Serafiina´s Italian inspired Shortcrust pie!

I am big fan of Pie´s, as you can vary with them so much. One most important thing is to make great base where you can add almost anything, sweet or sauer.
So how to do a crust.. You can by it.. or just make it at home it is not difficult.

this is how nice and soft your pastry should look like

I used just  old recipe I have had forever, ( can´t remember where have I got it)
Here it is for your your comfort!

All you need is:
125g plain flour
Pinch of Salt
55g Butter, cubed
30-45ml/ 2-3tbsp cold water. (you may use more if pastry is "flaking and crumbling" But be careful not to add too much.. One spoonful is much in this pastry!

Put the flour and salt in to a large bowl and add cubes of butter
use your fingertips to rub the butter into flour until you have mixture that resembles coarse breadcrums with no large lumps of butter remaining.
Try to work quickly so that it does not become greasy.

I placed whole crumble to my pie dish, and flattened it there with my fingers.. Mary Berry would have cried if she would have seen me.. but I wanted to have rustic edgy feeling to my pie, it suppose to be country pie and nothing fancy.
When I have lined my tin, I used knife to clear the edges so that it looks nice in the end.
Be careful not to leave the pastry too thick, it is not what you want and it is surprisingly strong and holds a whole pie together. Ideal is about 3-4mm crumble.. or thinner if you have good eye.. That is why most of the people roll the pastry.. (I am not like most though).

When I am done with pastry comes my favorite part.. Filling!

I am going to have onions, chicken, basil, with cheese sause.. it will be delicious!

I often collect things I need in to one place before I start

For the filling you need: 
1 Large handfull of basil (see the picture)
6 Small size onions (again see the picture)
500g Chicken in small peaces.

For the cheese filling I used 3 old peaces of cheese, and 5 dairylea cheese trianles (in Finland we would use Koskenlaskija Cheese) , you can really use what ever you have in your cupboards, this is great way of using left overs.
Grate  all the cheeses, and add them to little pan where you add 5dl  milk and let all the cheeses melt in there to create even nice creamy sause. Let the sause cool down as you must mix whole thing with eggs and if cheese sause is too hot eggs will boil and you ruin your cheese filling..
Then take a 4 fresh  eggs and whisk them so that they become nice and foamy.
Mixx eggs and cheese sause together.

Pour this Cheese & Egg filing on top of the fillings you already have in your tin.
I used tomatos on top just asa decoration and finished it with tiny bit of grated cheese to create nice color and crusty top to my pie.

Bake whole thing in oven in 180c for a 40min.
(if top is starting to get too deep golden brown, you may lower the temperature, it depend quite a lot about your owen.)

Take a look at pictures they may give you some explanations to your questions!

Onions already in a tin, and cook (ea.Me) got a glass Rose wine!

Chicken must be in small peaces so that when you cut your pie later on they are easy to cut within.

Chicken was cooked before adding it to pie! 

 This mount of basil may feel much but aroma soften in owen so feel free to use as much as you like!

Onions, Chicken, and Basil already in tin! 

I whisk the eggs and cheese sause before pouring them in to tin

I used tomato just for the decoration

...and in last minute added some grated cheese on top of everything!

My pie might have been in the oven little too long, but I still like it.
I rather have something little over cooked than raw..

Crust came out nice and rustic as well

You may serve you pie with, what else than: More basil!

Hope you enjoy your pie!

Working on terass, and enjoying from Sun!

My little garden id growing, it is pathetic that I have to plant everything to planters as we are waiting to find a new house to live. Yes.. we must give up fromt his fabulous old house.
There is just too much wrong with this beauty and it would be just impossible to live here while doing renevation so we simply try to find a new house.. not an easy task to do after we have been so lucky to live in such a place. I have become really picky.

Never mind that.. Here is some photos from our Gardening day with Siiri my poodle.

Siiri and empty boxes waiting tubers and seeds, and lovely black compost! 

Hydrangea and Atzalea already growing! 

I must organize these boxes better..

Left our Vine and right tiny Lemon tree! Cute?

Common Mint is waiting to get growing.. other hers are already there! 

Look our Vine already have a grapes! 

I love these aluminium signs! 

I planted this marigold year a go winter and not it´s blooming!?!

Lemon tree is beautiful

Herb Jungle

Me, "the" proud gardener

Flowers in My garden

I am still planting. planting and planting.. and I think I have never enough space and plants...
Here are most of the flowers that are already growing in my tiny garden.. I can not wait to see all them flowering.. These pictures are not from my garden.. I wanted to create this more like a memory board to my self to see how my garden will be and for you to see what a crazy thing I have going on here!! I just can not get enough of my flowers..

