Christmas Chutney & Bay Leaf Gift Tags

At this time of year, I love to make preserves such as chutney and piccalilli. It’s a great excuse to fill the home with some really special treats and make a batch of homemade gifts too.

Gifts to make and give

This year I’ve chosen a boozy recipe, which I’ve aptly named Christmas Chutney. It has two bottles of stout (but you could use ale or bitter), root veg, dried dates and seasonal spices. It makes robust pub-style chutney which goes well with farmhouse Cheddar, crusty bread, and another pint or two! It’s a cracking chutney for Brothers, Dads and Granddads who can be particularly hard to buy for!

This recipe makes 8-10 jars

Ingredients

900g onions, peeled and sliced

500g swede, peeled and chopped into small cubes

300g carrots, peeled and chopped into small cubes

500g apples, peeled and chopped into chunks

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

200g stoned dates, finely chopped

300g tomato puree

600g demerara sugar

500ml cider vinegar

2 tbsp French mustard

4 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp coarse sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2x 500ml stout, or traditional ale or bitter

For the spice bag

100g root ginger, peeled and chopped

6 cloves

1 tsp black peppercorns

Bay leaf

Method

Make your spice bag by tying up the spices in 20cm square of muslin. Leave a long string so that you can fish out the spice bag later.

Then place all the ingredients, except the stout, into a large pan with 1 litre of water. Add the spice bag. Mix well and bring to a gentle simmer. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then cook for about an hour and a half.

Add the stout and continue to cook for another hour or two; until the chutney is a deep red-brown in colour, the juices are thickened and have reduced down to a chutney consistency.

Remove from the heat and remove the spice bag. Immediately spoon into warm sterilised jars. Tap down to ensure there are no air pockets. Seal immediately.

This recipe needs 4-6 weeks to mature #justintimeforchristmas.

Here we used our wonderful ‘Cracking Chutney’ Glass Jars to present as gifts. I like to finish with a little paper, tied with string or twine. Fresh Bay leaves make a stylish and contemporary gift tag.

Simple things…

As seen in the press, our Vintage Milk Bottle – Country Homes & Interiors Magazine – Sept 12

As you know we’re a great fan of glass ware. A beautiful glass bottle with a single stem makes an elegant feature around the home. Last month, the gorgeous Country Homes & Interiors magazine (September 2012) featured our Vintage Milk Bottle in their bathroom feature. This bottle is one of my all time favourites and looked stunning. I especially admired their floral use.

Inspired by the feature, we’re making the most of our summer herbs; both in our food and in our home. Our glass jam jar makes a lovely make-shift vase’s for a pocket full of herbs around the home. Sage and lavender smell wonderful and should be touched to help release their fragrance. Here I have picked flat leaf parsley and dwarf basil leaves and kept them close to the kitchen.

Herbs in jam jar

Allotment Open Day and Moist Chocolate Beetroot Cake

Saturday was a great day as Broughton Allotment Association, in North Lincolnshire, threw open its gates and invited people to look around. It proved a wonderful opportunity to share some home-made cakes, enjoy a beverage or two, and look around the wonderful plots.

The icing on the cake were the resident ‘plot’ Scarecrows. The organisation invited plot holders to take part in a fun scarecrow competition. It proved very popular with most of the plot holders and even the local Broughton Junior School, entered with 3 scarecrows designed by the local children.

Although our scarecrow didn’t win, it proved to be a winner with all; especially the kids who throughly enjoyed the scarecrow map and hunt.

My contribution was a Chocolate Beetroot Cake, which was topped with fun pink frosting. I made a lovely tray bake as well as using the same mix to make a small batch of fairy cakes for the family. I’m told the recipe went down so well that others would like to have a go.

So here’s Freshly Forked’s recipe for Chocolate Beetroot Cake. It makes a super-moist  cake. The secret to success is pureed beetroot – for this recipe I actually used White Beetroot because it was to hand. It doesn’t make much difference to the taste of the cake but the colour of the cake will be significantly darker and richer if you used normal red beetroot.

Ingredients

• 250g well-drained, cooked beetroots, pureed
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 300g caster sugar
• 250ml vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease and flour one 20x30cm (9×13 in) or similar sized baking tin.
2.In a large bowl, combine pureed beetroots, eggs, vanilla, oil & sugar. Mix until well combined.
3.In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt & cocoa. Add to the creamed mixture and beat together. Pour mixture into the prepared tin or cupcake cases if your prefer (simply adjust the baking time accordingly).
4.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until done. Cool and frost with your favourite icing. I’ve gone for pink because it helps to get across the drama of the beetroot and makes it a really fun cake for kids and big kids too.

