Wheaten Bread Bakers - Rowallane Pottery

I love this time of the year, the pick up in weather is apparent in every ones moods and actions, and it starts to motivate me to get a move on!

During the week, the gardens are still relatively peaceful, allowing me the luxury of playing around, while my brain comes out of hibernation!

Today I decided it was about time we started to use our wheaten bread bakers again! Matt the Potter, made a number of these for us last year, and since the summer disappeared, they have been gathering dust on a top shelf! I tumbled them down, and set to rinsing them out and oiling them again.

The moistness of the wheaten bread that appears outta these little guys never seizes to amaze me. I love the look of the little loaves poking outta the top of the bakers!

So I did what I thought best - took the little guys outside for some sun shine :D and to snap them in the best light with their flowery buddies!

And then set to trying it! And it wasnt disappointing!

These little bakers are brilliant for wheaten bread, however David has used them for a number of different white loaves, always with good results. Go and visit his blog or why not pop up to Rowallane Gardens and visit us both!

Baking Course

The time has come for the 4th Garden Kitchen baking course. We have set the date for the 9th of April!

The course will be in the tearoom at Rowallane Garden and runs from 10.30am till approximately 2.30pm - but the last few have been known to run on a little! The cost of the course is £35 and this includes coffee/tea and bun on arrival, a light lunch of beautiful homemade soup and hopefully some warm bread you have helped to bake!

It consists of some chat and demonstration and some hands on work - finishing with everyone making their own loaf of bread, which is baked for you to take home to enjoy!

It's a nice intimate affair with a maximum of ten people, allowing for lots of interaction and question time!

For more information, or to book at place contact me via email - lauraannebradley@thegardenkitchen.co.uk leave a comment here, or on our facebook page!

Springs here :D for today at least!

The sun is shining and the garden is starting to show some colour - brightening the ground with snowdrops and crocus' and promising many daffodils!

Nothing helps to pull me out of the dull winter slog better, than weather nice enough to stand outside the tearoom and soak up some much needed vitamin d, whilst chatting to our loyal winter customers who are rewarded by enjoying the still majoritarily peaceful garden in the first days of sunshine.

I have an exciting week this week too - with a meeting in Belfast to confirm details of our new project - due to kick off at Easter! Winter has been long, but fingers crossed the Spring/Summer is longer :D

Davids Seville Marmalade

Before David went off to Spain on his walking holiday he made up his first batch of Seville Orange Marmalade!

It seemed very time consuming - cutting the rinds up seemed to take David a whole evening - however I am assured it was worth it! Our ever keen taster - Matt the Potter - has ranted and raved about its lovliness - and I can agree that it smells beautiful! (unfortunately I am not a marmalade fan)

All jarred up and waiting for me to make some labels!

New Year - Back to Work!

I have neglected the blog over christmas. And have a couple of updates to do - particularly with a few piccies from the christmas fayre! It was a great weekend - a success for all :) and enjoyed by all - I hope! I shall grab my camera and get uploading within the next week - hopefully Thursday when I in the tearoom - for my first shift since christmas!
I hope everyone had a brilliant Christmas and New Year :)

Plenty of Snow Fall

You would be forgiven for thinking that Rowallane was made for such weather - our home looked beautiful this morning - and if I manage to tear myself away from the fire and the sofa I am sure the tearoom looks equally pretty - the walled garden did look lovely this morning - but with three dogs I thought it best not to take my camera with me - so, so far the only pictures are from around Field Cottage. Very pretty :)

Now we just have to battle the elements and get ourselves well and truelly organised for the Yuletide Market this weekend - always a brilliant event with lots of hand picked stalls and festive fun!

Baking Course

At the start of November we held a couple of baking courses. They went very very well and we are delighted with the amount of interest - we will be running more courses in the new year.

All the students had a great time and made some lovely loaves - I hope everyone has as much success at home as they have had on the courses!