days with an abundance of apples part 1

I'm not one to waste food. OK, but let's qualify that. I have got previous (as they say in English cop series) in that I've let some items lurk at the back of the fridge before now and then found they're past their sell by date. And yes, they may have been the odd, old manky courgette or carrot decaying at the bottom of the vegetable basket. But generally speaking, I like to find a use and a tasty recipe for everything that I pick, dig up or buy .

This year, the apples have just kept coming....for the last two months, I've been eating them raw, in Dorset apple cakes, apple crumbles, and there are pounds and pounds of slightly stewed apples in the freezer ready for more warming crumbles to come throughout the rest of autumn and winter.

I find the best way to preserve the apples for the freezer is to slice them and put into an earthenware bowl, dredge with lemon juice and perhaps two tablespoons of sugar, then add four tablespoons of water.

Stir and cover tautly with cling film

Stab the cling film twice, ( a task I always relish, especially when  I'm in  a bad mood) then bung the bowl in the microwave for three minutes.  Remove the cling film , then as soon as the apples have cooled properly put in freezer bags. They will keep for about 9 months.

 But still the apples keep a coming.....so I've made six or seven pounds of apple and mint jelly. Now this is something I've been making for years, and in good years when the apples are in abundance, I make shedloads. It lasts for a good two years. I think I may have to make another batch pretty soon....if the mint in the courtyard keeps going that is.

Now this is a jelly which goes extremely well with lamb and my lot vastly prefer it to mint sauce. It's also good with roast or poached chicken. So would you like the recipe?

You will need

5 pounds of cooking apples
about 5 large sprigs of mint
2 pints of distilled white vinegar
 another 8 -10 tablespoons of mint; chopped finely
sugar
(should make about six pounds of jelly)

method

1.Roughly chop the apples, cut out the bruised bits , but the good news is you don't have to peel them all!
2. Put the apples in a preserving pan with the sprigs of mint and about 2 pints of water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 40 minutes. Don't let the mixture catch - no sticky bottoms here thank you very much.
3.Add the vinegar and bring to the boil for a further 5 minutes. No longer, because the smell is so intense, I don't want you becoming overcome and falling face first into the preserving pan.
4. Make sure you open the kitchen windows...I hate the smell of boiling vinegar.

5. Spoon the hot apple pulp into a jelly bag which is suspended over a big bowl and leave overnight . When you wake up in the morning , you will have lots of fluid in the bowl..
6. For each pint of extract you have in the bowl, use a pound of sugar, and put everything in a preserving pan.
7.Stir while you heat it gently and make sure all the sugar is dissolved and then boil until setting point is reached...about 15 minutes for me.
8. Don't forget to remove the scum which forms on top .

7.Stir while you heat it gently and make sure all the sugar is dissolved and then boil until setting point is reached...about 15 minutes for me.
8. Don't forget to remove the scum which forms on top .
9.Now throw in the finely chopped mint  and cool.
After 15 minutes put the jelly in to sterilised  jam jars and cover.

I've just got to work out now what I'm going to do with the next batch of apples.....

The day I went to a supper club

 If you happened to be in the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough on Thursday, you may have come across a woman pushing a wooden table on castors plus a couple of chairs on top down a hill. It wasn't a fundraising stunt come push for charity. No, it was Katie, one half of the Secret Supper Club, taking one of her tables to the venue for Friday's secret supper event.

It's been a while since Lauren and Katie have held such an event, and the Mexican themed night was a complete sell out.

I'm not surprised, what's there not to like about going somewhere completely different to a  secret supper or pop up restaurant ? You get a chance to have a really good meal with a different menu, you can take your own booze and as an added bonus, you get to have a good nosey at someone else's home .

I took three friends along, Laura, Suzie and Fiona...Fiona was the saint who drove us home. Arriving promptly , there was a warm welcome into Lauren's Victorian, possibly Edwardian newly and beautifully renovated home.

There was a "Wow"and instant kitchen envy from Laura and I as we entered the huge kitchen. When I say huge...there's not many kitchens where 25 people can be easily seated. And it's gorgeous....

 

There were home made nachos, sour cream, guacamole and a tomato salsa on the table to tuck into while other arrivals piled in...and our booze was put into a old tin trough full of ice.

