Holiday in Devon

I have not been blogging for a little while as I have been away visiting the beautiful English riviera otherwise known as Devon to have a family holiday and see my brother. So I have a bit of catching up to do and lots to write about especially about my travels :)

The weather was very kind and we only had one day of mizzling rain so we were able to get out alot and try allsorts of exciting things. We were staying at berry head, brixham in the bay of Tor. We had some fantastic walks and found similiar foraging hedgerow finds that we would at home in Leicestershire such as cleavers, elderflower, hawthorn, clover amongst others.

As we were so close to many great beaches we had a few things on our list we had to do with the boys, such as crabbing, foraging on the sands and rock pooling. We were not dissapointed and I think every child and adult for that matter should have beach time looking for shells, crabs, mini beasts, fish, or other shellfish as it is just such good fun and exciting when you catch something. We caught many things but put most of them back you don't know what they have been feeding on.

Rock Pooling is great fun and you can get information from tourist information about the times of the times so you don't get caught out and can work out the best time to get out there and check out the pools. Small nets and buckets are always a good thing to buy whilst you are there and take with you. We found clams, mussels, shrimps, baby crabs and starfish looking in the pools, under the rocks and checking underneath the washed up debris. It is such a good feeling when you find something and we put everything in a bucket with sea water and then at the end we had a good look at everything, took some pictures and then careful placed everything back. My son loved jumping from rock to rock and checking out all the little nooks and crannies for sea creatures.

Something I have been meaning to do with my 6yr old is go crabbing as we have never had the opportunity to do it before and you have just got to try it. After buying some crabbing lines and talking to a few of the locals about the best spots we were off early one morning to brixham harbour. It is important you get the lines with little bait nets attached rather than just the hooks as the canny crabs just nick off with the food from the hooks smiling their little crabby smiles. We found out that they just loved pieces of raw smokey bacon and when they came along to grab it from the little nets there claws got tangled in the holes of the net and you can quickly haul them up.

We were settled in our spot with two lines in the water over the harbour wall and thought we would have to wait for ages so we were ecstatic and couldn't believe it when within 5 mins we had caught a crab on both lines, they must have been hungry. It was so cool, we were jumping up and down and squealing at our luck, within half hour we had 7 in the bucket and people were coming over having a look and chatting. Everyone wanted tips on catching them and we just grinned and said it must be beginners luck as it was our first time. We caught some good sized crabs and had 12 at the end of the hour and we put them all back afterwards so hopefully others could have as much fun as we did. You can imagine our faces afterwards, we were buzzing and grinning from ear to ear as we thoroughly enjoyed our crabbing experience and will definitely be doing it again when we are next visiting the coast.

One of the reasons I love bimbling around the countryside or coastal areas is that you just don't know what you are going to find and sometimes they are real little gems which give you such a great feeling and appreciation of our beautiful country.

Giant Puffball find !!

After my successful first fungi forage the other week i was looking forward to finding more and I have a few on my list that i would love to find. One of them is the giant puffball as i have seen them on TV programs and have heard about them on twitter and on other people's blogs, so i was intrigued to be able to go out looking for one but not knowing where on earth to start looking around my area. It is really exciting to know that on a country walk you could come across this huge mushroom that is so large and distinctive that you can spot them several feet away. However with this weather being so inpredictable, my foraging exploits have been somewhat hampered and i wasn't sure whether i would find one at all this year. 

Well it was to be found right under my nose all time, my partner and little boy were out walking around our little village and had popped in to one of the small holdings to see some day old chicks, the next thing i know, she rings me saying you will never guess what i just found, and sure enough they had found a huge puffball growing right there, in fact there were two but one had got squashed. So i would get to taste the famous puffball after all and what a beauty it was, easily 30cm across and an amazing sight to behold. I think my sons eyes must have popped out of his head as he loves to come foraging as well, and we make it a family fun time, out walking in the woods or out in the fields, my six year old loves to spot all the new plants and leaves. My 9 month old just loves sitting in his pushchair taking it all in and saying 'ooooooo' when he sees a pretty flower, it wont be long before he is toddling around after his big brother too. 

The Giant Puffball or Calvatia Gigantea was so light it was like it was made of polystyrene and because it was a young puffball it was still white and when I sliced it, it had a white, fresh, thick texture like a huge chunk of marshmallow. We wanted to taste it just as it was so I just peeled it and sautéed it in a little butter and had it with a nice rump steak, delicious. It should keep fine in the fridge for a few days but i already have several meals planned for which i want to include the puffball in so I don't think it will last that long after all. My plans include a beef stroganoff, battered puffball slices with potato wedges as well as a lovely caramelised onion and mushroom tart. The list could be endless as it seems to be such a versatile ingredient to cook with. If i do have any left i might cube, cook lightly and freeze so i can add it to stews or casseroles when i need it. Really enjoyed the taste and texture if this incredible mushroom and would definitely cook with again if we were lucky to find some more, and if not then there is always next year and our neighbours small holding :)

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Not Turkish Delight but Elderflower Delight

Oh my goodness I knew that I loved cooking and especially making sweets or desserts but not as much as when I tasted this delicious little square of loveliness.

I love the texture of turkish delight so you can imagine my 'delight' when i read about this treat last year and have been meaning to try it. I like to experiment and adapt all the information from existing recipes and came up with a quicker and tastier version to suit my sweet tooth. Instead of using the elderflower heads I used my homemade cordial instead. This is my recipe below and feel free to try it or experiment with the flavours yourself;

Elderflower Delight

400mls neat elderflower cordial

400mls water

200grams cornflower

Coating

110grams cornflower

90 grams icing sugar

Dilute the 400mls of the cordial with 200mls of the water and place in a pan. Mix the cornflower with the rest of the water and add to the pan. Bring slowly to the boil stirring all the time with a balloon whisk and after about 10-15 minutes the mixture starts to get a little more transparent and very gloopy !!

