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COURGETTE TRIFOLATI Ingredients- 4kg courgettes sliced ½ cm thick 15 cloves garlic, sliced into slivers 8 medium chopped chilli 1 bunch of mint leaves picked 1 bunch of basil leaves picked Pomice oil, for cooking Extra virgin olive oil Salt/pepper Method- In a large pan, fry the courgettes until golden with the garlic and chilli, add the ripped basil and mint leaves, check seasoning. Finish with extra virgin olive oil. Season and serve JAM MAKING General method for most fruit Wash and dry the fruit thoroughly then in a jam making pan simmer on the hob (adding water and lemon juice if necessary) until the skins are tender. This will vary from a few minutes for raspberries to 30-40 minutes for plums. Make a pectin test (see below) and add pectin if necessary. Remove pan and add sugar. Stir the sugar thoroughly to dissolve before boiling. Then boil rapidly until setting point is reached (5-20 minutes) Put jam into warm jars, cover with a waxed disc and when cold cover with cellophane, label and date. Pectin Test Put 10ml (2tsp) of the fruit juice in a glass tumbler, leave to cool, add 15ml(1tbsp) of methylated spirit and shake well. If a good clot results, use 450g (1lb) of sugar to each 325g (12oz) of fruit. If two or three smaller clots result, use 450g(1lb) of sugar to a similar weight of fruit. If several small clots result, add to the jam another fruit rich in pectin, a commercial pectin or lemon juice. Test for setting Take a little of the jam and put in a saucer, cool quickly. Prod with a finger and if the skin wrinkles the jam is cooked sufficiently. If it remains smooth, cook for a further 5-10 minutes and repeat the test. Certain fruits have a high setting quality so they can set more sugar than others. Some are juicier than others and require less water. Others require lemon juice(high in pectin and acid) to set properly. This table provides a guide to help achieve good results with your jam making. Based on 450g of fruit you will require: Apples 125ml water, 450g of sugar Blackcurrants 250ml water, 550g of sugar Gooseberries 200ml water, 550g ofsugar Loganberries 450g of sugar Plums 450g of sugar Rhubarb 450g of sugar Apricots 30ml of water,450g sugar, juice of 1 lemon Blackberries 450g of sugar Strawberries 400g of sugar and juice from 1 lemon Strawberry Jam 1.3kg (3lb) Strawberries 1.2kg (2lb 10oz) sugar Juice of 3 lemons Hull the strawberries and put into a pan with the sugar and lemon juice. Dissolve the sugar slowly, then boil rapidly until the setting point is reached. Remove the scum and pour into warmed jars and cover. Blackberry and apple jam 1kg blackberries 125ml water 350gm apples sugar Stew the blackberries in half the water until tender. Sieve, if seedless jam is required. Prepare the apples, stew until tender in the remaining water. Add to the blackberries. Weigh and add an equal amount of sugar. Stir until dissolved, then bring to the boil and test for setting. Pour into warmed jars, cover with a waxed paper disc. The Ultimate Creamed Spinach (c/o River Cottage) You will need: 500g fresh spinach . 1 onion, peeled and cut into thick slices . 250ml whole milk . 1-2 bay leaves . 50g unsalted butter . 25g plain flour . Sea salt . A couple of twists of black pepper . A few gratings of nutmeg . Method: 1. Trim the spinach, stripping out the coarse central stalks and wash well. Cook the spinach, covered, in a large saucepan - you don't need to add any water, as the droplets clinging to leaves from when you washed them will be enough. When the leaves are wilted and cooked through, refresh them briefly with cold water then squeeze them with your hands to extract as much water as you can before roughly chopping. 2. Put the onion and bay leaves in a pan with the milk. Bring almost to boiling point, remove from the heat then leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain into a warmed jug, discarding the onion and bay leaves. 3. Melt the butter in the same pan (you don't need to wash it) and stir in the flour to get a loose roux. Cook this gently for a couple of minutes, then add half the warm, seasoned milk and stir in. When the sauce is thick and smooth, stir in the rest of the milk. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for just a minute. Season well with salt, pepper and a few grinds of nutmeg. 4. Next, stir in the chopped spinach. Heat through until thoroughly hot, but don't let it bubble for more than a minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and a touch more nutmeg if you like. Serve at once, ladled generously into large warmed bowls. Rhubarb Crumble Chop up some rhubarb into bite-sized chunks. Simmer it in a pan with some butter and sugar. When it’s soft, pour it into a pie dish. For the topping, you’ll need 225 grams of plain flour, 75 grams of butter and 75 grams of sugar. Mix the flour and butter together, in a mixing bowl, using your fingertips. When it looks crumbly, add the sugar and stir with a spoon. Pour over the rhubarb and pop in the oven for 30-40 mins at 180 degrees c. We particularly like it served with yummy clotted cream! Easy Peasy Chutney Chutney is a great way to preserve your Autumn produce, making a tasty addition to meals throughout the coming year, and beyond. You don't have to use the vegetables we've suggested and you can be a bit creative with the quantities, too. The important things are the combination of spices and the quantities of vinegar and sugar. 