 

The main course was served buffet style and queuing up gave those people on different tables a chance to chat, and get an eyeful of what we were about to receive and be truly grateful for.

I've never tasted grilled corn like this - topped off with chilli oil, salt, lime juice and Lancashire cheese, I had to have a second piece .There was pulled pork with almond mole, green rice, mixed bean chilli, spicy chicken wings and big, fat sweet potato wedges plus featherweight soft tortillas and a tomato salad.

And what's more , there was plenty more for those who had already polished off everything on their piled high plates.

 
 



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By now, the booze was flowing and the decibel levels in the kitchen were rising as everyone sat chatting

And then Lauren arrived with some tequila

I 've never tried tequila slammers before. I've watched others knock them back many times, but not done it myself after seeing the havoc caused afterwards. Most notably at my friend Karen's hen do about ten years ago. Everyone except me had several rounds of them.(I was driving) with great merriment as they licked the salt off their hand, slammed the tequila down their neck, and then sucked a quarter of lime.

Within minutes they were all uproariously drunk , dancing outrageously and inappropriately and I ended up having to virtually carry one of the group (Hello Helen) through the streets of Leicester while trying to hail a taxi without success at 2.30am. In the end I had to drive  about 15 miles out of my way to get Helen home, with the window wide open so she could throw up out of the window. I propped her up her outside her front door, rang the bell, got into my car, watched her husband open the door, giggled at his expression and drove away into the early hours .

So there was no way I was going to have a tequila.....

As you can see , I really enjoyed it....

At least I can say I've had one, but it's not something I shall do again. But one thing I will do, is book straight in for the very next supper club held here. Did I mention the rum and lime cake after the tequila?

Such a lovely relaxed yet buzzy atmosphere, as much food as we could eat at a very decent price, with lots of smiles all round, from the organisers to the very satisfied punters.

 

And apart from a raft of "thank you's and "goodnights"...the only question  on everyone's lips as we sailed off happily down the street was "When is the next one?"

 





 

The day of the food fair

 





Another year, another Melton Food Festival....it's an annual tradition eagerly awaited by many in these here parts. There's a chance to taste something new, talk to local producers and those from further afield, have a drink with friends and perhaps at some stage sit down and watch one of the cookery demonstrations.

 

 

I've been going for a number of years...including those festivals which were held at nearby Brooksby Hall in huge marquees.

 

But again this year's fair was held at the busy and thriving Cattle market in the heart of the town itself.

 

 Obviously the cattle, sheep and hens weren't there for the food festival, and as visitors walked past the empty pens to the entrance they immediately started to feel hungry. You could hear the sizzle of sausages and burgers frying and smell the distinctive bison burgers, as well as detecting the rich smell of chocolate which was accompanying fried churros.

 I managed to slide past the street food stalls without stuffing myself full of food. After all there were 150 stalls, all piled high with produce to look at, taste, try and buy.

Alistair Mattinson was manning his Hedgerow Products stand. Everything he makes is sourced from Leicestershire, collecting bullaces and damsons, medlars and rowanberries as well as crab apples. I tested them all, well nearly all, and I have to say they were full of flavour. I only  wish my blackberry jam tasted like his.

And it would have been rude not to test more from the hedgerows near Melton, this time infused with alcohol. Ooh, Sloeberry Spirits do a really mean vodka and blackberry ....they make about 5,000 bottles a year of that plus whisky and damson and sloe gin. Quite a few people buying bottles for Christmas presents....or so they said....

Another Leicestershire producer which caught my eye  was Greyfriars Fine Foods....yes, the clue is the name....Richard III has inspired Rosie Clark to make contemporary foods with mediaeval flavours. And her products were different made with mead, marigolds and rose petals...beautifully labelled.

          

 

I think Riverford Organics have been to every local food fair I've been to over the past few years, and it was at Melton a few years ago, I met Diana who was whizzing up the most delicious sweetcorn fritters while she chatted away.

I must have eaten two or three, and promptly bought the lovely Riverford Cookbook which I use often. No sweetcorn fritters this time alas, but some very tasty kale with garlic.

Of course there wasn't just local produce at this food fair...exhibitors came from far and wide and I couldn't resist buying the most delicious hazelnut salami from French Flavour

Honestly, I put the salami in the fridge as soon I returned home, and the next minute, half of it was gone...and not by me I might add. One purchase that did stay in the fridge until I was ready to cook them were the 3 pounds of excellent fennel and chilli sausages from Saporito in Market Harborough.

