We ran this pic from Galloway House Estate in our stargazing piece in November issue but forgot to say you can stay there! Off-grid, wood-fired hot tubs, starry skies. There are four cottages on the organically farmed estate, which is near Wigtown, Scotland's book town. And did we mention it's in an International Dark Sky Park, recognised for its spectacular night sky.
How to make a pumpkin bird feeder
Don't ditch the Halloween pumpkin just yet... Give it a new lease of life in the garden as a pumpkin bird feeder. Pumpkins spend all summer ballooning into huge, majestic,super-squash, then come autumn, most are either made into soup or carved into a lantern at Hallowe’en. These heavyweights of the fruit world – they often reach 35kg – have a rigid shell that’s great for hacking into. This year, why not carve out a new purpose for your pumpkin, as a bird feeder?
Here’s how:
1. Cut a 2kg pumpkin in half across its equator, scoop out the seeds but leave behind a wall of pumpkin flesh, around 2cm thick.
2. Cut a 1.5cm deep groove in the rim, then push the pumpkin seeds into the rim, making an attractive and edible border.
3. Create perches for robins, blackbirds and sparrows, which like to sit and eat, rather than hang, off a feeder. Poke holes into the pumpkin skin using a skewer or sharp knife and push twigs and sticks into them for perches.
4. Knot two lengths of twine or string together in the centre, then tack the knot of both lengths to the bottom of the pumpkin feeder, using a drawing pin. This creates a hanging basket effect.
5. Fill with seed and watch your birdie friends tuck in.
Want more Halloween reads? Take our Wicca quiz and find out which witch you are, or preserve your pumpkins with pride.
Two ways: the jam tart
November's The Simple Things features Alice's favourite bake - the jam tart. Want two more ways to make them? Try these alternative methods fit for a Queen (of Hearts).
The Lattice jam tart
This effect is achieved by criss-crossing strips of pastry over a tart filling. These strips can be plain or decorative, laid flat or twisted, or even woven. Use cloves to anchor the pastry strips together where they overlap. Neaten the edges of the tart by laying a pastry rim over the ends of the strips. Brush the pastry with milk syrup and bake.
Slits Tart
Cut a covering strip of pastry for neatening the edge of the tart; set aside. Roll an oval the width of your pie plate, using the remaining scraps. Cut lengthways down the middle then cut a slit lengthways down the middle of each half. Pull the pastry apart to create the shape of a capital D. Moisten the pastry with water and then lay both D-shaped pieces of pastry back to back, with a small space in-between. Your tart should divide into 5 crescents. Glaze and bake blind. Fill each section with a preserve of a different colour.
From Great British Bakes by Mary-Anne Boermans (Square Peg)
Image: Pinterest
Dark sky thinking: stargazing events
Astronomical societies across the country regularly hold talks, events and ‘Star Parties’. Go stargazing with some of these dark sky events.
Wordsworth’s Winter Stars at Allan Bank and Grasmere, 15 November 18.30-20.00, £5
This National Trust event allows you to learn about the universe with local astronomer Stuart Atkinson, as you gaze at the night sky from the grounds of Allan Bank, as Wordsworth once did. In his words, ‘ the loveliest spot that man hath ever found’.
Practical Observing for Beginners at The Royal Observatory Greenwich. 4 November 19.00- 21.00, £78
An expert introduction to practical astronomy, but perhaps one you might not consider investing in until you’ve made sure it’s the hobby for you.
Swansea Astronomical Society Star Party at The National Botanic Garden for Wales, 28 November 18.30-21.00, £3
Given clear skies, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Moon and many other fascinating stellar objects will be visible. Includes a talk on comets.
Pop-up astronomy club is an informal astronomy club set up by East London science collective Super Collider. They have binoculars and a telescope for guests to use, and meet whenever the sky is clear and there’s something to see - follow them on twitter for updates.
Turn to page 68 of November's The Simple Things for more stargazing. Buy or download your copy now.