Take off the heat and whilst it is cooling for 5 minutes you can prepare your tray or dish. In a seperate bowl mix the coating ingredients together, grease the tray and liberally apply some of the coating mixture, making sure to cover all the inside of the tray. place the excess back into the bowl and set aside for later.

Tip or spoon the delight mixture into the tray and slowly and gently level out. Sprinkle with a little more of the coating mixture and place in the fridge for at least 3hours to set.

Once set, cut into cubes and individually cost each piece. I placed in a sealed container with an inlay of grease proof paper to keep them from being sticky. Enjoy :)

Going to try using wild dog rose petal syrup next instead of rose water as I do like a stronger, sweeter flavour. But this recipe can be adapted to make delights of any flavour you wish.

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Finished elderflower delight

All packaged up 

Cooking with Chicken of the Woods

After a great two hours of foraging for fungi and coming home with some positively identified species of mushroom I was very interested with my first haul. One of these was a bracket fungi called sulphur polypore (laetiporus sulphureus), also known as chicken of the woods. It seems that most people enjoy eating this mushroom but i must admit i was a little unsure, as the colours of orange and sulphur yellow usually mean stay away in nature but after researching it and assuring myself it was safe i decided to press on and try this wonderfully tiered bracket fungi. You can see the pictures of what i found including the chicken of the woods in a previous post here fungi foraging

I gave it a clean with a soft little brush to remove the dirt (as i had read somewhere that washing mushrooms isnt a good idea as they suck up the moisture) and then i sliced it thinly. It suggested online that you should boil in salt water for 5 minutes before using and then i sautéed the slices for a few minutes in some of my homemade wild garlic butter mixed with a little extra virgin olive oil. I then tasted a piece before adding the rest to a turkey and vegetable casserole that i already had going on the hob. I simmered for about 20 minutes until the meat was tender and the vegetables were cooked through. 

When I was preparing the fungi I was surprised at the distinctive smell that filed the kitchen and as I am a first time fungi forager I hadn't smelt anything like it before, not a horrible smell at all but earthy, strong and unusual too. I wanted to taste the mushroom as an individual taste sensation first before adding it to the casserole and i was was struck by the denseness of the flesh and the taste matched the aroma perfectly. You can see from the close up of the slices why it is called chicken of the woods. It is not because it tastes of chicken but it has the denseness and look of sliced chicken. I preferred it within the casserole where it was complimented and balanced out by all the other flavours and textures. I found it to be quite filling as well so you don't need to add too much to a dish. All in all i was very happy with with my first tentative steps into the world of finding free food in edible fungi and i think i had a lucky first forage so I am looking forward to my next adventure in the woods to see what other delights i can find. If you have a chance then go give it a try but make sure you have a good handbook or someone experienced with you to help identify the edible species before you pick and take them home. 

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Sliced Chicken of the Woods

Closeup so you can see the texture

The finished casserole complete with fungi

Wild Fungi Foraging

Well this morning my 6yr old was at school and I had some rare baby free time and so I thought I would go out foraging for elderflowers and wild dog rose but it started to rain which is no good for collecting either of them, so I decided to have a meander in town instead until the storm came over and I got soaked to the skin with the torrential rain and hailstones. It was incredible how much water came down in 30 mins it was like a monsoon.

But it was fun to be out in and i went home to get dry clothes and it wasn't long before the sun was out and off I went, this time to the woods to have a first time forage for fungi, its usually too difficult to do with a pushchair so I took my opportunity today and was so glad I did.

I headed straight for a local wood which has alot of pine, elder, oak and silver birch. There was alot of leaf cover on the ground and fallen dead wood so I thought it might be a great place to start looking. I was surprised to find one straight away and armed with my Collins Gem Mushrooms book I tentatively tried to ID it but to no avail, I thought it might be a russula so i picked one to take home and try and identify later.

After a few more minutes looking around the base of some trees I spotted a rather large oak with something yellow near the bottom of it. I knew that this type was called a bracket fungi as my partner and I had seen a hoof fungus the day before so I knew which section of the book to go too. It was very distinctive in that it had a orange topside and a bright yellow underside so i could easily ID it as the sulphur polypore so I excitedly gathered some from the tree and carried on.

It was amazing being under the cover of the trees as with the gentle rainfall and the smell of the woodland it seemed that I was being cocooned and enveloped by mother nature and it was invigorating. As I walked slowly around and stooped lower to look carefully near the base of the trees and dead wood it made you just slow everything down and really take in all the little details for fear of missing some hidden treasure.

I was intrigued to find another type of fungi which looked like little ears growing from the dead elder wood and they felt almost gelatinous and funny to the touch. I found them in my book and identified them as Jews ears or Jelly ears. I found quite a few so I harvested some to try in a soup. I had been in the wood for about an hour when I could hear the distant rumble of thunder and I know they say that the last place you should be is near trees I actually felt protected under the dense cover and it was quite nice listening to the rainfall and rumbles and somehow it seemed to heighten my senses even more. I found some old king Alfred's cakes as well as lots more Jews ears and even some other bracket fungi which I think maybe jelly rot and old grey polypore. I have posted the pictures so if anyone has any thoughts then I would welcome your comments. I'm quite new to this so I can't wait to learn more about it.

After I had been bimbling around the woods for a couple of hours I could here the thunder getting closer and reluctantly came out into the open and headed home.