By now my basket and bags were full of food...and I was so tempted by this stall....

It would have so easy to buy another  basket...to take stuff home in of course....but unlike Oscar Wilde I resisted temptation. Until next year's Food Festival of course....


 

Days of plums, damsons and brass

September has been such a good month for plums and damsons hasn't it?

The Victoria plum tree on the allotment was heavily laden this year...

And so there was picking to be done...

I was also given a few pounds of damsons....my friend Jo didn't know what to do with all...every day she came to work with carrier bags of them, and I think she fed the whole newsroom. I exaggerate , she fed those of us who can make puddings and jam. The sports boys in the corner wouldn't know what to do with a damson if it hit them in the ear. 

I however do....and made this lovely Nigel Slater's plum cake...captured just as it was going into the oven. The flavour of the damsons and the texture of ground almonds and polenta made a delicious treat for tea.

Back to the Victoria plums, some of which I froze or stewed and served cold with ice cream.....

But I also tried a new recipe this year...plum gumbo. Made with plums, sultanas, sugar, fresh ginger which adds a certain zing, plus other bits and pieces, it's very tasty with bread and cheese.

In fact the only thing that's wrong with this batch is that I didn't make enough! In the meantime, there's still plenty to do in the kitchen with a preserving pan - time to sort the apples out.....

Not tonight though, it's now dark,  and I'm back in the kitchen just about to get the supper ready. While the vegetables are roasting and the pasta is on to boil , I've been listening to a group whose music always seems to fit this time of night.

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are from Chicago, but moved to New York. They're a world away from my my cottage in a tiny village . but at twilight, with a glass of red wine in my hand, with my toes tapping our worlds collide and I hope that one day I can see them perform live.

Days of our daily bread

First of all, let me say it right now - I love bread. But there's one thing I can't abide, and that's bad bread. You know the type I mean, what we call plastic bread in our house. The bread in the supermarket wrapped in plastic or polythene, the white soft, pappy bread that I was given to eat as a child, two slices cut into four with such glamorous fillings. The cheese and cucumber sandwich, the jam sandwich and the dizzy height of a lemon curd sandwich if we were lucky.

I hate that sort of bread but to be fair, it doesn't like me either. Not that I buy it of course....but there are times when I have had to eat it recently...at all day work event where the sandwiches are brought in....and although there was wholemeal plastic bread too , it just doesn't leave a nasty taste in my mouth, It packs a punch in my gut too. In short, the Chorleywood method of baking bread does not agree with me and makes me suffer, but this is the way in which eighty per cent of our bread is made in the UK.


So , all hail to the all the new artisan bakeries which have been opening around the country.....bakers of the UK I salute you! You don't know how happy you've made me feel  to be able to buy good, tasty bread that's been cooked in a traditional way, bread which has taken time, love and care to produce.

And in my nearest market town of Market Harborough, we're now doubly lucky with the opening within the last year of two excellent bakeries. One is the Hambleton Bakery which opened a while back....one of a number of shops set up by the original bakery in Exton. The  baker
Julian Carter took the top "Baker of the Year" award last year and his baker was voted "Britain's best Bakery" in a programme on telly. His sourdough and spelt breads are magnificent and full of flavour.


But the new kid on the block  which opened a couple of weeks ago  has to be the most teeny tiny bakery in the country, and when I say it's small , there's not room enough to swing a hamster around let alone a cat! It's called the Garage Bakehouse set in an old garage belonging to the bakers' family.

It's run by Dan Cadoo and  his Mum Karen, who are from this area but who were working in Cornwall. They 've now come back to this area, and boy am I glad!

Their sourdough loaves , both white and wholemeal are good, and make the most incredible toast, their focaccias are very popular in a range of flavours, but what's really got me excited, is their
Turkish bread. Light, soft and tasty, this is a loaf which is ideal for a picnic, for lunchboxes, it keeps well, and after a few days gives you lovely crunchy toast.

There's also a range of deliciously different soups and snacks for lunch and coffee.



Meanwhile, Dan is baking and making all day in a bid to keep up with the demand....







