Just like heaven...

...for me anyway. A cool afternoon and a massive cherry orchard full of fruit just waiting to be picked, as much as you can, for free.  We easily picked about 30kg in an hour.  Plus scoffed loads whilst we were at it. How lucky are we?  Now, the extra fridge is on and filled with fruit, the dehydrator is running on overdrive, there are pickles, preserves and a lot of jam being made and my hands are stained purple.  And a clafouti for dinner.  More cherries than we know what to do with.  That really is my idea of heaven.

Berry nice

After one hour's picking, ahem

Sometimes, especially during these long summer days, I have to pinch myself to prove that life isn't a dream.  Yesterday was one of those dreamy days, with an invitation to a friend's farm to pick raspberries and red currants.  The peeps ran around the massive berry patch, well a berry field really, with ruby stained lips playing with their friends, whilst mama picked kilo after kilo of sweet juicy fruit.

For me, a kitchen full of freshly picked berries is my idea heaven. I've made red currant jelly, raspberry muffins, raspberry ice cream and still there is more fruit left.

This afternoon we're going back to the farm to camp by the riverside. More good times.  Hope you're having an excellent summer too.

Sunday's spring bounty

Despite yesterday's downpour, it was a wonderful day at the market. Aside from loving what I do there, baking and selling cakes, a big part of the attraction is bringing home fantastic produce every week.  Now that the growing season is getting into full swing, yesterday my shopping basket was positively groaning with fresh spring produce.

It was the last day for the apple man, he's run out til the first early croppers appear in late February.  But he's swiftly replaced by a grower selling the most delicious strawberries imaginable, their fragrance wafted over to our stall until they sold out.  Other spring produce included tiny broad beans, rosy rhubarb stalks, artichokes and little sweet golden turnips that children were eating like apples. 

My family reckon I'm a bit strange, coming home and immediately photographing artichokes in the  soft afternoon light.  But I couldn't help it, they're irresistible.  Not only to look at but to eat.  The question was, do I leave them on the counter to look beautiful all week, or eat them while they're still super fresh?  Naturally greed won the day and I cut them in half, rubbed them with lemon juice, tossed with olive oil and roasted for about ten minutes. Messy to eat but finger licking good.

Sunday night is our one weekend family meal together, a feast usually made up of bounty from the market.

Then it's bathtime for the kids before settling down to watch Jr Masterchef.  I cried last night.  I'm going for Jack and Hugo and Elsa are going for Isabella.  Jack comes to our stall and buys cakes.  I asked him if our chocolate cake was as good as Donna Hay's.  He said "Better!"  Such a lovely young man.  And that's another reason why I love the markets.

My creative space...

A good friend recently bought an old farmhouse to renovate for use as self contained accommodation. The house is utterly gorgeous :: surrounded by a big country garden with chooks, fruit trees and the most covetable green house.

I was very excited when she asked me to photograph the house for the website. Yesterday I shot the kitchen. I had so much fun playing in there, creating a little country breakfast scene. The light is so beautiful. I took along some props like bread, milk, eggs and picked greens from the garden and set up the shots while Hugo played in the garden. Bliss.
I'll let you know when the site goes up so you can have a peak at the house. You might want to come and stay:: it's a really creative space!

In the meantime, I can't help but wonder, where can I put some white painted shelves in my kitchen...

More creativity here