Autumn Graze

As some of you may know I am organising a seasonal food market at Northumberland Tennis Club, North Jesmond Avenue, Jesmond, NE2 3JU, on Sunday the 2nd October. It will be autumnal, exciting and full of food and drinks.

We have some brilliant people involved so far such as Ringtons Tea, Carruthers and Kent wines, Deli Fina with cheese and baked goods from The Feathers Inn, Terry Layborne's latest venture The Broad Chare Pub doing pub snacks and ales, The *TeaShed, Emily Botham with lots of brownies, Bels Flowers with fresh flowers and herb pots, Dough Works with fresh bread and drop scone making lessons for the kids, Cuddy Duck Chocolates, Little Miss Party Cakes, The Consett Popcorn Company, Olive Tree Charcuterie cooking up hot chorizo ciabatta rolls, Northumberland Cheese Company, Archers Jersey Ice cream will be there with their ice cream cart and Hotel du Vin will be cooking up a BBQ outside... There will be fruit, vegetables, fresh bread, cakes, macaroons, brownies, pies, pickles, pub snacks, teas, wines, handmade chocolates as well as a raffle full of fabulous foodie prizes...

Entry is FREE and there is lots of parking available at the tennis club. I hope as many of you as possible can come along to my exciting new venture! There will be lots to taste, try and buy... There are also still stalls available, so if you would like to book a place please just email me for details at annahedworth@hotmail.com

Roast French Beans, Cherry Tomatoes and Black Olives

I have received word from the allotment people that I have made good progress over the last year, it is however succeeded with encouragement to push on over the next year and get on top of the whole plot. So they spotted the bits full of towering weeds then. Damn.

I am currently inundated with courgettes, French beans and runner beans. The corn has actual husks, the Turks Turbans are about the size of golf balls and the cabbages look like they might just make it. There are flowers everywhere, sunflowers, nasturtiums creeping all over the place and fading sweet peas. I planted a dwarf sunflower that has loads of stems on each plant, there are so many that I have even picked a big bunch for the house. So there are plenty of things growing, just alongside so many weeds that I have trouble keeping on top of it all...

I'm planning on making Courgette and Lemon Jam and also a Spiced Courgette and Apple Pickle, that you will be able to buy on my stall at Autumn Graze on the 2nd October at Northumberland Tennis Club. Shameless plug... and I have to use up all the courgettes somehow...

And for the bag fulls of French beans this is a tasty little vegetable side dish I cooked up, it's great with a roast Sunday lunch. Simply roast French beans, cherry tomatoes and black olives together in a roasting tray with olive oil, salt and pepper. That's it. It takes about 25 minutes at 180°C. The beans soak up all the tomato juices and olive flavours, it's really delicious. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar before serving.