Wine Making Work Shop

On Thursday 23rd of Feburary MCA gardeners got togeather to make various wines. We had Grapes, Mixed fruit, Apple, Pear and Plums. We got chopping and managed to make 1 large bottle and 4 smaller bottles of various wines which should be ready in 2 months or so just in time for the summer season. Here are the photographs and a video from the great event.

Darn those pesky grapes

All the troops hard at work

I think this will be a very good vintage "Minnowburn 2012" Reserve!!!

Martin making himself useful

Yummy plums

Lazing on a Sunday afternoon...

What better way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon than standing about with a spade!

There was some serious work going on in the background such as dividing the polytunnel into beds. The raised beds will make looking after the plants much easier.

Spot the foreman...

At last - a good strong man!

Happy at his work

At the back of the garden, always lurking and ever growing is the sod pile. You may or may not know it but the pile is contained within a nice wooden frame.



Like the Blob, it just keeps growing...



We found the path after some excavations.

There is another get together this Sunday, 19th February from 12 o'clock onwards. All welcome.



Wine Making Work Shop

Wine Making Work Shop

There will be a wine making workshop in the National Trust Office on Thursday 23rd of Feburary @ 6pm.

Please bring any type of fruit excluding citruses (perfect for it are apples, grapes, pears, berries etc.) that can be cut/chopped/mashed and could fill up around 1/3 of the bottle (this means that 10 kg of fruits should be enough). I will bring needed sugar and yeast and we can use tap water which first will need to be boiled then cooled down.

Please check your emails for details and let Magdalena know if you are coming.

Fidelma Maher

Magdas Dumplings

Magdas Dumplings

Here is the recepie for the lovley dumplings Magda made for us at christmas.

Ingredients

to make dough you will need:

0.5kg plain flour

1 egg

some water or if prefered- milk

salt

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients and form the dough (add more water/milk if you find it too dry or more flour if too sticky)-; the dough needs to be good enough for very thin rolling, which means it won't tear when you roll it and it won't stick to the rollong pin;

2. Once rolled- use a round cutter-in practice: a cup, a glass or anything that has round shape... to cut out circles; in the middle of the circle put a filling (usually full teaspoon of filling on a 'cup' measured circle); bend the circle with a filling in half and stick the edges of formed now semi-circle (if you want to have a lovely looking finish-use a fork to press the edges, however forming it with fingers is less stressful...);

3.  Put into the boiling water (when you bring the water on to boil-add some salt and a bit of oil/olive, so the dupmlings won't stick);

4. Keep the pot on a heat and once the dumplings start to "float" on the surface- take them out from the pot on a plate, separating from each other until they dry;

5. melt the butter in a souce/frying pan and add some breadcrumbs, let it fry for 1-2minutes then spread on dumplings;

now, everything you can do is just simply ENJOY YOUR MEAL! SMACZNEGO!

PS

as a filling you can use nearly everything-I did it with white soft cheese that has been mixed with 1 yolk and vanila sugar; very good alternative to this are summer friuts and berries, but also meat or veggies-anything you firnd worth experimenting!

Magdalena Rachańska

(MCA) 

10th December Work Day & Christmas Party

On the 10th of December 2011 the Gardeners and National Trust volunteers got togeather and carried out various tasks around the garden before the winter set in. The polytunnel was cleared, the hedge was mulched, the hoses were brought in before the frost, the compost was turned and manure was collected from St Georges Market stables. Thanks to all who showed up to make it a very successful day many hands do make light work. When the work was done everyone headed for the office where the soup was stirring, dumplings were baking,  and mulled wine was stewing.

Here is a selection of phootgraphs which capture the day.

Ainda winding up for the winter

Polytunnell being cleared

                       

Hedge Mulching

                                                            



Manure was collected from St Georges Market Stables to fill the compost bay to break down for use in a year or two.

Quick Eva destroy the weeds

Hard at work 

Anthonys Ice Museum

                                                                      

Wee Muckers

Meanwhile in the kitchen Magda was giving  a polish dumpling making lesson.

Danger Women at work

 

 

Stirring Lornas Leek and Potato Soup

Mulled Vino on the go

Christmas fare

Lets Party

Snack and movie time

                                 

And the winner is!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some Polish Voldka would liven this up a bit I think

Everyone enjoying the party

A well earned drink for Martin and Tom