Using bags and bags of high quality flour

Oh and there's cake...with samples of something different every day unfortunately. When I say unfortunately (ahem) I mean oh dear, I suppose I'd better buy some. It's good cake.

So I predict a great future for this lovely little bakery, this tiny bakery which is so small you have to sit outside to drink your coffee or soup or eat your cake.

And I hope the artisan bread making moment continues to flourish.....so that others, like me can eat their daily bread, knowing there's no additives, fats , enzymes or other additives which we don't want or need.

PS By the way, this is not a sponsored post, and I haven't been given free bread!

An apple a day.....

 

 

This year has been a very good year for fruit at the allotments. Pounds of blackcurrants, gooseberries and some lovely raspberries, especially the autumn variety which have a lovely flavour.

 

But this year, the apple trees and plum trees are the starts of the show....they are absolutely laden with fruit. There's two of each, and the first apples to pick have been these - I think they're discovery apples.

  

 

The fruit trees are on the outermost edge of the allotment site about ten feet away from the road. There's lot of nettles around, so even though it wasn't cold exactly, I had a thick pair of trousers on, boots, and a long sleeved jumper and gloves on as I picked the fruit.

Oh and sunglasses, even if the sun wasn't shining.....I'm so accident prone, I tend to get caught in the eye by a rogue, sadistic branch or two.

Luckily I escaped unscathed and came home with these....

 



 

 

These are  tasty desert apples, so what am I going to do with them, plus the rest on the tree that Laura ,my friend and co conspirator at the lottie doesn't want?

 

I've already made a rather nice tarte tatin, a big waldorf salad, and have been taking some into work to eat with lunch. Well, you know what they say..."an apple a day keeps the doctor away."

 

And apparently this proverb from Victorian times is right. Well, so researchers at Oxford University said last Christmas time. Apparently, they calculated that if all adults aged 50 and over here in the UK were prescribed an apple a day , there would be 8,500 fewer deaths from heart attacks and strokes each year.

 

That's good enough for me! But I need some more recipes using dessert apples instead of cooking apples. I've been looking in my two "must go to "books on fruit by the wonderful Nigel Slater and the late, great Jane Grigson, plus the Riverford Farm Book has some good apple recipes in too...but I fancy something new!

 

 

 

 

 

 What's your favourite way of using dessert apples?


As we're in the last days of August, I thought today's music track should be this - set in the last days of summer...Choices. It's performed in a garden by To Kill a King (love), Bastille (love too) and some of their friends. The song builds up from two voices and acoustic guitar to violins, cello, brass section and Uncle Tom Cobley and all. Delightful....

 

Wordless Wednesday - the last of the homegrown

 

A what a bargain day

I nipped out at lunchtime the other day to buy some salad stuff from the market...the usual lettuce, tomatoes, some crisp celery, that sort of thing. That was all.

But as I walked away from the stall, I caught sight of a big mound of limes.....nine for 50 pence. Nine? For how much? Why were they so cheap? After all, in my local supermarket they are selling for thirty five pence each.  I took a few paces back, closely gave them the once over yet they were all perfect apart from one which was fine but a little yellow.

Two minutes later they were in my basket, despite the fact that I'd had no intention of buying a lime at all, let alone nine of them.

As I walked back to work, I began to plan some pork and lime burgers....an adaptation of a delicious Nigel Slater recipe, but what to do with the remaining eight limes...?

Then I thought of Lucy Cufflin's coconut, ginger and lime cake....which is an old stalwart from the time when we were both on a British Red Cross committee consisting of about ten women of all ages.  Every summer, some very generous people would open their garden in aid of the Red Cross, and we would provide the teas and sell cakes etc.

Lucy's cakes were always absolutely wonderful to look at and pretty tasty too. No wonder , as she is a cordon bleu trained chef, has her own food business and has written a cookbook, called Lucy's Food. so I'm going to make that cake later.

But what to do with the remaining seven limes?

Well, one or two of them will be used up tonight. In a delightful concoction. In a jug, with mint and alcohol.  Well, mint is still growing in the garden so I might as well use some....  

But what am I going to do with the remaining five limes?

I'd really like your suggestions please, so what are your favourite lime based recipes? I'd love to try out some of your suggestions.

And have you ever frozen lime juice? Does it taste good when thawed?

