Perfectly Pickled Pumpkin from the Patch

Thanks to River Cottage Winter series on television last week, I found a new way to use some of the many pumpkins I harvested this year. I used a couple of butternut pumpkins, chopped them into cubes and then blanched them for a couple of minutes.

The cubes were then packed into a couple of jars.








The pickling liquid was made from a blended mix of onion, garlic, oil, lemon zest and juice and a little bit of chilli. This blend was cooked over medium heat with turmeric, peppercorns, mustard powder, salt, sugar, vinegar and more lemon juice for 5 minutes........then pour over the cubes. That's it.

Tasted it yesterday at lunch and it was pretty tasty. No excuses to let excess pumpkins go to waste anymore!

Baguette anyone?

 The Preserving Patch has been very quiet for a while as we have been on holiday. I tried to remember to take photos wherever I could so that I could report on our food adventures but it has taken me a while to get around to start writing about them.

There is something about markets in France that farmer's markets in Australia don't quite match. Perhaps its this saucisson man with the fag hanging out his mouth offering tastings of his wares.


Or a stall selling massive blocks of nougat.

We chanced upon this market in the old town of Annecy .....not to be confused with Annecy le Vieux (which translates to the old Annecy) and is just a suburb. Annecy is not far from the Swiss border and Geneva, sits on the edge of a beautiful glacial green lake with snow capped alps in the distance.

The thing is....how do you choose which cheese to buy when there is this much choice?

 And what to choose for lunch to go with the bread?

 Better have some fruit to finish off with.  What a treat!