Running on somebody else’s legs

I was out again before dawn this morning. As I approached the wood that lies below the moorland I startled a deer that darted away up the stony track and disappeared into the undergrowth. I couldn’t tell what species it was in the half-light but it was probably a roe deer as they are the more common round these parts.

I felt as if I was running on somebody else’s legs today. I stumbled along feeling heavy and tired. The wind was coming from the north-west and moved the dense fog present on the hilltop from one place to another but never blew it away.

It’s hard somedays to tell which is low cloud and which is hill fog, although that in itself is cloud by any other name. When the wind is in the west it blows across the sea then reaches the land and rises slowly as it crosses the Lancashire plain. When it hits the line of the Pennines it is suddenly forced upwards and the mild moist air cools as it gains altitude. The cooler air is unable to hold as much water vapour and so water begins to condense forming a hill fog. It then spends its time skulking about on the moors, occasionally creeping further down in order to make its presence felt in town. The wind will normally carry it off as the day wears on but it often returns overnight and fills the sky with a heavy greyness the following day.

So, to combat the damp I’ve included a recipe for ciabatta bread, an ideal accompaniment to those winter soups. The recipe is from allrecipes.com.

Ciabatta Bread

The dough is very, very sticky but the resulting bread is excellent and very like shop-bought ones in texture.

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 tsp dried yeast

1. Put ingredients into pan of bread machine in order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle and start.

2. When cycle is completed remove dough from pan. It will be very sticky, resist the temptation to add more flour. Let it rest on a lightly floured board for 15 mins.

3. Grease and lightly flour 2 baking sheets. Divide dough into 2 large loaves or 6 smaller ones. Roughly shape into oblongs and cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for approximately 45 mins or until doubled in size.

4. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 7 (220C/425F).

5. Dimple dough and place loaves in oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes for smaller loaves and 25-30 minutes for larger loaves. Swap tray positions over halfway through and spritz with water every 5 to 10 minutes during baking to give a crispier crust.

 

The West Wind Doth Blow

The weather yesterday was astonishing. When I first ventured out in the morning there was a damp wind flicking up litter but no hint as to what was to come. For the last 72 hours the weather people had been promising violent storms and sending out warnings by the hour. A warning had been given on the news in the morning regarding not going out unless it was absolutely necessary but that was a non-starter on a weekday. Nobody’s boss is going to accept the excuse, ‘I can’t come into work today because it’s windy.’

By the end of yesterday afternoon we had seen winds topping 91 miles an hour, as recorded by the weather station at the local TV mast on Winter Hill.

There had already been a lot of rain put down overnight which was now cutting channels through any loose debris and bubbling up through storm drains. I was visiting my mother where we sat drinking cappucino and watching the windows in the house opposite shimmy as the winds rose higher and higher. The contents of builders’ skips were flung up the street and ‘For Sale’ signs stood no chance, bending swiftly as the wind struck them. Through the kitchen window, in the back of the house, garage doors alarmingly took to flight like pieces of paper in the factory yard.

The aftermath is clearer today with gaping spaces on roofs where tiles have been ripped off and fences blown down. Several trees in nearby parks have been uprooted whilst, amazingly, my old, cankerous apple tree is still standing. The roof of a local Royal Mail delivery office has been partly ripped off and several gable ends have been blown in.

Six people lost there lives in this area, most through falling masonry. One man died as his lorry overturned and another man had a heart attack as he battled to secure his fence against the wind.

Yesterday was stark and frightening, many people escaped just in time as they fled from crumbling buildings. Several schools in the area are closed today as teachers and pupils look at the smashed walls and shattered roofs of their classrooms. It was often people’s vigilance that enabled escape in time as buildings came apart.

Today is quiet, it’s probably windy but not so you’d notice.

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Another recipe suitable for a breezy day.Tomato and Rosemary Soup

The secret of the excellent flavour of this soup is allowing the tomatoes and onions adequate cooking time so the flavours develop. Suitable for vegetarians.

Serves 2

• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• a small bunch of rosemary, chopped
• oil for frying
• salt and pepper
• 2 oz of Feta, cubed, and ciabatta for serving

Method

1. Gently fry onion for 10 minutes.
2. Add tinned tomatoes and rosemary.
3. Simmer, covered for 45 minutes, not allowing mixture to become dry and burn.
4. Add a cup of water then puree.
5. The soup is now ready to serve with cubes of feta and ciabatta.

Can be frozen.

 

Running on the Spot

Yet another stormy morning with winds gusting up to 70 miles an hour. As I sit here typing the wind is buffeting the whole place and sounding like the boom of the sea on rocks. The tree-tops are dancing to and fro occasionally casting a brittle branch to the ground.

I don’t know if it was sensible to go out this morning, by the time I’d got up to the level of the moors the wind was roaring and moaning and when it rained the force was so violent you had to face the other way.

Still, I soldiered on and at times the wind was so strong that I felt as though I was running on the spot. I didn’t bother trying to reach the highest point of the hill, it’s too exposed. If I’d been able to get up there I may have been stuck, sheltering behind the folly on top, waiting for the wind to drop. I’ve done that before and had to wait for the wind to fall or risk being bowled over the edge and tumbled down the hillside, only having my momentum stopped by the fence at the bottom of the slope.

I saw another sheep with a deficit of wool today, its pink skin showing through. Most of the sheep were sheltering in the lee of a stone wall that ripples and folds over the moorland, they lay down grey and bedraggled against the jewel green of the ground that is more moss than grass at the moment with the amount of rain we’ve had.

On return home I finished off preparing a soup for lunch which is welcome food for anybody outside on a day like today. It can be prepared in advanced and heated through when needed.

Tomato and Pepper Soup

A simple recipe with a warming chilli kick. Suitable for vegetarians.

Serves 2

• 2 red peppers
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp vegetable stock
• 1/2 – 1 tsp dried crushed chilli flakes
• olive oil

1. Heat oven to gas mark 7 (220C or 425F).
2. Cut peppers in half, remove seeds, place on oiled baking tray.
3. Cut onion in half, peel, place on baking tray with peppers.
4. Brush peppers and onion all over with olive oil.
5. Place in oven and roast for 1/2 an hour. The onion should be soft and the peppers beginning to brown.
6. Remove vegetables from tray put on a plate and leave to cool.
7. Roughly chop the cold vegetables and place in a blender.
8. Add tin of tomatoes, stock and chilli to blender then whizz for a few seconds.
9. The soup can now be left in the fridge until required.
10. Add up to a cupful of water to the soup to get the desired consistency. Heat soup to boiling then allow to simmer for 20 minutes to bring the flavours together.
11. Serve with decent bread or crusty rolls.

Garlic can be roasted along with the peppers and onion to add further flavour. This soup can be frozen after it has been allowed to simmer for 20 minutes then left to cool.