Today's track is by Jack Penate, which I've been singing along to at the top of my voice in the kitchen this afternoon. Boo and Winnie shot me withering glances. They don't appreciate my singing, but I'm sure you will love this song which is "Be the one"

 

 

Blackberry Days Part 2

I honestly thought that the blackberries had all but finished, but I saw my friend Susie yesterday on the lane between our two villages, picking merrily away whilst her two terriers waited patiently. To be fair they weren't the most perfect of specimens, (the blackberries, not the dogs)  but as Susie says, they would be fine for blackberry vodka.

Blackberry vodka? Oh no, I don't do vodka....ever since the olden days.. since the first Christmas after leaving the convent school, I got drunk on a number of vodkas and lime. You will note that the exact number isn't mentioned. That's because I'm unsure of the number - it may have been four or five. No more though...

My first hangover. I thought my head and stomach  would explode, and I vowed never to drink the stuff ever again. I couldn't even stomach the smell of Roses's lime cordial for years either.

So the thought of blackberry vodka even after all these years was distinctly unappealing. Until yesterday.

I blame my friend Laura. I was whizzing down to her place to get something to knit a gash on my arm, which kept splitting open. Another incident down at the allotment in case you were wondering....

Ever efficient, she had a well stocked medicine cabinet cleaned, the wound and patched me up...but unlike my local doctor's surgery ,she also offered me a wee glass of blackberry vodka.

She's made quite a lot this year as well as other fruit vodkas and gins.

I smelt it first, fruity but clean. I took a tentative taste...and I began to smile. Bursting with blackberries, it also was so smooth, I polished the glass off faster than you can say "Hallelujah". My decades long aversion to vodka was cured in a couple of minutes.

On my way back up the hill, I bumped into Susie, who was still blackberrying. I think she's out to outdo Laura in the quantity stakes....they'll be getting a still next.


So guess what I was doing this afternoon? Walking Boo around the village , picking about 500gms of  blackberries to make a bottle 's worth.

Which I have done, and which will now be put away until Christmas. Or perhaps not - depending on my willpower.

Today's track is from Josh Kemp, a Midlands musician in his early twenties, who I met the other week at the launch of Oxjam. He's a engaging songwriter, with some gorgeous love song lyrics, but he's also such  a good guitarist. What's more, he really made me laugh with this song taken from his new EP Sofa Surfin.

His hangover was far more extreme than mine ( I just lay in a darkened room) ....but I expect it strikes a chord with many....

 

Blackberry days

It's the right time to be baking. And not because of the Great British Bake off either, although I do love the programme in a perverse sort of way. Mary Berry is a national treasure and I admire the talent and fortitude of many of the contestants...but as an impetus to improve my baking skills....no!

Don't get me wrong, I adore cooking...and I am particularly partial to home made cake, tray bakes, and biscuits. What I call homely baking. I'm a whizz with  banana and chocolate loaf, apple cake, blackberry loaf, and Bridget's biscuits .They're all very simple things that can be whisked up at the drop of a hat, and don't take too much effort. My Lemon drizzle cake and Turkish orange cake taste lovely, but I wouldn't score highly on presentation.

You see, I'm rather slapdash when it comes to cooking and baking. I throw things in, roughly measuring them on my old sweetie scales as I go along and hoping for the best. I'm what my mother  calls "kack handed" - I tend to end up wearing as much of the cake mixture as goes into the oven, and flour just seems to drift and cover the kitchen .

The thought of being precise, being judged and being what I call downright fanciful, just gives me the heeby jeebies when it comes to baking. There's quite enough pressure in my life thank you without sweating my guts out on a set in the middle of nowhere with lots of other contestants who are lovely but wanting to beat me at the same time.

So it's not the Bake off which is getting me itchy and twitchy to start baking again...it's the time of year. Autumn. There's been so many blackberries this year, and I can only freeze so many....so it's time for a blackberry loaf.

Now I don't know where this recipe came from...or when...but it's written on a scrap of paper, in my handwriting.

It's really easy to make, and can keep for about five days. Having said that, this loaf doesn't last long...it's very moreish.

I give you a Blackberry loaf for a kack handed cook....

 Ingredients

3 and a half oz of butter
2tspn baking powder
8oz plain flour
1oz oats
5oz of sugar
2 ad a half oz blackberries
6 fluid oz milk
a beaten egg

So here's what you do....

