We love the rhubarb and custard tart I make in the Spring so come summertime I like to do the same with gooseberries. I think it may be a recipe by Delia Smith that I have adapted to suit us.
I make a basic shortcrust pastry: 200 g of plain flour, 100 g of butter and 3 tablespoons of caster sugar mixed to the consistency of breadcrumbs and bound together with a little water. I then roll the pastry out in a greased, loose-based tart dish, pricking it with a fork to avoid air bubbles in the tart.
Gooseberry season is upon us and our three bushes have given us a decent harvest. We have two varieties so some are green and very tart and others are pink and sweeter. I mix them up when I use them.
I top and tail 250 g of gooseberries and put them in a pan with three tablespoons of caster sugar. I heat gently to dissolve the sugar well and simmer until the fruit break down and becomes rather pulpy. I help that by mashing them gently with the back of a fork. Then I leave it to cool completely by …
With an abundance of rhubarb at this point in Spring, I like to make batches of cordial to enjoy both now and later in the year. This is the first preserve of the season.
I follow a simple recipe with one kilo of rhubarb but it can be adjusted if you have less. I put 600g of caster sugar in a large saucepan with 600ml water. I bring this to a simmer before adding the zest and juice of two oranges and two lemons then I add 1kg of rhubarb (washed, trimmed and chopped) and a generous slice of fresh …
This is a dessert I make when we have an egg glut as our hens' eggs are rich in taste and colour so really make this dish.
First, I make the caramel in a saucepan with 150 g of caster sugar and 50 ml of water. When this reaches a dark golden colour, I pour it in an oven dish (or small ramekins that can go in the oven).
Then, I turn the oven on to 160 C (or gas mark 3) and pour 1 L of milk in a pan with half a vanilla stick or a teaspoon of …
Another creative use for the courgette glut! This cake is light and moist with an infusion of citrus and spice. I think I first came across it, years ago, in a National Trust cookbook.
First, I grate 200g of courgettes and add in one egg, 140g of caster sugar, 110ml of vegetable oil and the zest of one lemon. In another bowl, I mix 200g of plain flour, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda, 2 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp of ground cinnamon.
Then, I combine it all until the mixture is just blended, …
This tasty savoury loaf makes an interesting use of the courgette glut and is perfect to take on summer picnics. The mustard and cayenne pepper gives it a real kick.
I usually make it as a loaf but it works well as individual muffins too, especially the bite size ones that look great on grazing platters.
First, I melt 75g of butter and leave that to cool a little whilst I grate 250g of courgettes. Then, I sift 225g of self-raising flour into a bowl with a little less than 1/4 tsp of salt (we are watching our salt intake!), …
By about now in the summer, we start to get creative with our courgette glut. Here is a recipe for courgette fritters that we like.
Easy to make, with staple ingredients and deliciously crispy, these are filling enough to just be served with a green salad, or a rice salad or with new potatoes. For an extra kick, Peter likes to eat his with a good dollop of our homemade chilli jam.
I grate 2 small or 1 medium courgettes, skin and all. Then I add 2 beaten eggs, 125g of plain flour, 50 ml of milk, 40g of grated …
This cake is a great way to make use of a glut of beetroots. I usually bake it and freeze half of it to keep when a cake is needed at short notice.
The beetroot compliments the rich, dark chocolate very well and makes it moist and sweet. A winner, in our books! It is a Mary Berry's recipe that is more like a traybake than a cake. I cut it and serve in square slices.
I keep the half destined for the freezer as naked and I ice and decorate it as I please when it is defrosted.
I often make this light, thin custard when I have a glut of eggs. It is absolutely delicious on its own or as accompaniment to other desserts like meringues, fruit pies and crumbles or with poached egg whites and caramel for the traditional, iconic French sweet called île flottante.
As it uses egg yolks only, I usually make a batch of coconut macaroons with the whites. They keep well in an airtight container or I share them with a friend who loves coconut!
The recipe is from my ancient, French Tupperware Cuisine cookbook that I packed with me when I …
Inspired by a recipe found on the BBC GoodFood website, I decided to adapt it to make use of a glut of homegrown blackcurrants. I have a couple more favourite blackcurrant cake recipes but I think this one trumps them all.
I have made lemon drizzle cakes many times but not a blackcurrant one and I was not disappointed! It has the same crunchy sugar coating as a lemon drizzle, with a moist and buttery inside dotted with the deliciously sweet but tart blackcurrants. A layer of blackcurrants on top really makes this easy cake not only delicious but also …
