After a wet, wet Spring the warm sun came out and ripened a bumper crop of cherries. There were easy pickings from Irene's tree which the birds had not spotted. She had an unusual method which involves sawing off large branches: pruning and harvesting in one.

Donning fine latex gloves to avoid hands like Lady Macbeth, I sat on the diving board to stone the haul. This made a tedious, mindless task more agreeable. When I'd finished I weighed the stoned fruit and made the mistake of following another foodie blogger's assertion that you could use just 75% equivalent weight in sugar. I had to reboil with the extra 25% to get even a soft French set (and that was with cracked stones and 2 lemons for added pectin). However after the second boiling, the resulting jam was superb.

Flushed with success I then made a batch of apricot which is rich, deep coloured and full-flavoured. Instead of lemons I used oranges and added a few apricot kernels. No messing this time - I added equal weights of sugar and fruit. I didn't precook the fruit as it is ripe, soft and sweet. An excellent set after 4 minutes boiling at temperature ("jam" on the sugar themometre).

I don't skim as I think it a waste and I don't add any butter. I tend to cook manageable batches of 1 - 2 kilos at a time. It's a lot less trouble, makes less mess and allows you to have a real variety of jams in the larder - next week I'll be making nectarine, peach and greengage! The recipe stays the same - equal weights of prepared fruit and sugar, layered in a big bowl, covered with a cloth and left a few hours, then cooked slowly together until the sugar has completely dissolved, the fruit is soft and a full rolling boil is reached. Boil 4 minutes and test for a set on cool dry saucer. Allow to stand a few minutes before potting in scrupulously clean, warm, dry jars (I stand mine on a newspaper-lined roasting tray in a slow oven -  but if you time it right you can whip them directly from the dishwasher, still hot from the drying cycle!)

Or Mirande market mushrooms...ok, enough aliteration. Except I should add mmmmmmmm......they were delicious. Mirande market is wonderful from inside halles where people can have just half a table to flog a few herbs or jars of honey to the enormous cheese caravans or the groaning vegetables stalls. We spotted the man with the mousserons inside. He had lined his baskets with leaves and moss and carefully cleaned and trimmed each mushroom. Whilst he was weighing our 200g (at 30 euros a kilo I was being careful) an old lady came up to sniff. She held a mushroom to her nose and inhaled deeply. A wide satisfied smile told us she was impressed.

We had them for dinner, cooked simply in a little butter, green garlic and parsley. I added creme fraiche at the last minute and spooned them into choux puffs. We ate them on the terrace in the last of the warm sun with a glass of Rivesaltes.

More may 002

The house is sold, we are packing up, it's time to go. We are off to the gourmet epicentre of France - Gascony. I will, next year, be running residential cooking classes - so watch this space. In the meantime there will be loads to do to get the place ready and a kitchen garden started. I'm sure we will find time to laze in the pool and gaze at the mountains too.

I hope for lots of fresh ideas for new recipes and am looking forward to the markets.

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Inpan 001

Amost Valentine's Day, when food of pink, red and purple comes centre stage. You could always go one further and make it heart shaped too. I did the heart shaped ravioli (above) as this month's recipe on the Soil Association's website  http://www.whyorganic.org/healthy_recipeMonth.asp If you follow the link you'll see the gorgeous colour of the cooked ravioli hearts. In my book, Table of Content, I have another "cheesy" Valentine's Day recipe. This time it's red onions that give the colour on a heart-shaped tart.

Red Onion Flamiche

250g / 8oz plain flour

pinch salt

125g / 4oz soft butter

3 egg yolks (you can use the whites to make heart shaped meringues!?!)

50ml / 2fl oz milk

3 whole eggs

350g / 12oz cottage cheese

150ml / 5 fl oz creme fraiche

nutmeg

white pepper

2 large red onions

sesame oil

icing sugar

Sift the flour with the salt. Make a well in the centre. Cut the butter into small pieces. Place in the well with the yolks and milk. Mix well with the fingertips, drawing in the flour.Knead lightly then roll out to line a large heart-shaped tin or 25cm / 10in flan ring or dish. Chill well.

Preheat the oven to 220C / 425F / gas mk 7. Blitz the eggs, cottage cheese and creme fraiche in a food processor or liquidiser. Season well with plenty of nutmeg and white pepper. Pour into the pastry case. Bake until firm  (about 20 - 30 minutes - it depends on the dimensions of your tin /dish).

