Food and water. Fish.

Yesterday it rained and rained and even got a bit chilly.  But today it settled back to warm, grey and damp.

The weather just can’t make up its mind these days.  Will it be hot or cold?  Will there be torrents or deserts? Well the rain has made everything green again after the exhausted looking lawns and hedgerows earlier in the summer (and has also turned all the unharvested wheat black but hopefully there wasn’t too much still to do).  So when the sun next shines I hope I’ll have time to go out in it.  Whatever, I’m still loving the warmth.  I don’t mind if it’s a bit wet as long as I can still wander about in a vest and cardi and linen trousers.  I’m so not looking forward to going back into wool!

The rain has been keeping me in so I’ve had a small cooking orgy.  Nothing in the least complicated or unusual, just chicken stock and smoked mackerel pate.  I used to buy SMP because it was a nice quick toast spread and it’s been at the back of my mind for years that it wouldn’t be so hard to make really? And really it isn’t.  Thing is, there’s all sorts of added unnecessaries in the ready made versions and of course they cost.

You just skin the smoked mackerel fillets and remove the few little bones they’ve left in when they filleted it (this actually takes ages and hardy souls who don’t mind small bones could skip the process).  Then add a big blob of créme fraiche and some lemon juice and freshly ground pepper.  Process it with a hand processor (*) until it’s however smooth you like it.   Spoon it into little jars and smooth the top before melting just enough butter to cover the top completely.  Keeps in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks. Yum!

I wouldn’t mind adding a bit of parsley or garlic but I’ve been told not to mess with it by him who often cooks.  He says it’s ok as it is – And who needs extra work.  So I won’t, even though hey!  it’s my very own recipe so whenever I do want to, I will  :  )*

(*I expect you could do it in a blender or a small food processor too but it’s easier to get an even texture with the hand held thingie also a whole packet of four fillets makes two little jars and that lasts us a couple of weeks so it’s a bit of overkill to get out a whole machine to do it)

Then we had smoked haddock steamed on top of potato and cabbage mash with a butter and dijon mustard sauce.  More yum!  (And I sneaked in some parsley which wasn’t in the recipe so there!)

I think I’ve done enough cooking now.

*After all this is somewhere between a compliment and a criticism and as such should be taken with two grains of salt and  a handful of pepper – thrown over the left shoulder.**

**Oh and then when he made it he didn’t take out the bones and he added horseradish.  Not that I’m complaining, it was a very good idea.  But who was it said not to mess with the original good idea?  Hm?