gooseberries

 

A scant half pound of gooseberries were picked from the bushes which are tucked into our boundary hedge. A little too much for a fool (as in gooseberry fool, eye roll) but not enough for jam. So to the cookbooks for a pleasant half hour or so until a recipe for gooseberry curd catches my eye. And now, with two little glass jars full of luscious gooseberry goodness cooling in the kitchen, I'm thinking of scones and cream or perhaps vanilla sponge filled with curd and raspberries...

getting better

This morning was bright, clear and cold. A slight frosting lay on the garden wall. Inside we are slowly recovering from 'flu. The fires are lit and the house is cosy. Last week the postman delivered some cookbooks but I was too unwell to do more than read through them, wishing to be well enough to want to eat, never-mind actually cook. Luckily that has lifted and so with the barest fluffings of snow outside I made cinnamon buns from The Five O'Clock Apron and with their buttery, cinnamon-y raisin filling, they have gone down a treat. A little post-illness indulgence, if you will.

November days

The rain, at times, has sounded like hail - icy fingernails tapping on the kitchen windows. The sky darkens and then, after the shower, sudden sunshine as though it had never rained at all. Today with the rain blowing on and off I made apple jelly. We'd been gifted a couple of kilos of apples and they sat for a while in a bowl until I could bear it no longer. So this morning I turned them into Fireside Jelly - apples and cloves with cinnamon and ginger... I have to admit I am proud of my morning's effort. I've tried jam making in the past and have had various results ranging from runny-jam to set-like-concrete jam, so I wasn't holding my breath. But this time it worked! And now the kitchen smells of buttery toast as I ate toast with apple jelly, for once not minding the squally rain outside.

November days are brown and squelchy underfoot. The leaves have mostly been blown off the trees and now we're left with browns and greys, muddy tracks and the birds rattling in the hedges. Still the dogs and I enjoy our walks, so long as it's not too wet.

November reading

This month I'm reading plenty (just finishing Steve Silberman's Neurotribes which has just won the Samuel Johnson prize and looks at the history of autism. It is fascinating and is written in an engaging, storytelling way. It also focuses on the positives, which is so important for those whose lives are affected by their child's or their own autism). I'm also trying desperately to inject a little something into my daily cooking. I have fallen into the 'oh no, what will we eat today' trap and find myself making the same ten things for dinner and rotating them over the week - yawn. I spotted Limoncello and Linen Water by Tessa Kiros and thought 'help me pretty lady with the nice book titles!' Limoncello is all about celebrating Italian cooking and Tessa's writing weaves a nostalgic whimsical story into each recipe. So basically I'm hoping that she will save me from myself. Not much to ask for now, is it?

*** joining in with Laura's The Year in Books***

blackberries

Aren't sunny September days the best! The boys and I took advantage of a glorious afternoon and went blackberrying up the lane. Admittedly it's probably still a bit early for them and although we picked just under a pound of decent plump berries there were still plenty that needed ripening up. I froze the ones we picked as I want to make a few pots of jam and, my favourite, apple and blackberry curd, as well as some fruit crumbles. It's such an autumnal scent isn't it~that of blackberry jam puttering on the stove. And of course in time-honoured fashion the boys ate while they picked, often putting the best ones straight in to their mouths.

weekending

 

A spot of blackberrying, a little late in the season. We dawdle up the lane, feet crunching over beech mast. The two smaller boys have drawn maps. We pass through Kenya, New York zoo and dragon island to get to the top of the lane. Suddenly the lure of the small field where there are two felled ash trees far outweighs the task of picking berries and they are gone, playing hide and seek and I am left holding the empty bowl. I slowly pick all I need, or think I need. I never pick with a recipe in mind and never come home with the right amount. Still, this time there is enough to make four small pots of blackberry and apple curd for cakes and scones and suchlike. The wind has picked up a little and there's a scattering of leaves in the garden. I leave the kitchen door open as I make the curd, the berries staining the wooden spoon as they cook, their jammy hedgerow smell is autumn caught in the saucepan.

poached pears :: recipe

We're heading off for a few days and the fruit bowl has been stressing me out. It was full of just-ready-to-eat-right-now this minute pears and apples and peaches and bananas... So in among the packing and cleaning (another compulsion reserved for holiday time) I decided that poaching the pears was an absolute must. I normally do this as an autumn pudding poaching them with red wine and cinnamon. But summer time needs a lighter touch and so it was to saffron and cardamom I turned.

