October sees me getting ready for festive cooking: Christmas cake and mincemeat benefit from being made well in advance for the flavours to work their magic until the festive season. First up to be prepared is mincemeat which I make in the slow cooker. I use grated apples as well as dried fruit and less sugar than shop-bought versions. I love it in porridge too but not until we have had our fill on mince pies!
I make it with: 450-500g cooking apples (cored, peeled and grated), 115g glacé citrus peel, 115g glacé cherries (chopped), 115g dried apricots (chopped), 115g …
If there is a particular recipe that signals the transition into Autumn and the harvest season for us, it has to include apples, despite the abundance of everything else. We like a rustic Dorset Apple Cake for the cinnamon that complements apples so well. It works really well as a warm pudding with hot custard for a real autumnal treat.
I use a recipe from The BBC Good Food website. I heat the oven to 180°C or 160°C for a fan oven and butter and line a deep 20cm cake tin with baking parchment. Then I mix 225g of self-raising …
This is good way to use up cucumbers during a glut. A jar goes a long way and its tasty contents spice up a plain sandwich and make the perfect accompaniment to many dishes. This recipe is from Riverford's Guy Watson and it's published on their website.
First, I prepare the cucumbers and onions in advance by slicing them thinly (the recipe is based on 5 cucumbers and 1 kg of onions). Then I layer them with 80 g of cooking salt in a bowl and I weight it all down with a heavy plate for several hours, after which …
We love the rhubarb and custard tart I make in the Spring so come summertime I like to do the same with gooseberries. I think it may be a recipe by Delia Smith that I have adapted to suit us.
I make a basic shortcrust pastry: 200 g of plain flour, 100 g of butter and 3 tablespoons of caster sugar mixed to the consistency of breadcrumbs and bound together with a little water. I then roll the pastry out in a greased, loose-based tart dish, pricking it with a fork to avoid air bubbles in the tart.
Gooseberry season is upon us and our three bushes have given us a decent harvest. We have two varieties so some are green and very tart and others are pink and sweeter. I mix them up when I use them.
I top and tail 250 g of gooseberries and put them in a pan with three tablespoons of caster sugar. I heat gently to dissolve the sugar well and simmer until the fruit break down and becomes rather pulpy. I help that by mashing them gently with the back of a fork. Then I leave it to cool completely by …
With an abundance of rhubarb at this point in Spring, I like to make batches of cordial to enjoy both now and later in the year. This is the first preserve of the season.
I follow a simple recipe with one kilo of rhubarb but it can be adjusted if you have less. I put 600g of caster sugar in a large saucepan with 600ml water. I bring this to a simmer before adding the zest and juice of two oranges and two lemons then I add 1kg of rhubarb (washed, trimmed and chopped) and a generous slice of fresh …
This is a dessert I make when we have an egg glut as our hens' eggs are rich in taste and colour so really make this dish.
First, I make the caramel in a saucepan with 150 g of caster sugar and 50 ml of water. When this reaches a dark golden colour, I pour it in an oven dish (or small ramekins that can go in the oven).
Then, I turn the oven on to 160 C (or gas mark 3) and pour 1 L of milk in a pan with half a vanilla stick or a teaspoon of …
Another creative use for the courgette glut! This cake is light and moist with an infusion of citrus and spice. I think I first came across it, years ago, in a National Trust cookbook.
First, I grate 200g of courgettes and add in one egg, 140g of caster sugar, 110ml of vegetable oil and the zest of one lemon. In another bowl, I mix 200g of plain flour, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda, 2 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp of ground cinnamon.
Then, I combine it all until the mixture is just blended, …
This tasty savoury loaf makes an interesting use of the courgette glut and is perfect to take on summer picnics. The mustard and cayenne pepper gives it a real kick.
I usually make it as a loaf but it works well as individual muffins too, especially the bite size ones that look great on grazing platters.
First, I melt 75g of butter and leave that to cool a little whilst I grate 250g of courgettes. Then, I sift 225g of self-raising flour into a bowl with a little less than 1/4 tsp of salt (we are watching our salt intake!), …
By about now in the summer, we start to get creative with our courgette glut. Here is a recipe for courgette fritters that we like.
Easy to make, with staple ingredients and deliciously crispy, these are filling enough to just be served with a green salad, or a rice salad or with new potatoes. For an extra kick, Peter likes to eat his with a good dollop of our homemade chilli jam.
I grate 2 small or 1 medium courgettes, skin and all. Then I add 2 beaten eggs, 125g of plain flour, 50 ml of milk, 40g of grated …
