organic vegetable gardening courses, growing tips and homegrown recipes.
Having made lemon curd, I was looking for a way to use it in a dessert. Cafe Medici in Martinborough used to serve mini lemon curd tartlets that were worth the trip over the hill from Wellington in themselves. The addition of a meringue topping was satisfying because it increased their visual appeal, it used up the two orphaned egg whites from the … [Read more...]
If you've got apple or pear trees it's a great time to make a jalousie, particularly if some of the fruit aren't perfect and can't be stored. A jalousie is a French pastry which is half turnover, half strudel. Serves eight to ten. 450g puff pastry 50g butter, softened 50g icing sugar 2 eggs 50g plain flour 50g ground almonds grated zest of a … [Read more...]
This delicious slice is a variation on rhubarb shortcake. Both are good for morning tea or as a dessert. You could substitute berries or other chopped fruit for the rhubarb if you prefer. It freezes well. Makes 25 pieces. 250g self raising flour One teaspoon ground cinnamon 175g butter at room temperature 100g caster sugar 75g ground … [Read more...]
If you see some fresh sweet chestnuts in the shops or on a road-side stall, now's the time to buy them. Once you've roasted and eaten as many as you can manage, you can process the rest. Pierce the skins with the point of a knife and simmer them in a pan of water for 30 minutes. Drain, cool, cut in half and scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon. The … [Read more...]
You can make a large crumble very quickly or divide it into eight ramekin dishes for a more sophisticated (nay portion controlled) dessert. It freezes well. Serve with whipped cream, greek yoghurt, ice cream or real custard (yes, it's made from fresh eggs and milk, not the yellow coloured white sauce from a packet). Serves eight to ten. Cut up … [Read more...]
