We love a rhubarb crumble but when there is a glut, we need to be creative to make the most of this abundant springtime fruit (or is it a vegetable??). I have shared on here previously the recipe for rhubarb cordial (April 2023), a favourite of ours. As I often make lemon curd when we have an egg glut, I decided to adapt the recipe and method to make a delicious rhubarb curd.
Making this curd is not quick as, with any curd, slow is key. However, your patience and efforts are rewarded with a jar that combines the wonderful …
Wild garlic season is upon us and the young, tender and oh so pungent leaves are so delicious in scones. Or wedges as I have shaped them here. I bake several batches while the leaves keep coming and I store them in the freezer to make this foraged offering last a bit longer.
I have adapted a basic savoury scone recipe with a few additions to complement the wild garlic. I mix 200g of plain flour and 50g of cold butter (I use unsalted) in the mixer and then I add 2 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of caster …
Guests who have stayed at our shepherd's hut will have received my homemade Welsh cakes as a welcome gift. This is how I make them, following the simplest recipe by Mary Berry.
In a bowl, I mix 225g of self-raising flour with 100g of margarine or butter (I use butter) until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Then I add 75g of caster sugar, 1/2 a teaspoon of mixed spice and 75g of currants. In a little measuring jug, I beat one egg with 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk and I then pour this into the mixing bowl and mix …
By Midwinter, the homemade mincemeat made in the Autumn has sufficiently matured to be used for mince pies. I also like to make mincemeat flapjacks for a festive touch.
I make the flapjacks by melting 100 g of butter in a saucepan with 100 g of demerara sugar and 1 level tablespoon of golden syrup. Then I stir 150 g of rolled oats and mix very well. I then press half the mixture into a lined square tin, spread a few tablespoons of mincemeat on top of that then I press the rest of the buttery oats mix.
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 …
