AUTUMNAL BOUNTY

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness - been dying to use that line!!!!  But seriously Autumn really is an incredibly fruitful season, particularly when it comes to foraging for free food.  Although I was thinking that if you were counting man hours, and were charging yourself minimum wage this "free food" would be quite expensive!!

I have spent many hours devising a list of to do's for foraging the hedgerows, this is my considered offering!

1.  Do not go blackberry picking wearing your MBT's, you will be unbalanced and unable to reach as far for those elusive big fat juicy ones.

2.  Do not wear your new MBT's as you could head into a big pile of muck while reaching for a huge bunch of elderberries and totally ruin those shoes.

3.  Do not go blackberry picking when you have a hand modeling audition (not that I actually had an audition, but wouldn't be a good idea if you had!!!!!)

4.  This is probably the most important one .... After blackberry picking, do not under any circumstances visit a friend  in hospital and use the alcohol wash at the entrance ..... you will be very, very sorry if you do. (and embarrassed for whelping in pain when there are actual sick people round about!!)

5.  Wear heavy jeans, not a light pair of tracksuit bottoms - those nettles hurt!!

 

         My first days blackberry picking resulted in a large blackberry and apple tart, which went down really well ...... so well in fact that about twenty minutes after I photographed and served the tart -

 This is all that remained!!!!!  Well this empty dish and three very guilty looking people!

I also picked some rose hips, and having read on the internet that rose-hip syrup is absolutely magic stuff when it comes to attacking colds and flus I made a vat of the stuff! -  I gave it to son #2 last weekend when he showed flu like symptoms, he still missed school this week, so I won't be marketing my syrup any time soon!!

My next day's foraging yielded a huge bag of blackberries and some damsons and plums.  These blackberries ended up in a bottle of vodka - Nigella's blackberry vodka to be exact (I'll let you know how that turns out at Christmas) and a Blackberry and Lime Cake,  this cake is based on Sally's Lemon Butter Cake which I put on my "to try" list , then I read about it again on the wonderful Tea and Wheaten Bread blog Here (this post pushed it well up the list!!) and then I read EmmCee's enthusiastic Yum, Yum Post and I made it that day.  Sally's original cake was flavoured with just Lemon, but I wanted to use my (hard won) blackberries and I thought that Lime would be a good combination, and I was right, I can only quote Emmcee "Yum Yum"!!

I have (as usual) made some changes - this is how I liked it, but please look to to the other versions and choose your favourite.

Blackberry and Lime Cake

250g       butter
200g       soft brown sugar
250g       self raising flour
3             eggs, beaten
               blackberries - enough to carpet over the mixture
1             lime, zest for the cake and juice for the drizzle*
50g         icing or caster sugar for the drizzle

Preheat oven to 180 C
Line a 24x33cm (13x9 1/2") deepish tin with parchment paper

Melt the butter in a large pan.
Add the sugar, combine well.
Add the flour followed by the eggs and the lime zest.
Pour half the mixture into the tin and spread out as evenly as possible.
Sprinkle the berries over the mix and then spread the rest of the cake mix over the berries.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

When the cake is cooked (skewer comes out clean) throw together the drizzle, by just mixing the lime juice with the 50g sugar.  Pour this over the hot cake (I used a pastry brush to get it everywhere)
Cool on a wire rack.

*I also made this cake with orange zest and juice, also wonderful, but I think the lime has the edge.

The queen of  foraging would have to be Darena Allen, and I have been turning to her book Forgotten Skills of Cooking with each new fruit collected.  I used her Raspberry, Boysenberry, Tayberry or Loganberry Jam recipe to make some Blackberry Jam (I know!!) Yet again I have changed the recipe, but I think it turned out very well!

Blackberry Jam

900g  (2lbs)           blackberries
450g  (1 lb)           sugar
450g  (1 lb)           jam (preserving) sugar
1                            lemon

Sterilise your jars by washing thoroughly (I pop mine in the dishwasher) and then heating at 150 C for at least 15 minutes.

Pour the sugar into an ovenproof dish and heat gently in the oven with the jars (same heat, same time).
Put the berries into a large wide stainless steel pot, mash and then heat for about 4 minutes until the juices begin to run.
Add the lemon juice and zest. 
Add the warmed sugar and stir over a low heat until fully dissolved.
Raise the heat to bring to the boil and cook steadily for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Test if the jam is set by putting a small blob on a plate you have had in the freezer,
Press the jam with your finger, if it wrinkles it is set.

Remove from the heat, skim and then pour into your sterilised jars.
Cover immediately.

Also made a blackberry and apple crumble.