Anemone de Caen

Gladioli Mix

These tiny  Yellow floers are cute.. they are related to garlic!

Allium Moly

I am BIG fan of lilies.. you see..

Acidantera Sword Lilies

Freesia Mix

I think I will plant this with that tiny yellow Allium bush..

Astrantia Major

And.. then comes my lovely lilies.. they all should flower a tiny bit of different time so there should be lilies in my Garden whole summer through.
This first one is Gist from dear friend.

Fire King Lily

This beauty below I just bought from Royal Horticulture Societys Great Plant Fair from Mr.Meyers recommendation.

Salmon Star

                                   

This was from RHS Great Plant fair too

Playtime

Who can resist pure white ones.. I can´t, and specially the name is appealing to me!

Casa Blanca

These three below I found from Ideal Home show.. they are already growing!

Dizzy Lily

Sorbonne Lily

Lollypop Lily

Star Gazer Lily

Then.. In every garden.. there just must be few trees growing.. or something to bring hight.. Mine are still small but still I have:

Vine

Cant wait to see mine growing big!

Lemon

Bay Tree

Can´t decite if Ithink these as small tree or flower..

Azalea Japonica "Pink"

Azalea Japonika "Bengal Fire"

I am surprised to see how much I have color in my tiny garden.. that these days are mainly palnted to old wooden wine boxes so that I can take them with me when we move to new house in near future.
 I do have also herbs.. and they all grow like wild already!

Salvia Candelabrum

Chives

Basil Lime

"normal" Basil

Thyme

Rosemary

Parsley

Coriander

And, my three loved Hydrangeas in Pink, and Blue, they are from last summer, survived from winter and now growing, it is interesting to see how they become.

Hydrangea Hortencia

RHS Great London Plant Fair

My dear Neighbor My took me to Royal Horticulture Society´s Great Plant Fair on 11th April (today).

It had such a magical flowers that I just wanted to share them with you all. It was also fun opportunity to "interview" some of the eldest Plant Fair guest´s to know how it was on earlier days.

I met wonderful elderly gentleman Mr.Peter Myers whom with I had interesting chat.

He told me that he have been participating in each plant show, every year after second world war.. so I guess we could call him a one serious enthusiast. He told me than in the "old days" Gardeners where more specialist to certain flowers and results of breeding where more interesting, as these days everyone grows a little everything. I suppose he is right.. I was lucky enough to find my self something interesting, almost forgotten lilies and bought two different type of lily tubers, I will show you how they are when they grow. Mr. Myers posed for photo with me and was exited to appear in such a modern thing as Blog, a I told him I am writing one and would like to have a photo of us if he think it is appropriate. He was very sweet.

All and all I think I was one of the youngest participants.. if you look closely photo of general view... people do not wear light grey hats, it is their silver grey hair that shines in afternoon sun. I was welcomed to this "secret" group of gardeners as there where not many young people around there. I loved it, I just realized how much I miss ones again my Grand mother "Mamma" as it would have been so lovely to get to work with her in her lovely big garden that she cared with such a tender and loving hand.

I wish I had kind of place one day.  I hope you enjoy the photos.. there are lot´s of them as they where all so lovely that I simply could not choose what to leave out.  

I left home from there with Vine ( not going to start making Wine.. ) Lemon tree, lily bulps that I mentioned before and with great mood after seen so much beauty and polite friendly and welcoming people.. all I need to HUGE garden now!!! 

Mr. Myers and Me

These little daffodils smelled amazing!

My Garand Mother´s favorite flowers

Very Stylish Gentleman!

I remember we having these in our garden when I was child

No, these are not chilies, they are flowers!!

Flower competition

I really liked the way things where displayed

Daffodil competition

They are picture perfect!

Dear My, my friend

This is not painting, they are real flowers!

Professional Gardener

One of earliest known Tulips, and oh what a beauty

Name of this early tulip

I am so fond of tulips that I might join Tulip Society!

All these books from flowers where also beautiful

One of my favorite flowers, look what a color!

This is her with her whole glory

My in action with her camera

Reminds me of Water Lily

But grows in a pot

These lovely Gentlemans where also exited to get photographed

Me and Chinese "garden decoration" She was marketing some show there

I hope you have enjoyed my reportage from plant fair, I certainly enjoyed visiting in there.
Thank you My,  for taking me there, and one more time: Happy Birthday for you it was fun day ones again, and our mutual Birthday lunch was delicious! Oh, almost forgot, thank you for my Birthday gift, I got fabulous Lemon tree from My!