Beautiful Borlotti Beans

This is the first year that I’ve grown Borlotti Beans. I’m a big ‘bean’ fan so I’ve been watching and waiting for the beans develop and swell over the last few months. They’ve not produced as many beans as I expected. In fact a lot less bean than runners and french, but then again its been a bad year for most fruit and veg.

Growing Borlotti Beans

It’s been quite fascinating to see how the beautiful pink colour develops, looking most attractive in the garden.

Freshly harvested Borlotti Beans

Now they are ready, it’s a question of what to do with them! I’ve frozen a couple of bags for use in soups, stews and casseroles later in the year. I know its traditional to dry these beans, but I see no point unless your freezer is full to capacity. I like the idea that they’ll be fresh from the freezer and that the cooking time will be significantly less because I won’t need to rehydrate them for cooking.

Fresh Borlotti Beans

I’ve search the internet looking for inspirational recipes but you can’t beat a simple sausage and bean casserole.  Borlotti Beans are much used in Italian, Portuguese and Greek cuisine. Here is an interesting recipe for Borlotti & Courgette Hummous http://www.britishlarder.co.uk/borlotti-bean-and-courgette-hummus/#axzz26oWV6RKn I haven’t tried it yet but when I do, I’ll let you know.

 

Slugs and snails…..

This year, I am troubled by slimy creatures!

Signs of slug damage on beetroot leaves

More than likely because it’s been an incredibly wet year but also the new railway sleepers, which frame my new raised bed, and our old wall lend themselves so well to help ‘home’ these troublesome. It’s so frustrating. They can do so much damage.

I’m normally such a laid-back gardener. I grow fruit and vegetables because I enjoy doing it. It only takes a little effort to get so much back but this year has been tough. What with the blight, slugs, snails. And so many ants!

Small slugs found on lettuce

So far I haven’t used any chemicals to fight this war. I sometimes resort to ‘kidnapping’ trips into the garden after rainfall. Another good / fun way, as my young sons aged 6 and 3 have discovered, is to upturn stones, bricks and other objects that might lend themselves well to a temporary home in-between feeds.

In the lettuce above I found 6 young slugs when washing the leaves. The perfect reminder that home-grown produce should be washed just as well as shop-bought!

Next year I need to get smarter. I may well have to resort to setting young plants in deep copper rings which apparently give approaching snails and slugs a mild electric shock.

Do I still love gardening? Of course! This is all part and parcel of growing your own; although I must admit, I prefer it when things go a little smoother!

 

 

Superb Summer Puddings

Who would have thought a few slices of white bread, sugar and a bowl of mixed berries would lend itself itself so elegantly to one of the best puddings of all time!

Summer Pudding

Summer Puddings are a celebration of the best seasonal fruits. They don’t need to be exclusive to berries however the purple, pink and red hues created from the juices of these morrish berries are an obvious and impressive reason why!

Home-grown berries – early July 2012

Here I used home-grown strawberries, tayberries and blackcurrants. Later in the season when our raspberries, cherries and blueberries ripen, I’ll make another two or three. It’s really that easy and truly delicious. Add a splash of Almond or Cherry Liquor for a adult pudding.

A handful or two of blackcurrants add a rich purple colour and a little bite, so make sure you add plenty of sugar to taste.

Gooseberries

After some pretty miserable weather, I was astonished to see how much everything had come on. The strong sun and abundance of rain has meant the plot is in full bloom. Many fruits and salads are nearly ready. It’s a great feeling and most welcome.

One sight I most welcome are the Gooseberries.

Our Gooseberry bush was moved last year but certainly seems happy enough in its new place. The berries are just turning. I prefer them this way being slightly sweeter. Gooseberries aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I can’t imagine not growing such family treasures. Topping and tailing is such a nuisance task but oddly comforting; bringing home family memories.

So Gooseberry Crumbles are somewhat of a seasonal family tradition. I’m happy to enjoy one portion to get my fix but it must be covered in real custard!

Gooseberries – early June 12

This year I’d like to try a Summer Gooseberry Trifle; instead of the usual crumble and jam. I’m hoping the trifle will go down better with the rest of the family (who aren’t so keen on the sharpness, colour and texture of this fruit!). Some Elderflower Cordial will go perfectly.