I tweeted my finds when I got home and a lovely man who is a regular forager helped me identify the mushroom I had found first as a blusher as when I cut it in half it tinged with pink, had white spots on the cap and grew from a sack. Thanks to wildfoodforage for his kind help :)

I can't wait to go out again and I will blog about my cooking experiences with the sulphur polypore and the Jews Ears very soon.

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Jews Ears

King Alfred Cakes

Possibly Jelly Rot

Sulphur Polypore (chicken of the wood)

Blusher 

Cleavers - part of the coffee family

I wasn't sure what the real name of this plant was called because as a child we just called it sticky grass, but it seems it has many names. Goosegrass as geese like to eat it, bedstraw as they used to stuff mattresses with it along time ago, cleavers as the sticky seed cleave to anything that brushes past, and catch weed. You may have called it by another name, but we are all familiar with this plant that clings to hedges and spreads in the garden and when out walking you will come home with these sticky little seed balls attached to you.

It's botanical name is galium aparine. It has self pollinating flowers that appear from June to August and an average plant has 300-400 seeds if not more.

What I did find really interesting is that it is part of the coffee family and if the seeds are dried and then roasted they can be used as a very good coffee substitute. I can't wait to try this myself as although I love coffee I get bad headaches from the caffeine, so it will be intriguing to see how this tastes.

It has been used medicinally for many hundreds of years by different cultures. Externally it has been used to soothe skin conditions such as a burn or psoriasis as well as dandruff. When taken internally it has a mild diuretic effect so has historically been used to detoxify the blood and body especially after long periods of taking medication. It is known to stimulate the lymphatic system so it helps to remove toxins from the body more effectively as often people's lymphatics become sluggish and not very effective when they have been ill and this helps cleanse the waste and relieve the swollen glands.

The leaves can be washed and put in a liquidiser with water to make a juice or steeped in boiling water for 10mins to make a tea. Taken a little at a time throughout the day.

To preserve the cleavers juice for later in the year it can be added to either equal amounts of glycerine or honey and added to hot drinks maybe. Think I will definitely try and preserve some by adding it to runny honey.

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Cleavers growing in our garden 

                                                  

Make your own Soft Cheese

This is something I have thought about doing at home for a long time but always thought it was too complicated and you needed experience and skill to make cheese yourself, as well as special equipment and ingredients like rennet. But my citric acid research said it can be used to curdle milk and split them into curds and whey to make a soft cheese.

I always stock an ample supply of citric acid for my cordial making so it was too good an opportunity to pass up. All you need is milk, citric acid and water. If you have no citric acid then you can use lemon juice.

My mind has been working overtime ever since about all the fresh herbs and other ingredients I could mix into the cheese to suit my own tastes. You can either use full fat milk or semi skimmed for a lower fat version and as I have it I will use the semi skimmed.

Soft cheese

1 litre of milk

120mls of warm water

1/2 tsp of citric acid

Bring the milk up to the boil, whilst you are waiting, dissolve the citric acid in the water.

When the milk is at boiling point, pour in the citric solution stirring it in.

Turn the heat to low and keep stirring until the milk completely curdles and seperates into curds and whey.

Take off the heat and strain through a muslin, cheese cloth or if you have neither of these I have used a clean pillow case before into a jug.

Place under running water for 1 minute and squeeze the excess water off.

Suspend the cloth over the jug for 15 mind and strain off the rest of the whey.

Then mix with your favourite herbs and either eat or store in a container in the fridge.

This is very easy to make but you still have to keep your eye on the milk boiling. When you add the citric acid solution you think that it hasn't split, and there isnt many curds but when you strain off the whey you will get about 4oz of curds and about 700ml of whey. If you mix herbs or other ingredients of your choice, remember to season well and you can either eat straight away or place it the fridge to firm a little more.

The whey will keep in the fridge or you can freeze it and can be used to make bread, cakes, pancakes, a energy smoothie.

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Boiling Milk and Citric Acid Solution

                                               

Finished Soft Cheese

Mixed Herb Soft Cheese

Wild Dog Rose - Petal syrup or jam

Rosa Canina otherwise known as the wild dog rose has been flowering nearby for a couple of weeks now and it was whilst out picking ElderFlowers that I noticed the variety of white to pink petals of this beautiful dainty scented rose. It only flowers between the beginning of June and the end if July so in a few short weeks it disappears.

I found some interesting things out about the dog rose and it is believed that it got its name from the 18th / 19th century when it was used to treat the bite of a rabid dog. It is also the county flower of Hampshire. But the one that really made me laugh was that in France they call it 'itchy bottom' because of the fine irritant hairs in the hips. 

It was whilst reading one of my old jam and preserves books that I came across a recipe for rose petal jam and the footnote mentioned that you could also use wild roses. So a few days ago whilst we were out foraging for wild garlic we also picked a small bag full of wild rose petals. roses. Taking care to only pick a few petals from each bush we found so leaving some behind. As these would be low in pectin in comparison to a fruit jam so the recipe suggests using lemon pips to provide the natural pectin. The best time to pick the flowers is in the morning when there are not so many insects around.

The petals gave a wonderful aroma to the kitchen as they steeped and I was quite surprised how strongly they smelled. Cooking with petals instead of fruit was a definite learning curve for me and the first batch I did went just a little too far as I was expecting it to take longer to reach setting point, but quickly thinking on my feet I took out the petals, added a little more water and we now have a wonderfully fragrant wild rose syrup which will be delicious on pancakes or icecream.