Competition: Win £250 to spend at Surface View (closed 20 December 2014)
Win £250 to spend at Surface View - choose an image from Surface View’s extensive archive to make into a mural, a print, ceramic tiles, even a lampshade. Sometimes wallpaper just doesn’t cut it. Certain rooms need something special – perhaps a wall covered with an enlarged poster to add colour to a child’s room, or lined with a giant photograph of trees to turn the living room into a leafy bower. Which is where Surface View comes in...
Over the years, its owner Michael Ayerst has collected and curated images from many different sources. Some have been retrieved from dusty attics or museum basements – others found among the pages of vintage manuscripts. Many are from well-known designers including Ella Doran and Hemingway Design, or from the V&A and the British Library, among other institutions.
One shortcut to help you choose from their rich archive is Surface View’s Edits Collection. This newly introduced series features new home decor products, including an exclusive range of cushions and wall charts, plus a limited selection of framed matt art prints. Go to www.surfaceview.co.uk to discover the enormous number and variety of images available, such as this County of London mural (above). Choose your image and then select your print medium, from canvases to murals, wall hangings to window films. Alternatively, go for the ready-made option. The only trouble will be knowing where to stop.
What you could win
One of two £250 vouchers to spend at Surface View. Choose from their new Edits Collection and hundreds of other designs, which can be printed as a mural, on tiles, canvas or on a birch ply box. You can even get an image printed onto a blind, window film, or Formica.
How to enter
Go to www.futurecomps.co.uk/surfaceview to enter and for full terms and conditions. Closing date: 20 December 2014.
Competition: Win a KitchenAid mixer worth £429! (closed 6 November 2014)
As the days get shorter and the air gets colder, it feels good to get into the kitchen and bake. Comforting and cosy, it’s no wonder baking is one of the most loved of British pastimes. Create culinary masterpieces with a KitchenAid Food Mixer - we have one to give away courtesy of our friends at Housemakers.
The First Prize
The KitchenAid Mixer is a highly desirable, professional-grade piece of kitchen equipment that is loved by chefs and bakers worldwide. Designed to enable true kitchen creativity, it has 10 speed settings, chic curves and functions that allow you to mix everything from cake, bun and bread mixes through to eggs and cream, achieving perfect results every time. This highly functional piece of equipment is also ideal if you like to do large batches of baking at once.
The lucky winner will be even be able to choose the colour of their prize from the standard mixer range at Housemakers (please see T&Cs). The design is an instantly recognised classic, and the latest range of autumnal colour shades are the perfect finishing touch for any kitchen.
Runner-Up Prize
One runner-up will receive a Circulon Baking Set from Housemakers, which contains:
1 x 12 Cup Muffin Tray
1 x 9” Springform Cake Tin
1 x Loose-Base Flan Tin
1x 9”x5” Loaf Tin.
How to enter:
Closing date: 6 November 2014
About Housemakers
Housemakers is an established family business that sells a broad range of home, garden and leisure items, stocking the best brands at the lowest prices. Housemakers has been in business for more than 40 years and operates from three retail superstores, as well as through its online presence. The business prides itself on offering exceptional customer service combined with value-for-money prices and a carefully chosen and extensive product range. View the entire range by visiting http://www.housemakers.co.uk/
Terms & Conditions
The colour choice of the KitchenAid Mixer must be from selected from the standard mixer range only. This excludes pink, chrome and satin finishes, as well as the later commercial mixer models which are denoted as being 6.9l in size.
Recipe: Garibaldi biscuits
Lia Leendertz, our regular Seed to Stove columnist, remembers forgotten foods in the November issue of The Simple Things. Here, she shares her delight in the Garibaldi biscuit, plus a tried and tested recipe. “The garibaldi is one of the oldest biscuits on the block, and is mentioned in Mrs Beeton’s original ‘Book of Household Management’ in 1861. It has stood the test of time, and I thought it might make a lovely fruity addition to the savoury biscuits on my cheese board. I was right.”
