Recipes

LEMON PRESERVATION

SAMSTER — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:46:47 GMT

Hi Gardeners! I am particularly interested in the process of preserving lemons and am keen to find out if there are any type of lemons in particular which can be preserved (with salt) more rapidly than others? Or whether there is a process to speed this up, aside from the traditional routed of salting them in large glass jars and leaving over a long period of time? Any help, advice or idea's you can offer would be much appreciated! Many thanks, Samster

Lots of Peppers

Teejays — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:34:45 GMT

All my bell peppers (Big Banana and Gypsy) are ready to be harvested - there is no way we can eat them all and I wondered if someone had a good recipe for using them up.

Some are still green others red and I wondered if a chilli and sweet pepper chutney recipe existed - I alredy make chilli jam and chilli oil but as this is the first year of bell peppers I don't know what to do with them!

Any advice gratefully received.

Many thanks

bread making - help!

muddywellies — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:20:16 GMT

I would love to make my own bread but all my attempts end with something rock hard and hardly risen. What am I doing wrong?

I don't have a bread maker so do it by hand (although do have a dough hook on my mixer).

Could anyone share their foolproof recipes with me?

Thanks

sun dry tomatoes without the sun

dave — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:31:39 GMT

i found this and going to give it a go

Ingredients:

- ripe & red plum/egg tomatoes sliced into 10ths segments

For marinade:

- glass/ceramic (important) mixing bowl
- large (pint-size) glass jar(s) with lid(s)
- sunflower oil
- garlic
- dried oregano

Method:

1) Arrange all the tomato segments onto a large ceramic baking dish, skin-side down so the flesh is pointing upwards

2) Do not add any other ingredients or fats to the tomatoes, they will roast beautifuly by themselves! Place the baking tray into your COLD oven. Turn on the oven to 70 degrees C (160 F) because we don't want the fluid in the tomatoes to boil and destroy the flavour! Roast the tomatoes at this temperature for as long as it takes for the tomatoes to become nearly completely dry and shriveled up (usually a good few hours).

3) While the tomatoes are slowly drying out, estimate how many pint jars you will be able to fill with dried-out tomatoes for marinading, remember the tomato segments will be a lot smaller when they have finished drying out. For each pint jar's worth of tomatoes, chop 5 cloves of garlic very finely and mix with 1/3 pint of sunflower oil and 3 tsp of dried oregano.

4) When tomatoes are very nearly completely dried out, remove them from the oven and mix with the marinade in the ceramic/glass bowl until the dried segments are completely soaked in the marinade. Then pour the tomatoes + marinade into glass jar(s) and seal. Leave your new sunblush tomatoes marinading in the jars overnight in a cool place.

5) Open jars after at least 12 hours of marination and sample your new creation - you won't be disappointed...

Quince advice wanted

Trecelyn — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:40:29 GMT

I have got a small amount of quince from the garden. I want to try to make something of them but not sure what's best. I've found a few recipes online but not sure wether to go for a jam , marmalade or chutney. Anyone else tried making something ?

Honey, Lemon and Apple Jam

sue1002 — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:06:12 GMT

I got this recipe from an old school friend who now lives in USA and having made some today (using Golden Delicious apples), it's both sweet and tangy and very nice.

12 cups chopped apples (about 1.8kg)

2 cups lemons juice

2 cups honey

3 cups sugar

1 envelope of liquid pectin (can be omitted if you use a few firm, green apples)

zest of three lemons

Sterilize seven pint jars and lids.

Combine the chopped apples and lemon juice in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the apples have broken down. When you’ve got a nice, chunky apple sauce, add the honey and sugar and stir to incorporate.

Bring the fruit to a boil and cook for at least five minutes at a roll (watch out though, it will bubble and depending on the size of your pot, can get a little splashy). Add pectin and boil for a few minutes more, to activate the pectin. When it seems nice and jammy, turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest.

Pour into the sterilized jars and seal on lids.

Eat on toast, spoon on muffins or use to glaze roasted chicken pieces.