This is one of the reasons I love cooking with new ingredients as its good experimenting with new recipes and although it didn't work the first time when I go out and pick some more I can tweak the recipe again to hopefully create this beautifully fragranced jam. The recipe is as follows if you would like to give it a try;

Wild Dog Rose Petal Jam

500g / 1.1lbs sugar
4 large handfuls of wild dog rose petals
juice of a lemon
500mls / 1 pint of water

Add lemon juice, water and rose petal in a pan and simmer on a low heat for 15 mins, stirring periodically. Add the sugar and keep on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. At this point you can decide whether you want to keep the petals in the jam or strain and discard them. If you are not using a jam sugar with added pectin then add either a sachet of pectin or use lemon pips for natural pectin. Bring to a rolling boil, keeping a close eye on it for signs that it is reaching the setting point. If you look in a good jam book or research the internet you will find some really good tips about this stage. Take off the heat whilst you test the jam on a cold plate and see if it crinkles when you drag your finger through it. When you are happy it has reached the setting point, carefully put into sterilised jars. I usually put the jars into a cold oven then heat it to 150c and leave them at that temperature for 15 minutes.

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Wild Dog Rose

Mixture of white and pink petals 

Grow Your Own - easy slug deterrent

Well I have been very busy not just foraging, cooking and brewing but also in the garden growing our vegetables and herbs.

Our 6yr old has helped plant some of the seeds, watering, weeding and of course he loves to pick and harvest them when they are ready. He loves it when we are eating a meal and some of the ingredients have come from our own garden. It is not just good fun sowing and growing but also educational for him to know where vegetables come from and how to cook them, as i think alot of kids miss out on that. I have watched him in the garden and he will go to the herbs and smell and taste the leaves, it seems his favourite is rosemary :) I love it that he will be passionate about food and cooking as he grows and that he can identify different ingredients.

We are growing quite a variety of vegetables and herbs. We have beetroot, carrots, shallots, lettuce, runner beans, peas, potatoes, swede, turnips, leeks, celery, sweetcorn, cucumbers, squash, peppers, courgettes as well as spinach, tomatoes and strawberries.

The herbs we have planted are some of my favourites that I love to cook with and these are rosemary, sage, mint, chives, lemon thyme, parsley, African blue basil, oregano and a recent addition of a Bay tree. Also this week I was lucky enough to find growing in my herb garden some wild sorrel which is great to use as well.

Although I do love swede in a nice winter stew I have grown a few extra as we are using the leaves as spring greens and they are very tasty chopped and steamed to eat with a roast dinner. They are part of the brassica family so you can use them just like you would spring greens.

But of course with all these lovely greens around and the rain we have had lately you can guarantee that the slugs and snails will rejoice thinking it is a free buffet. As i have two boys i didnt want to use slug pellets as I don't want them picking them up, especially my 9month old. So i have been using a tip my mum taught me which has worked very well. I save all my eggshells, then when i have finished with the oven after cooking something just place the shells on a tray and turn the oven off. This dries the shells making them easy to break up and you can scatter these around the plants you want to protect.

This seems to have deterred them much better than I expected as they must not like crawling over the jagged shells. Not only is it a natural slug and snail deterrent but it saves money buying pellets, its a good way to reduce waste by recycling the shells and as an added bonus when they breakdown the calcium will nourish the soil. It's a solution that has all round benefits and they are the kind of little tips that I like :)

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

baked egg shells 

Swede Leaves

Raspberry Liqueur - easy to do

I've just been asked on twitter for a recipe for raspberry liqueur so here it is, this will work with most fruits or you can experiment with different herbs or spices as well. Very easy to do and sure they would make good gifts if they last that long :)

Buy a cheap bottle of vodka or gin, use a sterilised plastic pop bottle for making it in. put about 10oz of your chosen fruit in the bottle, pour in the gin or vodka. Screw on the lid tightly and put in a warm place for about a week. Shake the bottle every day.

At the end of the week make a sugar syrup using 1 pint of hot water and 10oz sugar, once the sugar is dissolved let the syrup cool. Strain the raspberry gin or vodka through a muslin or a fine sieve then add the liquid to the sugar syrup. Using a jug to rebottle the liqueur and store for a few more weeks before drinking.

Think I just might have to try one of these myself, good job I have alot of pop bottles and better start labelling them all as now have elderflower cordial, nettle beer alcoholic ginger beer!!

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Alcoholic Ginger Beer - cheap, tasty and quick

After a great morning foraging for more wild garlic and dog rose petals we came home and I realised that the ginger beer would be ready as the 48hours were up.

I love ginger beer and my mum used to make it from a ginger beer plant that you fed every few days then diluted and bottled. We used to have a pantry in the kitchen when I was a kid and I remember we would be watching tv and would suddenly jump as there would be a very loud pop as the plastic bottle corks would be forced out and ping around the pantry. So I am aware how volatile these recipes can be but still wanted to try a alcoholic version. After seeing a few suggestions online I made a few adjustments and came up with my own version as all good cooks do, i believe you should only use a recipe as a guide and you should always adapt a recipe to suit your own tastes.

The recipe is very easy to make, reasonably cheap and quick to brew so it ticks the boxes on all levels really. The ingredients and method i used are as follows but you may wish to experiment and change to suit you.

Alcoholic Ginger Beer

A 2litre pop bottle with screw cap
A piece of Fresh Ginger about 2" long
250-300grams sugar
1/4 tsp beer yeast (or bakers yeast)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 litres water
Pinch ground cloves or 2 whole cloves
1 tablespoon honey
Funnel or jug

Clean and sterilise an empty 2litre pop bottle. I tend to put in each item one at a time rather than mix them together, put yeast in bottle first then drizzle in honey. Pour in the juice of the lemon and put in just half the zest. Put in ground cloves or whole cloves. Peel then finely grate the ginger, I put in everything, the juice, the grated ginger and the stringy leftover pulp to get maximum flavour.

Measure the sugar out in a jug and slowly pour into the bottle. Add a 1/2 litre of warm water, screw on the cap and shake gently until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rest of cold water. It is important that you do not fill it right to the top and leave a gap as it needs expanding room whilst it ferments so that is why I only put in 1 1/2 litres. Screw the cap on tightly and mix gently again. Put in a warm place and check the next day.

The bottle will feel rock hard as the pressure builds, gentle unscrew the cap just a little to release the pressure slightly and to stop the bottle expanding too much. Screw it back tightly and leave for another day. After the second day, unscrew a little bit again to release the pressure then put in a cold place or the fridge for several hours as this halts the fermentation. Strain through a muslin or fine sieve and rebottle. Be careful that you unscrew gently when you come to strain it as it will fizz like crazy, then drink but place in the fridge overnight to slow the fermentation right down otherwise you open a volcano the next day which will drench your kitchen :)

This really is a delicious drink and I like the ginger, lemon and clove kick you get from it. It is supposed to be approx 5% alcohol content but I havnt verified that bitjunky I do know it is a very quick, easy and moreish drink :) cheers !!

If you try one thing from my blog then please try this as you won't be dissapointed. The first batch is going so quickly I had to make two more bottles tonight :) enjoy

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

ingredients 

Glass of ginger beer - cheers 

Rosemary and Lemon Shortbread

Yesterday I had a couple of hours free so I just had to make this shortbread as it sounded so delicious when I was writing about it in a previous post, the recipe is mentioned in the 'Rosemary' post a few days and it did not dissapoint.

It took only a few minutes to combine the ingredients (posted a picture below of the ingredients you need). The aromatic smells of the chopped fresh rosemary and the lemon zest were intoxicating and really got my mouth watering for the finished product.

I found it alot easier to manage the rolling out by placing it between grease proof paper sheets. Popped it in the fridge to chill for 30 mins and went off to do something else.

Once chilled you can either cut into rectangles or use a shaped cutter. Place on a tray and bake for 10 mins. You know it is ready as you can smell the warming herb and citrus fragrances filling the kitchen and they go a light golden brown. See pic of finished shortbread below.

They really are very delicious and moreish. I erred on the side of caution and didn't overdo the rosemary but think I have room to add a little more next time and tweak the taste to get more of a herby hit. I only cooked half a batch which made approx 20 rectangles but wish I had done more as they disappeared very quickly.

My 6 year old gave them a huge thumbs up and his seal of approval as he snaffled several of them and suggested as I am the best cook in the world we should turn the house into a supermarket and sell them, bless his heart. Rosemary really is a wonderful herb not only to cook with as it has amazing taste and aroma but also for it's numerous health benefits which you can read about here in my previous post talking about  Rosemary

I am just doing what I love, cooking, eating, growing veggies, foraging for wild foods and watching the people I love enjoy the fruits of my pleasurable exploits, it doesn't get better than that does it !! :o)

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Shortbread ingredients

Delicious Rosemary and Lemon Shortbread

Cooking with Nettle Beer

Well i was excited today as my first ever batch of the nettle beer has finished after leaving it for an extra few days as it had a slow start and I must admit that I quite like it. It is a light bronze colour, quite clear and tastes a bit like cider which I actually prefer. I have included a picture of a glass of the finished product garnished with a nettle for artistic flair :0) If you would like the recipe for nettle beer then you can find it in one of my previous posts nettle beer.

Since it tasted better than I thought it would I was inspired to cook with it this evening to see how it added flavour to one of my favourite casseroles. I had some beef skirt so I added 300mls of the nettle beer to the stock and cooked it slowly, adding some vegetables such as potato, carrot and peas. Finally, towards the end when the beef was succulent and the vegetables cooked through i thickened the sauce with a butter and flour mixture known as a beurre manie which is French for kneaded butter. I often use this method of thickening sauces, stews, and casseroles as the butter gives extra flavour and a silky finish to the sauce. I have to say that the smell of dinner cooking was filling the kitchen and if it tasted as good as it smells I would be very happy indeed with the experiment of making the nettle beer. I have posted a picture of the finished casserole and I can tell it tasted delicious and will definitely be trying it with pork cheeks next.

I think I will be busy foraging for more nettle tops in the next week as I am looking forward to making more to both drink and cook with.

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

My Beef in Nettle Beer Casserole

A glass of homemade nettle beer

Garden Mint - fresh mint icecream

Garden mint is a herb that we are all too familiar with, so much so that often it gets forgotten and overlooked. There are many varieties of mint or Menthe but usually we either find spearmint or peppermint in our gardens.

Mint has been used in cooking and for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Menthe comes from the Greek word Minthe which was the name of a Greek river nymph to which Hades the god of the underworld took a shine to. However, his wife Persephone find out about the object of his affections and became insanely jealous and attacked Minthe turning her into a lowly plant and was about to trample her to death when greek mythology says that Hades who was broken hearted as he couldn't undo his wifes spell intervened by softening it and turning her into a herb so that when she was trampled under foot her sweet aroma would fill the air and he could be close to her again.

Romans used to rub mint on the tables before guests arrived to give a welcoming and fresh aroma as well as putting it in their baths as a soothing remedy. The Hebrews used to strew it across the floors of the temples and their homes to cleanse and fragrance the air. Other middle eastern cultures still offer mint tea to guests as a sign of hospitality.

This fresh, bright and vibrant herb has many health benefits as it is rich in vitamins A, B6, C, beta carotene, thiamin, riboflavin and folates. It also contains minerals such as potassium, calcium, manganese, iron and zinc and is a good source of dietary fibre.

