signed and sealed

The groundworks are just about complete. Having put the drive back together after installing all the drainage pipes, it was all systems go again two weeks ago when Rob came round with his mini-digger and dug another deep trench to house the pipe carrying mains water to the new kitchen. We laid a drawbridge across the gap outside the front door for a few days and I spent hours riddling stones out of the pile of rubble that was dumped on the drive. Then re-laying the drive with the stones and topping them off with the sifted topsoil. All was looking fairly presentable and I was quite chuffed with my first efforts at landscaping.


And then along came Mally with spades and a pick. And the trench with the drainage pipe in was dug up again. He has poured in a covering of concrete to protect the pipe from vehicles using the drive. Lately there have been none, but it is undoubtedly wise to take this precaution, as the previous drainage pipe collapsed because of traffic on the drive.

So we are another small step nearer to our kitchen and bedroom extension. It has been a sunny week this week and the whole area out there has been absolutely flooded with sunshine. The cherry is about to burst into blossom and I found some forgotten daffodil bulbs in the shed. They have tried to grow and are very poor stunted little specimens. About three inches at the most, and without leaves, but still on the point of flowering. I've planted them, in the hope that they will do better next year.

spicy chickpea pilaf with yoghurt and cucumber sauce

This is slightly adapted from Kate Percy's excellent recipe book Go Faster Food, a tastebud-tingling treasure trove of high energy recipes. I served it up with spicy grilled chicken and it was really tasty. Lots of flavours in the rice and the chicken marinade, and surprisingly simple tp make.

For the pilaf
2 tbsp groundnut or sunflower oil
1 tbsp garam masala ( or crush 6 pods cardamom, 8 cloves, 1 tsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp allspice and ½ tsp cumin seeds)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 bay leaves
2 tomatoes
handful sultanas
½ tsp dried chillis
300g basmati rice
450 ml stock
400g canned chickpeas
squeeze of lemon juice
fresh mint or coriander, chopped, to garnish
handful lightly toasted cashew nuts
small piece ginger root, peeled and grated

Heat the 2 tbsps oil in a large pan with a tight fitting lid and gently fry the pilaf spices for a minute, stirring all the time to prevent burning. Add the onion, garlic and bay leaves and sauté gently for about 5 minutes until the onion starts to soften and become brown.
Add the tomatoes, sultanas and chilli and cook, stirring, for another two minutes.
Add the rice, gently turning it round in the onion mixture for a minute to coat it, and then pour in the stock. There should be enough liquid to just cover the rice. Bring the stock to the boil, then cover and simmer on a really low heat for 10 minutes.
Stir the chickpeas into the rice and heat for two or three minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Sprinkle with chopped coriander or mint and cashew nuts and grated ginger.

For the yoghurt sauce
½  tsp cumin
½  tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp chilli powder
½ small cucumber, chopped
handful fresh chopped mint or tsp mint sauce
250g natural yoghurt

Mix all these ingredients together in a bowl.

Serve with grilled chicken, pitta bread and mango chutney.