Great weather for thinning and planting out, and eating currant muffins

Sunday was a very wet day, yet nine volunteers braved the elements to add bedding plants around our big oak tree. Having decided they couldn't get much wetter, they carried on with other jobs, bedraggled but happy. As Charlotte wrote in her weekly email: "This is great weather for thinning and planting out, baking and eating muffins, slugs and snails and ducks."

Currant muffins

Mary baked these delicious muffins using blackcurrants from the community garden and some redcurrants she was given by a friend. She says: "The redcurrants are quite tart compared to the black ones, but they were a wonderful treat on a rainy afternoon with tea after we dried off from our 'soaking Sunday' gardening session!" 

If you'd like to try to bake your own muffins, here's Mary's recipe:

Currant muffins (Makes 6)

1 cup self-rising flour (or add 2 tsp baking powder to 1 cup regular flour)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Mix dry ingredients above together and add until just mixed:

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 to 3/4 cup of fresh currants

Bake at 180C for 15 to 18 minutes