I halved the recipe and used jam sugar instead of plain sugar so didn't need to use the pectin and got three full jars plus a small bowl full.

A use for mint on a hot spring day

Buschbaby — Tue, 29 May 2012 11:06:01 GMT

Various mints are rampaging across the boggy bits of the garden this warm spring so I am keeping it in check by making this wonderfully refreshing drink...

Ingredients are: Juice of 3 limes (you can substitute lemons too), 2 tspn caster sugar (more or less, according to taste), sparkling mineral water, and a handful of mint leaves (about 4 stems 5" long, I guess!).

Procedure is: squish the mint leaves with the sugar in a pestle and mortar. Add the lime juice to give you a wonderfully green liquid. Pour the liquid into a glass (through a tea strainer if you dont want green specks left on your teeth!). Fill the glass with crushed ice and top it up with mineral water.

Somehow the lime juice and the mint counteract each other and the result does not taste of toothpaste.

The attentive amongst you will notice that this is a Mojito in disguise... once the gardening is finished and you are relaxing and smiling benevolently over the weeded border/trimmed lawn, add a good measure of rum before topping up with the mineral water! Enjoy (responsibly).

Jamaican goat curry

organicgrowshop — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:15:35 GMT

You can use lamb with the recipe just as well. Ingredients 550g shoulder of Goat (bone in), diced 3 Tbsp West Indian curry powder 1 tsp fresh or dried thyme 1 tsp ground pimento seeds 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed 140ml/5fl oz vegetable oil 4 tomatoes, chopped 2 onions, finely diced 2 cloves of garlic, chopped Olive oil Water or stock Season the goat with the curry powder, thyme, pimento, black pepper and coriander seeds at least 6-8hrs before using it. Preheat oven to 150Â°C/300Â°F,gasmark Heat oil in a pan and cook the goat pieces until golden brown. Soften the tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic in some olive oil and add it to the meat. Immerse the ingredients in double their quantity of water or stock and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and place in preheated oven for 1-1 to 1Â½ hours, until goat is tender. When ready, remove goat from pan, simmer sauce till reduced by half, then return meat to pan and serve with rice and peas.

vegetarian sausage recipe

dave — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:52:22 GMT

175g (6 oz) sliced white bread
25g (1 oz) butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
175g (6 oz) grated courgette
150g (5 oz) Cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg, separated
a little salt and pepper
vegetable oil for frying

Make the breadcrumbs by tearing the bread into pieces and blitzing it in a food processor. Squeeze the excess liquid out of the courgette.

Heat the butter in a frying pan and fry the onion until soft. Add the grated courgette and cook for 3 minutes until softened.

Mix with the grated cheese, half the breadcrumbs, the egg yolk and seasoning. Shape into 8 sausages about 10 cm (4 in) long, using floured hands. Dip into the lightly beaten egg white and then roll in the remaining breadcrumbs.

Heat some oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the sausages until lightly golden.

or could be made in to burgers instead

Swiss Chard (or Spinach) and Green Bean Soup

alex-adam — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 16:44:40 GMT

Ideal for using up the chard and beans that have gone mad!!

To serve 4

1 medium onion chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
Olive oil
1/2 tsp roast and ground cumin seed
about 1 lb (450gr) Swiss chard, or spinach or a mixture of both, chop stalks and roughly shred leaves.
6-8oz (170-220gr) green beans, - French, runners or broad beans or shelled peas or a mixture of any combination of them - strip any strings off the French or runner beans and chop into 1" pieces.
chopped mint or dill leaves
1.1/2pt (850ml) vegetable stock.

Heat the oil in a pan, sweat the onion, garlic and ground cumin for a few minutes, add the chard, beans, mint and the stock. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until all soft.

Cool slightly, then process in a blender until very smooth. Return to the pan and reheat.