Garibaldi biscuits
110g self-raising flour Pinch of salt 25g spreadable butter 25g golden caster sugar 2 tablespoons milk 50g currants A little egg white, lightly beaten A little granulated sugar
A large baking sheet, with a non-stick liner
1. Put the flour, salt and butter into a mixing bowl and rub to the fine crumb stage. 2. Then add the sugar and after that enough milk to mix to a firm dough that will leave the bowl clean. 3. After that transfer it to a lightly floured surface and roll it out to a rectangle 20cm by 30cm. 4. Now sprinkle the currants over half the surface and then fold the other half on top and roll everything again so you end up with a rectangle 20cm by 30cm. 5. Then trim it neatly using a sharp long-bladed knife, so you end up with a shape about 18cm by 28cm. 6. Cut this into 24 fingers approximately 3cm by 7cm. 7. Now place the biscuits on the baking sheet, brush with a little egg white and sprinkle with granulated sugar. 8. Bake near the centre of the oven for 12–15 minutes, then cool on a wire tray and store in an airtight tin.
Recipe from Delia's Cakes by Delia Smith.
Image: Pinterest
Passing on traditions: New boots
So shiny, not a mark on them. And all that leather, suede or, for the extrovert, patent. Your little bitty strappy sandals are all very well but with a pair of boots there’s far more shoe to show-off and tell. New boots are reassuringly expensive. Guilt-free, too: Fashion maths dictates that boots x per wear = good value. Is it the knowledge you’ll soon be in so-cosy woolly tights again or the fact that you can wear them every day till March that sends us skipping to the shops? Ooh, and that big box to take them home in. Nice.
Shallow, us? This is a seasonal ritual to be undertaken alongside harvest festivals and leaf kicking – maybe not in your splendid new boots though.
Our favourite winter boots, clockwise from top left:
1. UGG Kensington 1969 boots, £120, John Lewis
2. Horrigan boots, £150, Hudson
3. Nautical knee boots, £98, Office
4. Chelsea boots, £120, Timberland
6. Grace ii boots, £90, Red or Dead
Cake in the house: Sticky toffee loaf
Gooey, gingery and cockle-warming, this sticky toffee loaf is comfort on a plate.
Sticky toffee ginger loaf
Serves 6–8
200g pitted dates, halved 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 75g unsalted butter, softened 115g soft brown sugar 2 tsp ground ginger 3 eggs 80g (about 4 balls) stem ginger, finely chopped 225g self-raising flour, sifted
For the caramel glaze: 110g caster sugar 40g butter 225ml single cream
1. Line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment and grease it. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F.
2. Put dates and bicarbonate of soda in a large mixing bowl, cover with 330ml boiling water, stir and set aside for at least 20 mins.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until thick and pale. Add the ground ginger, then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Stir in the soaked date mixture, the stem ginger and flour and mix until well combined – the mixture should be quite loose. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 50-60 mins until a skewer comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. To make the glaze, choose a pan large enough to ensure the sugar is no more than 2mm thick over the base, otherwise the heat won’t distribute evenly through the sugar. Set the pan over a gentle heat and add the sugar and 1 tsp water. Shake the pan rather than stir it with a spoon to avoid the sugar hardening before it liquifies – this will take around 15 mins and you want a deep, golden caramel. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted and well combined.
7. Heat cream in a separate pan over a gentle heat, then whisk it into the caramel until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool and firm up slightly so that it has a good spreading consistency. Spread over the cooled cake and serve.
Recipe taken from Café Kitchen by Shelagh Ryan (Ryland Peters & Small, £17)
Pottering in the potting shed: Spring harvest sowing
Sow seed now to enjoy an early spring harvest! In a new series, our garden editor Cinead McTernan, shares ideas for things to do in your plot.
“This time last year I was busy planning the transformation of our small, urban backyard plot into an edible paradise. Though there was plenty of hard graft to be done outside - we had to take down a dilapidated shed, dig up shrubs from the two narrow borders and lift the lawn - I didn’t want to miss the chance of having veg ready to plant out in early spring and produce early crops. Autumn is a great time to sow some types of vegetables that can cope over the cold, winter months and are ready to put on a growth spurt once the warmer weather arrives in spring.”
“Seed catalogues are the best place to start if you’re looking for inspiration or need a guiding hand about what can be sown and grown in each month. I’m well aware that while lots of friends fold down corners of pages in clothes catalogues, promising themselves they’ll go back and hone down the order to one or two choice items, I do this with pages showing fruit and vegetables. It’s not that I couldn't do with a nice chunky knitted jumper and a new pair of jeans, but I just get more excited about an ‘Earth Chestnut’ from Thomas Etty that produces delicious edible roots that taste like sweet chestnuts, seeds that can be used a substitute for cumin and leaves that taste much like parsley, or ’Egyptian Walking Onions’ from Otter Farm, that quite literally take a stroll through your plot over the growing season!”
“Broad beans are an excellent crop to sow now, either outdoors in the plot, or, as I did, indoors in pots. Try varieties like ‘Aquadulce Claudia’and ‘De Monica’ which cope well with an autumn sowing. Sow one seed per 9cm pot filled with peat-free multi-purpose compost. I use Carbon Gold’s GroChar seed compost, which is a fantastic growing medium and kind to the environment. Don’t let the compost dry out and keep somewhere that’s cool but frost-free. I don’t have any windowsills and didn’t have a greenhouse, so had to claim a bit of space in our kitchen. It wasn’t ideal - as my husband and son kept telling me - and also meant I was fairly restricted with what I could sow. I managed to do a few sweet peas and a couple of pots of garlic cloves, but there were lots of other varieties I’d loved to have tried.”
“This year is another story: I have a gorgeous potting shed and it’s made all the difference. It will provide a great environment to get seeds off to an early start so they can produce a crop as early as May. If you have windowsills, a patient husband and children, or a greenhouse or potting shed, here’s my list of seeds you can sow now. I look forward to swapping notes in the spring!"
Garlic
Plant individual cloves in 9cm pots or a modular tray, with the tip just below the surface of the soil. Place in a cool, dry spot and don’t let them dry out over the winter. Plant out in spring, about 10cm apart and keep well watered. Hard-neck types are thought to have stronger flavour but only stores until mid-winter whereas soft-neck types can be kept in the ground until mid-winter (if autumn planted) and produces, smaller tightly packed cloves.
Par cel
New to me this year, I loved the sound of it being a combination of parsley and celery. It’s a winter hardy perennial, which according to Sarah Raven can be sown undercover until September. Given our warm weather, I think it can still be sown over the next week or so! They need light and a frost-free spot. plant out in spring.
Wild rocket
I haven’t had much luck direct-sowing it this summer, so i thought I’d give it a go in a seed tray. A great leaf to sow and grow all year round, it’s going to feature in autumn suppers I hope – with chilli on spaghetti or as a pesto with gnocchi – yum! It needs a sunny spot and shouldn’t dry out.
Pea shoots
Another all year round crop, which I grew outside in the raised beds this summer. Delicious and so fragrant when you pick the tips. Like the rocket, another great way to get some fresh, lively greens into home cooked autumn and winter dishes. In theory ready to eat in 3 weeks – will be interesting to see if this is in summer, or a mild autumn too.
Recipe: Tangerine and nutmeg hot chocolate
There is a spectrum of hot chocolates. At one end, the instant and saccharine; at the other, chunks of the real deal – melted and laced. This warming number sits at the luxurious end, with hints of citrus and aromatic nutmeg lifting it onto an altogether cosy, autumnal plane.
Tangerine and nutmeg hot chocolate
Makes one small cup 20g plain chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) 1 piece dried tangerine or orange peel 100ml cold water 1–2 tsp icing sugar, according to taste and quality of chocolate
To serve: 1–2 tsp double cream Extra nutmeg
You will need: Nutmeg grater Small skewer or cocktail stick
1. Put the chocolate and tangerine peel in a non-stick pan. Add the water and gently bring to simmering point on a low heat, stirring to melt the chocolate. 2. Add sugar to taste, simmer and stir for 5–10 mins until the mixture just begins to thicken. 3. Remove the peel and pour into a small cup or tea bowl and float cream on the top, swirling or marbling using a cocktail stick or small skewer. Serve sprinkled with a grating of nutmeg.
Tip: For a comforting bedtime treat, add 100ml milk to the pan and, once the chocolate has thickened and heated through, pour into a mug to take to bed.
Variation: Try adding a 1cm piece of vanilla pod and a pinch of ground cinnamon or chilli in place of the tangerine and nutmeg.
Hot chocolate recipe from Artisan Drinks by Lindy Wildsmith (Jacqui Small, £25)
Wordless Wednesday
El Golfo, Lanzarote. By Linda Lashford for Inntravel.
Three new baking bibles
In celebration of National Baking Week (13-19 October) – in case you needed an excuse - here are three new baking bibles…
Great British Bakes by Mary-Anne Boermans (Square Peg, £20) A collection of ‘forgotten treasures for modern bakers’ from a previous Bake Off finalist. Find yourself back in Granny’s kitchen with Chelsea buns, King and Queen cakes and Bakewell pudding in wonderful variations and designs.
Making Bread Together by Emmanuel Hadjiandreou (Ryland, Peters & Small, £17) Grab a little helper or two and knead, sprinkle, twist and plait your (play) dough together while discovering all the joys of bonding over baking.
Pâtisserie Made Simple by Edd Kimber (Kyle Books, £20) The book that makes all those things you thought you couldn’t possibly create (tarts, choux pastry, macaroons…) seem easy. For the home cook, there’s minimal equipment, ingredients and fuss.
Want more cookbooks? This month, Team Simple Things digs out our most-thumbed volumes and the memories they hold. Turn to page 74 of October's The Simple Things for a look at what makes a cookbook great.
156th Mendip Ploughing Match
The 156th Mendip Ploughing Match was held on Yeo Valley’s Priddy Hill Farm earlier this month. A celebration of the local community, the soil, and of the heritage of the countryside, the Match also forms a stage in the progress of the Mendip champion to the National Ploughing Championships.
Featuring ploughing by hand, by horse, by tractor and even by steam engine, the art of ploughing through the ages is represented. Many of these forms of ploughing are unsustainable in modern agriculture so matches such as this enable people to come together and keep the skills alive. The love for these old machines - the tiny horticultural ploughs, a vintage Massey Ferguson that is over 50 years old - and the skill of those who maintain them is apparent all around. Vintage tractor entries made up the majority of competitors.
Yeo Valley Farm Manager, Jon Wilson, judged the grain and fodder classes, in which the best bale of hay, or 20lb bushel of oats is awarded a prize. There is even a class for the best piece of turf, and the heaviest pumpkin!
The atmosphere is that of a village fete. Mary Mead, founder of Yeo Valley, is one of the vice presidents of the society and a number of staff participated. Some ploughed, some judged, and some just turned up for the fun.
Want more? Watch the film of the 2012 Mendip Ploughing Match.
Want, knead, love: Real, down-to-earth bread baking
There's something about bread that is so fundamental, so magical, so right. Our passionate baker boy, Alex Gooch, is here to pass on his bread baking knowhow.
Meet Alex Gooch, our new baker boy, in the first of his new series about baking bread.