Meanwhile, peel and slice the onions thinly. Arrange over the surface of the tart - You can make them look like Thirties end papers, by overlapping them. Drizzle with the sesame and dredge with icing sugar. Place under a hot grill to caramelise (or blow torch the surface). Serve.

(c) Sarah Beattie 2008

I was writing next month's recipe for www.whyorganic.org which is an alternative to Christmas Pud and then I thought I ought to give you several other options, so here they are (we'll be having the "Light" Pud - it's very fruity and will be served with a good rum butter with a nod to my Caribbean ancestry)

Sepiasarahjerseytea

♪♫♪ “Now bring us some Figgy Pudding…” ♪♫♪

225g / 8oz dried figs

grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

100g / 4oz breadcrumbs

100g / 4oz suet

100g / 4oz plain flour

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp baking powder

75g / 3oz dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tbs milk

Chop the figs and place in a bowl with the lemon rind and juice. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the figs, eggs and milk and beat well. Well grease a pudding basin. Fill. Cover with a pleated sheet of greaseproof and foil. Tie with string and boil for 3 hours. Freeze this pudding to keep till Christmas.

Christmas Pudding

100g/ 4oz suet

100g / 4oz self raising flour

100g / 4oz breadcrumbs

100g / 4oz currants

150g / 6oz sultanas

150g / 6oz raisins

100g / 4oz dark brown sugar

3 eggs, beaten in a cup

grated rind & juice 1 orange

grated rind & juice 1 lemon

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

2 tbs rum

50g / 2oz mixed peel

50g / 2oz glace cherries

1 grated carrot

1 grated apple

Mix everything together very well. Fill a well greased pudding basin. Cover with pleated greaseproof paper and foil and tie down with string. Boil for 6 hours. Cool. Recover and store in a cold place until Christmas. Reboil 2 hours.

Light Christmas Pudding

100g / 4 oz dried apricots, chopped

100g / 4oz dried papaya, chopped

100g / 4oz dried tropical mix

50g / 2oz crystallised stem ginger

50g / 2oz mixed peel

75g / 3oz walnuts

100g / 4oz golden sultanas

1 grated apple

1 grated carrot

2 eggs

100g / 4oz sugar

50g / 2oz melted margarine

100g / 4oz breadcrumbs

50g / 2oz self raising flour

2 tbs rum

rind and juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp ground mace

Mix everything together and pile into a well greased pudding basin. Cover with pleated greaseproof and foil. Tie down with string. Boil 3 hours. Cool, recover and store in a cold place. Reboil 2 hours on Christmas Day.

Nearly three months since my last posting - that's terrible! I have been busy: extra shifts at the Community Office; Green Day at the Walled Garden in Helmsley; trips to Georgia and Wigtown and getting the house ready to sell (huge quantities of paint to be applied to all surfaces and attendant chaos).

So just to recap (to steal DB's line) here are the recipes from the 1st September at the Walled Garden when I gave a "Cooking with Herbs" Demo. More soon I hope on the US, Scotland and jamming.

The butternut squash soup is a milder, creamier cousin to my current October recipe - shown below - on www.whyorganic.org

Recipes:

4october

Celery, Apple & Dill Soup

25g / 1oz butter or margarine

4 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large head of celery

2 large cooking apples

salt, pepper, sugar

700ml / 1 ½ pt water or stock

1 small bunch dill

In a large pan, melt the fat and slowly fry the onion and garlic. Chop the celery, including the leaves and add to the pan. Core but do not peel apples. Chop then add to the pan. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Cook 5 minutes then add the stock and half the dill and simmer for 25 minutes. Strain. Add the rest of the chopped dill and check seasonings. Reheat as required.

Cream of Butternut Squash with Sage Soup

25g / 1oz butter or margarine

3 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped

1 bunch of sage

500ml / 3 / 4 pt vegetable stock

400g / 14oz tub crème fraiche

salt, pepper, nutmeg

Melt the fat in a large pan and slowly cook the onions and garlic until soft and golden. Add the butternut squash and turn about. Cook 2 minutes. Add half the sage, chopped. Cook another 2 minutes. Pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer until all is very soft.

Liquidise. When the soup is smooth and a little cooler, blend in the crème fraiche. Season to taste. Reheat gently and do not boil. Serve garnished with a sage leaf or two.