Serve in warm soup plates, garnish with some olive oil and lemon juice whisked together, a dusting of nutmeg and slivers of Parmesan cheese. Some warm ciabattas, crusty rolls or French bread goes well with this.

dukka seasoning

dps — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:15:17 GMT

hi i dont know any think about cooking i can just about do beans on toast but i saw some of you on idle chat was speaking about dukka seasoning so i looked on google and found this for you all

Dukka, a seasoning mix that uses toasted sesame seeds and nuts, it is delicious.

Prep Time:

15 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
1-1/2 Tbsp. whole cumin seeds
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1/2 tsp. white peppercorns
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. himalayan or sea salt

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a small skillet and heat over medium heat until toasted and spices begin to give off aromas, shaking pan frequently to prevent burning. Let cool. Place mixture in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and process until ground. You can sprinkle this on eggs, vegetables, chicken and meat, or mix it with sour cream for an appetizer dip. Combine all ingredients, label and store in a tightly closed container. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months.

Yummy macaroons

EvaInNL — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 09:08:10 GMT

Stem ginger macaroons

Makes 16 - 18 macaroons

200g ground almonds
100g caster sugar
2 medium egg whites
150g chopped stem or glacé ginger, minus the syrup
Flaked almonds
Icing sugar

Mix the ground almonds, sugar, egg whites and ginger until evenly combined. Roll into walnut-sized balls (about 30g), then press into the flaked almonds so a layer sticks to the outside. This is slightly tricky, but roll them firmly and slowly, and you should manage it. Place the macaroons on a tray lined with nonstick paper, then heat the oven to 170C (150C fan-assisted)/335F/gas mark 3 and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown, turning the tray halfway through the bake time to make sure the heat gets to the macaroons evenly. Remove from the oven, sieve icing sugar over the top while they're still hot and leave to cool.

Note: I'd bring back the 150 grams of stem ginger to 100 and add a tablespoon bit of lemon zest next time. I found the ginger a bit too overpowering. Instead of flaked almonds you can also roll them in dried grated cocunut..

Note2: I made a variation on this recipe by replacing the stemginger and almonds by a teaspoon of instant espresso powder granules and 200 grams of hazelnuts (blitsed in the food processor). For the rest the recipe is exactly the same. When they were done I dipped them in a mixture of 100 grams dark chocolate melted with a tablespoon of butter (to make it shiny). Coffee, hazelnuts and chocolate, what's not to like!

Source: Dan Lepards column in the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/04/edible-homemade-gifts-recipes-lepard.

Preparing Pumkin & Suash seed for eating.

Havers — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:21:01 GMT

How can I prepare pumpkin & squash seeds for eating?

Last year I tried just shoving them in the oven but then I can't open the seeds to get to the edible bit. They are hard to keep hold of until baked. How do the manurfactures do it? Has anyone had any success?

I throw loads of the seeds away, which seems a waste.

home made creme fraiche

dave — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:24:45 GMT

easy home made creme fraiche

1 cup whipping cream mixed with 2 tablespoons buttermilk.
Combine well in glass jar and cover.
Let stand at room temperature (about 70 degrees F.) for 8 to 24 hours, or until thickened.
Stir well and refrigerate.
Use within 10 days.

Beef and Vegetable Pasties

richardpeeej — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:56:33 GMT

Beef and Vegetable Pasties (makes 4)

For the shortcrust pastry:-
12oz self raising flour
1 egg
milk (as much as you need)
6oz butter
pinch salt
pepper to taste

when made, divide the pastry into four and roll out into ten inch circles (approx)
-----------------
Filling:-

cooked roast beef, diced (leftover from previous Sunday lunch!)

potatoes, carrots, swede, onion all diced and boiled together until soft.
-----------------------------------
when the veg is soft spread the mixture out into the middle of the pastry brush the edges of the pastry with milk and bind together crimping the edges together.

Cook for 30 mins at 160degC, (until brown)

what to do with pheasant!?!

muddywellies — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 12:12:21 GMT

hello

yesterday a farmer neighbour of ours left 2 freshly shot pheasants for us outside the front door!

No idea what to do with them. Obviously we need to pluck / gut them somehow - if anyone has any tips on this they would be very gratefully received.

Also any recipe's with what to do with it once it's been 'prepared'?

