.

Some sites advised against it, such as : http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/feb/24/foodanddrink.features112, whereas, other ones had recipes combining these ingredients, see: http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/stewed-rhubarb-with-pineapple-224744 and http://www.theimpatientchef.com/desserts/rhubarb-pineapple-crumble/.

I wonder if the advice not to combine rhubarb and pineapple more refers to advice which was given, see this interesting page: http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/rheum_x_hybridum.htm

Have decided to make two crumbles - one pineapple, one rhubarb, this saving any problems!

Crumble recipe:
4 oz sugar, 5 oz butter, 7 oz sr flour, some wheatgern and bran.  Serves 6.

Another idea is to make the excess raspberries, plus their juice, into a jelly using gelatine (vegetarian or otherwise) and a little icing sugar.

Also I love making what the children used to call PINK PUDDING - because of it's gorgeous colour.  It needs two bowls which is rather a fag but it's worth it to enjoy the putting; sooner rather than later as it doesn't keep.

1/2 lb raspberries
2 egg whites, whisked
2 oz sugar
4 fl oz double cream, whipped
1 carton natural yoghurt

Mix all the ingredients together, serves 4 - 6 people.

'New' Shed

Great News! We've just bought a new second-hand shed: 

We're absolutely thrilled as it's much bigger than our previous 'starter' shed bought about two years ago:  

This shed has been sold to a nearby new plotholder family.  

It's an excellent starter shed but we now need more space.

So ...The new shed has three large windows and double opening doors so we can sit in the doorway and look over the allotment and see peeps of Torbay and the sea in the distance: 

As you can see, there's lots of space inside for 'stuff':

Below is the other shed which was on our plot, an ancient one which was already in situ when we took over.  It's going to an allotment site over at Preston.

.

This shed has been dismantled, and is being collected soon.

Also in the photo are two beds which have been dug over and covered for the winter. Then there's a bed with raspberries and other soft fruit and strawberries and comfrey in the background.

We've cleared when the old shed was, read to make a turning space. Now the really old shed's going we can reserve that area for compost or make another vegetable bed.

Union Flag Fruit Cake

Recent front page of  weekend Telegraph supplement - yum, yum!

I don't know if this is a tea towel - if not it certainly should be.