200g caster sugar
425ml water
3 tbsp lemon juice
6 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1/4 tsp saffron threads
5 pears, cored, peeled and halved

Put the water, sugar, lemon juice, cardamom and saffron into a largish saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Then bring to a simmer and add the pears which you've peeled and cored. Cover with a lid made from parchment paper and then put on the actual saucepan lid. Leave this to simmer gently for 20-30 minutes until the pears are cooked. Let it cool completely, then lift out the pears and put them in a serving dish and pour over the syrup. This will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.

Recipe from Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery Course

lettuce and lovage soup :: recipe

At this time of year there's a delicious garden herb- lovage- growing merrily in a pot at our back door. Its leaves look like large flat leaf parsley and it tastes unusual - a little like celery, pepper and parsley combined. The leaves can be added to salads or used in stuffing, or torn and popped into a chicken's cavity before roasting. It also makes a great summer soup when cooked with lettuce. I've adapted the recipe from Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook - it's extremely quick to make and would be just perfect for a little al fresco dining...

4-5 Little Gem or other small lettuces
handful of young lovage leaves
30g butter
4 spring onions, chopped
600ml vegetable or chicken stock
400ml milk
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
75ml cream

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the spring onions and the lettuce and lovage leaves and wilt them down over a moderate heat. Don't brown the greens. Pour over the stock and milk, adding the nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste. Let this cook until all is tender (a matter of minutes) then liquidise until smooth. When the soup has cooled a little stir through the cream to add richness.

granola :: recipe

250g rolled oats

50g sunflower seeds

50g pumpkin seeds

25g sesame seeds

125g runny honey or maple syrup

3 tablespoons sunflower oil

Preheat the oven to 150C/ Gas Mark 2. In a large bowl combine the oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. I also like to add about 2 heaped tablespoons of milled organic flax seed. In a saucepan gently heat the sunflower oil and honey/maple syrup. Whisk them together so they combine and when they get frothy and creamy pour over the dry oat mixture. Mix this all well together. Put some greaseproof paper on a large baking tray and spread the mixture out evenly. Bake in the oven for about half an hour until golden. I stir the granola quite often as it’s cooking so that it browns evenly. And I add sultanas and dried cranberries and nuts when it is cool and ready to store. This is lovely with porridge and maple syrup and the boys love it with yoghurt and honey.

adapted from Monty and Sarah Don's The Home Cookbook

outside in the sun

We have been blessed with warm, sunny and extremely welcome Spring weather. Out in the garden the boys set up their teepee tent and made it den-like with blankets and cushions and books and toys. They played all day out in the sun, swinging in the trees, inventing complicated games and not-so-complicated ones. Food and feeding moved outside too. Lunch was leek and smoked bacon tart. Later that evening we chopped some logs and lit our ancient cast iron barbecue. The air, full of woodsmoke, was a reminder of summer days. As we cooked over the crackling heat the excitement of cooking in such a simple way brought home to us how complicated we sometimes make our lives. What could be better than wood, fire, smoke and heat from the sun and having the time to enjoy it all?

evening

Do you have a favourite time of day? I do. It's the time, just before dinner, when the house is warm and cozy, our evening meal is (hopefully) puttering on the stove, the boys are engrossed in books or Lego or piano. It's time to light a few candles and, if you step outside, you'll see the silvery orb of the moon, the faintest trail across the sky, or perhaps glimpse the first star. The light fading across the hill, silhouetting the trees. And the birdsong! The birds are singing...

Inside it's twinkling lights and Diana Henry's Vermont baked beans with baked potatoes to keep tummies full and oh, how I wish we had some of yesterday's bread and butter pudding left (made with Christmas Pannettone)

December days

Home from school on a blustery, chilly, grey December day. What's a nice treat to have waiting for you when you come in (alongside the inevitable homework) - ah yes, hot chocolate from your favourite mugs and iced spice biscuits, candlelight and the promise of Christmas...

Spice biscuits

200g plain flour

100g caster sugar

100g butter, very soft

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, organic and free range if possible

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

            Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4 and line a couple of baking trays with baking paper. In a medium sized mixing bowl cream together the soft butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Sift in the flour, baking powder and the spices. Mix this in.  Add the egg and mix in again- it should form into a smooth dough. Flour the work surface and the rolling pin too. Roll out the spicy dough- I like mine quite thick and cut with cookie cutters. Then bake for about 10-12 minutes until lightly coloured. You can ice them or leave them plain as you wish, but the boys appreciated the green sprinklings on top of theirs.