And jars and jars of apple and elderberry jelly (word of advice - buy a proper jelly maker stand thingy, and don't try the upturned stool method, I spent hours cleaning up apple and elderberry juice!!!!)

Also made some damson, plum and apple jam, and some blackberry vinegar.

This weekend's project is some sloe gin .... can't wait for Christmas!!

BROWNIES 14

Apologies guys ... I really have been neglecting my brownie project recently, actually I have been neglecting writing about my brownie project, mainly because I have baked from a run of very uninspiring recipes, nothing worse than "Blahh" Brownies!!!!! .... but good news, some really good ones to share with you over the next while.

Darina Allen is known as the grandmother of Irish cooking, and her most recent book "Forgotten Skills of Cooking" certainly gives credence to this title.  Fancy a bit of foraging - this is the book to turn to.  Feel the need to cook some offal - Darina's your woman.  Food preservation is you thing -  she will hold your hand through the process (although she'll probably chastise you at some stage!!!!!)

Darina says that this recipe makes 9 generous brownies - I'm not a great one for small helpings, but I would say that this makes about 16 generous portions!!  I would recommend this recipe when you are baking for a crowd, it is easy to follow and makes loads!  My only negative comment would be that the brownies were far too sweet (and for me to say that is something - I may not be able to tolerate pain, but I can certainly tolerate sweet!!!!!)



Bumper Brownies

275g/10oz            Dark Chocolate
275g/10oz            Butter
5                          Eggs
350g/12oz            Granulated Sugar (I'd use less next time)
175g/6oz              Self-raising flour
110g/4oz              Chopped hazelnuts (I didn't bother with the nuts)

Line a deep tin 30x20x5cm (12x8x2in) with parchment paper
Preheat oven to 180C/350F

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over simmering water (or by your favourite method)
Whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and mousse like. (the lighter the better)
Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, stir through.
Fold the flour in gently.
Add the nuts (if using)
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for approx. 35 - 40 minutes (the centre should be slightly wobbly)
Allow to cool in the tin.
When cooled cut into squares.

Enjoy!

"THE GOOD LIFE" (ISH)!

I'm feeling like a mix between Suzie Homemaker and Barbara from "The Good Life".  And all because I picked a few flowers, made a cordial from them and then used the cordial to make some muffins - easily impressed with myself !!!!!!

Elderflower season has passed but while the little white beauties were still on the trees, I fulfilled my (totally misplaced) image of myself as an earth mother type and went foraging for elderflowers and nettles, to make cordial and soup respectively.

I had a very fruitful (sorry!!) expedition and came home with a big bag of nettles (the soup was excellent) and a large bunch of elderflowers.

I combined recipes from Darina Allen and The Friendly Cottage and ended up with a wonderfully fragrant , sweet but not over sweet drink - my son reckons that it makes a perfect post-sports drink.  This cordial will be a regular here every June, I intend to make at least a double quantity next year.


It was a no-brainer that I had to try Harry Eastwood's recipe for Raspberry and Elderflower Cupcakes, and they are really tasty, as always the usual fat is replaced with vegetables (courgettes here) and ground nuts (almonds here), this lightness works wonderfully with the sour/sweet aspect of both the raspberries and elderflower. 


Raspberry and Elderflower Cupcakes

2              medium eggs
140g        caster sugar
200g        grated courgette
3 tbsp      elderflower cordial
80g          rice flour
120g        ground almonds
2 tsp        baking powder
1/4 tsp     salt
120g        raspberries (I used frozen)

Preheat oven to 180 C
Line muffin tin with 12 paper cases

Whisk the eggs and sugar (a freestanding mixer is best here) for 5 minutes until very light and pale.
Grate the courgette and add to the egg and sugar mixture.
Mix through the flour, ground almonds, salt and baking powder and cordial.
Gently fold through the raspberries.
Divide equally between the muffin cases.
Bake for 25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.


Elderflower Cordial

40 - 50 elderflower heads
2 kg      white caster sugar *
finely grated zest and juice of two organic lemons
75g       citric acid

Pick the elderflowers in the afternoon when they are dry. Check that there are no insects.
Make a sugar syrup by heating the water and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
Rinse the elderflowers gently and place in a very large bowl or very clean bucket.
Add the lemon zest and juice to the syrup. then add the citric acid.
Pour this over the elderflowers, making sure they are all immersed.
Cover and leave to soak for 24 hours.
Next day you are ready to bottle your cordial.
Run the bottles you are using through the dishwasher to sterilise.
Sieve the cordial into a large jug, I used a plastic sieve lined with kitchen paper.
Decant into your bottles of choice.  Store in the fridge.
I didn't have enough bottles so have frozen some in those ice-cube bags.

*I used golden sugar and although it tastes perfect the colour would have been nicer had I used white.