“Good bread takes patience, passion and instinct. Making it brings you into the moment completely. It stimulates all of the senses, whether it be the feel of the dough, the sweet smell of the baking bread, or the crackle as you squeeze a ciabatta. “When I was growing up, my brothers and I ate toast, toast and more toast! And that was about as close to bread as I got until I started as a kitchen porter when I was doing my A levels. “I loved the camaraderie of the kitchen and felt at home there. They offered to train me, so I ditched the idea of college and settled into the chef’s life of long hours and a surrogate family of fellow foodies. “I liked baking bread and worked at a few Italians where I mastered focaccia pretty well and at hotels I made plenty of pastry and croissants. But it was while at Penrhos Court in Herefordshire that I started experimenting, encouraged by chef Daphne lambert (who I named my first sourdough starter after). In 2007 she let me take over one of the kitchens at night and this was my first bakery. I began selling bread and jams at farmers’ markets and food festivals, then the following year I opened my bakery called Alex Gooch Artisan Baker in Hay-on-Wye. “There are so many possibilities with bread: rye sourdough, mixed grain, ciabatta, brioche but one of the things that keeps me excited and inspired is following the seasons, and letting them dictate the bread I make. It turns out that pink fir apple potatoes make the most scrumptious potato and onion bread, and the magical cep makes a mind-blowing garlic and cep foccacia with herb oil. “Baking is a hard job – pulling all-nighters and the need to step up a gear when things are busy. But baking at home is different: one of the reasons I think it is now so popular is because the results are so rewarding. The process is so enjoyable, too. It is very natural; you can listen to the radio or chill out for a while – bread is at its best when it is left to rest a lot.”
Turn to page 49 of October's The Simple Things for Alex's seasonal bread bakes, including Black garlic flatbread with sesame, nigella and a kale, miso dressing; Roast pumpkin and apple rolls; and Plum and ginger bread with a cider and honey glaze.
Buy or download your copy now.
Alex Gooch supplies restaurants, hotels, delis, functions and events and sells at markets in different towns four days a week. He also runs bread-making courses: www.alexgoochbaker.com. Tweet Alex @alexgoochbaker to let him know how your bread bakes.
Go meteor-spotting this month
Head outside and enjoy the show! Find out how to spot meteors with our guide.
The annual Draconids and Orionids meteor showers come to town this month. Here's what to expect...
Draconids
Around ten meteors an hour, but some years feature meteor storms with hundreds an hour.
When: peaking in the early evening on 7 and 8 October - no need to stay up late to spot them!
Orinids
Around 15 meteors an hour, produced by the debris stream from Halley's Comet, with occasional bright fireballs.
When: 20 and 21 October.
Astronomical glossary
Asteroid: rocky, smaller than a planet and very old; often left over from the formation of the Solar System.
Meteor: an asteroid that burns and vaporises as it enters the earth's atmosphere; AKA a shooting star.
Meteorite: any meteor that survives the plunge through the atmosphere and lands on the surface of the Earth.
Comet: a relatively small odd that orbits the Sun, displaying a fuzzy outline and sometimes a tail.
The Simple Things guide to meteor-spotting is part of October's Miscellany: a curious combination of the practical and the playful. Turn to page 123 of The Simple Things for more. Buy or download your copy now.
And look out for November's The Simple Things - stargazing and a trip to the moon and stars!
Image: The radiant meteor storm of 9 October 1933, Larousse Encyclopedia of Astronomy, found on Pinterest.
Wool Week: Join The Wool Ride
Join fellow yarn-fans this weekend for the capital's Wool Ride in celebration of Wool Week.
The Simple Things team is a woolly bunch - we love natural materials. This Sunday, get on your bike and join fellow wool-clad cyclists for The Wool Ride.
Help launch Wool Week in a frenzy of fibre as over 300 wool loving cyclists from across the country gather in London for a one of a kind experience. Starting and finishing at Potters Fields on Sunday 5th October, the bicycle ride will journey through some of the streets made famous by London’s most prominent wool supporters, including the archetypal Jermyn Street.
Take in some of London’s key sights and hotspots, passing through iconic scenery such as London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, Knightsbridge, Park Lane and Regent Street. The ride starts at 9am (running until 2pm - the 13.4 mile ride should take around 1 hour 38 minutes), taking riders along a meandering route with time to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the sights of the capital at a leisurely pace. On arrival at Potters Fields, give your bike a temporary makeover with the ‘Woolen Cycle Workshop.’ Here, teams of cycle creatives will be on hand to give bikes the ultimate makeover for a chance to win the award for best bicycle. And don't forget to wear your best woollen knits as there is an award for best dressed up for grabs.