1.Grease and line a 1 lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

2.Sift the baking powder and flour into a mixing bowl then add the oats, sugar and half of the blackberries. Mix together

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan , then stir in the milk and egg. (Careful now...you don't want scrambled egg!)

4.Put the mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix, before turning into the loaf tin. Sprinkle the rest of the blackberries on the top of the mixture.

5. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius...that's 350 fahreneheit for about 50minutes to an hour until firm to touch.

6.leave in the tin for about 5 minutes, the put on a rack and sprinkle with a handful of sugar.

And there you have it...a very simple loaf, which wouldn't win any prizes when it comes to beauty and fiddlyness in the Great British Bake off...but which is simply lovely about elevenish with a strong cup of coffee.


Today's track is "Blackberry Way" ...not by the Move or ELO...but by the Wonder Stuff. I really like this version...

 

A day at the BBC Good Food Show

So, my trip to the NEC in Birmingham the other week was my first ever foray to the BBC Good Food Show. I 'd heard and read lots about the show of course, but it was so interesting to go, see and try for myself.

As I entered the huge hall, I noticed lots of drinks stands.....

serving wines from all around the world....and they'd come from even as far as New Zealand...

All, well mostly all, were tempting passers by with a tot or too...some made sure their customers sat down for the hard sell before handing out free samples

There were drinks of all kinds....

and at every stall, there were crowds necking down two or three samples from each stand. At eleven o clock in the morning....who would be drivng home I wondered...

The one drink that did delight and surprise was Harrington Gin, distilled just across the border from me in Northampton.
I'm not a gin connoisseur ...I use cheap gin to make my own sloe, damson and raspberry gin each summer and autumn. (for my brilliant raspberry gin recipe see here ... http://thinkingofthedays.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/gin-fuelled-days.html.  )
and yes, I've had a little fling with Bombay Sapphire...but this is something else. Taking the tiniest sip at a time...the fresh, clean smell waved itself under my nose, but  I could taste cardamon , then as the gin warmed in my mouth, there was the faintest taste of toffee...This one drink which will never be tainted with tonic I can tell you. Well not in my house anyway! And to think it's distilled only a few miles away from here....

On other stands, some sophisticates were starting with oysters...

many were wolfing down some of the wide range of sausages, hams, salamis, pasties and pies on offer....these were the prettiest pies I saw...

Other fancied the tarts.....

Before ending with some of Tom's fudge. This fudge is legendary in Leicestershire..run by three guys all called Tom who met at Loughborough University.In fact I watched quite a few people making a return trip to the stall before going home..I have to confirm that this fudge is absolutely delicious........

Obviously you expect to taste, try and eat at this show...I was enjoying myself and bought quite a few bits and pieces after trying them ....the gluten free sausages from Pig and Co were a huge hit, especially the Mostly merguez and walnut and fig sausages, a few pies etc, the gin,  but seeing some people swooping in, elbowing others out of the way...and then hoovering up as many free bites as they could....was enlightening , if not entertaining.

At least they were keeping their energy levels up I suppose - but it's amazing watching people grazing in such an ad hoc way. I would have felt quite nauseous if I'd eaten some strong cheese, a cupcake, a hot pork pie, some chocolate, washed down with toffee vodka, wine and liqueurs in the space of 20 minutes....

After visiting all the stands, I managed to grab a chair and watch a demonstration....I'd just missed this year's Masterchef Champion , Natalie Coleman, but I did see Dale Williams , one  of the finalists.

 

Watching the demo,  realised how, for modern day chefs, being able to cook and create isn't enough. They all have be able to do a turn, be photogenic, keep up the patter ready for their opportunity to shine on the telly ...to satisfy the wonderful growth of interest in cooking .

 

As I made my way out of the food hall, I saw many of the grazers and swoopers staggering out of the  NEC with billowing carrier bags full of food and drinks....they weren't going to go hungry on the way home either ....

 

 

 Tonight's track is by Kathryn Williams...who has one of the purest voices I've heard. She is amazing to watch live...and a lovely person to interview. She's doing a tour in September....I shall definitely be going to see her perform. ...I've been drinking a glass of wine listening to this tonight watching the summer rain on the windowpanes....

Here's "Come with me" with Neill Maccoll