Thanks

Comfort Food

Valerian — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:23:06 GMT

Hello Dave

I need some help from you, please. In this miserable weather I've been trying to cook some really tasty hot comfort food. I've been through my repertoire of stews and casseroles several times. Is there something easy for a numbskull like me to cook in your mums' cookbook? How do you make a light fluffy dumpling? Mine end up like doorstops!!

beef and beetroot casserole

dave — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:33:20 GMT

1kg chuck steak
4 tablespoons olive oil
plain flour for coating meat
8 pickling onions ( small brown onions)- peeled and trimmed
6 rashers of bacon- rind removed
3 garlic cloves- chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste ( or 1 small tub)
5 fresh beetroot- trimmed, peeled and cut into wedges
1 parsnip- peeled and chopped into thick slices
2 carrots- peeled and chopped into thick slices
2 potatoes (optional, gives extra bulk to dish) - peeled and cubed
2 cups of beef stock
1 cup red wine
1 cup of water
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig oregano
3-4 sage leaves
2 bay leaves
freshly cracked black pepper
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

Cut steak into cubes (approximately 2-3 cm thick) and coat in flour.

Heat some of the oil in a stove top / oven proof dish.

Cook meat in batches (don't cook too many at once - you may need to do 3-4 batches and add a dash more oil with each batch), until meat is browned on all sides.

Remove meat and set aside.

Cut bacon into approximately 2 cm pieces.

Add a dash more oil to the dish the meat was cooked in and add onions, bacon and garlic.

Cook for 6-8 minutes, until lightly golden.

Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add beetroot, carrots, parsnip (and potatoes if adding) to onion mixture, with stock, wine and herbs.

Add salt and pepper. to taste

Bring to a simmer, cook for 3-4 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Return the meat to the dish and stir to combine. check seasoning

Cover casserole dish with lid and cook in oven for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove from oven and stand covered for 10 minutes before serving

Apple Butter

EvaInNL — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:31:55 GMT

This apple butter recipes makes about 2 kilos and can be kept for a year in sterilized jam jars. Nice on toast, in sauces or served with grilled meat.

Ingredients:

1 and 3/4 kilo of peeled, cleaned and coarsely chopped cooking apples (net weight)

6 cloves, bruised

1/2 a nutmeg nut, bruised

10 cm of cinnamon sticks, bruised

5 cm of fresh ginger, bruised

1 small chili, bruised (optional)

1,3 kg of sugar

Method:

1. Put the apples together with 4,5 dl of water in a pan and lit it simmer gently for about 45 to 60 minutes until you have a thick mushy consisteny.

2. Put all the spices in a piece of muslin (or a couple of tea bags) and wrap tightly so nothing can escape. Add it with the sugar to the apple mush. Let simmer toegether for another 75 minutes, the apple mixture will darken in colour. Stir gently on a low heat, making sure that the bottom doesn't burn.

3. To test if the apple butter is ready put a teasppon of the mixture on a saucer, if it isn't runny then you're apple butter is done.

4. Take the spices out and pour the apple butter into hot sterilised jam jars, close and label them.

Classic German Red Cabbage

EvaInNL — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 10:04:36 GMT

This is - as the title suggests - a classic German recipe for red cabbage. It's traditionally served at Christmas with roast goose, but goes particlarly well with any grilled or roasted fatty meats (duck, pork, lamb chops, roast chicken, sausages, etc).

Feel free to spice it up more with some grated ginger for example, or give an extra layer to it by adding a bit of ruby port or star anise, cinnamon, mixed spice, fennel or caraway seed. It's best made the day before you want to serve it so the flavours can develop. It's normally served hot, but I like it cold with grilled salmon for example. Also, it freezes well.

Apart from the prep, and stirring in the first 10 minutes of cooking, it is a really low effort dish.