2.5kg of a mixture of all or some of the following vegetables: marrows, courgettes, squash, green tomatoes, peppers, apples (we know, apples aren't a vegetable!) 500g onions 500g sultanas or raisins 500g brown sugar 600ml white wine vinegar Pinch of salt Cut a 25cm square of muslin and place in the centre: 50g fresh root ginger, 1 teaspoon of cloves, 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns and 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds. Tie the muslin up with string to keep all the spices snug and secure. Chop all your fresh ingredients up and place into a large saucepan. Add the dry ingredients, the liquid and the spice bag. Simmer on a low heat for a few hours (don't rush this as the longer you leave it, the longer the flavours have to infuse and the ingredients to reduce.) Once the contents of the saucepan look suitably 'chutney-like', take off the heat, remove the spice bag and allow to cool. Once cold, spoon the chutney into jam jars, seal with lids, label and store someone cool until ready to use. Sloe Gin Sloe gin is easy to make and provides a magical winter liqueur. Gather your ripe sloes (careful you find them growing on blackthorn bushes which are pretty spikey customers). Take 300g of sloes and prick them all over with a fork or pin. Half full a bottle with them and add an equal quantity of sugar. Fill the bottle with gin, put on a lid and every week give the bottle a shake. In a few months you will have a delicious winter drink which will only improve with keeping. Many people say its best to pick your sloes after the first Autumn frosts but make sure no-one beats you to it. Braised Cornish spring greens with pine nuts and feta You will need: 500g spring green cabbages 100g de-stoned olives cut in half 100g butter 1tsp juniper berries 1 tsp green peppercorns 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced 1 white onion thinly sliced 3 cloves of garlic crushed and sliced 2 tins cannellini beans 1 lemon 50g pine nuts 150g Feta cheese Strip the cabbage leaves from their stalks, wash and slice into thin (1inch) strips. Melt the butter in a large pan. In a pestle and mortar crush 1 good tsp of green peppercorns and 1 good tsp of juniper berries and add to the melted butter. Add the fennel, onion and garlic and soften before adding the prepared greens. Drain 2 cans of cannellini beans and stir into the mix. Season and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon to taste. Whilst this is braising nicely, toast the pine nuts in a non-stick frying pan shaking every couple of seconds to avoid burnt nuts. Stir the cabbage mixture until nicely soft and tender and shake nuts until golden. When serving cabbage, crumble the feta over the top with a sprinkle of pine nuts and olives. Decorate with a wedge of lemon. Pumpkin soup 1 Red onion 2 cloves of garlic A good sized pumpkin 1 ½ pints of stock (chicken or veg works well) Fresh ground pepper Salt to taste Knob of butter Chop the top off your pumpkin, scoop out the flesh and discard the seeds. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Cut the pumpkin flesh into chunks. Melt the butter in the pan, add your onions and garlic and cook until softened. Add pumpkin chunks and season to taste with the salt and pepper. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer until pumpkin has softened. Blend until smooth. Chilled fruit pudding 500 gms mixed soft fruit 4tbsp sugar 1 large, thick slice of white bread with crusts removed 300ml extra thick double cream 3tbsp elderflower cordial 150ml thick natural yoghurt Reserve a few of the fruit for decoration Put the rest in a pan with sugar and 2 tbsps of water Bring to simmer for 4-5 mins until soft and juicy Cut bread into 2.5cm cubes and put in a large glass bowl or individual dishes Spoon fruit over and chill Whip cream with cordial until stiff Gently fold in yoghurt and spoon over the fruit mixture Chill until required and then decorate with reserved fruit. Autumnal Cauliflower Soup Here’s what you need: 1kg Cauliflower broken up into pieces 150g butter 1 onion peeled and chopped 1 garlic clover peeled and chopped 1 bay leaf 1 sprig of thyme 800ml milk 800ml chicken stock/vegetable stock Here’s what you do: In a large saucepan melt butter and add cauliflower stirring regularly to coat with butter. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme, garlic and onion. Cover and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes. Be careful not to brown the cauliflower. In a separate pan gently bring the milk and chicken stock mixed together to the boil. Then pour over the cauliflower. Turn up the heat and cook on a rapid simmer for half and hour or until the cauliflower is soft. Carefully pour the soup into a liquidiser and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with some lovely crusty bread. Fifteen Cornwall Recipes The chefs at Jamie Olivers Fifteen restaurant in Cornwall have been kind enough to come up with lots of seasonal recipes. These should provide you with inspirational ideas to use up all the rich pickings you'll be gathering from your Rocket Garden! SALSA VERDE Ingredients- 2 cloves of garlic 2tbsp of fine capers 1 tbsp of gerkins 6 anchovy fillets 1 bunch of parsley leaves picked 1 bunch of mint leaves picked ¼ bunch of tarragon 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar Salt/pepper Extra virgin olive oil (alpha zeta) to right consistency Method- Finely chop the garlic, capers, gherkins, anchovies and herbs. Mix the chopped ingredients with mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Check for seasoning and consistency. Really good with oily fish pork or lamb THE BEST BLACK OLIVE SAUCE Ingredients- ½ cup of black olives (kalamata, taggiasca) 1 tbsp diced shallots 2 cloves of garlic ¼ cup of fine capers 1 red chilli, chopped 2tsp red wine vinegar ½ the juice of a lemon 2 tbsp of chopped tender celery leaves 1 tbsp of chopped celery heart 1tbsp of chopped parsley leaves Salt/ pepper ½ cup of alpha zeta olive oil Method- Coarsely chop olives and capers, combine the remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar. Great with oily fish and chicken/ guinea fowl. COURGETTE TRIFOLATI Ingredients- 4kg courgettes sliced ½ cm thick 15 cloves garlic, sliced into slivers 8 medium chopped chilli 1 bunch of mint leaves picked 1 bunch of basil leaves picked Pomice oil, for cooking Extra virgin olive oil Salt/pepper Method- In a large pan, fry the courgettes until golden with the garlic and chilli, add the ripped basil and mint leaves, check seasoning. Finish with extra virgin olive oil. Season and serve ROSEMARY AND ANCHOVY DRESSING Ingredients- 6 sprigs of rosemary leaves, picked and roughly chopped 10 anchovy fillets Juice of 1 lemon 1 clove of garlic Olive oil Maldon sea salt Method- In a mortar and pestle, crush the rosemary with the salt into a paste, add the anchovy fillets and garlic, crush into a paste, add the lemon juice and oil until the right consistency. BRAISED FENNEL Ingredients- 8 fennel bulbs, first outer layer removed, cut into 8 wedges each 4 cloves of garlic chopped 1 tbsp fennel seeds rind and juice of 1 lemon 250ml white wine 4 sprigs of thyme 1 tsp dry chilli flakes Salt/pepper Method- In a large pan gently fry the garlic, fennel seeds, thyme, chilli and lemon rind. Remove from the pan and add the fennel and colour lightly, add the fennel lemon and garlic back into the pan and deglaze with white wine, cover with cartouche and simmer until soft, but still holding shape. If the pan becomes to dry add some water during cooking. Serve as antipasti or with roast/grilled pork, lamb of meaty fish VERDURA MISTA (MIXED VEGETABLES) Ingredients- seasonal veg, prepped and cut to size(may include red peppers, bunch carrots, aubergines, summer squash, cherry tomatoes, butternut, courgettes, fennel) 5 to 1 ratio, extra virgin olive oil to red wine vinegar garlic, minced picked basil leaves maldon sea salt/black pepper Method- Char grill the various suitable vegetables until soft, place in a shallow tray to cool, do not pile on top of each other. Make a dressing following the 5 to 1 ratio of oil to vinegar, add garlic, basil and season. Lightly marinate the vegetables in the dressing, don’t over dress or the vegetables will become to oily. Gently reheat the the mixed vegetables to order. Serve with grilled/roast meat and fish or as an antipasti AUBERGINE CAPONATA Ingredients- 4 aubergines, 1cm dice 1tbsp tomato puree 3 red onions chopped 5 cloves of chopped garlic 2tbsp raisins soaked in red wine vinegar 60g sugar 4 tender celery stick and tender leaves, chopped 150ml red wine vinegar 150g of pitted green olives quartered 100g of fine capers 100g toasted pine nuts 50g of flat leaf parsley chopped parsley Method- Fry onions, celery and garlic for 5 minutes, add the tomato puree and cook for a further 2 minutes, add the vinegar sugar olives, capers, pine nuts, and raisins cook for 3 minutes minutes. In another pan fry the aubergine until golden brown on all sides. Combine the fried aubergine and tomato base, cook together for another ten minutes. Add the celery leaves, parsley and season Serve as antipasti, or with most grilled/ roast meats and fish CIPOLLINE IN AGRODOLCE (SWEET AND SOUR ONIONS) Ingredients- 2kg pickling onions, peeled 100g butter 120g sugar 120ml red wine vinegar 80g raisins 80g pine nuts, lightly toasted Salt and pepper Method- Add the butter to a large pan, when sizzling add onions and brown for a few minutes. Add vinegar and sugar and leave to reduce over medium heat for 20 minutes. Add pine nuts and raisins and continue to cook over a low