You know it's November when...

 ...when the stove needs cleaning almost daily. I don't mind this slightly messy job at all, in fact I love the stove so much I feel happy to rake and sweep away the wood ash-it means the fire will continue to burn bright and warm.

 ...when the wellies start to migrate into the kitchen. Wellies and umbrellas. And coats.

 ...when we fill an empty shoe box full of little Christmas treats and some practical things for Team Hope. The boys usually bring home their shoebox appeal leaflet from Scouts in early November and the boxes get shipped to children in eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Africa.

 ...when the autumn leaves start to gather at the back door and we begin the epic battle of Leaves vs. Rake

 ...when the garden is sodden and faded but the sedum lives on with its gorgeous colour

...when the ferns are still there, buffeted by the wind, long after the hostas in the pots in front of them are gone

 ...when thoughts turn to yummy things like the potato, bacon, onion and sage dish I cooked the other night. Oh my, it was so good and so quick to do. I think it's going to feature on our Christmas lunch menu.

 ...when you turn to lovely, simple honest cookbooks for inspiration. None of the twaddle, just proper food.

...when your son has his seventh birthday. Oh that beautiful boy- how he is growing up and how my heart breaks to realise it.

Saucy!

October brings some benefits-we are very well fed. Our tummies are filled with hearty stews and casseroles, chilli con carne and roast chicken, golden pastried pies and buttery mash, fruit cake and apple cake. At this time of year when it's dark early and there's a bit more comfort eating going on it's worth having a little something up your sleeve to transform the humblest of pear/apple puddings or that old trusty standby - vanilla icecream. Below is a recipe for the most delicious and easy butterscotch sauce courtesy of Nigel Slater. Needless to say I've made it more than once (blush-oh the shame of it, I know the page number it's on in Appetite...pg 415 if you must know) and it's very popular with all ages in this house.

50g butter
100g soft brown sugar
100g golden syrup
drop or two vanilla extract
150ml cream

Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup into a small pan and melt gently, then bring it to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat and let it bubble for a few minutes. Add the vanilla extract and then the cream. Stir well and then pour into a jug. As it cools it will thicken.
The photo shows it with apple sponge- a plain sponge dotted with sliced apples before being baked. It's a simple but pleasing pudding.

Winifred Nicholson

I have to admit there are certain colours I turn to again and again and in the garden I love to see blues, purples and whites along with bright zaps of green. So these flower pictures by Winifred Nicholson tick all the right boxes. I especially love the feeling of that paper wrapped around the primulas - so light, fresh and bright. And I really wish I had a flower table like the one below. Sadly with the change in season nearly upon us the garden is on the wane, although at the minute there are plenty of white Japanese anemone and spiky blue eryngium-a bumblebee favourite- to lift the heart.

This morning at Sheridan's market I bought some ripe apricots to make Diana Henry's apricot and lavender jam (from her gorgeous Salt Sugar Smoke). I am hoping it will capture the last fleeting scents of summer as we head slowly towards autumn.If you need some end-of-summer reading you could try The Wild Places by nature writer Robert Macfarlane. As the evenings darken it has been my companion, bewitching, inspiring and entrancing me with its beautiful words...

recipe :: Chicken paprika

Oh my, ever see a recipe that you immediately want to try... I mean right there and then even if it's early in the morning and just that bit too soon for garlic. Yes? I am definitely going for this one on Rebekka Seale's gorgeous blog... garlicky white bean and kale stew I hear you calling...

But on today's menu is chicken paprika with chorizo

1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
about 6 inches or so of chorizo, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 organic free range chicken breasts, sliced
400g can cannellini beans
400g can chopped tomato
good pinch smoked paprika
sea-salt, pepper, a little muscovado sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
small bunch flat leaf parsley

In a heavy bottomed casserole dish heat the oil and then gently cook the onions for about 5 minutes until beginning to get translucent. Add the sliced chorizo and let the fragrant smoky oils start to run, then add the garlic. Gently fry all this for another minute or so. Add the chicken breasts and let them colour before adding the beans and the chopped tomato.Swill out the tinned tomato can with water-about half full- and pour this in too. Sprinkle on the smoked paprika as well as a good pinch of sea-salt, pepper and a crumbling of sticky muscovado sugar. Stir well and put the lid on and leave to bubble on a low heat for about 35 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through. Finally, just before serving swirl in the tangy sour creamand sprinkle with parsley.

