Show time
For a small village, we don’t do too badly when it comes to presenting our achievements. The Horticultural Society Flower and Produce Show has been going since Adam entered his selection of vegetables (apples not included), and towards the end of August each year, a frenzy of preparation starts. Garden borders are weeded, anxious eyes are cast over rose plants, jam sugar runs out in the village shop, and on the day, the village square is full of cars packed to the gunnels with prize specimens.
I have done the whole thing in past years – and won the Dalmary Cup for the “Industrial” section. This refers not to engineering in any sense, but is “home industry” – baking and crafts. This year I was not going to be in the running by any means – a month away and lots of University work has got in the way – but I did manage to finish a cross-stitch picture of Rumer, and slip into Hobby craft on my way to Dumfries yesterday to get a frame for it. I also entered the Shattered Garden quilt I made over the winter that keeps me warm when I’m watching telly, and the little jumper I knitted for Pat’s grandson. The baking was distinctly down on previous years, but I managed a quiche – the Elizabeth David method, nothing fancy – an apple pie, shortbread, scones, lemon curd, marmalade, and a new recipe for pancakes that I chose because it gave a smaller amount than the catering quantities that Mum’s old recipe delivers.
Everything was ready by 9:00am, and in place in the hall in good time for me to be able to help Sue, who of course arrived with five minutes to spare.
The morning of the Village Show has a particular routine. Get up, bake scones and pancakes, finish off the flans and apple pie, go out to the herbaceous border in jammies and wellies to pick the Astromeria, get showered and dressed, deliver produce to hall, come back, eat leftover pancakes and scones for breakfast and spend the rest of the morning cleaning the kitchen. Back to the hall for 2:00pm and see what the judges thought.
This year I did OK. I was particularly pleased to get a First for the quilt, but I only got a Second for the cross-stitch. The jumper got a Second (miracle – I haven’t done any knitting for years!). I got a First for the pancakes, but the scones were a fail. The Astromeria won their section. They have done every year I have entered them, and since I don’t do anything other than watch them grow, it is very gratifying.
The flan got a first and the apple pie a third, along with the lemon curd, but the marmalade was overcooked.
The new recipe for the pancakes is definitely a repeater. It comes from Sue Lawrence’s book, “Taste Ye Back”. The shortbread was from that too, but I think I made it too thick. Try again next time.
The family are coming for lunch tomorrow, so as well as the new season lamb from the farm, they can eat up the exhibits.