Elderflower Cordial

Vanilla Infused Sugar

Infusing sugar is such an easy way to transform the taste of your cakes, cookies, icing, cordials and even cocktails! It’s something I’ve been doing for a little while and thought I would share with you. Here I have taken a glass jar and infused the sugar with two vanilla pods, or you could use beans. It takes a little while (at least a week) for the flavour to infuse, so don’t be too hasty.

Vanilla Infused Sugar for baking and making cordials

Last summer I dried heather and used it to infuse caster sugar. I eventually went on to bake Lavender Cupcakes and a Lemon and Lavender Tea loaf. You can infuse sugar with many herbs, edible flowers and dried citrus fruits. You could also make a batch to give away as unique gifts. Any foodie would be delighted by the thought and originality! Just tie a little ribbon and add a gift tag.

If you do use smaller herbs or flowers like I did, make sure you sieve the sugar first before baking. It’s much nicer finishing the tops of infused cakes and tea loaves with a few hand-picked leaves and flowers for decorate purposes.

Home-grown and dried lavender for baking

Recently I discovered the magic of Scented-Geramiums. I’m planning on treating myself to some plants to enhance the garden and make the most of their highly scented leaves in the kitchen for baking. I’m particularly interested in the lemon-scented, peppermint and rose so that I can infuse more sugar. Unfortunately they seem to be rather difficult to get hold off! If I don’t succeed locally, I shall have to turn to the internet!

Rainy Cake Day

So ordinarily I would now be blogging about the allotment but the weather has been so miserable, sowing’s really haven’t really gone to plan.

Days like these need cake

I’ve come to the conclusion that frustrating, cold rainy days only deserve one thing – cake.

Of course, it shouldn’t be any cake. It should be a home-baked cake. The preparation, the measuring (and the mess), all foster anticipation that makes baking cakes a real sense of occasion. After all, it’s what our Grandparents used to do. It worked then and it still works now. There’s nothing better than seeing faces light up when they first smell, then see a home-baked cake.

I often bake cakes using allotment fruits and vegetables such carrots, courgettes and beetroot but it’s April and the patch really hasn’t got going. However, my cupboards are always full and I have two rather sad and overripe bananas that would make a perfect banana cake.

Afternoon tea with Black Banana Cake

This is the black banana cake from Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers. It is stunningly simple but very moorish. It makes the ideal post-Easter bake too as this recipe includes a bit of chocolate and we’ve plenty left round the house. Simply replace the chocolate with leftover Easter egg shells which have been broken into random size pieces. Delicious.

Now that’s what you call a perfect Rainy Day Cake.

Fabulous Forced Rhubarb Cordial

Forced Rhubarb Stems

Wow, what a wonderful old-fashioned cordial this makes! Inspired by the seasons, this Forced Rhubarb Cordial is simply fabulous and has the most amazing colour I have ever seen. Bottled in a beautiful glass cordial bottles, this cordial makes the perfect gift or spring day treat.

All you need is 6 stems of forced rhubarb, 230g caster sugar and 300ml water. Makes a 550ml glass cordial bottle.

Adding the rhubarb, sugar and water to the pan

Method

• Put the rhubarb, which has been cut into inch-size pieces, into a pan with the sugar and water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
• Bring to the boil for 3 minutes (until the rhubarb is soft and breaking down) and remove from the heat.
• Leave to cool before straining the mixture through a sieve into a jug. Push through to ensure as much liquid as possible has come out.
• Pour the bright pink cordial into a pre-sterilised glass cordial bottle (available from FreshlyForked.com) and close the air tight top.
• It will keep in the fridge for about 4-5 days – if it lasts this long!

Sieve the pulp from the juice

You can enjoy this distinctive cordial neat over ice-cream or diluted; 1 part cordial to 3 parts water. Or you can also add to vodka and soda water, at the same ratio, for a decadent grown-up drink (add a wedge of lime for an extra twist!). It goes a lovely candy floss pink colour as shown 3 pictures below.

Freshly Forked's traditional glass cordial bottles are the perfect way to store your cordial

This cordial reminds me of old-fashioned rhubarb and custard sweets, so no surprising it is loved by all including kids and big kids! I love the fact that the perfectly pink colour is 100% natural. It’s so mesmerising. The photos really don’t do it justice.

Home made forced rhubarb ice-cream

Don’t waste anything! The rhubarb pulp still has a delicate pink colour and still tastes amazing so I whipped up some double cream and marbled the rhubarb through; ready to enjoy as it is or later as homemade ice cream. Add a drizzle of the neat cordial to finish.

When diluted the cordial takes on a lovely candy floss pink colour (below) which is so perfect for bright spring days. Serve cold.

Home made Forced Rhubarb Cordial