heat for 40 mins. Season. The next bunch of seasonal recipes come from West Cornwall's best cake maker and all round cool girl Cassie Mason. Thank's Cassie! ZINGY BEETROOT SALAD A nutritious fast food only taking a few minutes to prepare. Bursting with colour and taste this is great addition to a summer BBQ, also good served with freshly grilled fish. YOU WILL NEED: 2 large raw beetroot 1 bunch of spring onions 100g sultanas 2 tablespoons sunflower oil Juice of one lemon Salt and freshly ground black pepper Fresh basil to garnish Peel and grate beetroot. Combine with chopped spring onions. Add sultanas, oil, lemon juice, seasoning and mix well. Garnish with basil. Beetroot is low in calories and packed full of nutrients. It contains antioxidants which help reduce LDL cholesterol, it also contains folic acid and the mineral silica which helps the body to utilise calcium. Of course all the children will be interested in is will they have pink poos! TOMATO SOUP This recipe comes from a friend who grows the most superb tomatoes. Home-grown tomatoes are so juicy and tasty they seem to be a completely different species from those you may find on some supermarket shelves. In the height of summer when tomatoes are ripening faster than you can eat them take a little time to make this soup, it freezes brilliantly too so you can enjoy a spoonful of sunshine in the depths of winter. 1 kg large ripe tomatoes 3 tablespoons olive oil Fresh basil, thyme and parsley 25g butter 2 tablespoons bouillon or chicken stock 1 teaspoon sugar Sea salt & black pepper Cut tomatoes in half and lay them in a roasting tray (cut side up.) Drizzle over olive oil, season and sprinkle with herbs. Place in oven 160 C (350 F) as mark 4 for an hour. Remove from oven and add boiling water until it is level with the top of the tomatoes. After another 20 minutes in the oven take out and leave to cool for a few minutes before blending. Sieve into a large saucepan and heat gently. Add butter, bouillon and sugar and stir until they are all blended. Now taste your soup and add more seasoning if necessary before serving. Cooking fruit and vegetables usually decreases the vitamin content but recent research shows that cooking tomatoes actually enhances the antioxidant activity and helping to protect us from cell and tissue damage. All good to know but this soup is guaranteed to brighten even the gloomiest of British summer days. RATATOUILLE This delicious dish encapsulates the flavours of a Mediterranean summer. Quick and easy to prepare ratatouille is a truly versatile recipe that can be served hot or cold, as a side dish with fish or meat. For an excellent veggie option top with grated cheese and grill until golden. YOU WILL NEED: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 large onions 2 cloves of garlic (crushed) 1 large aubergine 2/3 courgettes 1 small red pepper 1 small green pepper 2 tins of chopped tomatoes. (fresh tomatoes are ideal if you have time to remove the skins) 2 tablespoons tomato puree Fresh oregano leaves. Roughly chop onions and sauté in olive oil with crushed garlic until they soften. Meanwhile de-seed aubergine and cut into chunks, slice courgettes and chop peppers. Sauté with onions for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent vegetables browning. Remove from heat and mix in tomato puree, chopped tomatoes. Tear the oregano leaves and stir in. Season with salt and black pepper, taste now as it often requires more salt than you would expect. Return the saucepan to the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Garnish with oregano and serve. Tomatoes are a rich source of vitamin C. Tomatoes, onions, courgettes and aubergine all contain valuable antioxidants. Really good food that is really good for you. PENNE WITH ROCKET, TOMATO & PANCETTA If I could only grow one salad crop in my garden it would have to be rocket. Rocket rejuvenates any salad and brings colour and it’s own distinctive peppery flavour to this dish. If you can, use fresh penne. For an impromptu meal with friends dried is fine, especially if using rocket and tomatoes fresh from the garden you can create an appetising meal in less than 30 minutes. YOU WILL NEED: 1 kg tomatoes (skinned if you prefer) 50ml olive oil 250g feta cheese 175g pancetta 125g black olive (pitted) 500g penne Generous bunch of rocket Salt Black and white pepper Fill a pan with lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions until it is al dente. While the pasta is cooking chop the tomatoes, place in a pan, cook gently for about 10 minutes. Drain pasta thoroughly then toss in a drizzle of olive oil, black and white pepper. Roughly chop pancetta and feta cheese. Combine all ingredients together, sprinkle with black pepper and serve. Both tomatoes and rocket contain vitamin C and antioxidants. Rocket is also high in valuable micronutrients including iron, calcium and fibre. Not to be underestimated rocket appears in the writings of Virgil as an aphrodisiac and was at one stage banned in monastic gardens!