Chutneys
THE BEST ESSENTIAL TOMATO CHUTNEY
When the cupboard is bare
I have been somewhat idle this summer and for various reasons have glossed over the abundance of fruits and vegetables growing in gardens or displayed on stalls. However, recently I was offered a bag of mixed eaters and cookers apples and I pondered on how best to use them. Whether to make an all apple…
» Continue Reading
GREEN THOUGHTS FOR ST PATRICK’S DAY
An Irish Moment
Happy St Patrick’s Day My stomach often cries out to me ‘I just want something green’ and whether it comes as a preserve or as a fresh adjunct on a plate, there is a huge array of green foods from which to choose. Green foods somehow radiate health, often fresh and with nutritious and wholesome…
» Continue Reading
LATE CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS FOR PRESERVERS
A quieter Christmas with my new hip
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas I have been planning this Christmas for some time – ever since I was offered a date for a new replacement hip in early December and realised that I would be a tad out of action in the kitchen. And a new hip is a wonderful Christmas present….
» Continue Reading
PUMPKIN CHUTNEY simply the best use of a pumpkin in October?
A great accompaniment to curry
What do you do with a pumpkin in October? I have great memories of the time when we lived in New York. In October, we generally managed a trip to New England to see the stunning fall colours together with roadside stalls piled with apples and pumpkins from the farms. I know many will associate pumpkins…
» Continue Reading
AUBERGINE – a versatile food
And a rich aubergine and pepper chutney
Aubergine – A food by many names What a a profusion of names have been given to this beautiful and shiny food. It is known as the aubergine in Europe, eggplant in the USA and Australia and the Anglo Indian name of Brinjal is also used by South Africans, Asians and West Indians. Other names for the…
» Continue Reading
BRIGHT AND JOLLY TOMATO – FRUIT OR VEGETABLE
The All Singing All Dancing Preserve
I have tomato plant is just outside my kitchen door. This is not so much for the fruit as for the wonderful waft from the foliage that hits me every time I saunter out. No matter that I only have a few green tomatoes on my plant, this year! A FRUIT Yes, indeed it is a…
» Continue Reading
SCHOOL HOLIDAY BLACKBERRYING and SAFE FORAGING
Go blackberrying
If there is just one MUST DO OUTING to enjoy with your children in the summer holidays it is to go blackberrying. By the end of August the hedgerows will be heaving with dark shiny berries and I cannot wait to collect them and then sit back and enjoy a plain bowlful. And then some for puddings, cheesecakes…
» Continue Reading
BRACE YOURSELF FOR A CHANGE TO TRADITIONAL EASTER FARE
Try sundried tomato butter with your scones and mint chutney with roast lamb
I think of myself as quite a creature of habit and I look forward to many of the seasonal traditions. But this Easter I have decided to break out – well just a tad. It started a couple of weeks ago on Mother’s day when my daughters took me out for a delicious afternoon tea…
» Continue Reading
SOUTHERN INDIAN FISH DISH WITH A FABULOUS CHUTNEY
With coconuts to start the Spring
This week I have invited Preti, the daughter of Meera Taneja, to share one of her mother’s fish curry dishes together with a fabulous coconut chutney. Both recipes are from Southern India. I know that my aunt, Beryl, who was very fond of curries, (and I have great memories of the aromas coming from pans on…
» Continue Reading
CHESTNUT THOUGHTS, CHESTNUT JAM AND NAT KING COLE
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
Chestnuts are so much part of Christmas fare – chestnuts as a stuffing, whole chestnuts , chestnut jam spread on toast or used as a puree added to ice cream or cream, mixed with puddings or made into a chestnut tart . So it is all very well for Nat King Cole to entice…
» Continue Reading
