Cranberry Sauce

Bright red and shiny, cranberries are the very essence of Christmas. Not only do they look festive but they are the perfect accompaniment to turkey and many other meats eaten at this time.
Cranberry sauce is so easy to make, there really is no need to buy it in jars. Made fresh, it is zingy and pleasantly astringent, just the thing to perk up anything from chicken to ham or as a fruity partner to offset the richness of venison. It even goes well with cheese such as a well matured stilton.
Cranberries are now readily available at the supermarket in generously sized bags, so there'll be plenty to last throughout the winter feasts.

I use 300g of fresh cranberries, wash them and tip them into a saucepan along with the grated zest and juice of one orange. Placing the pan over a medium heat, I slowly bring them to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to pop and burst, releasing their juices. Then I add about five tablespoons of white sugar and stir in until dissolved. You could add more sugar if you wish the sauce to be sweeter.
It really is simple as that.

Getting more juice from your lemon

Put your lemon in the microwave. Just 30 seconds on 'high' will soften the fruit's internal membranes, releasing more juice as it's easier to squeeze.
If you don't have a microwave, five minutes in a warm oven works just as well.

Give your lemon a massage. Roll it backwards and forwards on the work surface applying a little pressure.

Selecting the best lemon. Don't judge them by their looks but their weight. For their size, they should feel heavy in in the hand.

A Cherry's Time is Short but Sweet

The English cherry season is but a brief spell in summer, that peaks around mid July, so there's just a little time left to indulge in them.
Lately I've been pleasantly surprised to see British cherries in all the shops, especially as we're often overrun with foreign imports, it makes quite a change to see even the supermarkets displaying boxes proudly displaying the Union Jack flag label.

British cherries have been under threat of almost extinction due to various factors (which I detailed in an article I wrote for The Artisan Food Trail blog) so it is a good idea to take advantage of their seasonal abundance and exercise some patriotism, just to keep them thriving.

In the town, where I live, we are sadly lacking a decent proper market, but we do have a regular, almost daily, fruit and veg stall that 'lives' opposite a building society. It is a lonesome stall but the cheery lady running it, seems to do a fair amount of trade and the array of produce is always fresh and inviting. 'Fresh Local Cherries', says the sign wedged into the back of a box stuffed full of shiny red baubles. Well, how could I refuse? She scoops them up and drops them into a brown paper bag, and scrunches the top. That took me back to my childhood when I would eat them like sweets, straight from the bag.

Exercising more grownup restraint my fruity haul made it home intact, which is a good thing as I would have had some explaining to do.

Cherries are delicious just as they are, of course, but I like to try different things with food. I did make a clafoutis, which is a French dish consisting of a rich sweet batter with the cherries baked, suspended in the mixture. That did taste good, but no photo I'm afraid. My exacting standards on appearances meant it was not quite up to the mark.

A Quick and Tasty Summer Salad
I also put together a simple salad (which is pictured). Fruit and cheese are good partners, Think of cheddar and apple, stilton and pear or brie and grapes, so I made a fairly bold decision and set the cherries alongside some soft white goat's cheese, with a mixture of spinach, rocket and watercress leaves and a simple balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. Hunks of walnut bread were all that was needed to squash the cheese on to and to mop up all the lovely juices.

Photos: ©childsdesign 2011

Quince

This was my first cooking acquaintance with fresh quinces. I've eaten them in the form of membrillo paste which is an altogether different experience.
In their raw state quinces are very firm and quite tart – impossible to eat them as an apple or a pear that they resemble, so cooking them is the best option to allow for softening and sweetening.

They are quite tricky to prepare and you must be careful when cutting them in half, as the tough flesh resists the knife most dangerously – all too easily to slip and then, well you know...
The core is as hard as stone so I halved the quinces and set about them with one of those Parisienne/melon baller things, which had the desired effect after some brute force. If anyone thinks I'm doing it wrong or knows of a better way, please let me know.

After the battle, I finally got them into some warm poaching syrup until they became tender. The texture is like pear but the flavour is scented and reminiscent of honey.
They can be eaten in desserts, or as I did, served with meats like pork.
Photo: ©childsdesign 2010

Juicy Pickings

I just had to share a picture of my lovely strawberries with you. I put in some plants last year and only got a small bowl full, but after they had finished fruiting, lots of runners shot out and found their places in the soil. As there was plenty of space for them to spread, I let them grow where they pleased, and with amazing results.

I was surprised that I got so much fruit from them this year, as I have to admit that I neglected them. They had no protection in winter and had to survive on only natural rainfall for moisture, during the spring.
Maybe "treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen" can be a applied to strawberries too.

