pre-China cooking exploits.

I returned from China two days ago, after the most amazing three-week adventure! I'm not even sure how to put in to words just how exciting it was, but right now I'm still struggling to upload and edit the thousands of images I took. So expect a post soon...


In the mean time, here (FINALLY) are the pictures and recipes of some of my cooking exploits before I went travelling. All of which were based around things growing in our garden. Proud! 
Some were a little unsuccessful though...


Spiced wild cherry jam:

In our front garden is a big lovely cherry tree, which we presumed ornamental until it produced some of the tiniest shiny red cherries one year. Possibly the tartest fruit I've every eaten! Yet this year I decided to try and do something with them, and jamming seemed to only option. Although there were only a few, it was enough to make one (small) jar of jam. Despite taking ages to stone them, and carefully adding the right amount of sugar and spice (I chose cinnamon because I had bought some cinnamon sticks I've been eager to use for a while), the cherries stayed remarkably solid. And my jam turned out to be more like wild cherries in syrup. So when I can perfect the recipe, I will post it.

Raspberry and Blackberry Jam:

Our raspberry bush has sprung into action this year producing a glut of raspberries, and whilst they are so deliciously sweet fresh, we just can't eat them fast enough! I had some left over blackberries in the freezer so thought combining the too would produce a rich fruity jam ready for the autumn.

Recipe:

300g raspberries

200g blackberries

450g sugar (I always use less the the 50:50 ratio of the fruit:sugar ratio because I prefer soft set jam)

squeeze of lemon juice

To a large heavy-based saucepan, add the blackberries and raspberries and place over a low-medium heat allowing them to slowly reduce. Add a splash of water if necessary to stop them burning, although I normally just squish them with a potato masher so they can cook in their own juices.

After 10-15 minutes of simmering, add the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to the boil them reduce the heat to a gentling bubbling simmer.

Simmer for 20-25mins skimming off the foam, or until the jam forms a skin when placed on a cold plate. (put a plate in the fridge/freezer for 10ish minutes, remove and place half a teaspoon of jam on the plate, leave for a minute or two. if when you push your fingernail through the jam, it wrinkles, then it is ready for to be jarred)

Sterilise the jam jars in the oven/saucepan of boiling hot water. Allowing them to cool slightly before pouring the jam in and sealing the lids. Turn upside down once lidded to form a good seal.

The famous chocolate beetroot cake...in cupcake form:

this is not my recipe, I'm afraid, but it has become my signature dish...look at the amazing colour!

Recipe can be found at What Katie Ate

Courgette Muffins:
My brother has been mentioning to me to make courgette bread for ages, but we STILL don't have a loaf tin, so I've been putting it off. But now, we've got so many courgettes they are growing out of our ears and I figured now would be the best time to attempt to make a lovely teatime treat. My sweet tooth is so large, sweet muffins were the only answer, and I found an amazing recipe on The Novice Chef

 Aha... I spy...

Here's how I adapted to recipe:
2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cup mild-flavoured oil (sunflower/groundnut etc)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour, plus 1 T
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup black raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cups carrots
3 cups zucchini/courgette
200g tinned pineapple, drained and chopped into small pieces

Preheat oven to 180 C and line muffin tins with muffin cases.

Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in the bowl with an electric mixer. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, garam masala, nutmeg and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Toss the golden raisins, black raisins, and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour. Fold in the carrots, zucchini, and pineapple. Add to the batter and mix well.

Divide batter among cupcake tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes and then cool on wire rack. Makes 24-36.

I topped mine with yogurt and cinnamon frosting, but as yet don't really have a recipe, because every time i've made it, I make it up as I go. It consists of varying quantities of butter, icing sugar and yogurt, with a pinch of cinnamon at the end.


And the rest...
Steak and kidney pie for my Dad's birthday, Mirabelle and Cherry plums fresh from the hedgerows being turned into jam, homegrown beetroots being home-pickled for Mother's fussy taste buds and the mess I got into doing it, and finally, an indoor picnic I made for my friend Jess.

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