Tomato Chutney and Ketchup

I set out to make the ketchup and realised the left over 'pulp' could be turned into chutney so I got two goodies from my home-grown tomatoes!

I collected 1lb 5ozs (600g) of ripe tomatoes; 4 small, sweet eating apples and 3 red onions. I fried the chopped onions and chopped apples in a little olive oil until the onion was soft rather than cooked.  Transfer this mixture to the food processor, add the tomatoes and blend everything into a pulp. Sieve the mixture putting the liquid back into the pan but keep the pulp to one side to make into chutney later.  For the ketchup add 20ml red wine vinegar, 80g soft brown sugar, 1 tsp ground ginger and salt and pepper to taste to the liquid in the pan then bring to the boil. I kept stirring it for about 30 mins.  At this stage it was very hot and very runny but it thickens as it cools so I left it  to cool down.  I decided I wanted it slightly thicker so I boiled it again for a further ten minutes. It was still too thin but I let it cool again and it was just the right consistency for me.  Pour into sterilised jars.

For the chutney I then put the tomato/onion/apple pulp into a pan and added a handful of sultanas, 10ml red wine vinegar, 1tsp ground ginger and 5tbsp soft brown sugar.  I then boiled this until the mixture thickened (when you can pull a wooden spoon through it and the gap does not fill up with liquid immediately then it is ready). Store in a sterilised jar and keep for a couple of months to mature before you eat it.

Squash and Cumin Soup

I made a couple of alterations to Sarah Raven's recipe as we don't like garlic but Andy does like 'hot'!

2 medium squash
3 heaped teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 medium onions chopped finely
large knob butter
750ml chicken stock

Heat oven to 190 degrees or Mark 5.  Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, drizzle with oil and cook until soft.  About 1 hour.
Heat the seeds in a dry pan for a few minutes then mix them with the cayenne pepper.  Fry onions in butter until soft add cooked squash scooped from skins, seed mix and stock.  Simmer and season to taste.  Easy!

Minestrone Soup

 Vegetables (carrots, onions, runner beans, peas and potatoes but anything else will do!)
1tbsp oil
1tbsp chopped sage or basil
Half tsp celery salt (optional)
Tin chopped tomatoes
3pints chicken stock
2 handfuls pasta
Seasoning
 Parsley to garnish


Chop up six large carrots, a large onion, a handful of runner beans/peas and six potatoes.  Heat a small amount of oil in a large pan and fry the vegetables for a few minutes with a table spoon of fresh finely chopped sage (or two teaspoons of dried) and half a teaspoon of celery salt (you can add chopped celery but I don't because Andy doesn't like it!).  Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and 3 pints of chicken stock and seasoning.  Bring to the boil then simmer for about an hour and a half.  Add two handfuls of pasta.  Cook for a further half hour.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve with freshly cut bread and grated cheese.

You can fry bacon in the pan before frying the vegetables and use basil instead of sage to get a slightly different taste.  You can also throw in whatever vegetables you have available.

Leek and Potato Soup

4 - 6 leeks

2 small onions

4-6 medium potatoes

1.5 pints chicken stock

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon thyme

oil

Chop up the onions and saute in a little oil.  Slice the leeks into 1/2 inch pieces and add to onions.  Peel and thinly slice potatoes.  Put all three in a large pan and cover with the chick stock.  Add the herbs and seasoning. Boil for about ten minutes (bit longer if potatoes need it). 

Pour into a blender to reduce the chunky bits. 
You can add milk (or creme fraiche) to make it thicker but I just served it as it was.

Elderberry Wine

5lbs elderberries - washed and stripped from stalks (use a fork to 'comb' them free)
1 gallon boiling water
3lbs granulated sugar
1 wine yeast packet
i cup chopped raisins
Half cup lemon juice
Half cuip orange juice
1 teaspoon yeast nutrient


Place elderberries, raisins,lemon and orange juices and yeast nutrient in a large fermentation bucket.  Pour in the boiling water and stir then leave to cool.  Squeeze ingredients to release juices and leave for 24 hours.  Add 2lbs of sugar and the yeast.  Stir and cover then leave for 5 days. Strain into glass demi-john and add remaining sugar. stir and leave for 7 days.  Strain into another glass demi-john and leave for six weeks.  Pour into glass bottles and seal.  Leave for 6 months then have a party!

Dandelion Wine

Collect 2 quarts of Dandelion flowers (you want mainly petals - remove as much of the green as possible).  Boil 1 gallon of water and pour it over the flowers.  Steep for 2 days (no longer!).  Boil the mixture again and add the peel of five oranges.  Boil for ten minutes.  Strain and add 3lbs of sugar.  Allow to cool then add the juice from the oranges, 1 tsp of yeast and 1 tsp of yeast nutrient.  Pour into a demi-john and allow to ferment for 60 days.  Bottle and store for at least 6 months.  We left it a year and the result was worth the wait.

Ginger Cake with Sticky Toffee Sauce

Save this recipe for November when it can be cooked in a shallow tin, cut into squares and kept for 3 - 4 days to turn nice and sticky - we call this Parkin in Yorkshire and serve it up on Bonfire Night.

  

225g SR flour
3 - 4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarb of soda
1 egg - beaten
115g sugar
60g butter
115g golden syrup
225ml milk

 

Heat oven 150 degrees C or Gas 2
Sift flour, ginger and bi-carb then mix in the egg and the sugar.
Melt the butter and syrup, remove from heat and add to the milk.
Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture and pour into a lined and greased cake tin.
Bake for 1 hour (sometimes takes a bit longer!).  Test middle with a skewer to check it is baked all the way through.

SAUCE:
100g butter
200g treacle
200g sugar
1 tbsp water

Melt the butter in a small pan then add all the other ingredients.  Bring to the boil, remove from heat and mix well.
You can add a tbsp of double cream to the sauce if you want a lighter colour but I serve it dark over a hot ginger cake with ice cream and a jug of double cream for the real Troffers!