P.S. There is a lovely recipe for elderflower champagne on The Food Blog which I can't wait to try next year.

BREAD BAKING BONANZA!

Bonanza (?!?) sorry about that - felt like a bit of alliteration and that was the best I could come up with!  Anyway I did have a bit of a bread baking marathon this weekend - you see Mr/Ms Nobody (never ever me!) accidentally turned the thermostat in the fridge way, way down, and we ended up with an oversupply of sour milk (it was organic milk so there was no way I would throw it out) hence the bountiful bread baking (I am going to have to stop this).

A very kind and generous friend had given me Darina Allen's "Forgotten Skills of Cooking" for Christmas, which I am really enjoying, I know her tone can be a bit home economics teacher, but she really knows her stuff.  I love some of the little touches in the book - being told to "fill the bowl with cold water so it will be easier to wash later" really appeals to me.  So far I have used it for jam and pickle recipes mainly, but thought the glut of sour milk was my chance to tackle the soda bread section.  I made the White Soda Bread, Beginner's Brown Soda Bread, Mummy's Brown Soda Bread and Bastible Bread - told you it was a marathon!!!

The Bastible Bread was probably the most interesting of the batch (pun not intended!!), I really love the No Knead Bread by Jim Lahey - which is baked in a lidded heavy casserole in the oven, so when I saw a soda bread using this baking method I had to try it - the outcome was really really good, the crust is softer than a normal soda bread and the bread has a spongier texture.  Darina sometimes cooks this in an actual bastible (over the fire) but that's a step too far for me - and anyway the oven version tastes great.

The white soda is just your standard bread recipe, it can be found in many cook books, not that that is a bad thing - there is a reason that it appears time and time again - it is good!  It is also wonderful toasted for a day or two after making.  It was great toasted with chutney and cheese.

I found "Mummy's Bread" a bit boring and uninteresting and won't bother with the recipe here.  The Beginner's Bread was good,  I used treacle as the sweetener as I feel it adds a savoury type sweetness to the bread.  All the breads called for a teaspoon of salt in the mixture, I feel that this is too much and use about 1/3 of a teaspoon - my attempt at being healthy!!

White Soda Bread


450g             white flour
1 tsp (level)    salt
1 tsp (level)    bread soda (bicarbonate)
350 - 400ml   buttermilk or sour milk
1 tsp               sugar (my addition)

Preheat oven to 230 C
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper



Sieve the bicarbonate of (bread) soda into a bowl with the flour, sugar and salt.
Make a well in the centre and add 3/4 of the milk.  Mix with your fingers adding more milk if needed to give you a soft dough (not wet or sticky).
Form the dough into a round shape and place on the baking sheet, it should be about 2.5cm deep.
Cut a cross into the bread - this step is important, it allows the air (and fairies!!) to escape.
Lower the oven temperature to 200 C and bake the bread for 45 minutes.
To check if done, tap the bottom of the bread - if it sounds hollow it's done - if not put it back in for 5 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.

Bastible Bread

225g        plain white flour
225g        wholemeal flour
1 level tsp salt (I use less)
1 tsp        bread (bicarb) soda - barely rounded
450ml      buttermilk or sour milk
1 tsp        sugar (my addition)

Preheat oven to 230 C, and place a heavy casserole with lid in it.

Darina tells you to line the casserole with silicone paper - but I think it would be better to flour it just before the bread goes in - it won't stick at this high heat.

Mix the flours in a large bowl add the salt and sugar and sieve in the bicarbonate of soda. 
Make a well in the centre and add the milk, and mix with your fingers.
At this stage Darina tells you to tip the dough onto a floured work surface and tidy up with your hands - mine was far too wet to do this (and anyway why bother messing up the kitchen!) so I just put the dough into the prepared (with paper or flour) and preheated casserole. Be very careful here IT IS VERY HOT.
Cut a deep cross into the loaf.
Bake for 40-50 minutes,  until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.  Again be careful of the hot casserole
Remove from the casserole and cool on a wire rack.



Beginner's Brown Soda Bread


400g        wholemeal flour
75g          plain flour
1 tsp         salt (I used less)
1 tsp         bicarbonate of (bread) soda (level)
1              egg
1 tbsp       sunflower oil
1 tsp         honey/treacle/sugar (I used tbsp treacle)
425ml       buttermilk or sour milk

Prepare a loaf tin (approx. 23x13) oil it or line with parchment paper
Preheat oven to 200 C.

Put flours and salt in a large bowl, sieve in the bicarbonate of soda.
Add the egg, oil, treacle and milk and mix well - be sure to break the yolk!
Add more milk if necessary the mixture should be slightly sloppy.
Pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for 1 hour or until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy.