Time to go Sloe

It's that time of year when our hedgerows provide ... if we know where to look. Unfortunately I was too late to catch the blackberries but luckily managed to find an abundance of sloes.  I'm not overly worried about the blackberries ... if it comes to a choice between fruit crumble or bottles of rich luscious alcohol I know which one will win.

Raw sloe ingredient, early production and the finished article
If you can allow it to mature it is worth the wait.

This is my third attempt at sloe gin and I seem to have followed a different recipe each time. This year I followed my usual pattern of browsing on-line recipes and then hashing them together. I am not renowned for my methodical approach or even attention to detail. Although recipes varied with differing proportions it just confirmed my new found belief that it doesn't really matter!

The most commonly recurring quantities are the ones I decided to use. My next quandary was what to put it in while the flavours infuse. Last year I used large jars from olives but they seem to have found their way into the recycling. I had a collection of Litre water bottles but this is challenging when it is time to decant the sloes out again. I purchased 1.5 Litre jars with good wide necks to make access easy. Unfortunately I underestimated how many sloes I had picked and needed to use additional bottles ... and lots of them.

So ... lets get creative with my simple steps to making Sloe Gin:

Time to get picking

First steps ... literally through our beautiful countryside. Take a sloe amble in our verdant land. The non-descript Blackthorn bush comes into its own in Autumn and the sloes are usually ready to pick October / November. This year I was caught unprepared  as they have ripened sooner than I expected and we had to stretch high to the upper branches to reach the remaining sloes not already harvested by other canny pickers.

Folklore has it that the sloes should be picked after the first frost but this is not always practical or convenient. It is easy to simulate this by placing the washed sloes in the freezer; it also means they are kept on ice until you are ready to move on to the next stage. I would add here that it is best to soak the sloes in a bowl of water for 10 minutes to flush out any other hedgerow inhabitants. Although you're unlikely to find any rabbits or badgers I can guarantee that you're likely to find a maggot or two. In this years haul of 5 kg I only found 3 maggots so it's not too bad.

Prepare your containers: bottles or jars. Washed clean (sterilised if you are really fanatical but my theory is that the alcohol will sterilise).

Ingredients:

450g sloes

750ml gin

350g sugar

Another  instruction is that the sloes should be pricked before putting into the gin. One argument is that the process of freezing will serve the same process of splitting the skin. I like to do everything possible to ensure the best flavour so I do both. Folklore instructs that the sloes should be pricked with either a thorn from the Blackthorn bush or a silver pin. Some people use a fork but that seems a little heavy handed for such a small fruit. I have even read that some people bash them with a rolling pin. For me the process should be as the title states ... SLOW SLOE.

I believe I have the perfect implement in my silver (ok, silver effect) cocktail sticks. They were purchased for spearing olives but are perfect for sloe pricking. I embrace this slow process by sitting with the sloes and jars on a tray in front of the television and indulge myself in the intensive process of pick, prick, drop. When I started out the first time I pricked my fingers a few times but I have now mastered the art of judging where the sloe stops and my finger begins.

Select your weapon

Once the sloes are in you add the sugar and then the gin ... it really is that easy.

I had a slight panic this afternoon when I realised that I had used all of my purchased gin and still had bags of sloes left. This resulted in a mad scramble to the back of the dresser (grandly called a cocktail cabinet) to find any forgotten alcohol that could be drawn into this venture. The result is that I now have an epicurean cornucopia of sloe infused alcohol: gin, brandy, rum and vodka.

The next stage is to give these little beauties a chance to allow their flavour to slowly infuse and this takes some dedication and patience. The bottles should be stored some-where dark but accessible. They should be gently agitated during the next three months. Some people advocate daily shaking for a month, some say weekly is adequate, others say do it when you remember. You too can trawl through recipes and follow instructions to the letter but I reiterate that I don't think it really matters. I shall endeavour to swirl my bottles daily for a month or until I see that the sugar has dissolved. I am easily agitated so it only stands to reason that I should attempt to agitate something else. I keep them in the cupboard under the stairs where I also keep the ironing board and hoover so at the very least they will be seen and agitated when I perform these other house-wifely duties ... not very often then!

