From my kitchen... 

     Kitchen Oranges

         watercolor

Scones

2 cups flour

1 T baking powder

2 T sugar

1/2 t salt

6 T butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1/2 buttermilk

1 egg, beaten as a wash with a bit of milk

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter (with two knives) until texture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add buttermilk. Mix quickly until dough forms a ball but do not over mix. Shape the dough into a round about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into wedges and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with a bit of sugar if desired. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned, at 425 degrees F.

Summer "Pud" (American style)

6-8 Cups of assorted red and blue fruit - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries

1 Cup sugar

1 Loaf good, homemade if possible, white bread, crusts removed

Line a large glass bowl with plastic wrap (enough so that there is enough overlapping the bowl to close it over at the top when finished)

Place one whole slice of the bread in bottom, then continue covering the bowl up each side with half triangles of bread until the bowl is covered and the pieces fit together (like a puzzle). Cut bread into different sizes as needed. Set this aside.

In a large pan, with about 1/4 C of water, disolve about 1/2-1 C of sugar (depending on how sweet fruit is). Add fruit and cook over low heat for about 3-5 minutes, over low heat gently stirring occassionaly. Fruit should be softened but still intact. Drain the fruit, but save the juice.

Gently, with a large spoon, add the fruit to the breaded bowl, pouring some of the juice over each addition until the bowl is full. Dip half slices of bread in juice then place across top of bowl, until completely covered. Pull plastic wrap across top, place a small plate fitting inside of bowl on top, and weigh down with cans or a covered brick.

Refridgerate at least six hours, preferably overnight.

To serve, remove weight, plate, and plastic wrap from top. Place a large serving plate upside down on top of bowl and flip over.

Whipped cream (white in the red, white and blue!), a sprig of mint and a splash of left over juices are a must! Enjoy either on an American back deck after hot dogs and hamburgers or in an English walled garden after a proper English lunch - does it really matter which?