Box of Delights from Natoora

I was very surprised to be contacted by a marketing company, telling me that they were looking for food bloggers to review the latest Spring Taster Box* from Natoora. Knowing about Natoora's reputation for their online top quality food store, I was very pleased to accept.

Delivery was easy to arrange, I agreed a specific day with Natoora and it arrived in the morning. The website had listed the ingredients as follows, British asparagus, fresh peas, basil, strawberries from Marsala, Jersey Royal new potatoes, Camone tomatoes and loquats.

I don't think I had Camone tomatoes in my box, as they didn't look like the picture on the website, my ones were much smaller, plum shaped and very red. They looked more like Datterinis.

According to Natoora, I would be getting the same luxury food that is supplied to some of Britain's top chefs. It certainly all looked fresh, although the strawberries had suffered a little bashing in transit, but no great damage done.

Knowing that peas are best when absolutely freash, I used those first. The pods were nice and fat and full of peas, except for one where they had failed to develop.

I haven't podded peas for a while, it was lovely to hear the pop and satisfyingly remove the peas by running my thumb through the pod. No grubs either, which was a pleasant experience – when I used to shell peas as a child, with my Grandma, there was often something lurking inside!

I made a simple pea risotto topped with king prawns and a mint and parsley olive oil drizzle

The tomatoes were the most delicious and sweet of any cherry tomato I have tasted. To enjoy them, simple was the best approach, so I put together a salad by slicing the tomatoes in half and mixing with finely diced red onion and some capers. I dressed the salad with a little red wine vinegar and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil.

The basil was put to good use as the perfect accompaniment to the tomatoes. I just love the smell of basil and when I initially opened the bag, a full fragrant burst wafted out. The leaves were a good mature size and had the most amazing sweet peppery tatse.

As with all things in this box, I chose to adopt the most basic approaches to allow the flavours to remain true and the way I treated the asparagus was no exception (no photo, I'm afraid, it got eaten in a flash!)

After lighly coating in olive oil, salt and pepper, I chargrilled it and served with a squeeze of lemon juice alongside some parma ham.

The stems were very tender with no hint of woodiness, so very little wastage.

If you struggle to remember what strawberries used to tasted like, then these are sure to jog your memory.

They were exceptionally sweet and gloriously fragrant and for that reason are best served naked. (No not you, the strawberries!) I sliced some over my morning muesli and ate them in the garden as the sun shone through the trees – bliss.

Potoatoes are possibly one of the most versatile vegetables, and in my opinion can not be substituted with anything else. They're just lovely with their jackets on and new poatoes have the most forgiving and scrumptious skins. Just simmer them gently for five minutes and either toss in butter, or as I did, dress them with watercress pesto.

I haven't eaten the loquats yet. They look a lot like a quinces or a medlars so I'm intrigued to find out what they taste like.

Retailing at £15 for the box,* it may seem rather pricey, but to get particularly special, quality produce in its prime one should expect to pay likewise.

To find out more about Natoora and to buy online, visit their website: www.natoora.co.uk

* No longer available, but look out for other taster box offers on their website

The First Gooseberry

It seems, that this year, everything in the garden has been so slow to get started, no doubt due to to the hard winter followed by a reluctant and cold spring.
At last the weather is warming up and the sun is beginning to have some actual beneficial heat, I've even sat outside having my lunch as it's been so nice.
During one of my outdoor sandwiches I noticed that my gooseberry bush has started to bear fruit. Just a tiny little berry hanging off the very end of a spikey branch, but it's a start.
I have three gooseberry bushes in the garden and if they all do the same, I should be lucky enough to have plenty of fruit.

Just need to keep the saw fly larvae at bay, as they have a voracious appetite for goosberry leaves and are capable of de-nuding an entire plant in a matter of days – the little buggers!

Brittany Break

I've recently returned from a trip to Brittany in France, and what an eye opener it has been. Seeing how the locals live has made me think about what is sadly lacking from our everyday lives here in the UK.

We stayed in in the small town of Lanvollon which is in the department of Côtes d'Armor. It's a lovely quiet place away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist towns, but for somewhere so seemingly laid back it has all the amenities including a fantastic supermarket. Considering the fact that Super U is a chain supermarket, which could be compared to our very own Sainsbury's or Tesco, it far supercedes our British counterparts. The quality and range of produce is astounding. I found myself almost giddy with excitement when I saw the fresh fish counter, and as Brittany is fringed by such a beautiful and bountiful coastline, it should have been no surprise really. We bought some locally caught moules (that's mussels to you and me) which we ate that evening, just simply done with some shallots, parsley, white wine and butter. They were deliciously sweet and tender.

