We have soft fruit coming out of our ears at the mo so I have a pan of blackcurrants on the go to make spiced blackcurrant jelly which I know is delicious:-
1kg blackcurrants, 900ml water, 5cm cinnamon stick and either 12 cloves (I sometimes substitute 3 star anise for the cloves)
Bring to the boil and simmer for one hour. Strain through a muslin into a large bowl, pushing gently to extract the juice but not force it or it will go cloudy. Add 200ml of cider vinegar and stir well. Return the juice to a clean pan and add 450g of sugar for every 600ml. Heat gently till the sugar is dissolved and then boil hard till setting point is reached. Superb on croissants, fresh bread and toast, especially with cream cheese and can be used in sauces for meat and game, like redcurrant jelly but with more oomph.
I have another pan experimenting with redcurrant, orange and raisin marmalade and OH has just picked 2 huge mixing bowls worth of purple gooseberries from our two wee shrubs. Heaven knows what they'll do when they mature!
I'm going to try gooseberry crème brulée tart which is a recipe I found on BBC Good Food and freeze the rest for later.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Fairyg, thank you am v. well. KEF, brilliant news about the compost. Flossie (or Mrs. Barker as she is sometimes known spent the winter in Portugal with friends - can you believe it? A Jack Russell who winters abroad!)
If it stops tipping down with rain I am going to harvest some lettuce and lovage to make soup
LillyP, It is a slightly adapted recipe from Hugh Fearlessly eats it all
LETTUCE AND LOVAGE SOUP
1 or 2 onions (Depends on size of lettuce you are going to use, mine a.t.m. are HUGE)
1 large Cos type lettuce
butter and olive oil
250g fresh or frozen peas
1 or 11/2 litres veg or chicken stock (I use Marigold Bouillon powder)
10 to 15 fresh lovage leaves. (You may get away with dried lovage seeds - not tried that)
Sweat chopped onion in a little oil/butter mix 10-15 mins
add peas, chopped lettuce and stock, simmer 4-6 mins
Remove from heat, add lovage to your taste, blend and then sieve or pass through Mouli Legume (this is a wonderful machine, about £14 at a good kitchen shop; gets rid of stringy bits in runner bean or celery soups)
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Hi artjak - hope you're well. We've missed 'seeing' you
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We have soft fruit coming out of our ears at the mo so I have a pan of blackcurrants on the go to make spiced blackcurrant jelly which I know is delicious:-
1kg blackcurrants, 900ml water, 5cm cinnamon stick and either 12 cloves (I sometimes substitute 3 star anise for the cloves)
Bring to the boil and simmer for one hour. Strain through a muslin into a large bowl, pushing gently to extract the juice but not force it or it will go cloudy. Add 200ml of cider vinegar and stir well. Return the juice to a clean pan and add 450g of sugar for every 600ml. Heat gently till the sugar is dissolved and then boil hard till setting point is reached. Superb on croissants, fresh bread and toast, especially with cream cheese and can be used in sauces for meat and game, like redcurrant jelly but with more oomph.
I have another pan experimenting with redcurrant, orange and raisin marmalade and OH has just picked 2 huge mixing bowls worth of purple gooseberries from our two wee shrubs. Heaven knows what they'll do when they mature!
I'm going to try gooseberry crème brulée tart which is a recipe I found on BBC Good Food and freeze the rest for later.
Hi Artjak, I have the best compost ever in my daleks after following your instructions, love to Flossie x
Fairyg, thank you am v. well. KEF, brilliant news about the compost. Flossie (or Mrs. Barker as she is sometimes known spent the winter in Portugal with friends - can you believe it? A Jack Russell who winters abroad!)
If it stops tipping down with rain I am going to harvest some lettuce and lovage to make soup
hi artjak
Please could you share your soup recipe? Sounds yummy
obelixx. That is a lovely twist on a jam, will look forward to trying it
A A Milne
LillyP, It is a slightly adapted recipe from Hugh Fearlessly eats it all
LETTUCE AND LOVAGE SOUP
1 or 2 onions (Depends on size of lettuce you are going to use, mine a.t.m. are HUGE)
1 large Cos type lettuce
butter and olive oil
250g fresh or frozen peas
1 or 11/2 litres veg or chicken stock (I use Marigold Bouillon powder)
10 to 15 fresh lovage leaves. (You may get away with dried lovage seeds - not tried that)
Sweat chopped onion in a little oil/butter mix 10-15 mins
add peas, chopped lettuce and stock, simmer 4-6 mins
Remove from heat, add lovage to your taste, blend and then sieve or pass through Mouli Legume (this is a wonderful machine, about £14 at a good kitchen shop; gets rid of stringy bits in runner bean or celery soups)
Bon apetit
Courgette cake is wonderful.
I'm thinking of using Sophie Grigson's Courgette Risotto recipe tomorrow. I also have a recipe for Courgette Clafoutis if anyone wants it.
Hi artjak, good to 'see' you. Hope you enjoyed the gardens and gallops the other day