It is a perennial herb and is very easy to grow but much as i love mint, I wanted to contain it in a small area of the herb garden so I planted the roots in a large pot beneath the surface so it can be contained and not overrun everything else. For me, this has to be in my herb garden as it evokes many childhood memories of munching the leaves whilst playing in the garden as we used to have loads of it around and I used to love smelling the aroma of homegrown new potatoes cooking with a sprig of mint. We would always have a jug of fresh mint sauce to go with our Sunday roast which is just equal parts of boiling water and white vinegar, a tiny bit of sugar to balance the acidity and freshly chopped mint to taste.

In my kitchen, I still love to use it with new potatoes and in a mint sauce but also as a raita or added to mushy peas. It adds a lovely zing to a classic English jug of Pimms or to make a refreshing summer drink by just filling a jug with water, ice and a huge handful of torn and crushed mint, finished with a few slices of lemon, leave for 10mins and drink and inhale the fresh heady aromas.

But I think as we are supposed to be in summer now I will just have to make some Fresh Mint Icecream to savour on these rare hot days we are having in between the rain or just to brighten up the rainy afternoons. Very easy to make and you can either use the mixture in an icecream machine or freeze in a tub and it will taste much better than the artificial mint icecream you buy.

Fresh Mint IceCream

500 mls of Double Cream
250 mls of Full Fat Milk
7 egg yolks
175 grams caster sugar
large handful of mint (12-15 leaves)

Put the milk and the cream into a pan and gently bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the fresh chopped mint, cover the pan and let it steep for at least 30mins.

Strain using a sieve and return to a clean pan. In a bowl whisk the yolks and sugar until they are thick and pale, then whilst whisking add a little of the cream mixture and whisk until incorporated then slowing pour the yolk mixture into the pan of cream and keep whisking until everything is combined. Place back on the heat and heat gently on low to medium, stirring all the time until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not let the mixture boil.

Strain the custard mixture into a clean bowl and allow to cool and then refrigerate for an hour. Either transfer to a freezer proof container or place in the icecream machine then freeze. remove for 10 minutes before serving and enjoy !!

I will look forward to making this mint icecream very soon as it already has my mouth watering and will make sure i post a picture in the next update along with any other fresh mint recipes I find.

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

My garden mint

Rosemary - many health benefits

One of my favourite aromatic herbs and one I usually grow in a pot on the kitchen window sill but this time I have planted some in the garden along with other herbs to use in the kitchen. I absolutely love the smell of the spine like leaves and use it whenever I can in cooking as it is one of those herbs where fresh is just so much better than the dried version and I am looking forward to seeing its pretty light blue flowers this summer. I adore this herb so much that I have been looking for other ways to use it besides the usual accompaniment for roast potatoes, lamb joints or stocks.

Rosemary comes from the latin word Rosmarinus which means 'dew of the sea' probably because it needs very little water to survive and surprisingly it is a member if the mint family. The Romans brought the herb to England in the 8th century. In times gone by it was believed that rosemary could improve your memory and it was used at weddings and funerals. The bride would wear rosemary to help the couple remember their wedding vows and mourners would throw sprigs of rosemary into the grave to symbolise that their loved ones would not be forgotten. The Chinese used it to cure headaches and baldness and the Greeks used it to improve liver function and improve digestion.

After modern day research it has been shown that Rosemary is another wonder herb with numerous health benefits and it is an anti inflammatory, anti allergen, anti fungal and antiseptic. It contains a number of vitamins, and minerals and in just 100 grams of the fresh leaves you will find the following;

• Rich in B complex vitamin such as pantothenic acid, pyridoxine and riboflavin. It has a high level of folic acid providing 109mcg or 27% of your recommended daily allowance RDA.
• It has 2924iu of Vitamin A which is 97% of your RDA.
• It contains 22mg of Vitamin C which is about 37% of your RDA.
• It is a rich source of minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, manganese, copper and magnesium.
• It is also an excellent source of iron, containing 6.65mg which is about 83% of your RDA.
• On top of all that is a good source of fibre containing 14.10g which is 37% of your RDA.

I have read that rosemary tea is a popular drink in the Mediterranean and I can see why after being surprised by the nutritional values it contains. It is also reported to be a good remedy for headaches, colds and depression. As always on a cautionary note please do not try anything herbal if you are pregnant or on medication. Seek your GP's advice first.

Although I prefer to use the herb as fresh as possible, if there is an abundance then I make sure that I freeze the extra sprigs to use later in the year and it does retain its flavour when used so better than drying it.

To enjoy the aroma and flavour of rosemary other than adding to lamb and other meats it can be added to an omelette, or try with roasted fish or make a stuffing. I wanted to find something new to use fresh rosemary in and what better way but a sweet recipe ingredient rather than just savoury.

Lemon and Rosemary Shortbread

1lb Plain Flour
1 teaspoon salt
8oz butter
6oz granulated sugar
grated lemon zest of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. mix in the lemon zest and fresh rosemary. mix in the egg and vanilla. gradually add in the flour and salt. mix until the dough comes together.

Dust a surface with flour and divide in half. place half of the dough between two sheets of parchment or grease proof paper. roll the dough out flat to about 5mm thick. chill the dough for about 30minutes and repeat with the other half. Cut out the dough using a round cutter or cut into rectangles with a knife. place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a little Demerara sugar then bake for 10minutes at 180c or until they are slightly golden round the edges. Cool and enjoy.

This is a recipe that I am definitely going to try very soon as i love shortbread and I will post pictures and a review when I do. I am thinking that if it tastes as good as it sounds then it will definitely be on the list of homemade gifts.