Butter is big in Brittany and features heavily in many regional baked goods. I'm even thinking that if I can't buy the best croissants at home then I'm not going to bother with them again. Proper French croissants are flaky on the outside, soft in the middle and so buttery, you don't need anything else with them. As for the Breton cake, well that was melt-in-the-mouth heaven. I knew of the local cake and I even have a recipe for it, torn from a magazine, tucked away somewhere, but I had never tried it until now. We bought one that had some prune purée in between its shortcake-like layers – very nice.

Something I discovered about traditional Brittany butter is that there is never an unsalted variety. The Bretons like their butter salted and probably more so than we do, but there is a half-salted version for the more health conscious! Some types even contain little crunchy sea salt crystals.

Despite Brittany having a large dairy farming industry it doesn't make any cheese, which I find rather odd, but being in France there's no shortage from other regions. We found some delicious Comte, not just one type as you you'd maybe see in your local deli, but several, each having been differently aged.

Cheese of course, needs some bread to accompany it and a rich-tasting crusty baguette was in order. I like bread, but I love real French bread - it's just so tasty. Bread is an obvious daily requirement in the Breton home as it's not uncommon to see someone go out every day just to pick up a loaf. On a Sunday too, as the boulangerie is open well into the afternoon.

Baking seems to be an integral part of French life as there seems to be a boulangerie, patisserie or biscuiterie at every turn. Why isn't everyone fat in France with such a rich diet? That'll be the French Paradox then. I'm betting that all those fresh fruit and vegetables help negate the bad effects... oh and the wine is reputably beneficial of course.

Brittany is certainly a very picturesque part of France and is strangely reminiscent of Cornwall and Devon with its craggy coves, fishing villages and sandy beaches. The open countryside is grazed by cows and there are fields of maize and globe artichokes. The artichokes make for an interesting and attractive crop, I think.

I definitely fell in love with the area, especially the coast, so its marked for a revisit in the not so distant future.

For more pictures click here

Bramble and Bramley Jam

I finally got around to making some blackberry jam and the results from last year's foraging have survived the cold confines of the freezer.

This weekend we have been busy in the front garden clearing a tangle of brutish brambles to make way for some raised vegetable beds. Battling away and getting scratched and spiked in the process, reminded me of last year and the thought of "I must make that jam" quickly entered my mind.

What I like about this particular jam is that it is seedless. Blackberries can be so full of pips and this doesn't always make it a pleasurable eating experience, especially when you get them stuck in between your teeth.

The addition of apples adds another dimension to the flavour and bulks out the texture too.

Ingredients
1kg blackberries
350g bramley apples
water
white granulated sugar

Method
Core and roughly chop the apples leaving the skin on.
Put the apples and blackberries in a large preserving pan or large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add just enough water to cover and simmer until soft.

Sieve the softened fruit discarding the skins and seeds left behind in the sieve. 

Weigh the sieved pulp, make a note of the weight then weigh out that amount in sugar.

Put the sieved pulp and sugar into a large heavy bottomed saucepan or preserving pan and heat very gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring the jam to the boil and continue to boil very rapidly for about 8-10 minutes until the jam reaches setting point. See tip below.
When the jam has set, carefully pour into warm, sterilised jars, using a ladle.
Cover the jars with tight fitting screw-top lids.
Label when cold and store in a cool, dark place, away from damp.

Tricks and Tips: Jam setting point
Achieving the right set does carry a certain knack to it. You could try using a jam thermometer but personally I find it a lot easier using a method that my maternal Grandma showed me. Before you start to make the jam, put a plate in the fridge. When it's cold you then drizzle some warm jam on to it and return the plate to the fridge to cool for approximately two minutes. You can tell that it has set when you run your finger through it leaving a crinkly track mark. If after two minutes the cooled jam is too runny, continue to boil the jam, testing it every few minutes until you have the right set.

Plum Crumble

You just can’t beat English plums for great flavour. They’re in season now, and if you’re like me, and can’t resist the lure of a Victoria or Marjorie Seedling, this is the best and really only time to find them.

Plums can have quite an astringent taste, but I find that this is one of their best qualities. Much of that special plummy flavour is in the skin, which I like to leave on for maximum taste.
On my visit to Whitstable, I ate at a restaurant named Samphire and ended the meal with a lovely pudding, made with apples, plums and topped with crumble containing Kent cob nuts. It was so delicious that I was inspired to recreate my own version.
Letting the plums take centre stage, I opted to leave out the apple altogether and just have more plums.
I personally think that this should be served with a good crème anglais (if you want to be posh) or custard if you’re traditional like me!

