Many many moons ago, when I was a footloose and fancy free youngster, I worked in England for a little old lady. Charged with looking after this delightful old lady, it was up to me to make sure she was cared for and entertained. Being a little old lady she didn’t like big meals but she sure liked lots of little ones. There was breakfast, morning tea, 11’ses, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper…alright maybe it wasn’t that many. But it felt like it. Afternoon tea however was a must. At precisely 3pm, a cup of tea and a little something to tide her over until the next meal would be served. Now more often than not, she would be rather partial to a packet of crisps and a quick nod off in the comfy armchair. Only for her to wake up awhile later with fallen crisps surrounding her and only the backpacker carer to blame it on.
Sometimes though, she would like a piece of cake or bread and jam. Accompanied with a little recital from the poetry in “Alice in Wonderland”. As I was always happy to make cake and love to read this was always a really nice way to spend the afternoon.
Winter sun peaking through the curtains, little old lady with jam and bread perched on her knee and footloose and fancy free backpacker reading… “will you walk a little faster? said the whiting to the snail, there’s a porpoise right behind me and he’s stepping on my tail…”
Coconut Sourdough with Strawberry Jam- just the thing for a little afternoon tea.
Strawberry Jam
750gms roughly chopped and hulled strawberries
750gms sugar
1 lime juiced
1/2 lemon juiced
Cook the strawberries and sugar together. As there is no water in this recipe, keeping stirring continuously until moisture comes out of strawberries (otherwise it will burn.) Add juice of lime and lemon and cook until gets to wrinkle stage or do the saucer test. Bottle it up or just keep in a bowl in the fridge, (it gets eaten pretty quickly round here.)
Coconut Sourdough Loaf
175gms starter
1 1/2 cups bakers flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
200-250mls water
2 tbs honey
3/4 tps salt
What I did was mixed, over night ferment, 2 folds over about 5 hours. Final prove in tin for about 20 minutes. Baked at 250C initially for about 15 minutes and then down to 180C for a further 10 minutes. This was only a small loaf as it was an experiment. I’m not sure whether it’s the honey or coconut which hinders the rising process for the sourdough, (or it could be both). There were a few holes, but it is a denser loaf compared to my normal sourdough.
A hit though for The Monkeys when they were whooping it up for a little something to tide them over until dinner time.
The Lobsters Quadrille Lewis Carroll
“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail,
“There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle — will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
“You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!”
But the snail replied “Too far, too far!” and gave a look askance —
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.
“What matters it how far we go?” his scaly friend replied.
“There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France —
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
A story about a little old lady, strawberry jam, coconut sourdough AND a poem from Lewis Carroll – you’ve pretty much nailed the perfect post, Brydie! The strawberry jam looks divine, and it’s never occurred to me to put coconut in bread before..hmmm…
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Celia, I thought strawberry jam was my least favourite on the jam list, but this one actually did it for me. So much more taste than a shop bought strawberry jam- and the colour was very vivid!
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Were you ‘up North’ Brydie? Six meals a day and three of them cake is how it works in the North of England. Or it does when I visit my Dad 🙂 Lovely post ! On your bread, is there no fresh water in there when you mix the dough, that might be what slows it down too. The yeastie beasties like a fresh drink sometimes 😉 Maybe use less starter and give the dough fresh water and flour in proportion?
Lewis Caroll scared me as a child but I like his stuff better now….
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eek, left out the water- edited now, thankyou. I’ll have to give it another crack and see what I can do. It was tasty, and stayed fresh for ages just like a good sourdough does.
When I looked after the old lady I was in a little town called Mudeford, near Bournemouth. Such a pretty area.
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Great story! My immagination was going wild visualising this young backpacker sitting on a stool reading, while the little old lady nods off in her dream world…just perfect….strawberry jam.mmmm…yummy! Great memories!
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Thanks Yvette. She did like to nod off in her comfy chair 🙂
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Sounds like a perfect afternoon to me, too!
Lucy and Carly Simon put out a children’s album with the Lobster’s Quadrille on it and I always hear their voices in the background- especially on the “Will you, won’t you?” parts.
Strawberry jam on ANY fresh bread is a treat.
Great post!
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I haven’t seen it but the latest Alice in Wonderland film by Tim Burton, had Franz Ferdinand doing The Lobsters Quadrille. It sounded so funny, after being used to reading it.
Monkey Boy loves it when I recite it.
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Beautiful, beautiful post.
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What a great photo of the jam dripping off the bread – I love it.
Alice in Wonderland is one of my top 3 favourites from childhood and I read it repeatedly – along with The Wind in the Willows and The Secret Garden!
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Ahh, to ‘mess about in boats’ like in the Wind in the Willows or to have a huge garden to get lost in… Favourites of mine as well.
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Nice story, great memories to have. The jam looks a treat, lovely photos.
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Thanks Anna
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Good grief, your jam and coconut sourdough looks delicious! Lovely story about your little old lady too… good memories. My youngest wants to dress up as Alice for Halloween 🙂
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This is one of my favourite posts of yours! I love it because it has an almost fairytale like quality in itself. And I think I would love to be this lady too! 🙂
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Sure looks good. Can I have some?
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This looks insanely delicious. Amazing x
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I imagine that you would have to stir the strawberry and the sugar for quite a while before the liquid begins to seep out. I haven’t heard of that one before. Lots of interesting snippets on your blog I must say.
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