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Rosemary 

Foraging Recipe Update

Now the jubilee bank holiday celebrations are over I can find a few minutes to get back to my wild food blog and update you on the recipes i have made so far.

Wild Garlic Pesto

This tastes absolutely amazing and if you do not like the traditional pesto recipe made with basil, pine nuts and Parmesan then please do not be put off by this recipe as this pesto tastes completely different. It is so fresh, fragrant and the flavours compliment each other so well. As discussed in my original post you just omit the normal garlic, you then substitute the garlic leaves instead of basil, substitute the walnuts or any other nuts you prefer instead of pine nuts and use your favourite hard cheese instead of Parmesan. I used extra virgin olive oil but the choice is yours. It really is a recipe you can play with and adapt to your tastes and preferences. I originally made a large jar of the pesto and half has already gone so I will definitely be out again foraging for more leaves as I have found a new site and dont want to pick too many from one spot, so hopefully making more to freeze and enjoy. I have used the pesto in a sandwich, mixed into pasta, on boiled new potatoes, with roast chicken, just eating on a slice of chunky bread or adding to a casserole for extra flavour. It's uses are endless and I think it is definitely moreish and deliciously tempting. If you make some I would love to hear your comments.

Wild Garlic Butter

Like the pesto this is so easy to make and so delicious and a gorgeous vibrant green. As explained in my original post you just simply soften some butter at room temperature. Chop the garlic leaves very finely and then mix in to the butter with seasoning until everything is combined nicely. You can keep in a block, or a dish but I rolled the butter and sealed in cling film before setting in the freezer for 10 mins and cut slices off and stored them. The butter tastes great over a hot baked potato, spread on toast or bread, on new potatoes or a little dotted over other steamed or boiled vegetables.

Nettle Beer

After gathering a bagful of nettle tops without getting stung and boiling them in a pot, you would expect the resulting liquid to be a dark green, but instead it was a light brown colour. I added sugar and yeast and left it fizzing away to itself for four days in the airing cupboard. I have now syphoned the beer into recycled bottles. My local brewing supplies suggested to use 2 litre plastic pop bottles as they have a screw cap and as the nettle beer is now left to stand for 7 days before you can drink it, it can often build up pressure and with these bottles you can periodly unscrew the cap a little to release the build up without any explosive results which you may get it you use glass wine bottles, beer bottles or other containers. so just a few more days and then the tasting can begin, just in time for after my sons 6th birthday party which is when I will welcome a drink !! If you try making the nettle beer I would love to hear your comments so please do leave a comment on the post.

Elderflower Cordial

I was so delighted to see the elderflowers again this year as I really do enjoy making this cordial and drinking it too. I started to make it 10 years ago as I loved the fragrant refreshing drink so much that it was costing me a fortune to buy. I now prefer my own as you can adjust the sweetness or acidity to your preference by experimenting with different measures of the ingredients. My first batch of 1.5 litres was completed a few days ago and i now have the second larger batch of 6 litres nearly ready to strain and bottle.

We have an abundance of elder around at the moment so off out tomorrow to gather and forage for more flowerheads, just taking a little from different spots so there are plenty left to develop into berries later. next recipe to make is the elderflower champagne which is slightly different method to the cordial and then I have spotted a recipe for elderflower Turkish delight which I am just going to have to try as it sounds delicious.let me know how your cordial making goes by leaving a comment on the post.

Well I hope to see you again soon and although it's back to work tomorrow for everyone at least it is a short week before the weekend comes around again :) happy foraging

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Dandelion - coffee substitute?

I knew a bit about the dandelion as I have used the leaves, flowers and have tasted the roasted root used to make a coffee substitute but it is amazing what you find out when researching in more detail. Apparently this herb originated in Greece. It is called Taraxacum Officinale which means 'official remedy for disorders' !! In the USA it ranks in the top 4 green vegetables in overall nutritional value and in Chinese medicine it is in their top 6 herbal medicines. Throughout history dandelions have a reputation in being effective in promoting weight loss.

I have used the first tender leaves of this prolific plant in a salad and they compliment the other elements very well by adding just a slightly bitter note. It is a diuretic so has a very good cleansing effect and has many properties for which it is used in the treatment of numerous ailments. But I didn't realise that the leaves alone contain more nutrients than spinach or tomatoes. They include vitamins A, B2, C, D and G, and minerals potassium, iron, calcium, sodium and phosphorous.

The leaves and roots are widely used to lower cholesterol and dandelion juice when consumed fresh and in high quantities, by mashing and squeezing the flowers is said to have a cleaning effect on the blood and enriching it with iron. Specialists use the leaves and root to treat patients with liver disorders.

Only last year, I picked the flowers when they were first out and after giving them a brief clean, dipped them into a sweet batter and fried them to make delicious fritters.

I am intrigued to try the dandelion root as a drink again as I can vaguely remember its taste from when my mum used to have it and it is easily made and people do drink it as a coffee substitute as well as for its many reported health benefits. However, please remember if you are taking any prescribed medicines to check with your GP before trying any herb as it could affect how they work.

Dandelion Tea

Dig up some of the roots of the dandelion plant. Wash and clean them and then chop up into small peices and place on a baking tray.

Roast the roots for 30-40minutes at 200c with the door slightly open to let the moisture escape and they will turn a dark brown. The best way is to check them every 20minutes until they feel dry, then you can grind them up straight away and store in a sealed jar.

Use one teaspoon per cup of water, because of its slightly bitter taste some people prefer to add sugar or honey to sweeten it to taste.

As a bonus to all the above ways of using the dandelion we like to use the numerous leaves growing in all the nooks and crannies of the garden as a source of free food for our rabbit as she loves them too.