Ingredients
For the plums
1 1/2 lbs plums
2 tablespoons water
sugar to taste
grated zest of half an orange
half teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the crumble topping
4 oz whole blanched hazelnuts
3 oz unsalted butter, cubed
3 oz sugar
4 oz plain flour

Method 

Preheat the oven to at 180 C, gas mark 4.
Halve the plums and remove the stones. Place a large frying pan over a moderate heat and add a knob of butter. Put in the plums and add the water.

Add the orange zest and cinnamon and stir gently to combine.
Cook the plums on a low heat until they start to soften and let out some of their juices.

Now add some sugar, just taste the juice to check whether it's to your liking.
Remove from the heat and tip them into an ovenproof dish.

In another frying pan, dry roast the hazelnuts over medium heat, stirring all the time, until they take on a golden colour.
When they’re ready, remove from the heat and leave to cool, before chopping them roughly.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and sugar. Add the butter and then gently work in the butter using your fingertips, rubbing and lifting, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the chopped hazelnuts and stir in.

Spoon the crumble topping over the fruit and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Brambles and Berries

As I was updating my ‘In Season’ list, it occurred to me that we are indeed entering another season.
It is a sad but very true fact that the disappointing summer is on its way out and autumn is hot on its heels. Autumn though, is not a season to be sniffed at, bringing with it luscious hedgerow fruits, wild mushrooms and fiery colours.
As I write though, the weather has taken a turn for the better, albeit for a short time before the forecasted thunderstorms and rain arrive.

Earlier in the year I plundered our overgrown garden for elderflowers to make some fritters (click to see post).

The remaining blossoms have now developed into fruits and I’m eager to pick them to make elderberry jelly or jam. Dashing into the garden with my camera to take some photos for blog documentation, I’m suddenly disappointed. The birds have got there before me! There’s hardly a berry left and all that remains are the spikey magenta stalks.

My despondency soon fades as I realise that the thorny entanglement I’ve had to fight through is a mass of brambles now covered in fruit, ripe and ready for picking.
Back into the house to fetch a bowl from the kitchen.

This is going to be a prickly challenge, but being scratched isn’t going to prevent me from gathering nature’s prize.
The blackberries are bloated and juicy and I pick them one by one, staining my fingers a dark purple.
The task takes me quite some time. There are a lot of berries on offer and it frustrates me that so many are out of reach. Not wanting to risk falling into the spiny nest of barbed stems, I decide to leave those ones for the birds.

Satisfied that I’ve gathered enough, I weigh them. A pound and a half! That’s pretty good; and I didn’t have to go very far to get them.

Wild blackberries invariably act as homes for some invertebrate wildlife, so I drop the blackberries into some salted cold water and leave them to soak overnight. This has the desired effect of evicting the unwanted beasties which can be rinsed off later.

I’m not sure what I’d like to do with the berries yet, but they freeze well, so until I decide whether to make an apple and blackberry pie or jam, they’ll keep in the meantime.

Fruits of Our Labour

My blog has been a little neglected lately as a lot of my time has been taken up with the needs of the kitchen garden.

It's amazing how things have grown so quickly over the past few weeks. The tomatoes have come on in leaps and bounds, helped along by the long, warm sunny days. It doesn't seem that long ago that they were little plants full of potential. Their growth rate has been incredible – I found myself imagining that I could hear them creaking as they climbed up past the window and the little fruits literally popping into existence overnight! As you can see from the picture above, I have one tomato already beginning to ripen.

The hoverflies have been busy aiding pollination. I don't think I've ever seen so many of these little insects all at once. I find it quite relaxing watching them flit about between the flowers as they feed on nectar.

There are so many tomatoes now, that I'm already making plans to make ketchup and chutney, as well as eating them in salads of course.

The carrots and beetroots are developing well too. The tops of the swelling roots are now visible at the compost's surface. I'll definitely be growing them in containers next year, as this has successfully deterred the carrot flies which can destroy your crop.

Good Growing

It’s time for a follow up again, on what’s been growing in the garden, and I have to say that I’m very proud of the potatoes.
What started out as an experiment started back in March has proved to be most fruitful. From a few wrinkly sprouting potatoes lying in the bottom of the vegetable trolley, a surprising amount of fresh baby spuds have been born – 2 kilograms in fact.
These are quite special potatoes as well; the variety is Vivaldi – one of my favourites for its exceptional flavour and texture. It’s so creamy, almost buttery, so you don’t even have to add butter, but it is nice, all the same!
We have an assortment of sizes – nothing huge – but they are perfect cooked in their thin skins, as ‘new potatoes’, tossed with chopped dill (yes, I’ve grown that too).

The gooseberries have now been picked too. They’re not particularly large, but it’s not all about size is it? Flavour is what counts.