Kumquat conundrum...

I was determined to do something with the beautiful kumquats that Lilian had brought for me so today I was trying out a recipe for Indian Kumquat Pickle which I hope will be a great addition to the selection of pickles I make when we are having an Indian.  I am a bit stymied though because my chief pickle critic - The Bobster - is AWOL!!!  Well not exactly AWOL more visiting family in the UK.  

Anyway this is my first attempt at the pickle and it is a generic recipe which you can use for mango chutney too if  you want.  It didn't seem to want to set but then I realised that mango chutney is often quite 'loose' so presumably this is how it should be.  It gets made pips and all (although these are fairly tiny in a kumquat) and pips do help with the setting process.

Whilst I was doing this John was across in the field next door getting to grips with the bramble which has reappeared since Tassos came and cleared the perimeter with his digger.

Good news is that the horse is back and she has been tethered with a much stronger rope - we are so pleased that she is not just running loose as she would have been a danger to herself and to others.

After a really glorious November thus far the weather has changed.  Our forecast was for rain today which didn't come until the evening thank goodness but when it did, it did accompanied by thunder and lightning for good measure.  I worry about the woman who is due to move into 3a mid December because if we have generous amounts of rain I can't believe that property will escape unscathed particularly with Mohammed the Master Builder's 'alterations' to the roof.  Still that is not our problem.  It is quite clearly cooler as there were not one, not two but three cats on the bed when I came to make it and fatty was squeezed into a cat basket which is now a little two small for him.

We decided to go down through the village and check the post and then call in at Rob and Di's to check all was ok.  Last time we went they didn't have any water and Judi informs me that actually their row has been without for five days which is ridiculous.  There was a lot of activity in the village - they were actually working on the road and the walls where the new electricity boxes are going to be housed now that in that particular area the cables are to be laid underground.

The man in charge of the mini digger was a nutter - and clearly the road closed signs are being given a stiff ignoring.  John took his life into his hands and went down to the Post Office to see if there was anything for us which there was and there was a parcel for Clare and Les which we will drop off tomorrow as Les will be back at the house then.  Everything was fine at the Veaseys and although whilst we were there the water was still off as we were leaving Judi let us know that it had been reinstated.

Our job for this afternoon was to brew the beer from the brew-in-a-bag kit which John's Mum had kindly brought over this summer.  I had seen them advertised in Wilkinsons and we had a great debate as to whether it could come in hand luggage - on closer inspection we think not as the multi-purpose bag contained a gel-like mix which might put it on the no-no list.  Anyway the Woodforde's Wherry Ale kit was easy-peasy - we just had to add water and find it a place to brew in the required ambient temperature and in three weeks it should be ready.

Tonight we had the rain which had been forecast and it came with a vengeance.  We were going out early to Fitos to catch up with Mina so it was a mad dash out to the car so we didn't get wet and we had to dig out some rather more substantial clothing and footwear.  Mina-Mou was early - she was already sitting at 'our' table and Fitos was delivering a bottle of wine.  We had a lovely evening - the food was outstanding and it was great to see Mina in such good form.  So we had starters, mains, pud, and drinks including a bottle of good wine and still got change out of 50 euros for us all!!! Gotta love Fitos!!!