Find out more about The Wool Ride.
Want more wool? Celebrate cosy and cool Fair Isle knits with us - turn to page 22 of October's The Simple Things. And join the queen of sheepskin, Kath Whitworth, as she shares her day in cups of tea (page 56).
Plants for free: How to collect seeds
The flowering season may be coming to an end but there is still abundance in the garden. This is the time to collect seeds, propagate and divide.
October is the time to harvest a different sort of crop: seeds, cuttings and divided plants to fill the garden with colour next year. Here’s how to go about it...
Collect your own seeds
Set off with a brown paper bag, a pair of scissors and a skip in your step. If you want to bulk up stocks of a favourite plant or ensure new supplies of an annual, now’s the time to collect their seeds. Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), love-in-a-mist (nigella damascena), cosmos (cosmos bipinnatus) and honesty (lunaria annua) are ideal for beginners and will easily store and germinate the following spring. However, there are many other annuals as well as perennials, biennials, alpines, ornamental grasses, vegetables, herbs and some trees and shrubs that can all be grown from seed that you’ve collected.
1 Choose your plants carefully
Go for strong, healthy ones as they’re likely to have good- quality seed. However, be aware if they’re hybrids (specially bred plants that are unlikely to have the same qualities as the parent plant) rather than species, as the plant won’t “come true” from seed. In the case of hybrids, either buy new plants the following year or be prepared for the collected seeds to produce something completely different from this year’s plants.
2 Collect the seeds
Once you’ve decided which plants you’re saving seed from, the trick is to collect it just before it has dispersed. It’s a bit of a waiting game, but once the seed head has ripened and changed colour (from green to brown, black or red) and is dry and crisp, it’s time to spring into action. Pick individual seed heads and use separate paper bags for each species or, if they’ll come away easily, place a paper bag over the seed head and gently shake.
3 Dry the seeds
Once you’ve gathered all the seeds you want, lay them out on a warm windowsill or a greenhouse bench – you can even find a spot in the airing cupboard. You need to give them time to dry out so you can get to the seed more easily. Clean away the ‘chaff’ or casing until you’re left with just the seed. Check to see which seeds you’ve collected and if they need to be sown straight away. Hellebores, for example, can be stored to sow next spring when the weather warms up.
4 Transfer your seeds into individual paper packets and label them
You’ll be surprised how satisfying this is. Keep them in an airtight container and, if you have any sachets of silica gel from new shoes or bags, place a couple in with the seeds to absorb excess moisture, which would otherwise cause the seeds to rot. If not, add a handful or two of rice to the container and find a spot for the container in the fridge.
Want more? Turn to page 97 of October's The Simple Things. Buy or download your copy now.
Recipe: Vibrant autumn coleslaw
No need to wait till next summer with this vibrant autumn salad from The Natural Cook by Tom Hunt.
This slaw is a great way to ‘eat the rainbow’ – colourful veg contain a range vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to ward off winter bugs.
Vibrant autumn coleslaw
Serves 4
200g carrots 1 small beetroot 3 beet tops or kale leaves, shredded 2 tbsp sunflower seeds 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds Juice of 1 lemon Small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped 150g blackberries Extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp sesame seeds
1. Grate the carrots coarsely, dress with a splash of extra virgin olive oil, a little lemon juice and salt and pepper. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until they brown slightly. mix with the carrots.
2. Grate the beetroot and add it to the dish, but don’t mix the salad until you’re ready to eat, so the colours stay separate.
3. Add all of the remaining ingredients and season the mix to taste. Toss gently with a glug of the oil to coat, then serve.
Seasonal twist
Play around with different ingredients as the seasons change. As winter arrives, substitute the blackberries for dried fruits and grate in whatever raw root vegetables you have handy, from kohlrabi to celeriac.
Storage
The salad will keep for three days in a sealed container in the fridge, but is best eaten straight away.
Recipe from The Natural Cook by Tom Hunt.
Wicca quiz: Which witch are you?
