Indian Summer

The oddity of warm weather at the end of September - warmer days than we have had for most of summer - had us hoping of painting the back gate, trimming the lavender plants for winter and washing the car. A nice day pottering in the garden, but it wasn't to be! The view across the water to the Black Isle has disappeared and the white sky meets the sea as the drizzle comes down. The outdoor plans have turned indoors and whilst I await the delivery of some chicken stock for a pot of Ishbel's chicken and rice soup (complete with organic carrots and leeks from this weeks veggies) I have put on a banana loaf to bake for afternoon tea. Carb loading for tomorrow's gentle 5K turn around Inverness, which is looking more gentle walk and picnic than competitive run.

View from the garden gate across to Chanonry Point Lighthouse:



Don't they say that baking is a science? The quantities, the mixture, the temperatures not to be played with or else the experiment fails? Well after a spell in South Africa last year where the recipes were often adapted to what was fresh from the garden or available to hand (the nearest decent shop being 40 minutes away) I am of the opinion that there is also a large element of art or magic to baking. Yoghurt for cream, brown flour for white, cape gooseberries a last minute addition to a batch of muffins all worked out a treat and well worth repeating.



It remains to be seen then how the banana loaf will turn out given just how many changes I made to the recipe! In an effort to make a healthier, homelier version I substituted soaking the raisins in hot rum for soaking them in hot tea; I replaced the white flour with a golden wholemeal; brown sugar for white; whilst mashing the bananas I softened them with a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt; the walnuts I omitted and instead of vanilla essence I added a couple of pinches of ground cinnamon. Mayhem!



It may not be for me to say whether or not the cake is a success, but it certainly smells a treat right now.