Ingredients:

20 grams of butter (if you have goose fat or lard, even better)
500 grams of red cabbage, core removed, cut into quarters and then shredded finely
1 large onion, diced
1/2 an apple, diced into largish chunks (they will melt away)
2 tablesppons red currant jam or jelly (cranberry works well too)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or balsamic, or apple)
1 glass of red wine (or half port half red wine)
1 bay leave
2 cloves, the spice, not garlic
pepper, salt
1 teaspoon of any or all of the above mentioned spices to you own taste

Method:

Put a medium sized-pot on a high heat, add the butter and add the shredded cabbage in 3 parts at a time so you don't lose the heat, stir continually, this will take about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the onions, apple and the jelly and keeping it on high heat to caramelise it (2 to 3 minutes), stir continually.

Now add the vinegar, wine and the spices. Stir it through making sure that all the caramalised bits on the bottom of the pan are loosened. Lower the heat to medium, put a lid on the pan and leave to simmer for about 50 to 60 minutes.

Taste it and check that the cabbage is soft but still has a bit of bite to it, it shouldn't go mushy. The taste should be tangy and sweet, adjust seasoning to your taste.

Either serve immediately or leave to cool with the lid off, put in fridge or freezer. To reheat just add 2 tablespoons of water plus the cabbage and on a low heat bring back to simmering.

Guten Appetit!

Acorn Squash

Anthony — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:15:49 GMT

What can i make with an acorn squash

An excess of cucumbers

catymck — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:49:29 GMT

I seem to have rather too many cucumbers - after getting none last year! Anybody got any ideas for using them, other than pickle-type things?

Thanks in anticipation.

Potato Rosti

EvaInNL — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:43:24 GMT

The recipe for these potato rosti, or kartoffelpuffer, are an old staple food in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. You can vary the recipe as you like. Or even make them into courgette rosti by replacing the potatoes by, you guessed it!: courgette.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pound waxy potatoes, coarsly grated or shredded
1 medium size onion, coarsly chopped (or grated if you can stand the crying)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper

Put the shredded potatoes in a clean tea cloth and squeeze out the liquid as best you can. Easiest to do this in 3 or 4 batches.

Put the potatoes, onion and flour in a bowl and toss well to mix.

Heat a heavy frying pan with a generous amount of oil (a good 3 mils deep) until a piece of shredded potato sizzles as it is dropped in.

Go back to the potato and onion mix and add the lemon juice, egg, salt and pepper and mix well. It's really important to do this just before you plan to fry them!

Take a generous heap or two of the mixture per rosti and gently slide it into the oil. Don't put too many in or they won't go crispy. Flatten to about half a cm, turn it over when the sides are starting to go crispy.

When done put them on a some paper towel to drain off the oil. Keep warm in oven or on a hotplate.

This makes enough rosti for about 4 people. They can be eaten cold (with salmon and creme fraiche is traditional) but also frozen and reheated in the oven.

cookery forum

dave — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:00:48 GMT

this is dave's cookery forum ask what you like and if i have the answer by using my mums cook book and my cooking knowledge i will post it here

SORRY ONLY JOKING OR AM I YOU TELL ME

HE HE HA HA

rosti with courgette relish

dave — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:55:26 GMT

here is one for eva as i know she like and have courgettes

i made this rosti this morning but not the relish as did not have any courgettes

Rosti
4 large carrots (peeled and cooked)
1 large potato (peeled and cooked)
1 red chilli (de-seeded and finely diced)
½oz root ginger (peeled and very finely chopped)
1 bunch coriander (chopped)
salt and pepper plus some crème fraîche

Courgette relish
2 courgettes (finely diced)
1 clove garlic
1 onion (finely diced)
4fl oz tomato coulis
Balsamic vinegar
¼ pint olive oil
Salt and pepper

Grate the carrot and potato sweat off the chilli ginger and coriander in some butter add to the carrot. Season well.

To make the relish heat the olive oil add the garlic and onions cook for a few minutes then add the courgettes and tomato coulis cook over a low heat for five minutes season and add balsamic vinegar.

Shape rosti to the required shape pan fry until golden brown serve with the warm relish and mixed leaves. Top the rosti with a teaspoon of coriander crème fraîche