The witches we tend to think of are the stuff of cliche. As followers of wicca continue to grow, we ask 'which witch are you?' in this fun quiz.
For a fun way to discover your true witchy nature and to help identify magical areas of interest, try this simple quiz. Just count the letter you ticked the most and read on to see what kind of witch you are. 1) YOU OFTEN MAKE WISHES: a) At night under a full moon b) When you’re cooking up a storm in the kitchen c) By lighting a candle d) When you’re out in the garden
2) WHICH THREE WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? a) Sensitive, creative, and intuitive b) Warm, generous, and caring c) Spontaneous, passionate, and enthusiastic d) Practical, mystical, and earthy
3) TO DE-STRESS, YOU: a) Take a stroll by the sea with the one you love b) Get together with friends and family for a feast c) Don your party dress and tear up the dance floor d) Go for a picnic in the woods
4) WHICH OF THESE WORKSHOPS WOULD YOU BE DRAWN TO? a) Astrology b) Everyday spellcraft c) Fire-walking d) Holistic remedies
5) TO GIVE YOURSELF A CONFIDENCE BOOST BEFORE A BIG EVENT, YOU: a) Focus on your breathing b) Remind yourself how amazing you are c) Do some exercise d) Make a soothing herbal brew
6) WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF RESTAURANT? a) A seafood restaurant b) A traditional all-American diner c) A tapas restaurant d) A French bistro
7) YOUR FAVOURITE MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE IS: a) A werewolf b) A griffin c) A dragon d) A unicorn
8) WHICH QUALITY IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP? a) Romance b) Honesty c) Passion d) Friendship
9) YOU’RE AT YOUR HAPPIEST WHEN YOU ARE: a) Sitting out under the stars at night b) Decorating your boudoir c) Gazing into an open fire d) Learning something new
Mostly As MOON WITCH
A sensitive soul who finds it easy to empathise with others, you’re a Moon Witch at heart. Most at home under the stars, you have a vivid imagination. You’re drawn to rituals that involve the phases of the moon and the planets, and you have a natural aptitude for astrology. Bodies of water also fascinate you, and you find it easy to relax by the sea. You’re at your most powerful during the moon’s waxing phase (when it gets bigger), so use this time to manifest the things you want, and to inspire others.
Mostly Bs KITCHEN WITCH
Warm and kind-hearted, you love to put a smile on people’s faces. Most at home when you’re rustling up a sumptuous meal,you’re a true KitchenWitch. You know the power that you have at your fingertips, and how to use everyday items and ingredients to achieve your magical aims. Wise and knowledgeable, you easily draw people to you, which means you’re constantly on call for advice.You have a natural flair for flavours and putting things together to create a masterpiece. Because of this, you’ll be an adept spell–creator and–caster.
Mostly Cs ELEMENTAL WITCH
Fiery and passionate, you’re a changeable soul ruled by your emotions, so you’ll make an excellent Elemental Witch. You embrace new things, and have an adventurous streak.You’ll probably find that the weather affects your moods. You’re vibrant, confident, and in tune with your body, and have an immense amount of energy, which you put to good use. Fast action suits you, so you’ll naturally be drawn to fire and candle magic. You’re at your most powerful when you’re taking the lead, and, like the flames of a fire, you easily light up a room.
MOSTLY DS HEDGE WITCH
A true earth mother,you feel a deep connection to nature, which makes you the perfect Hedge Witch. With a broad knowledge of plants and herbs, you’ll love getting your hands dirty. An excellent communicator with strong creative skills, you have a natural way with words. You’re adept at most types of healing; spells, charms, brews, and potions fascinate you, and you’re constantly gathering information. A keen interest in folklore means that you enjoy mixing old traditions with new ideas. You feel most at home outdoors, and at your most powerful when surrounded by wildlife and cocooned by trees.
Read more about wicca on page 80 of October 2014's The Simple Things. Buy or download now.
Quiz extracted from The Beginner's Guide to Wicca by Kirsten Riddle, CICO Books.