Preserving summer part II

I'm reading a wonderful book by Darina Allen at the moment, about forgotten cooking skills....it covers all sorts of fascinating things, like making butter, yoghurt, bread cheese, preserves.....

Lots of Tomatoes in the polytunnel...and whilst on holiday at Balcary Bay we sampled a Chilli dipping sauce. I found it went especially well with baked potato and cheese. So the first recipe I've tried from the book was Tomato and Chilli Jam.

Very simple to make....I concocted it whilst listening to the Archers. I double the recipe and got 4 a bit jars. (I used 4 chillis in the double quantity...and think that will be hot enough for us!)

Another recipe I'm keen to try is Sloe and Bramble Jelly...which she says is good served with Goats Cheese. As I love Goats Cheese....I can't resist. Plus I've always wanted to find something to do with all the gorgeous Sloes I see in the hedgerows....since I don't like alcohol.

I also made some Spiced Carrot & Lentil Soup (a recipe I found on the BBC Good Food site a while ago) for our lunch today. Served with a garnish of fried onions.

It's a very frugal and tasty recipe....just over 1 lb carrots (coarsley grated/5 oz of red lnetils/olive oil/stock/tsp of cumin and pinch of chilli flakes/1 onion.