 GARDENING
Please feed the birds and other small creatures which may not be able to find food due
to snow on the ground.
It's a good time to prune most of your deciduous trees and shrubs.
If the ground is workable at all (not frozen and not too wet), now is an excellent time
to turn the soil. Not only will this expose insect eggs to the effects of winter and
hungry birds, the freezing will help to break apart heavy clods of dirt.
Get the garden tools ready for spring. Sharpen and oil tools such as shovels, shears,
mowers and the like.
Power tools such as weedeaters and power mowers may benefit from a good tune-up.
Create a small map of your garden, and use it as a guide for ordering plants and seeds
from the cataloges which will be arriving in the mail soon.
Force Hyacinth, Paper white Narcissus, and Lily of the valley bulbs into bloom indoors,
in a shallow bowl of water, or in pots this month. |
 COOKS CORNER
Rumbledethumps
Ingredients
600g/1lb 5oz large potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
400g/14oz swede, peeled and chopped into large chunks
75g/2ľoz unsalted butter
250g/9oz savoy cabbage or kale, finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
25g/1oz cheddar cheese, grated
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Cook the potatoes and swede in a saucepan of salted boiling water until tender. Drain
well and return to the pan.
3. Heat 50g/2oz butter in a pan and gently cook the cabbage for a few minutes, until the
cabbage is tender but retains its colour.
4. Add the cabbage to the pan with the potatoes and swede. Add the remaining 25g/1oz
butter and mash together using a potato masher. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly
ground black pepper.
5. Place the mashed vegetables into an ovenproof lidded dish and top with the cheese.
Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, then remove the lid and
continue to cook for a further 15 minutes, or until piping hot and golden-brown on top. |
