coykiesaol

i have a a waterair pool with a cartouche filter system. I have some very fine dust/sand at the bottom of the pool and after several goes at vacing this up , it seems to to pass through the filter. The filter is a new filter aswell. Any ideas how i can rid this , i've looked to see if i can vac to waste but i'm unable to do this

Hi has anybody fitted an air source heat pump if so did they find it worthwhile and again if so what is a good make to go for. thankyou

Can anyone tell me if it is possible to buy double or whipping cream in France? I tried making my trifle this year before realising i could see nothing but creme fraiche in the supermarkets. Also, is there anything like table jellies over here?

Does anyone know where to buy bare root trees? I'd like to add about 20 more to our orchard and there's no way I can afford 20-40 euros per potted tree from our garden centre.

I'm planting a country hedge - mixture of hornbeam, blackthorn, wild rose, rowan, hazel, privet, spindle, holly etc. They are small bare-rooted plants at present and I'm planting them a metre apart. Someone has suggested this is too close for the type of plants I have and 2 metres apart would be better. I'd welcome some advice / views on planting distances please. Thanks

Serves 4 Cooking Time Prep time 15 mins, cook 12 mins 400 gm fresh skinless white-fleshed fish fillets, such as flathead, barramundi or mulloway, cut into large cubes 1 tbsp olive oil 1 lemon, juice only 8 soft corn or wheat tortillas 80 gm (1 cup) shredded red cabbage 150 gm (½ cup) Japanese mayonnaise (see note) Tomato salsa 3 ripe tomatoes, diced 2 tbsp coarsely chopped coriander 2 tbsp lime juice 1 small red chilli, finely chopped (optional) 2 tsp olive oil Guacamole 2 avocado, coarsely chopped 60 ml (¼ cup) lime juice 3 spring onions, thinly sliced 2 tbsp coarsely chopped coriander 1 For tomato salsa, combine ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and set aside. 2 For guacamole, coarsely mash ingredients in a bowl with a fork, season to taste, set aside. 3 Meanwhile, fire up the barbecue or a char-grill pan over high heat. Season fish to taste, drizzle with olive oil and a little lemon juice, then grill, turning once, until just cooked (8-10 minutes). 4 Meanwhile, quickly toast tortillas on the barbecue, turning once, until warmed slightly (1-2 minutes). Top with grilled fish, red cabbage, guacamole, a squeeze of mayo and tomato salsa to finish, then wrap them up and eat them straight away.

Serves 6 Soup 800 gm lamb neck, bone in, cut into 4 pieces (ask your butcher to do this)lamb neck, bone in, cut into 4 pieces (ask your butcher to do this) 60 gm pearl barley, soaked in water overnight 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped 1 small turnip, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 leek, washed and thinly sliced 350 gm white cabbage, thinly sliced ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley Bouquet garni 2 fresh bay leaves 6 celery leaves 2 stalks flat-leaf parsley 3 sprigs thyme 1 In a large saucepan combine lamb and barley with 3 litres cold water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 2 For bouquet garni, wrap herbs in muslin, tie with kitchen twine and add to pan. 3 Season broth with sea salt and simmer, skimming occasionally, for 1 hour, then add vegetables except cabbage and simmer for 2 hours. 4 Remove lamb from broth, remove meat and return to soup, add cabbage and simmer for 10 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and serve scattered with parsley.

I have been scraping up all the leaves in the garden (very large garden, unbelievable amount of leaves!!) Was wondering if having dumped a load of them on the veg patch for mixing in with horse manure when they are rotted down whether this will be beneficial or detrimental to the health (growth) of veggies next year?? Also, does anyone have a leaf blower and can they recommend them or not. Especially when the leaves are wet on grass?? Many thanks

I have four rose bushes,( not climbers) which have finally finished flowering. Can I prune them now or due to the sudden harsh weather should I wait until spring? I would like to prune now if possible as they will look a lot tidier Thanks

Serves 6 Cooking Time Prep time 5 mins, cook 10 mins (plus setting) Chocolate mousse 180 gm dark chocolate (54% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped 3 eggs, at room temperature, separated ¼ tsp each of ground cinnamon, ground allspice and chilli powder 225 ml thickened cream, lightly whipped Hazelnut praline 100 gm hazelnuts, roasted and skins removed 100 gm caster sugar 1 Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, turn off heat and cool, add yolks and stir to combine, then add spices. Add cream and fold through to combine. In a separate bowl, beat eggwhites until soft peaks form, then add to chocolate mixture and fold to combine. The mousse should be smooth and even in colour. Spoon into six ½ cup-capacity moulds and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. 2 For hazelnut praline, place hazelnuts on a baking paper-lined oven tray. Combine sugar and 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until light caramel, then pour over hazelnuts and cool completely. Coarsely chop. 3 To serve, scatter mousse with praline and serve immediately.

I've had 4 duck legs sitting in the freezer for ages and a couple of weeks ago invested in a slow cooker. Was wondering whether to have a go and see if cooking them in this would make for a tender duck leg. If anyone has tried it would you suggest I quickly fry them first on a high heat to get rid of the fat?

I have a lot this year and some are quite big and turning a bit yellow but there is no smell. I'm sure they ripened earlier than this last year. Local producers have been selling them at the roadside for a while. Should I stop watering them now to encourage them to ripen?

MOH wants to start growing exotics and other plants/seeds in her greenhouse. She has found appropriate electric heating pads by the score online in UK, but they don't deliver to France. What are these things called in France, so we can do a google/fr on them? Thanks in advance.

As it's chestnut season I wondered if anyone had a tasty vegetarian recipe. Being lazy I use the local ones which have had all the hard work done and buy them in a jar at the market. I've googled but nothing appeals.

Marmalade was originally made of quince fruit. Here is a traditional recipe for quince marmalade which also uses lemons. Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Ingredients: • 3-1/2 pounds quince • 5 cups water • 5 lemons cut in half • 6 cups sugar Preparation: Wipe fur from outside skin of quinces with a damp cloth. Quarter and core fruit reserving all cores, seeds etc. Place reserved cores and seeds in a cloth, tied at the top with string. Dice quinces with a knife or food processor. Put into a jam pan with water. Thinly slice lemons, as for marmalade, and add to pan. Simmer until fruit is quite tender, about 45 to 60 minutes. Watch carefully so fruit does not boil over. Warm sugar by placing in a steel bowl in a 250-degree F. oven for 5 minutes. (Or microwave in nonmetallic bowl for 1 minute.) Stir in warmed sugar into jam pan with fruit. Boil rapidly until setting point is reached , by which time quince should be a beautiful rich pink colour. Test a little of the marmalade on a saucer chilled in the refrigerator. Place small amount of sauce on saucer. If a skin forms on top quickly and it runs off saucer in a lumpy formation, it is ready to set. Pour quince marmalade into sterilized jars, and lid. Invert the lidded jars using a cloth to protect your hands, for two minutes to sterilize the lids. When cold, wipe jars and label. Store in a cool place. Will keep for at least 12 months. Yield: about 6 half-pints