recipe :: aubergine parmigiana

It is Saturday. I am busy making aubergine parmigiana to torture the children with later. William, claiming total boredom, was sent to root to the bottom of his toy box till he found something (anything!) to play with. Luckily the cowboy fort was discovered and assembled. He came to find me to report on his success and absent-mindedly gave me a kiss. Realising his error he quickly wiped it away. "Oh, am I that yucky you have to wipe away my kisses?" I asked feigning hurt. A heart beat passed. "No", he said "I was just wiping it in so I can make even more kisses from it." Ha. Clever child. He will get an extra big helping of aubergine tonight.

If you need to torture someone you love with vegetables here is the recipe. Serves two normal vegetable loving adults for lunch or more as a side dish
1 large aubergine
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ball buffalo mozzarella - 125g - sliced
handful grated Parmesan or good flavoured hard cheese

tomato sauce
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tin tomatoes
a little sugar
salt, pepper

Trim the aubergine and slice into rounds about half an inch thick. Layer these in a colander with a little salt sprinkled in between to draw out any juices- leave it for about an hour. To make the sauce pour the olive oil into a medium sized saucepan and warm it up. Add the whole but peeled garlic cloves and let them cook a little, then add the tin of tomatoes. Sprinkle in some brown sugar, salt and pepper. Let this simmer gently for half an hour, stirring every so often. When cooked blend the sauce so that it is smooth.
When you're ready to cook the aubergine rinse it off and pat dry with kitchen paper. Then heat the oil in a frying pan or griddle until hot and fry the aubergine slices in batches for a couple of minutes so that they are soft and golden. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Arrange half the cooked aubergine slices in a smallish ovenproof dish. Cover with half the tomato sauce and half the mozzarella slices. At this point you could add some dabs of good pesto or some fresh basil leaves if you wished. Then layer it up with some more aubergine, tomato and mozzarella. Finally sprinkle on the grated Parmesan or hard cheese and put into the oven for half an hour until bubbling and lovely. We're going to eat this tonight with buttery, crusty garlic bread and hardly any complaining.

recipe :: Leek and Gruyère Frittata

Easter Egg Hunt: 

Spot the odd one out

(no prizes, just the satisfaction of knowing you really are quite bright)

Yesterday we had a delivery of fresh speckled eggs from my brother-in-law's chickens (thanks Anthony!). It's good to know that we are edging ever closer to Spring now that the chickens are laying again. And we've gained that valuable extra hour. Now all we need is some warm sunshine to start warming up the garden...

If you have a surfeit of eggs why not try a frittata?

Leek and Gruyère Frittata 

20g butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large leek, washed and thinly sliced

coarse sea salt and pepper

6 organic eggs

125ml milk

75g Gruyère cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 190C/ gas mark 5. Heat the butter and oil over a medium heat in a 25cm cast iron frying pan. Sauté the leeks until golden and soft and season them well. In a bowl beat the eggs and milk and pour over the cooked leeks. Sprinkle on the grated cheese and let it cook on a medium heat for a good 5-7 minutes until the edges are set but the middle is still runny. Then put into the oven for another 8 minutes or until the middle is set through.

recipe :: chocolate chip cookies

Sometimes all it takes is a little organisation and thought and suddenly you have occupied children and full tummies. Today two recipes - one for play-dough and one for biscuit dough (like what I did there??)

The play-dough does not need cooking which makes it super quick and easy. You will need:

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 teaspoons food colouring

Simply mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and when the dough combines, turn it out onto a floured board and knead for a good minute or two until it comes fully together. Add children to the mix for some fun...

The other dough recipe is for chocolate chip cookies from River Cottage Everyday. Don't mix them up!

You will need:

• 125g butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 75g soft light brown sugar
• 1 medium egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 150g plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 100g dark chocolate broken into smallish pieces

Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Gently melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the sugars and beat well until dissolved. Scrape this into a mixing bowl and beat in the egg and the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour and baking powder and stir this in, then add the chocolate pieces. The mixture should be pretty soft and sloppy. Put parchment on two baking trays and then dot tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking parchment, leaving a good space between each one as they spread quite a bit. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. When cooked leave on the baking tray for a minute or two to firm up a little, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.