Wednesday 19 September 2012
Monday 10 September 2012
Bramble lollies
My 3 year old loves helping to make (and consume) these lollies; I've deliberately kept some of the Blackberry coulis back here to use in the week. It's great reduced down with beef stock and drizzled over a plump Venison steak.
500g Organic Natural Yoghurt
250g Blackberries
50g Sugar
1 Gently simmer the blackberries, sugar and a splash of water in a saucepan until the fruit has broken down and the liquid is bubbling. Allow to cool for a short while, blitz in a blender and then strain through a sieve. Let the coulis cool to room temperature.
2 Gently mix about two-thirds of the coulis into the yoghurt. Don't mix it in completely, it's nice if your lollies retain a bit of pattern and swirl.
3 Pour into lolly moulds, then freeze.
Labels:
Autumn,
blackberry,
foraging,
wild food,
yoghurt
Thursday 6 September 2012
Sticky Pear and Perry sausages with Cobnuts
6 Good quality pork sausages
A knob of butter
3 Ripe Pears
2Tbsp Honey
1Tbsp Wholegrain mustard
A small wine glass of Perry (if you can't Perry, cider will be just as nice)
Fresh Cobnuts
Salt and pepper
In a large pan, fry the sausages on the hob until browned nicely. Add a good knob of butter, half the pears, then add them to the pan (you can griddle the cut side beforehand if you like – I always think that the charred lines add an extra visual dimension). Stir in the Perry, mustard and honey - season, then pop a lid on the pan and simmer on low for 20 minutes, turning the pears and sausages intermittently. Serve with a scattering of fresh whole Cobnuts and a hearty side of Celeriac mash.
Monday 3 September 2012
Nightscrumping
I've spoken
before about the garden-bound Pear tree that I pass on my walk to and from the
station each day. I enjoy its youthful flourish of blossom each Spring; a
confetti-like festoon that scatters tiny petals across the pavement each time
the wind blows. I marvel at tiny green fruit droplets that appear on its
branches, swelling slowly in the Summer sun as the season drifts into Autumn. I
despair as one by one they tumble to the ground, quickly rendered a vinegary
sludge by insects, mould and the heavy wheels of a family 4x4.
I freely
admit to a bit of light scrumping when the opportunity presents itself. Nothing
OTT - just enough to make dessert for the family, or to make the fruit bowl
look a little less sorry for itself. So it was by the cover of darkness on
Thursday night that I quickly confiscated half a dozen pears from the tree after
getting home late from work. The lights of the house were out and the street
was still - they tasted all the better for their shifty Moonlit acquisition.
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