Then we all need to practice a little patience. The general consensus is that your sloe gin should be ready to sample at Christmas which has allowed 3 months to infuse. I am going to attempt to wait for 6 months for a superior flavour. After all I still have some of last years batch to keep me going. The final stage is to strain out the sloes and bottle the gin. The best way to do this is to use a piece of muslin lining a funnel. The first year I didn't have any muslin and didn't know where to find any ... so I used a pair of tights. As I have said several times: do whatever you fancy! (but I would suggest that fish-nets wont have a fine enough weave).

Enjoy your slow sloe journey. If you find you have made too much, fill and label small bottles and give them as gifts ... if you can bring yourself to part with it.

Braised Sweetcorn and Spinach

Planning a meal around the vegetables delivered can some-times be a challenge, especially when they don't seem to be the combination that I would normally think to put together. Thanks to Riverford there is always inspiration. This week I started out with the colour spectrum of yellow and green ... my favourite colours in decor but not necessarily food.

Ingredients to serve two:

• 2 corn cobs, husks removed
• 25g butter
• 1 garlic clove
• 200ml stock
• 300g spinach
• a whiff of wine

Method:

Stand each cob upright on a board and carefully cut downwards with a sharp knife in a sawing action to remove the kernels. Melt the butter in a pan, add the corn and fry lightly for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the stock, cover and cook gently for 10 minutes until just tender. Meanwhile, blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, then drain and refresh in cold water. Squeeze out excess water, roughly chop the spinach and add to the corn. Cook for a further 2 minutes, until heated through. Season. A whiff of white wine with the stock; or a little cumin and chilli with the garlic work well too.

Not a great photo but the steam got in the way and I was in too much of a hurry to serve and eat!

Once I'd decided on my vegetables I worked backwards with considering what would work well with this tasty dish. I served it with salmon fillets (steamed in parcels containing wine, spring onions and strips of ginger) and crushed new potatoes.

In this season of summer abundance I would strongly recommend giving this a try and I think you'll be pleased you did.

Spicy Turkish Ezme Salad

With ingredients like this you can anticipate the taste and goodness.

From raw ingredients to raw taste!

On our recent trip to Turkey we enjoyed many mezze platters and I absolutely loved the spicy salad that accompanied the hummus. I had to ask what the ingredients were and I was desperate to recreate it at home. Our wonderful waiter could not name all the ingredients but he did give us a link to an online recipe. In my usual fashion I searched several sites which all varied and then decided to take the best and modify it to my taste. Although I like the taste of raw onion I don't like still tasting it at 3am when I wake up; so replacing white or red onion with spring / salad onions made the perfect amendment.

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes, peeled (I also de-seed them)

3-4 spring onions

1 clove garlic

2 chilli peppers  (I also like to add a pepper to make the whole dish go further)

1/4 bunch parsley

1 Tbs lemon juice

2 Tbs pomegranate molasses

1 tsp pepper paste (I use harissa paste)

2 Tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp sumac

pinch dried mint

Method:

Chop the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chillies and parsley as fine as you can.  I have read that a food processor does not give the same texture and alters the flavours; I also find it quite satisfying to handle the food and chop with a mezzaluna. I had wanted a mezzaluna for years and once I was given one I didn't really use it ... now I am using it all the time!

chop as finely as you can

Mix the chopped vegetables in a bowl. 

Mix the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, olive oil and pepper paste until smooth. 

Add mixture to the salad, add salt and spices, mix well. Chill and serve.

This salad is well worth the effort of finding pomegranate molasses and sumac, and I found each at Waitrose supermarket but there are other outlets on line.

Serve with a selection of salad leaves, hummus, tzatziki and anything else that you love ... with plenty of warm pitta bread or flat bread to dip in these luscious flavours.  Watch this space for home made hummus and tzatziki when I have mastered them.

A perfect sharing platter

Braised Fennel and Peppers

Colour and spice and all things nice

With spring in full flow I am getting lovely fennel in my vegetable box but was growing tired of the same old recipes. Luckily Riverford provide suggestions every week for using my veg so this week I tried something new.

serves 4:

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

25g butter

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into thick slices

2 red peppers, sliced

1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground

2 garlic cloves, crushed

150 ml white wine

Method:

Heat the oil and butter in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the fennel and peppers. Cook, stirring until beginning to soften and brown. Add the coriander and fennel seeds, then the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine, cover and simmer until it has almost evaporated and the veg is tender. Stir to stop it sticking; add a splash of water if needed. Check the seasoning and serve.

