Slow cooked Quinces and Easter buns April 13th 2014

I find it hard to believe that it been almost two months since I last wrote a blog post. It is not as if I haven't been busy preserving but just doing a lot of the same things I do every autumn when the tomatoes are in full swing. I have been bottling tomato paste and purée, making relish, and semi drying as well as making some tomato soup. The cupboard is full of pickles, jams, and relish so I think I had better stop now. 

A friend gave me some quinces the other night . I wanted to try them in the slow cooker. I found a recipe in Stephanie Alexander's Kitchen Garden Companion which spiced the quinces by adding cardomon pods, cinnamon stick and a halved lemon to the sugar syrup they are cooked in. They bubbled away in the slow cooker for about three hours and are absolutely delicious!

I have also been making a few special treats for Easter. Today it was Easter buns....not hot cross as I can't be bothered to decorate them with a cross but the recipe is just the same. I have glazed them with a sugar, water and gelatine mix to give a nice glossy finish. Of course we had to taste a couple with our coffees this morning! I also melted some cooking chocolate and mixed with dried kiwi fruit, made a bar of kiwi fruit chocolate. No need for Easter eggs this year.

Out in the garden, it is pruning time for the apple trees , grape vines as well as planting a few seeds for winter veges while the soil is still warm enough for them to get going.  This weekend I have planted some broad bean seeds as well as a mix of Asian vegetables like bok choy and wom bok.