Marinated Feta Salad

200g / 7oz feta, diced

small bunch thyme

a few sprigs mint

some flat parsley

a few pink, white and black peppercorns

pinch salt, sugar

1 lemon

3 tbs olive oil

6 slices bread

1 egg white, lightly whisked

2 tsp sesame seeds

a little oil

Lettuce

Place the feta in a bowl. Chop the herbs finely. Grind the peppercorns with the salt and sugar. Grate the lemon rind. Combine the herbs, rind, peppercorns and seasoning together then scatter over the feta. Squeeze over the lemon juice, then drizzle with the olive oil. Carefully toss to ensure all is coated then leave in a cool place for at least an hour.

Dip the bread in the egg white then into the sesame seeds. Cut into squares. Fry in a little oil until nicely browned. Drain and cool. Line a salad bowl with washed lettuce, scatter over the sesame croutons then top with the feta. Serve.

Lavender Poached Pears

150ml / 5fl oz  white wine

150ml / 5fl oz  water

100g / 3 oz sugar

a piece of lemon rind

a small bunch of lavender

6 pears, slightly under ripe

Combine everything except the pears in a flameproof casserole over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Pare the pears thinly, keeping them whole and retaining the stalks. Stand upright in the hot syrup, cover and poach over a low heat until tender. Eat hot, warm or chilled.

Up at an ungodly hour this morning to go to Manchester to talk about lavender in cooking. It was great to finally meet the delightful, self-effacing Jekka MacVicar http://www.jekkasherbfarm.com/ who has done so much to encourage the British to use more herbs. Pleased to see the seemingly indefatigable Jenni Murray looking so well. If you want to hear the item, here's the link but I guess it won't be there for long: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/02/2007_30_thu.shtml

Lavender 011

The recipes were:

Lavender Poached Pears

150ml / 5fl oz  white wine

150ml / 5fl oz  water

100g / 3 oz sugar

a piece of lemon rind

a small bunch of lavender

6 pears, slightly under ripe

Combine everything except the pears in a flameproof casserole over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Pare the pears thinly, keeping them whole and retaining the stalks. Stand upright in the hot syrup, cover and poach over a low heat until tender. Eat hot, warm or chilled.

Lavender Langues de Chat

50g / 2oz golden granulated sugar

1 tsp dried lavender

25g / 1oz plain flour

25g / 1oz unsalted butter, melted

1 egg white

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6/ 400ºF /200º C.   Whizz the sugar and lavender in a liquidiser, clean coffee grinder or food processor until well blended.  Sieve into a bowl with the flour.  Using a whisk, mix in the cooled melted butter and egg white, beating well to make a smooth batter.

Place teaspoonfuls, well-spaced, on the baking sheets. Spread each teaspoonful out to 5 cm / 2in long.  Bake 5 minutes, until browning around the edges.  Carefully transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.

Lavender Salad with Grilled Goats’ Cheese

serves 4

2 tbs raspberry vinegar

4 tbs light olive oil

1 tsp dried lavender

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp caster sugar

2 ripe avocados

100g / 3 ½ oz small strawberries, hulled and diced

150g / 5oz rocket leaves

4 x 1cm / ½” slices of chevre (goats’ cheese in a log shape)

4 x 1cm / ½” slices brioche, toasted

Mix together the vinegar and oil.  In a pestle and mortar, grind the lavender, salt and sugar.  Mix into the oil and vinegar.  Peel and dice the avocados. Mix together with the strawberries and dressing.  Line 4 small plates with rocket leaves.

Place the goats’ cheese on top of the brioche and place under a hot grill.  Toast until the cheese is browned and bubbling.

Put a piece of cheese-topped brioche in the centre of each plate.  Surround with the avocado and strawberries.  Serve immediately.

Cucumber & Lavender Agrodolce

½ cucumber, peeled and diced

1 tbs runny honey – eg Acacia

2 tbs white balsamic vinegar

1/8 tsp salt

1 very small red chilli, finely chopped

½ tsp dried lavender

a generous grinding of black pepper

Put the cucumber in a bowl. Warm all the other ingredient together in a small pan, stirring well until just simmering. Turn off the heat and pour over the cucumber, mixing well. Cool and then chill.

Lavender & Blueberry Cheesecake

This is the simplest form of cheesecake – just a crushed biscuit crust, cream cheese and a blueberry compote – but the lavender lifts it to something special.

