Home made

C and G, who live just outside the village in a house they built themselves with no mains water or electricity, are moving after 38 years. They're off to the seaside, in a house right in town, which will be something of a change for them.  

For one reason and another we've seen very little of them the last couple of years, so we decided to invite them round for dinner to say goodbye properly. We liked the roast tomatoes and yogurt balls that S made recently so much that S made them again. They were even more delicious this time because in the meantime I had managed to buy some pul biber (Turkish mild chilli flakes) online. We tested a bit of it on our tongues and it has a lovely smoky flavour, without being too hot, that really enhances the other flavours. So this is S's labneh, which we'll definitely be keeping in our regular repertoire. It's really delicious ... I'd heard of it but hadn't realised it's so easy to make. Followed by a one-pot roast chicken with sweet vegetables and dried fruit, cheese of course, and a tarte tatin -- it's ages since I made one, and it turned out beautifully.

We had a nice evening of chat -- they have had a few bumps in the road the last few years so I was glad we had a chance to see them before they go. They sold their quirky house surprisingly quickly, and the buyers are a young French-American couple with a small child, which is good news for the village school.

Bed at midnight. A long day of baking tomorrow.