organic vegetable gardening courses, growing tips and homegrown recipes.
Recipe reproduced from 'A Treasury of New Zealand Baking' with permission from Tina Duncan. I didn't use it to feed shearers or as a wedding cake but it was welcomed for morning tea by a visiting neighbour, served for dessert with boysenberry ice cream and kept hunger at bay for a squad of clay target shooters on a wet Saturday afternoon. Half the … [Read more...]
Inspired by the gift of some brioche moulds I tried making some brioche this weekend - the rich, yellow, French bread which is almost a pastry and generally served in France with a bowl of milky coffee for breakfast. Various recipes suggested different proportions of fat and eggs. I chose one and adapted it to make the dough in my bread maker. … [Read more...]
This soup is a beautiful, serene green and can be made very quickly if you have some left over potatoes. I've still got a few cucumbers in the garden, together with plenty of cos lettuce and it seems appropriate to prolong the summer by serving them in a warming autumn soup, rather than the traditional chilled cucumber soup. I left out any garlic … [Read more...]
Tarte tatin is usually a sweet, upside-down tart filled with caramelised apples. This version uses roasted vegetables in a balsamic vinegar syrup. It makes a delicious lunch, served with a green salad. You may find some vegetables stick to the dish when you turn out the tart, but you can lift them off and arrange them back where they belong. You … [Read more...]
It's convenient but expensive to buy dips from the supermarket. If you've got a well stocked pantry you can whizz up a dip for a few unexpected guests that tastes better than the boughten equivalent. You'll also get to choose exactly what goes into it and if you're trying to get your kids to eat more vegetables, this is a painless way to get them … [Read more...]
After my success with smoking salmon I decided to try curing a fillet of venison to produce the venison equivalent of proscuitto. It turned out very well and tasted delicious - salty, chewy and meaty, just the way it should. I served thin slices on a bed of salad, green beans and parmesan topped with toasted walnuts, a squeeze of lemon juice and a … [Read more...]
If you've got pumpkins, you'll want to make some pumpkin soup. This one has an intriguing flavour and a smooth, creamy texture. I stole some peanut butter from the jar I use to bait the mouse traps. I prefer to base it on a good rooster stock but if you want a vegetarian or vegan version, a good vegetable stock would suffice. Makes 4-6 portions. … [Read more...]
I tried Virgil Evetts' swedish rye bread recipe at the weekend, after a whistle stop tour round the supermarket on Friday evening to buy rye flour and molasses. Strangely the latter was located in the health food section and I returned home to find I already had a jar in the pantry that I use to make up active EM spray for the garden. I made 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...]
Mini pumpkins are ready to eat now and make a marvellous receptacle for all types of stuffing. If you fill them with grated gruyere cheese and some crushed garlic you end up with individual cheesy pumpkin soups in their own bowl. I used the kernels from half a cob of corn, about 50g of grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of homemade pesto to fill … [Read more...]