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

ElderFlowers - make your own cordial

Hooray, it's finally that time of the year, my no.1 most favourite blossom / flower has to be the elderflower. The delicate small white flowers with a scent that is so intoxicating when it fills the air on a beautiful sunny day. This has always been my favourite time of year when I can go out foraging for these wonderful clusters of flower heads, scouring the hedgerows and collecting bagfuls of them to make my homemade elderflower cordial. I've been making it for nearly ten years now and always have my freezer stocked with bottles of it so I can enjoy it throughout the year. Thankfully it usually works out that I am down to my last bottle or two just about the beginning of May ready to make a fresh batch for the year ahead. Though last year I wasn't able to make as much as I was pregnant and suffering with the heat so I ran out awhile ago and can't wait to taste that all familiar zing of the cordial that I will never get bored of.

So much so that I have already spotted some elder flowering across the road and went out last night to gather some after I made the nettle beer, batch number one is already steeping and will be ready to strain and bottle tomorrow, can't wait!

The elder has a long history and is disliked by some as it can overtake a garden or hedge and grows very high and can be hard to eradicate, but this amazing plant has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. The leaves, flowers and berries have all been used to help treat different diseases and ailments. In folklore you always planted an elder near your home to keep the devil away and in some English gardens they used to plant it near the entrance as a form of protection.

I am just happy to appreciate and forage for its white flowers and then go back for the dark black berries later on so I can make cordial, elderflower champagne, elderflower fritters and wine, jam and jelly from the ripe berries. Here is the recipe for the cordial or syrup as it is known in parts of Europe, it is really easy to make but remember because it makes a concentrated syrup then there is alot of sugar in the recipe and you will need to dilute the end product by using one part cordial to five parts water, or adjust to your taste. I have included a picture taken last night of my first batch steeping. The citric acid used to be sold in chemists like boots but not sure if they have stopped selling it, I now buy it from my local brewing suppliers or you can buy it online at sites such as amazon, eBay or google your local stockist. It is best to pick the flowers on a beautiful sunny day as they are open fully and their scent seems stronger giving your cordial more flavour. Snip of as little of the green main stalk as possible when you are collecting them.

Elderflower Cordial

three lemons

1.5 litres of water

1.5 kilos of sugar

60g of citric acid

20 elderflower heads

Do not wash the flowerheads as they will lose some of their flavour and scent but instead just inspect them carefully for insects and brush off any dirt or debris.

Remove any brown flower heads and the much of the green stalks as you can as these can make your cordial bitter. Put the elderflowers into a large bowl, bucket or pan.

Use a peeler to remove the lemon peel taking care not to get too much pith. Slice the lemons and discard the ends, then put in the bowl with the flowers.

Place the water and sugar into a pan and simmer on a medium heat, stirring all the time until the sugar is dissolved.

Take off the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes and then pour gently over the elderflowers and stir carefully. The flowers will tinge with brown but this is ok. Be careful as sugar syrup can get very hot and it will stick to your skin and give you a nasty burn which is why it is best to cool the syrup slightly before pouring it over the flowers just in case it splashes you.

Stir in the citric acid and cover the pan or bowl with a cloth and leave to steep for 48hours, stirring once the next day.

Strain through a muslin, cheesecloth or jelly bag. Then fill up your sterilised bottles and it is good to be kept for several weeks in the fridge or you can freeze some if it lasts long enough :)

The syrup can be used to make jelly as well as a drink and i hope to be enjoying a glass of this delicious refreshing cordial tomorrow when I post more on this blog. Go on try some, you know you want to :0)

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Close up of the Elder Flowers

The elder flowers steeping in the sugar syrup mixture

Nettle Beer - nicer than you think

After going to my local brewery suppliers today and getting the brewing bin, yeast and other items I needed I was all set to try out the Nettle Beer recipe I found and shared on an earlier post!

So this evening I went out foraging for nettles and found them in abundance in the hedgerows a few hundred yards down the road. My plan of using the kitchen tongs to hold the tops of the nettles and then snipping them off and putting them into the bag worked a treat and I was chuffed to have filled a whole carrier bag without being stung even once :)

Back at home I tipped all the foraged nettle tops into my stock pot and it was bulging above the rim as you can see in my picture below. It is best to pick the top six nettles leaves as these are the newest growth and the bigger leaves lower down are tough and tend to be bitter. I placed the pot on a medium heat and added the 4litres of water, peel and juice of one lemon and a teaspoon of ground ginger, then simmered it for 30-40minutes. Using a straining bag, i strained the nettle liquid off and discarded the leftover material which now resembled a nettle cake :)

Putting the liquid back on the heat and adding 1 pound and 5ounces of sugar and a tablespoon of cream of tartar, I kept gently stirring until the sugar was dissolved. Place the liquid in the brewing bin, let it cool to approx 20c then add a heaped teaspoon of brewers yeast and after it starts to froth a little then top up to a gallon or 4.5 litres with cold water. I just trickled the water down the inside of the bin so as not to disturb the yeast too much.

Now I was surprised at the colour of the liquid as I suppose I expected it to be green but in fact it was a bronze colour. On goes the lid and into a warm place for 4 days, then I can skim off the froth and bottle it. After a further 7 days then we can chill and taste it, cool. It is important that over the final 7 days you regular check the pressure build up in the bottles is ok.

I have heard alot of good reports about nettle beer so I am really intrigued to test it out and see what the flavour is like, will it be good or just like sweet nettle tea. We will see and of course I will post after the tasting session to let you know what I thought if it.

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

Nettles in the stock pot, beer preparation