25g / 1oz butter

1 tbs light muscovado sugar

125g / 4oz wholewheat “digestive” biscuits, crushed

250g / 8oz “light” cream cheese

1 tbs lavender sugar – see langues de chat

100g / 3 ½ oz blueberries

1 tsp lavender flowers

1 tbs castor sugar

Melt the butter and muscovado sugar together. Stir in the biscuit crumbs and mix well. Press evenly into the base of a 15cm / 6in loose bottomed cake tin. Chill.

Beat together the cream cheese and lavender sugar. Pile onto the biscuit base and level. Chill.

Wash and drain the blueberries. Put in a small covered pan with the lavender flowers and castor sugar. Cook over a low heat until the berries pop. Take off the lid and turn up the heat to reduce until thick. Cool then spread over the cream cheese. Chill well.

To unmold, round a warm dry knife around the edge of the tin. Stand on a can and slip off the sides.

© Sarah Beattie 2007

Beetroot

I seem to be going through a purple patch. I will be appearing on Woman's Hour on the 26th cooking with lavender and my In Season piece on www.whyorganic.org for August will be a beetroot tart. A fabulous soup enjoyed at Bristol's Bordeaux Quay has had me experimenting at home to try to recapture the North African flavours that married so well with the sweet muskiness of the beets. Although this is work in progress, here is the recipe so far:

Beetroot & Cumin Soup

2 tbs olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

a few celery leaves, chopped

2 large beetroots, scrubbed and diced

1 - 2 tsp ras el hanout

568ml / 1pt stock or water

1 - 2 tsp cumin

salt, pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until just begining to colour. Add the celery leaves and beetroot and mix well. Fry for five minutes then add the ras el hanout and cook for another two minutes before adding the stock or water.

Cover and simmer until the beet is tender. Meanwhile dry fry the cumin and then grind it. Liquidise the soup and mix in the cumin. Taste and season well. Serve hot or well chilled with a spoon of fromage frais. 

Just heard that the Lavender Festival I was due to appear at over the weekend is to be called off, due to the weather. The car park is waterlogged. Such a change from last year and the year before when the sun shone and we basked in the warmth as the bees droned over the lavender.

I love lavender in cooking - it seems to have a particular affinity with strawberries. I use it in both sweet and savoury dishes. I make a lovely salad of strawberries and avocados dressed with lavender and served with grilled goats cheese.

Grind 1 tsp dried lavender with good pinches of sea salt and sugar. Mix into 1 tbs balsamic vinegar and 2 tbs olive oil. Add several twists of freshly ground black or white pepper. Whisk until emulsified then pour over cubed strawberries and avocados mixed with freshly chopped chives.  

Toast some sourdough bread, top it with goats cheese and stick it back under the grill until browned and bubbling. Serve with sweet romaine and the lavender, strawberry and avocado salad.

Mctell

Yesterday was launch day for Michael's new book, "Hand Me My Travelin' Shoes - In Search of Blind Willie McTell" and we threw a party to celebrate with people wandering up to the house after the talk at the bookshop in Kirkby. I haven't added any new recipes because I was so busy cooking - strange how it takes so much longer to clear up. No wonder there were so many baskets to be gathered up after the Loaves and Fishes miracle!

I used the Vindamen / Meneloo recipe with hardboiled eggs in chapati cones (a halved chapati, twisted around and secured with a toothpick then baked briefly one inside the other). These disappeared VERY fast. The Satay skewers and Aubergine Involtini were similarly very popular.

Both are dishes I make frequently that change and evolve slightly over time and both are good, hot or cold.

The satay was made with cubes of beancurd, fried until golden and threaded onto skewers alternating with chestnut mushrooms. The sauce / marinade is a mixture of peanut butter, red onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, soy, palm sugar, chilli and boiling water pureed together. The skewers are thickly coated and then grilled - if the weather ever improves you can barbecue - until browned and bubbling.  

For the Involtini (which I think I first read about in a Sophie Grigson book but have been making so long I am not sure) you need a large aubergine. I cut it lengthwise in very thin slices. I use a serrated knife and it is as close as I ever get to carving! A reasonable size aubergine can yield 20 slices about 1/8 in thick. Dust either side of the slices in seasoned flour - sometimes but not yesterday I add cayenne or dry English mustard or wasabi but mostly it's salt and pepper in fine wholemeal flour. Fry in a little olive oil until golden. Roll each slice around a stuffing of breadcrumbs, egg, parsley or coriander, feta, onion and garlic. Place in a baking dish and spoon over chopped tomatoes. Bake for about 30 minutes in a relatively hot oven. Serve hot or cold. I make variants with olives, basil, mozzarella, goats cheese etc.