Presentation is not my strong point and it may look like a mess but it tastes delicious and is full of yummy, healthy things. Give it a go!

Beetroot and Carrot Burgers

It has been far too long since I have attempted to inspire ... but this recipe was too good not to share.  I am not normally a fan of true vegetarian meals although I love my veggies, but this quick and easy (albeit messy) recipe has to be tried.  Delicious, nutritious and moreish!

The recipe was one listed on Riverford's website and I had beetroot and carrots to use up so it seemed a sensible choice.  And to think that I might have missed discovering such a wonderful dish.  At this time of year the days are long and drab and there is little colour in life ... bring on ruby red beetroot, vibrant green and psychedelic carrot and you have a kaleidoscope for dinner:

Ingredients:

250g  beetroot, grated weight

250g carrot, grated weight

100g medium oatmeal

3 eggs lightly beaten

1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped

3Tbsp dill, chopped

3Tbsp fresh parsely, chopped

oil for frying and roasting, e.g. sunflower

8 Portobello mushrooms

400g spinach

salt and pepper

Method:

• Use your hands to mix the beetroot, carrot, oatmeal, eggs, shallot, dill and parsely in a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Press together, cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 180*C  / Gas 4.
• Divide the mixture into 8 similar sized balls, squeezing them together in your hands, then flatten a little into burger shapes.
• Heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan and fry the burgers on each side for 3-4 minutes, until golden.
• Transfer to a non-stick baking tray. Put the mushrooms on a separate non-stick baking tray.
• Drizzle with oil and season. Put both in the oven for 20 minutes.
• When they are ready, melt a knob of butter in a pan. Add the spinach and stir for a couple of minutes, until wilted. Season.
• Spoon the spinach onto the mushrooms and top with the burgers.

I halved all the ingredients and it was a perfect meal for two.  I would encourage everyone to try this and challenge the way you think about beetroot.

Sweet Tooth? Cookies for Everyone!

Having made a whole smorgasbord of savoury snacks in my felt larder I thought it was time that I ventured into the sweet zone.  Everyone loves a cookie and they are the easiest to do.  I struggled with the doughnuts but am pleased to see that they look alright from a distance. I'm relying on the fact that small children will be unlikely to be critical.

The Jammy Dodger is in recognition of my childhood and the oreo is a nod to modern Americanism.  The chocolate spiral started out as a poorly representational sausage roll but was successfully reincarnated as a swirly chocolate delight.

Hope I've inspired you to get creative 

Felt Snacks

There has been a lull in my felt addiction and I thought I'd lost the craving.  However like all savoury snacks all it took was one little cracker and then I couldn't stop ....

I wanted to create some picnic food and searched my other addiction 'Pinterest' to find tutorials and came across detailed instructions.  I used this more for inspiration than to follow it literally.  Mainly because I didn't have any wadding and couldn't be bothered to pin out all the dimples.  I then thought that cheese triangles would be easy and I had a surplus of deep yellow felt.  There are only so many egg yolks a girl can make!  

Racking my brains for other easy picnic foods I decided on a sausage roll ... easy you might think.  Not so for this needle challenged crafter.  I seem unable to make anything cylindrical as my attempt at a cooked sausage proved.  Luckily my grandchildren are not yet sophisticated or talented enough to criticise my sewing ability (I am sure it will come).  The sausage roll needs some improvement and is exceptionally large but perhaps it's a snack for all the family .. in fantasy land it can be anything I want it to be.

By this time I'm getting quite carried away with the whole food thing and decide that baking will be easy and for once I was right.  It didn't take long to create a baguette freehand.  All bread is individualistic and rustic and mine is no exception. After the first creation I altered the design and who knows what the next batch will be like.

Every picnic needs a cuppa and therefore a Tea bag was a necessity.  One bag should be sufficient for the pot and by now I need a rest ... and perhaps a picnic!

Next time I need to add a few sweet treats and I know there are ample examples out there to inspire me.  I'm thinking cookies and doughnuts ....................